Railways Official Incensed

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31152, 31 August 1966, Page 1

Railways Official Incensed

The chief administrative officer of the New Zealand Railways told the No. 9 Transport Licensing Authority (Mr J. S. Haywood) yesterday that he was incensed at the implication that the denartment was involved in influencing an important witness against giving evidence at the current hearing.

Percy Patrick Geddes said the counsel for the applicant company (Mr H W. Hunter) had implied Railway compl ici tv in a protest submission ’lodged last Thursday “This is absolutely wrong.”

Mr Hunter, who is appearing for the Christchurch firm

of E. H. Boyce and Company, Ltd., interjected and stronglydenied the witness’s statement. He had misunderstood the submission, said Mr Hunter.

The applicant company is seeking the right to start a South Island motor-vehicle transporter service. In the submission, Mr Hunter told the Authority that a Dunedin distributor of vehicles for General Motors, Ltd., had been subjected to pressure and would not give evidence.

Mr Hunter said that the distributor, whom he named as David Hanlon, got as far as Temuka on his way to Christchurch when he called into an office. It was there he was influenced against giving evidence and returned home. Hanlon also had in his possession an affidavit from another Dunedin retailer.

The protest submission was lodged in the morning and during the luncheon adjournment, counsel for the Railways (Mr F. D. Daly) obtained an assurance from the Assistant General Manager (Mr T. Thomas) that the department was in no way involved. Mr Hunter had also said in his submission that one did not have to be a sleuth to know that General Motors manufactured other things besides motor-vehicles. “There is no connivance whatever between General Motors and the Railways,” said Mr Geddes. The witness said that all locomotive and rolling stock contracts were tendered by the department on a worldwide basis. Mr Geddes said that General Motors had nothing to sain one way or the other 4

from the present proceedings. The Railways had offered General Motors, Ltd., a reduced freight rate for the South Island, and it had been accepted. There was no contract.

Like the applicant company and many others at transport licensing hearings, the Railways also had difficulty in getting witnesses to give evidence. “It is part of the inherent cowardice in human nature,” said Mr Geddes. The witness also said that the issue had received a lot of undue publicity. The Authority said he accepted Mr Hunter’s assurance that the Railways was not implicated in his protest submission.

“Mi Hunter acted properly in his duty. As counsel, he is here to assist both his client company and the tribunal before which he appears,” said the Authority.