GOODS SERVICE

Ellesmere Guardian, Volume LXIII, Issue 98, 11 December 1942, Page 3

GOODS SERVICE

BIRCH Alft> SONS' APPEAL

LICENSING AUTHORITY'S

DECISION

A decision given by the JLicensing Authority, Mr V. Raines, in the case of Messrs E. Birch and Sons' appeal means, in effect, that the firm can operate its goods transport service only in the Springs and Eliesmere counties, and only within four miles of the railway. The firm will not be able to run its trucks between Chris.tchurch and Leeston, as at present. ,

Birch and Sons' appeal was from the directions of the Goods Transport Control Committee for the Leeston district, ... to take effect on October 1, that the firm should not enter the Ellesmere county. This meant that the service would have had to be discontinued altogether.

In giving his, decision, Mr Raines stated that he had held a conference with Birch and Sons and the chairman and secretary of the Control Committee on December 1, but efforts to reach a settlement satisfactory to all parties had been unsuccessful. He was reluctant to interfere with the decisions of the Control Committee so long, as it acted honestly and impartially. Its function was to effect the utmost conservation of tyres and petrol and members gave their services free. Although he thought the committee did act honestly and impartially in the directions it gave to Birch arid Sons, he felt justified in allowing the appeal, on the ground of undue hardship, to the extent of modifying the effect of the committee's direction. Birch and Sons would be permitted to operate in Ellesmere and Springs counties, within four miles of the railway line and between Leeston and Lincoln only. He considered that as a result of his decision a considerable saving in. the use of tyres and petrol by* Birch and Sons should be effected and all of the goods the firm formerly carried by road would, in future, go by rail, and Mr Birch and his sons would not be put out "of" business altogether and deprived of their sole means of livelihood. '. The right of Birch and Sons to pick up goods in Christchurch could not be granted by him in his decision and if it was not already in their license an application to obtain this right by amendment of the license would be necessary.