"NO POLITICAL INFLUENCE"

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21967, 16 December 1936, Page 10

"NO POLITICAL INFLUENCE"

TRANSPORT LICENSINf AUTHORITIES

PAYMENT OP AWARD W«4 INSISTED UPON "7

(FBXSB ASSOCIATIOK TILBOKUC.) PALMERSTON N., December A "It is useless operators going* members of Parliament or Mimrtffi and asking them to use their infiiS ence with licensing authorities. La me say that the licensing authornf will not be influenced by a membej of Parliament or a Minister. He bat been given a job to do and will m it to the best of his ability," said 1$ P. Skoglund, No. 2 Licensing Authoa ! ity, before commencing the hearing of applications for renewal or kP tension of licenses. "In future operators will have to see that the wages earned are paid in conformity with the award, 5 * he added. "This applies to ownerdrivers as well as to employees apd employers, and whether or not they -> are parties to the award. It is the Government's intention to see that sufficient is earned to enable the requisite rate to be paid." Mr Skoglund said that in future the issue of a renewal would depend on whether the operator was in a financial position to conduct a satisfactory service. He had examined all the balance-sheets and financial statements, and in a good ' many instances had found that operators were not returning sufficient income to allow award wages being paid, and that a lot of returns were not correctly completed. , « Mr Skoglund also referred to "cutthroat" competition. "We hope to come to some agreement about freight schedules to be made a condition of the license," he said. "Any operators who cut freights wilHSf in danger of losing their licenses.