LOBBY COMMANDEER

Evening Star, Issue 23831, 11 March 1941, Page 10

LOBBY COMMANDEER

RUSH JOS FOR ARMY HARDSHIPS WILL BE REMEDIED [Pee United Press Association.] WELLINGTON, March 10. In a statement after a conference dealing with the impressment of vehicles, the Minister of National Service, Mr Semple, said he wanted owners to appreciate the fact that it was a rush job and it was not the intention oi the Transport Committee handling the matter or the Government to impose hardship if it could ho avoided. If that had been done it would be put right. The conference was a representative one, those present including Mr Semple, the Minister of Defence, Mr Jones, the committee handling the situation, transport representatives, military authorities, and Mr O'Shea,, secretary of the Fanners’ Union. The Prime Minister, Mr Fraser, was also present for a time. Mr Semple said the whole matter Had been discussed from A to Z. “There have been some difficulties, and they have been created by the limited time the army gave us,” he said “The army, however, assures us that it was unavoidable The fact remains that the army must havi these vehicles, but what I wan.: to dc is to get the vehicles with a minimum amount of hardship to the individual and the least disturbance so far as transport is concerned. Machinery would now be set up to avoid a repetition of the position that had arisen. Tim committee had gone into session to-day, and any case where undue hardship was proved would be considered. “ As to the future,” the Minister said, “ we propose to take a proper inventory of every vehicle in New Zealand, who owns it, and the type of vehicle, and to earmark these vehicles in order of preference, and the owner will know. In other words, the vehicles that will be commandeered in future will be those that can be best spared and the owner will be given sufficient time to make other arrangements.” Mr Semple pointed out that lie was only maiking a brief statement of thepositkm. A considered statement would be issued' within the next 24 hours.