Transferring Of Taxi Licences

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXXVII, Issue 14926, 14 March 1949, Page 2

Transferring Of Taxi Licences

Only Allowed To Returned Men

Wellington Authority’s

Policy

(P.A.) Wellington, March 11. Until one of the Wellington Metropolitan Licensing Authority’s decisions is upset on appeal, the authority will continue to adopt the policy of refusing applications for the transfer of taxi licences to other than returned servicemen, providing the Rehabilitation Department shows that suitable returned servicemen are waiting.

Two such applications were refused by the Authority this week, the chairman (Mr Denis McGrath) pointing to the fact that two of the three witnesses called by the Rehabilitation Department had given up taxi businesses immediately before entering the Forces. Mr J. C. Cameron, representin gthe Director of Rehabilitation, said there were 91 applicants for new taxi licences and the authority had decided to grant 20 licences, but had been restrained by an injunction in the Supreme Court. Seventy-eight of the applicants were returned servicemen, and each reasonably assumed that he had a chance for one of the licences; but there were omy 20 new licences, which would leave 5 eligible returned men still desirous of being established in theß industry. The two applications, he suggested, should be adjourned until the question of the new licences was settled.

Mr T. G. Taylor (for one of the prospective purchasers): It would be most unreasonable to hold un normal financial transactions. The chairman: The injunction which was granted by the Supreme Court last year has now been rescinded, but the authority will not proceed with anything in connection with the new licences until the pending proceedings in the Supreme Court have been dealt with . . . The applicants are entitled to have the applications heard. Mr Taylor said his case was unusual. There had been two courses open to the ordinary person who had not volunteered; he had to go overseas as a conscripted soldier after volunteering ceased, or. if his occupation were considered “reserved,” he or his employer could apply for exemption. Policeman’s Application The applicant in the present case was in a very unfortunate position. As a member of the Police Force he could not be conscripted, nor could he volunteer, but had to remain in New Zealand. During the war the police in New Zealand did possibly as good a job as some of the men overseas. ' His health now prevented his “pounding the beat” and he wanted to enter the taxi industry. The industry now had reached the stage when it was on its own feet. It was strictly the business proposition cf running a taxi, and he would suggest that the industry would be improved by the influx of persons who had their own finances and were not starting out with a considerable hurdle. The applicant was not dependent on anyone for the purchase of the cab. Mr Cameron said his objections to the transfer were based on the fact that the Transport Licences Emergency Regulations, 1942, which referred to the desirability, in the public interest, of re-establishing in civil life discharged servicemen, were just as effective today as when they were introduced. Mr Taylor submitted that if the number of servicemen who had gone into the industry and were not in the industry now were taken into consideration, the Department would be very chary in adopting its “take all” attitude in favour of soldiers against civilians. There was a duty to the public and to the industry, and it wou’d be a very false premise to think that just one industry could be closed to other members of the public. The taxi industry—in which, in 1936, men worked 104 hours a week for an average of 4d an hour—would be the first industry hit in the event of an economic slump, and he. as a member of the R.S.A., did not want to see returned servicemen in the industry when that , happened. Mr Cameron said that in all licensed industries preference was given to servicemen in some form or other, not only the transport industry