NO SECOND CHANCE.

Auckland Star, Volume LV, Issue 115, 16 May 1924, Page 6

NO SECOND CHANCE.

A TAXI-MAN'S LAPSE. POLICE ADVICE ACCEPTED. COMMITTEE'S DECISION , REVERSED. " It is a moral necessity on the part of the City Council to clean up these taxi ranks, and to ccc that only men of good character have licenses," declared the Mayor, Mr. J. H. Gunson, at last evening's meeting of the council, when I he moved an amendment upsetting the ! decision of the Legal and Finance Com- : mittee to give a taxi driver a chance to make good after his first conviction for drunkenness. The Mayor quoted the police report, i which etated: "It is quite apparent he is not a fit and proper person to be i licensed as a taxi driver, and I recommend that his license be cancelled forth- ■, with." To disregard that report, as the ■ committee had done, would, he declared, | jeopardise the council's position with j the Police Department. It was, bo to epeak, a test case, and would lead to a difficult position between the police and the council if the report was disregarded in view of the very strong attitude taken up. On that ground alone —the seriousness of falling out with the police —the council should not do it, and there was the additional duty of cleaning the taxi stands. "Menace to the Public." Quoting from the police report, the Mayor said that the driver in question was endeavouring to drive his motor car while intoxicated. Two men, alleged to have been in the taxi, incited the driver to resist the police, and a disgraceful scene followed, in which two police officers and two civilians (one a tramway motorman and the other a prison warder) assisted in making | arrests. The driver was subsequently ' fined £5 and placed on probation for j twelve months. "I know of no greater | menace to the public than a drunken motor driver," concluded the Mayor. " Nor do I," 6aid a dozen of the councillors. "Not so Bad as Painted." "The committee came to its decision after a close review of the case," said | Mr. G. G. Maclndoe. "Let us be con- ; sistent." He pointed out that it had always been the. practice to give a • man a chance if it was his first offence,! but to cancel his license if he had hcp.n warned before. This case was a bad one, but when the man was before the committee he did not look such a bad character as he was painted. Having heard his story, one had to be influenced to some extent by his personality and the ease presented. Personally, Mr. Maclndoe was satisfied in favouring another chance for the man. The man was married and had a heavy liability ! on his car. Under the circumstances, the committee considered it would give him the benefit of the doubt and another chance. Police Sometime! Mistaken. "Jt has been the invariable practice to give a warning and a chance to a man who makes a mistake," said Mr. A. J. Entrican. The Mayor: In spite of the police report ? Mr. Entrican: We find that the police sometimes make mistakes. I have never known of a case where a first chance has been abused. The men on the rank with whom he was associated sent in a petition in his favour and etated that his conduct on the rank was satisfactory. I admit, however, that reading the police report and knowing nothing about the other side of the matter it looks very bad. Mr. S. I. Crookes hoped it would be a ruling of the Council that the license should be taken from any driver found drunk in charge of a pubic conveyance. He quoted a case in his own experience where a taxi driver, who had been given a chance, got drunk again, and had his license. cancelled in Auckland. Private Owners in Same Position. : Mr. Tom Bloodworth asked whether this would establish a precedent. It was not always the taxi driver who was the offender. He would support the recommendation of the committee because after seeing the man they had eeen fit to give him a,chance. ! The Mayor: It is a misuse of your powers to seek to reform a man by giving him facilities in Tespect of public services. He has proved himself unfit for his position and he brings his own penalty on himself. I would treat a private owner just the same. It is our bounden duty to support the police. Would you like your wife or daughter to get into the taxi driven by this man? If you would not, can you justify the administration that places 'him at the disposal of the general community? Place that test on yourselves. The question was then put to the Council, and the Mayor's amendment, cancelling the man's license, was carried. I