SECRECY CONDEMNED

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 12609, 19 July 1935, Page 3

SECRECY CONDEMNED

HEARING OF TRUNK AIR LINK CASE, ~~i L THE OMISSION Oh* PALMERSTON NORTH. BOARD'S POWERS QUESTIONED. •Press As social,iont AVELLTNGTON, July IS Further protests were, made today against the proposal of the Transport Co-ordination Board to exclude Palmerston North from the Auckland —Dunedin main trunk service. AIT. T. C. A. Hislop, ATaybr of Wollnrgtoai, replied at length to a further statement from the board. Ho said' it contained many noticeable inconsistencies. The Wellington City Council had no inkling of the possibility of Palmerston North being excluded until the board’s announcement was made in April and naturally had made no representations i" that, respect. He questioned whether the action of tlq. board, in dealing with the T’a’tnerslon North issue in camera and in declining to hear the City Council representations was i n accordance with the Act. That was a matter for further consideration and such action a* might be deemed advisable.

A protest in similar strain was made also bv Air. Andrews. Atoycir of Lower Hutt, who also said there had been nothing to suggest tip. possibility of the exclusion of Palmerston North.

SURPRISED AND DISSATISFIED,? AUCKLA ND BUS 1N ESS'MEN’S VIEWS PUBLIC SUITING SHOULD HAVE BEEN' HELD. (Press Associating AVELLINGTON, July IS On behalf-of Aviation Development Ltd., an Auckland company recently formed for the purpose of co-operat-ingl with Air. Trevor Withers in the inauguration of Great Pacific Airways trunk services, Mr. G. AV. Hutchison, cx-Mayor of Auckland and 11 director of the Aviation Development Go., states from Auckland that at a meeting of directors yesterday surprise was unanimously expressed at the action of the Transport Co-ordin-ation Board in prohibiting Great Pacific Airways from calling at Palmerston North. The surprise was not unmixed with feelings of profound dis satisfaction at the manner in whieh the issues recently decided have been dealt with by the board. Air. Hutchison said Mr Withers was asked to submit written arguments a s to whether or not Palmerston North should be included in Ibe Auckland—Dunedin route of and included in Pacific Airways plans and also what protection should be grant ed to Cook Strait Airways in respect to the Wellington.—Blenheim section, but wn, s refused copies of the representations submitted by the TJnion and Cook Strait Airways which h c desired to enable him to reply quatelyHo had only ft fc lW days to comply with the hoard's request, and finally had to submit hurried arguments in which, howev.er, ho showed conclusively that the proposed exclusion of Palmerston. North con’d not. he justified on the ground' that the Great Pacific service would conflict .or compete with Union Air wavs, which had been described bv the hoard itself as. primarily a. mail service coordinating at Palmerston North with the south- hou.net and north bound Limited and ordinary expresses. Mi*. Hutchison took the. strongest exception to such important public issues as those dealt with by the Transport Co-ordination Board n °t being dealt with openly'at a properly advertised sitting, giving local authorities and other bodies the opportunity to submit tlieir communities. Hail the board 1 ; dealt with th c . matter at a public sitting it would have been inundated with representations from.all.' parts'of the Dominion and the general public would at least have had tb c opportunity of expressing views and tlraw.iug attentn o n to undbubtod righto of; ivhieli it was deprived.'