'Rap over knuckles'

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33541, 23 May 1974, Page 3

'Rap over knuckles'

(N.Z. Press AUCKLAND, May 22.

The secretary of the Auckland Metropolitan Road Safety Council, who is a Ministry of Transport official assigned to do the job, had a rap over the knuckles by his bosses because he signed angry letters from the council to the Minister of Transport (Sir Basil Arthur) said the acting chairman of the council (Mr M. A. P. Forester) at the council meeting. As part of its assistance to road safety councils, the Ministry provides one of its employees to act as secretary.

The present secretary, Mr H. B. Laban, who works at the Ministry’s district office in Auckland, took over the job last year. One of his duties lately has been to write stronglyworded letters from the council to the Minister.

These letters were written on the instructions of the council, and Mr Laban was told at its meetings what the contents should be. He signed them on behalf of the council.

Some of the letters expressed the council’s anger at the Minister’s refusal to consider instituting driving licences with photographs.

“Our secretary has been rapped over the knuckles because of this,” said Mr Forester. “I suggest that in future the chairman signs all letters that are at all hot.” The council agreed that this be done. Mr Laban said today that when he was in Wellington two weeks ago on other business a Ministry of Transport official warned him that in future letters to the Minister, particularly those about photographs on driving licences, should be signed by the chairman of the council.