MOTOR SERVICES TRANSFER

Evening Star, Issue 22354, 2 June 1936, Page 8

MOTOR SERVICES TRANSFER

GOVERNMENT PURCHASES RATIFIED LAST MEETINGS OF LICENSING AUTHORITY The transfer of the Pembroke-Maka-rora and Pembroke-Queenstown services from Wanaka Motors Ltd. to the New Zealand Railways, and similar transfers of Mr A. Earl’s DunedinRoxburgh service and Mr J. W. Hope’s Dunedin-Palmerston service were ratified at a sitting of the No. 9 Transport Licensing Authority this morning. Mr A. I. W. Wood presided, associated with him being Messrs J. Preston and W. Blackie. After the transfers had been approved, Mr H. M. Mackay, on behalf of Wanaka Motors, expressed keen appreciation of the amicable relations between the authority and the operators in its district. He was glad to acknowledge, he said, that the authority’s decisions had been sound and just, even though some of them had not been favourable to his company. “ Ever since the inception of the Transport Act I have been struck by the remarkable manner in which the authority has dealth with the applications that have come before it and the fairness of its decisions,” said Mr H. L. Gibson, District Traffic Manager for the Railway Department. He added that it was recognised all over New Zealand that this authority was one of the best committees in the country, and was sorry that it was being broken up, not only from a judicial point of view, but from the personal aspect. It had built up a sound transport system in Otago. “ It sounds as if this might be the last meeting of the board, but we have not yet received our donation of running shoes,” said Mr Wood, amid laughter. He did not think that there would be many more sittings, and these would deal with formal matters only. The work had been interesting and the board had endeavoured to treat every matter impartially. The operators in the district had met it in a very fair and reasonable manner, and their relations had been very pleasant. The board had always tried to bring about what it considered to be the aim of the Act—the co-ordination of services. In this respect the Railway Department had met it when it made any suggestions, although the board did not have authority over the department. The associate members and Mr Earl spoke in similar strain, and tributes were also paid to the efficiency of the secretary (Mr F. H. S. Ibbetson).