"PASSING THE BUCK"

Auckland Star, Volume LXXV, Issue 60, 11 March 1944, Page 6

"PASSING THE BUCK"

TRANSPORT LICENSING

returned men s appeal (p.A.) WELLINGTON, Friday. "We are sympathetic to the returned men, but we have a duty to see that if these licenses are granted there will be work for them to do," said Mr. P. Skoglund, No. 2 Transport Licensing Authority, when he had before him to-day a number o£ applications by men who have returned from overeseas for licenses to operate general goods carrying services. .

"In my opinon it is a matter for the Government to deal with better than they are doing at present, possibly through the Rehabilitation Department," he added. "It is not fair for the responsibility to be thrown on the transport licensing authority. They are 'passing the buck' to me all the time, and I am not going to take it."

Mr. Skoglund suggested that the matter might be handled by the soldier going first to the Rehabilitaton Department, which could then consult the Transport Department as to the opportunity offering, and advise the returned man before the matter came before the licensing authority. An investigation into the whole transport position with a view to ascertaining what opportunities there were had been mooted by the Government before Christmas, but nothing had been done. On previous occasions, he had deferred decisions in such cases rather than give a total refusal, and he proposed to do that again. It was then possible for suitable applicants to take over existing licenses which might become available.