PUBLIC CARTAGE AT CHEVIOT

Press, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 26857, 9 October 1952, Page 6

PUBLIC CARTAGE AT CHEVIOT

ADDITIONAL LICENCE REFUSED

SEASONAL NEEDS OF DISTRICT The case had not been strong enough to permit the granting of the application, said the No. 9 Transport Licensing Authority (Mt J. A. Hr ether ton). When rei using an application by Cheviot Transport, Ltd. (Mr J. S. Haywood), for an extra seasonal vehicle authority* at a sitting in Christchurch yesterday. The Company asked that the licence should be granted for general goods from October to May inclusive. The application was opposed by Miles and Withers (Mr R. J. Lotighnan). Cartage work in the Cheviot district between October and May was highly seasom.l, and to make it a financial success it was necessary to be able to handle all the business offering during the busy period, said Erie Clifford Hughey, managing director of the applicant company. Herbert Michael Petrie, a farmer, of Cheviot, said there was a high seasonal peak in the district. At the peak of the season, he had experienced difficulty in getiflg carriers at short notice. He was supporting the application as a farmer who had experienced an acute shortage of trucks in the harvest period.

To Mr Haywood, Petrie said he had lost two paddocks of hay, amounting to about 200 bales, and some Wheat, last season, because no trucks were available.

The applicant Company had given no evidence that it had failed to Carry Out the work, or that the, public had not been catered for, said Mr Loughnan.

William John withers said he agreed that the work Was seasonal ductu* ated. He had always ■ been able .to cope with the business in the jbUsy period, and he had never refused any Work. There vzere quite a few fartfiefs in the district with one-ton trucks with which they did some of their own work. The tendency of farmers to do their own work was increasing. On the applicant’s own evidence, a great deal of the seasonal work coUld be done without the licence sought, said the authority. There had been no evidence opposing the statement by Withers that many farmers how had their own trucks.