SOUTH OTAGO NOTES

Evening Star, Issue 22816, 26 November 1937, Page 7

SOUTH OTAGO NOTES

XFrom Our Bale! at ha Correspondent.) TRANSPORT BOARD. A sitting of the No. 4 District Licensing Authority was held at Balclutha yesterday, Mr V. Raines presiding. Messrs A. Clark (district traffic manager) and W. Cole (assistant traffic manager) represented the Railway Department and Mr N. R. M‘lsaac (Chief Postmaster) represented the P. and T. Department. A. Milne, Nuggets, was granted a renewal of his goods service license to ■f operate in Clutha and Bruce Counties. R. J. Pennell, Waitahuna, applied for an amendment to existing license. Mr R. L. Fairmaid appeared for applicant.—Mr Colgan. on behalf of A. W. Hellyer, Tuapeka Mouth, objected to inclusion of a certain area in the license. —The Chairman said the route would be defined by mail route. —Mr Fairmaid said his client did not apply for mails, but principally cream.—Mr Colgan said his client also collected cream on this route and made three trips a week for mail contract, and passed places which Pennell passed.— Mr Fairmaid said applicant was only asking to carry on a business he had been carrying on for 11 years. —The Chairman said it Was not his duty to say which customers carriers should call on for cream, that was for the Executive Commission of Agriculture. The applicant wished to carry parcels between Waitahuna and Lawrence and cream only in a radius of 1.3 miles from Waitahuna. The amendment would be granted. A. W. Hellyer, Tuapeka Mouth, applied to have his license amended to enable him to carry passengers on his route between Tuapeka Mouth-Whenuakoa-Lawrence three days a week. It would only be on odd occasions that he would have passengers. —No objections Were lodged and request was granted. A. J. Tremaine, Owaka, applied for an amendment to his license to enable him to cart goods from stores to customers on his cream-collecting route. — Mr W. Dreaver objected on behalf of Searle and Dreaver. He stated that the applicant had defied the authority, and while having a license to cart half a ton from the railway, had at times carted as much as three tons. —Applicant said the farmers had asked him to lift their goods from the stores for them and deliver them when collecting their cream.—ln reply to the chairman Mr Dreaver said conditions in the district now were worse than ever before, “pirates” coming in every day from outside, while the local men could not cart 10yds outside their areas without the inspector being on to them.—Decision reserved. A. W. Hellyer applied for fixation of mail subsidy, and said that at present he received £lls a year. After securing the contract part of the road had been declared a main highway, and he had to take out a transport license, with consequent higher costs. He travelled 40 miles, and made three trips a week. He carried newspapers, and received 5s per year per copy. There were S 3 rural boxes, and 28 papers were delivered. He delivered parcels, and also collected cream. He estimated his running costs at per mile. He had been operating since 1935, and his father 10 years before that. Mr M'lsaac said the revenue from the service was £77 6s 2d per annum, and the department offered £126 per annum, so they were losing about £SO a year on the business. Decision was reserved, the Chairman rev marking that' it appeared to him that some finality regarding a uniform mileage rate for these mail services would have to be fixed. He advised applicant to get the price for delivering papers increased as_ the mail service was being used for this purpose, and he thought postage rates should be paid. If there was any objection it could be referred to him.

■ J. H. Stevenson, Balclutha, applied for an extra vehicle authority for work on Te Anau-Milford road, making four in place of three as at present, and for a new license for two vehicles in Clutha, Bruce, Tuapeka, and Taieri Counties. Mr W H. Carson appeared for applicant —Mr J. T. Walter objected to new license in respect to Clutha-Bruce Counties on behalf of Clutha Gravel Supply Company.—The Chairman said the secretary of the Dunedin Carriers’ Association also lodged an objection on. the ground that there were plenty of trucks available for the work, and he wanted applicant to show that his trucks were really required.—Applicant then' gave evidence as to his trucks » be;ng asked for by the Public Works Department, and stated that it was only P.W. work that he was concerned in.—Mr Carson said he wished it to be publicly known that he objected to the secretary of the Dunedin Carriers’ Association making objections and statements, and not appearing to back them up or giving the opportunity of being questioned.—Applicant said that the 6s 9d an hour paid by the Public Works Department was quite payable on some classes of work, hut not on others.— James Wood (Gravel Company) said there were sufficient trucks in the district to cope with work offering, and a new license would interfere with his livelihood.—Decision was reserved. Findlater and Sons, Papatowai, applied for new goods service license for Papatowai-Maclennan-Chaslands. ’ Mr Walter appeared for applicant. R. B. Findlater said the service would be mainly for carting slabs, firewood, etc. . He would also carry lime and manure . and other goods. At present he was engaged on a Public Works job. He had been requested by farmers in the district to apply for the license.—Objections were lodged by Searle and Dreaver, Galbraith Bros., and J. Lockett. The objectors stated that the district was well served now and some lorries were out of commission owing to lack of business. Mr Clark (railways) requested that if license was granted it be restricted to carting to nearest railway station, and Somerville’s Transport Co. asked that area be restricted to that asked for, and not include the whole of Clutha County. The Chairman said that it was a difficult proposition. There were licensed carriers already in the district and they had the right to have their areas increased if too small, rather than that new licenses should he He would reserve his decision, but did not hold out much hope, as applicant had not shown that the transport needs of the district were not being fulfilled. F. Page, Owaka, applied to have his license amended to allow him to carry general goods in addition to firewood as at present. Objections were made by Searle and Dreaver, and J. Lockett. Applicant presented a petition signed by 96 residents in support of application. The Chairman said the position was the same as in the previous application and he would reserve his decision.