G.O.C. MOTOR BUSES.

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 129, 3 June 1927, Page 9

G.O.C. MOTOR BUSES.

CUIH A6AWST COUiCIL was thxbs covrannoi i ! . ! i SUPREME COURT TO DECIDE. What promises to be a leagthy action ! was commenced before Mr. Justice Hodman in tie Soprerce Court yesterday. The Mount Eden Motor Bob Co..(Mr. Meredith aad Mr. Armstead) brought an •ctioa against the Anraiaad Corporation (Mr. Johnstoae aad Mr. Stanton) to enforce the*taking ©rer of the coapaay's reticles and stork en tbe G.O.C bee rentes. ; The action waa opposed by the corporatioe on the groond that the bo«es ; were not aad >are .not: ia substantial opposition to the trams. The .Hon. E. W. Alison sits-as assessor for the eompaßT. and Mr. G. W. Hnteh- , iasom in a similar capacity for the corporation. The daim tras" for £35,435, I the price of buses and other proyejty. At the suggestion of Mr. Jotrastoae all the witnesses were ordered oat of Coart. Traee JiMf Ttam SMte. Mr. Meredith eaid. that the proceeding »« to- decide whether there ra rah> sUntial coenpetition bet»een the com-pam-'s be~»* and the traaa. Notice vaa to the cooneH oa Xoreaher 11, J 192e. hut in.their reply, wioclj -wnm not forthcomiag "mrtfl December. 21, they refnsed to take orer the baMS, main*. tairißjt that there. «a» no competitJQß The delay in answering the notice shoved that the conal doubted whether it could sustain Ha objectioa. Mr. Johaatooe . that the whole eanse of th*4ehvr «u«fiaL The werTiee,. eonUyued Mr. Meredith, comprised Sβ bases, i eetveea the city and ralmrba. They need, for the most part, the same routes aa the trams. The Meant Edea bnjcc had beea taken orer bnt R"?those on the Mount Albert and Grey Lyan rontes. The outlying district* inert too thinly popohtfed to snnporfca bw wrrice. and the boaearaa only a ha!f-!so«rly cerriee to onfiying termini, as- compared *with- a ten-minnt* •erriße aloß* the traro ronte, where they more thaa'lo .per cent of the tralfir. - . Pcaal Tare r PrAibitrrc. . His Honor asked what weald be the position of the company if the council did not take orer. Mr. Meredith said it could not carry on. owinf to the fact that the penal fare was praetieaHy prohibitive. Serentrfijre per cent of the y«mny.n had been picked np along the team rootea, and that had now bees cot oat by the legi»latiqn that reqvired the Imm to charge twopence more thaa the teams. George Grey Campbell, manager of the G.O.C, said hh'ku were ran -to Mount Edea. Mount Albert. Blockhouse Bay, Rosebank Road (Arondale). aad to the AToadale post office. He would estimate ttat from «Q to 75 per cent of their fltaWl poqk irow the frtra areas. Tht twopeuce petal fare had greatly aftecte* the avrnber ef paseengers carried by the bases. TW ceopeny amr had 18 base* irtaaing tamtable and arrea for special trips. Other evidenee was eaH»d to show aat the buses had carried maay people ia the «ram area*. *^^ The farther hearing of the ease has bees ad joaraed aatfl Jme 38.