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Transportation and a Simile.

(A. W. Triggs, Fitter, Hillside.)

Interest is impelled by what one reads nowadays concerning Transportation. The word implies a great wealth of past achievement, yet of more importance is the suggestion conveyed of its vast possibilities and tremendous economic power over our national future. Notwithstanding the progress already made, Transportation as a science is still in its infancy, and a realisation of this fact has led me to think of the future, when this, one of the greatest factors of our national economic welfare, has been brought nearer perfection.

Why not look to Nature for a comparison? I have thought in that direction, and find that the circulatory system of the human body is a natural example of perfect transportation. A scrutiny of a diagram of blood circulation reveals inferentially the weaknesses of our country's transportation system.

In a comparison of the two systems, the administrative offices may be likened to the brain, the operating and distributive centres to the heart and its compartments, whilst the trunk lines are as the main arteries and veins. Now, if an artery or vein is severed, the surrounding part of the body is weakened. A similar weakness is found in a country that has broken trunk lines. Where there are breaks there is no growth. The larger branches are similar to the smaller arteries and veins, and if there are not enough of these it is obvious that growth must be slow. And now to complete the simile, what have we to represent the multitude of small arteries and veins, that is, the little feeders?

Back in the rural areas of our country, we need a network of light railways and motor services to complete the work of our main lines-to feed and develop the country, North and South, East and West, as the human body is fed and developed to its utter extremities. In the cities we need our motor services to bring our passengers and goods to the railway and take them from the railway to their destination. When all this is achieved, then will Transportation as one huge organisation develop our country, feed it, and give to it the powers of endurance that the human body derives from the circulatory system.

The great development I have endeavoured to portray carries us many years into the future-to ultimate perfection; but if Transportation is to fulfil its destiny and we are to help to attain that destiny we must ever look to the final goal. I have also endeavoured to prove that the whole Transportation system of a country should belong to the country, as along its lines flows the country's life-blood.

In conclusion, may I suggest that the Railway Department adopt the name, “New Zealand National Transportation Department,” because to the average citizen “New Zealand Government Railways” suggests an ownership apart from the people?