WARNING GIVEN

Auckland Star, Volume LXXVI, Issue 40, 16 February 1945, Page 6

WARNING GIVEN

TRANSPORT OF RACEHORSES

LIMIT ON USE OF CHAR

P.A. WELLINGTON, Thursday. The Minister of Transport, Mr. O'Brien, to-day issued a statement warning horsefloat users that even if driven by a gas producer the 30mile road limit for their use in the transport of racehorses still applies. "Char is now issued without a ' license," stated the Minister, "but this does not permit its use for conveying racehorses for distances in excess of the 30-mile limit imposed by Oil Fuel Control Notice, 1944, No. 2. This has been decided by Mr. W. H. Woodward, S.M., in a case taken by the Transport Department in New Plymouth. "While for various reasons char has been excluded from the rationing system," continued the Minister, "the foregoing restriction on its use for racehorse transport is being retained so that all owners will be placed on the same footing (as in the case of retail bread deliveries, etc.), irrespective of the type of vehicle used, and also in view of the tyre position, which is still difficult and likely to remain so for some considerable time. "In the United States horse racing has now been completely banned," concluded the Minister, "and it is felt that New Zealand is not being unduly harsh in restricting the road transport of racehorses to 30 miles in view of the critical position in regard to rubber."