GOODS TRANSPORT.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 64, Issue 147, 1 April 1944, Page 2

GOODS TRANSPORT.

RETURNED SOLDIER APPLICANTS ADVICE BY AUTHORITY CHRISTCHURCH, Mar. 31. “Ii is my duty to state publicly my belief that these young men should be advised to go to competent people lo compile estimates of projected costs,” said Mr T. H. Langford, when the No. 3 Transport Authority heard in Christchurch an application for a licence from a young returned soldier in the Ashburton district. The applicant was E. J. Tyler, and his application was for a goods-service licence. The matter had been adjourned from a previous hearing. Mr F. S. Wilding appeared in support of it.

“This basis of costs is not worth the paper it is written'on,” Mr Langford said. “If the Rehabilitation Department has agreed to recommend a loan on such a basis, then I say that something is radically' wrong. Much has been omitted from it.”

Mr Wilding: The Rehabilitation Department is going to take every reasonable precaution. The applicant, who had been wounded overseas, stated that he was satisfied that he could make a livingon the figures submitted on his behalf. Mr Langford: Did you submit these figures to the Rehabilitation Committee in Ashburton?

Witness: No. They worked out their own figures for themselves, and they were quite satisfied. Many factors had to be taken into consideration, said Mr Langford, when reserving his decision, and it was most essential in his opinion that in computing estimates of cost returned soldier applicants should have expert advice.

STATEMENT BY COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN. “The statement regarding Mr T. H. Langford’s comments on the case of E. J. Tyler is somewhat misleading,” said Mr S. P. Taylor (chairman of the Ashburton Rehabilitation Committee). “The facts are that Tyler tendered for and was granted a rural mail contract and applied for a rehabilitation Joan to purchase a suitable vehicle. However, when the case came before the Rehabilitation Committee, there was no guarantee that the relative passenger and goods licence would be available. The amount of the tender for the mail contract was such that Tyler could not possibly have made a living without the revenue associated with the passenger and goods licence, and the Committee recommended the grant of financial assistance subject to the passenger and goods licence being available and subject to the Post, and Telegraph Department being willing to review the contract in three months’ time.”