TRANSPORT POLICY

Auckland Star, Volume LXXVI, Issue 97, 26 April 1945, Page 3

TRANSPORT POLICY

REVIEW OF LICENSES ASTONISHMENT IN INDUSTRY P.A. WELLINGTON, this day. "Practically every section of the licensed motor transport industry affected will be astonished and incensed by the statement by the Minister of Transport, Mr. O'Brien, published on Tuesday, as to his policy decisions to be applied in a review of licenses," said Mr. H. J. Knight, national secretary of the New Zealand Road Transport Alliance, New Zealand Carriers' Pederation, and New Zealand Taxi Proprietors' Federation.

"It would be astonished because the statement contained direct negations of assurances which the Minister had voluntarily given to representatives of the industry only a few days previously, and incensed at the treatment to be meted out to the industry in spite of the really good job the Minister said it had done during the war years. On April 13 last, the Minister had given an unqualified assurance that there would be no confiscation of licenses, and that no change in the law regarding the issue of licenses was even contemplated.

"The requirement for the operator to make available a suitable part of his service for sale to an exserviceman is nothing less than confiscation applied in the smooth technique of the Nazis," said Mr. Knight, "and the Minister's statement that absolute priority will be given to ex-servicemen by all licensing authorities must mean some new law, for it contravenes the existing transport law, as will be observed by reference to previous appeal authority decisions. The restoration of operating rights voluntarily curtailed by the industry's control committees for the conservation of fuel, tyres, vehicles and manpower is not possible under the statement of policy, and must result in yet another broken pledge. The merger of companies, formed as a direct result of the Government's policy and, in some cases, forced on the parties, were promised protection against new licenses being granted in opposition to them. Now the Minister commits a further breach of faith, and, without a word of apology or explanation, tells these people that they must face some measure of competition. "The transport industry is second to none in its wholehearted desire to assist in rehabilitation of ex-service-men, as evidenced by its practical proposals and efforts in the last two years, but the policy of confiscation now places the operator in an invidious position if he opposes it, leaving him to choose between his sense of justice and his feeling for the ex-serviceman. If the announced policy is an example of how rehabilitation is to be effected throughout New Zealand, it can hardly be accomplished in the spirit of cooperation that would seem to be so necessary for such a vital and essential requirement. Other industries, too, will no doubt be interested in the Government's revealed policy and would be well advised to consider the effect of the extension of this policy to themselves if once it can be forced on the transport industry."