GOODS SERVICES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 239, 9 October 1935, Page 9

GOODS SERVICES.

PUKEKOHE APPLICATIONS. TRANSPORT OF MILK LAMBS. (From Our Own Correspondent.) PUKEKOHE, Tuesday. The No. 2 Transport Licensing Authority held a sitting at Pukekohe to-day, the chairman, Mr. J. A. C. Allum, presiding. E. Curnow, of Pukekohe, applied for a license to operate over the Franklin County with two vehicles. Mr. A. P. King, who represented Curnow, stated that the application was unique in that Curnow was not an ordinary carrier but operated the whole time for one firm who gave him a regular and set monthly allowance. Curnow, he said, could really be regarded as an employee of the company whose carrying work he did. Mr. King said that nearly two years ago negotiations had been entered into with the Commissioner of Transport regarding applicant's position and it was considered then that a goods license was not required. However, .a short time ago the main highways traffic inspector had interviewed Curnow and informed him that a license was necessary. The authority granted the application but made a condition that the applicant was not to operate north of.Drury. An application by W. A. Peterson and Son, of Paparata, to operate between Mercer and Paparata in order to carry coal and lime was declined. The application of F. M. Fearon, of Tuakau, to operate from Tuakau to Opuatia bridge was supported by a petition signed by 30 farmers who were of the opinion that they were not receiving satisfactory or sufficient service from the existing carriers. The application was granted.

Hunter Bros., of Putamahoc, asked for a transfer of a service from R. J. McPike and asked for amendments to the area and routes of the existing license. In dealing with the application for amendments Mr. Allum said lie was under the impression that a decision had been given last July and that the authority was not prepared to give a rehearing. Mr. King appeared for the applicants and stated that 110 had fresh facts to bring forward regarding the advantages of road transport. He contended that there would be no diversion of traffic from the railway because there had been 110 traffic from those particular sources before, as far as the rail was concerned. Again, the loss of direct transport to the freezing works would be a great hardship on a certain section of the farming community 011 the Awhitu peninsula, while direct' transport also meant that loss of weight and bruising was reduced to a minimum.

Mr. King produced evidence to support his facts, one witness contending that most damage was done to milk lambs when they were being loaded from motor trucks to railway trucks.

Mr. M. H. Grigg opposed the application on behalf of the Railways Department and stated that the whole matter came back to the question of the Waiuku branch line which, after showing a profit at one stage, had drifted back until it was showing a loss. That loss was attributable to road competition and if such a loss continued the Railways Department would have to consider the closing of the Waiuku line, and that would cause a serious loss to the district.

The decision was reserved,

A similar application by McNamara Bros., of Waiuku, was made and decision also reserved.