TAXI LICENCES

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 210, 2 June 1944, Page 4

TAXI LICENCES

Licensing Authority. Hears More Submissions The Wellington Metropolitan Licensing Authority sat again yesterday to hear replies by counsel for other applicants for taxi licences to the submissions made b.v Mr. A. E. Hurley on behalf of his client at last week’s sitting. Mr. Hurley had then submitted that the authority was not entitled to give preference to ex-servicemen who hail happened to serve overseas to the detriment of applicants such as his client, who had not been sent out of the country by the army, but had served the whole ot his time wit it credit within the Dominion. When yesterday’s sitting opened, Mr. M. R. Watterson said that he had intended to speak, but his client was now iu tho position that he would almost certainly be acquiring it licence by pur-, chase. For that reason he did not feel it would lie proper to make further submissions, but asked that his client’s up-' plication remain on the file in case the purchase should fall through. Ou behalf of his client’, Mr. 11. Taylor said he felt that some of -Mr. Hurley’s submissions were erroneous in law. The law laid down, he submitted, that only after all personal considerations had been considered and the claims of two applicants were assessed equal, could the authority take into cognizance the previous history in the particular industry of tile applicants. His client hail been one of those who hail volunteered fol the services, while Mr. Hurley’s had waited till he was called iu the ballot, aud he thought that was a matter which should give preference to his client. Mr. Hurlev said that while he did not believe in privilege aud privileged persons, the law in this matter did estaolisli a privilege, but it was a privilege for ail ex-servicemen equally. Circumstances might not permit a man to '’olllll- - but his client, when ba luted, had not appealed and had done all that was asked of him. Any of the volunteeis might also have been directed to seine within the Dominion and have been in the same position as his client, lhe regulations under the Transport Licensing Aet definitely referred to the re-establish-ment of servicemen, and to that the previous occupation anil seniority in the occupation were relevant. . . At the conclusion of the submissions, the chairman. -Mr. Hislop, who had sitting wiih him Messrs. YV. Appleton. M F Luekic and .1. W. Gaudin. intimated that the authority would consider them and make their decision known later-