"WORK STULTIFIED"

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 80, 5 April 1938, Page 17

"WORK STULTIFIED"

MINISTER'S ACTIONS

TRANSPORT LICENSING.

(By .Telegraph—Press Association.)

CHRISTCHURCH, This Day.

Because of "the treatment meted out to the Metropolitan Licensing Authority" by the Minister of Transport (the, Hon. R. Semple), the Mayor (Mr. J. W. Beanlahd), who is chairman of the Authority, refuses to continue as a member. This was announced by the Mayor last night at a meeting of the Christchurch City Council.

Mr. Beanland's statement was as follows:—"The council being the Metropolitan Licensing1 Authority under the Transport Licensing Act, 1931, delegated its powers to a committee, but owing to the treatment meted out to the committee when dealing with the taxi business by the Minister of Transport I find I cannot see my way to continue as a member of that committee and I ask the council to relieve me of; the position." The council discussed the Mayor's statement in committee, and it was afterwards reported, that a resolution had beert passed, expressing to the Minister'regret and dissatisfaction at the way the-Authority's'work has been stultified. - ' •Mr.' Beanland's • comment on the Minister's actions' apparently ielated \o his handling, of appeals'against the Authority's decision, which was upset in three important points,, The first was in the substitution of a. system of assessing, fares by "passenger" miles instead of by "cab" miles, as decided by the Authority.' The second was in allowing six appeals against the cancellation of the licences by the Authority, and the third was the Minister's ruling that in fixing the dates between which taxi-meters \yere to be installed the j Authority did not correctly interpret I his' judgment; . I

jPilot-Officer C. E. Malfroy (Wellington) has been i promoted to the rank of Flying-Officer'in No. 5010 (County of Gloucester) Bomber Squadron, Auxiliary Air Force, a volunteer unit. Fly-ing-Officer Malfroy is the well-known New Zealand tennis player. He was formerly a member of the Cambridge University Air Squadron.