TRANSPORT BILL

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 12869, 23 May 1936, Page 5

TRANSPORT BILL

MR, SEMPLE DENIES HASTE

OPPOSITION AMENDMENT ACCEPTED.

REFUSAL OF LICENSES

REASONS TO BE PUT ON RECORD

(Press Association!

WELLINGTON, May 22

Replying to arguments during the committee stage of the Transport Bi/1 Mrr Semple said that Cabinet .had appointee! li. committee of three to investigate transport with the Minister of Transport, and the investigations had proceeded over three or four, months, so that the Bill had’ not come into being overnight.

The short title was carried on the voices.

Coming to clause 3, Mr. Poison. (0.) moved an amendment providing that tlio number of men constituting the licensing authority shall not be reduced until all applications for renewals in the present calendar year shall have been disposed.

This was defeated by 49 to 15

NO OBJECTION TO AMENDMENT.

Mr. Broadfoot (0.) ..then moved an amendment that the licensing authorities should record the reasons for their decisions.

Mr. Semple said he had no objections to the amendment, which was carried.

Another amendment provided that interested persons should have power to peruse the records and the reasons for the decisions upon payment of a prescribed fee.

MINISTER. IN COMPLACENT MOOD.

Mr. Semple said he had no objection at present, He would look into the matter and possibly make an amendment in the Legislative. Council. The amendment was withdrawn.

Mr. Coates moved an amendment providing that a full report should he taken of evidence given before the licensing authority. Mr. Semple said he had nothing to hide and would discuss the matter with Mr. Coates and the law draftsman, to see if an agreement could he reached, and an amendment, made in tho.Legislative Council. ‘ Mr. Coates thereupon withdrew his amendment,

Clause 10, abolishing the Transport Co-ordination Board was challenged but. was retained by 50 votes to 15. RULED OUT OF ORDER. Mr. Kyle (O.) moved an amendment to clause II with the object that the Minister should include the result ol inquiries and recommendations to the Minister for tho purpose of transport co-ordination in arrival of the report of the Transport Department to Parliament,

Mr. Semple said that would he very costly, and in view of his undertaking to Mr. Coates, he thought that was going far enough. The chairman ruled iho amendment out of order as it involved appropriation.

Coming to clause 12 an amendment moved by Mr. Endean (O.) providing for an appeal to a Supreme Court judgo instead of the Alinister, was lost hv 50 votes to 15.

Mr. Poison (0.) moved an amendment providing that the Alinister might constitute all licensing authorities as a hoard to hear an appeal against nnv one of them, was lost.

SHIPPING SERVICES

Tho Minister moved an amendment removing the right of shipowners to appeal against other services, because shipowners were not dealt with in the Bill; and' road users had no right to appeal against, shipping services. This was agreed to.

“RAFFERTY RULES.”

Clause 13 providing that the proceedings of tho Minister were not to ho questioned for want of form or appealed against, caused some discussion. Opposition members held that the

Minister placed himself in an absolutely impregnable position and nothing could shift him from it.

Mr. Forbes said the Minister was a man of impulse, and if some person suffered as a result of that impulse ho had no power to carry the matter further and obtain justice. They suggested that the clause should be deleted.

Mr. Semple said the clause looked like a little bit of despotism, but there was no reason for it. There had to be finality in matters of that kind, and do away with the endless litigation which was what they, had had. The transport system could ho held up for months while litigation was in progress and tho clause removed any loophole for the legal profession to get in and make feed out of it. Mr. Poison said the ,clause meant

that Rafferty rules were to be applied to the New Zealand law. The clause was passed by 51 to 10.

CONVEYANCE OF SCHOOL CHILDREN.

An amendment to clause 15 was moved hv Mr. Poison seeking exemption for vehicles used purely for the conveyance of children to nr from schools.

Air. Semple said that no rights or privileges would he taken away from tho children, rather would they ho increased. The amendment was withdrawn.

Further protests were made by the Opposition against the powers taken for tho protection of the Railways Department, where it acquired or carried on passenger services.

The clause was retained by 49 to 16. Mr. Poison CO.) moved an amendment to clause 16 providing that the Minister may declare certain services to he passenger services, with the object of making the clause apply to municipal areas only.

Air. Semple said that unfair competition was not confined to the cities only, but was going on all over New Zealand and was affecting the legitimate carriers who paid their license fee and wages. SAFETY ON AIR SERVICES.

On clause 22, Air. Coates asked Mr. Semple what steps were being taken to ensure the safety of aircraft. Air. Semple said that all the clause did was to give the Government complete control over licenses, so that there would be no dummy companies and no companies with limited capital, and they would see to it that the service was ICO per cent. safe. The committee stages were completed, and the Bill was reported to the House with amendments. The House then rose.