TRANSPORT LICENSES

Grey River Argus, 12 October 1944, Page 2

TRANSPORT LICENSES

AUTHORITY SITS AT GREYMOUTH ’ A number of applications for new licenses and a variation of existing licenses were considered by the No. 3 Transport Licensing Authority, Mr. T. H. Langford, at Greymouth yesterday. Messrs C. E. Vigers and A. Benzie represented the Railway Department, while Mr. J. Corcoran appeared for the Greymouth Goons Transport Control Committee, ana Mr. W. Vallance for the Road Transport Alliance. A sitting of the Licensing Authority will be held at Reefton this morning. Applications heard yesterday were: P. J. Arnott was granted an ancillary license to cover the Grey and Westland counties, for the cartage or building materials to bridges. W. Dalzell applied for an ancillary license to cart milk to the Runanga and Rapahoe Schools. Mr. Corcoran objected to the application being granted, stating that the Co-op Society was carry out tne work.

Applicant said he could collect the twelve crates of milk from the station as he obtained his meat each morning, and return the empties next morning. The milk had not been delivered to Rapahoe School until 3 o’clock in the- afternoon, while he would get it out in the morning witnout making an extra trip.—The decision was reserved but after the area had been inspected the Authority granted the application. J. S. Nimmo, Cobden was granted an ancillary license for the purpose of delivering his groceries and baiter’s goods. CARTAGE OF COAL Stuart and Party applied for an amendment to their good’s service license (ancillary user.) to allow coal to be delivered to employees only. A Stuart said no extra petrol was required. Eight men employed by the party were allowed one ton a month. No charge was made for the cartage of this coal to them. Brendan Dunn said his firm had the license to cart coal over that area, and should have the right to cart this coal. The Authority said that he considered the application not unreasI onable, but it would have to be tied down. Deliveries to other people | could not be allowed. The responsibility to see that this was not done was on the Controll Committee ana the Traffic Inspector. The application was granted. P. J. Wood, Waitaha, was granted a transfer of an ancillary license, from W. K. Henderson, Ross. TAXI LICENSES A. S. G. McGeady (Mr. C. R. McGinley) applied for a new continuous taxi license. Taxi Proprietors’ Ltd., (Mr. A. M. Jamieson) opposed the application. Mr. McGinley said applicant wno 'had been overseas for about a year, wished to resume his former occupation. He had operated a taxi in Greymouth from 1938 to 1941, when, being unable to secure a new car. ne had taken up work with the Public Works Department in Christchurch. He was now unable to carry out hard work owing to his health. Applicant was unaware of his opportunity or extending the license, prior to mobi-| lisation and had allowed it to expire. j What he actually was endeavouring to do now was to obtain a renewal ot l this license.

Evidence was given by applicant, who said that when he went away he though ‘his license would be extended or suspended automatically. To Mr. Jamieson: When he left Greymouth in June, 1941, he went to every garage in Christchurch, but not a new car was available. Fie did not notify anyone that he was leaving Greymouth. The certificate from a doctor (produced) stated that taxi work would be suitable to applicant s state of health. To the Authority: Though he had intended to return, he did not bother to notify the Transport Department of his departure. Mr. Jamieson submitted the application was not a renewal of applicant’s old license, which he had abandoned, but an application for a new one. Applications for new licenses by three returned servicemen had recently been turned down ac Greymouth. It was understood that the usual basis was one taxi to every 900 people. Tn Greymouth there already was a taxi to. every 615 P e °P“ s - The Authority pointed out that tne wet weather had a great -effect on trie local demand. . Frank Fitzsimmons, taxi proprie tor, of Greymouth said there were lo taxis here. There was always, a tax on ’phone until 11 p.m. on wee-, dajs and 9 p.m. on Sundays. No con plaints had been received since the

inauguration of this service. In his opinion, there were sufficient taxis in Greymouth. He operated between 60 and 70 hours work a week on his 25 gallons petrol license. To Mr. McGinley: His petrol allowance would not allow him to work a full week.

William Morressey corroborated the evidence of previous witness, and gave figures of fits turnover. He worked from 50 to 80 hours a week and had once worked 96 hours. iMr. McGinley said it was only through McGeady’s carelessness and ignorance of the regulations that had caused him to lose his license.' There was a spare taxi-cab license in Greymouth, no new license having been issued in respect of the one previously held by McGeady. Ti.te Authority said the license had been lost due to applicant’s own carelessness and neglect to pay his fees since 1940. The livelihood of the present taxi-licenses might be affected should another taxi license be granted. Decision was reserved.

R. Moore, Runanga, (Mr. W. D. Taylor) applied for a new continuous taxi-cab license. Mr. Jamieson appeared for Taxi Proprietors’ Ltd. Applicant, aged 30 years, a married man with three children, said he lived in Cobden, and was at present driving for Morressey’s Taxis. He had served in the army in New Zealand. There had been no taxi license in Runanga for some time. Runanga people bad asked him to apply for a license.

To Mr. Jamieson: He proposed to operate from Runanga. Apart from passengers he would bring into Greymouth, he would not accept otherfares from the town.

Mr. A. N. Campbell, Rehabilitation Officer, appeared in support of tne application. Mr. Jamieson said Greymouth taxis objected to applicant looking lotfares in town.

The application was granted, Moore not to pick up passengers in Greymouth, other than those brought in by himself. F. G. Kaye, Runanga, applied for a new taxi license for one taxi-cab, toe application being refused, applicant not appearing. G. H. Hibbs (Mr. Taylor) applied for a taxi-cab license at Kumara Junction. Mr. Jamieson objected on behalf of A. B. Spiers and R. M. May, and Mr. Campbell on behalf of returned servicemen who might oe purchasing Spiers’ business. Applicant said often he had been called to take emergency cases from Kumara Junction to hospital, being unable to make a charge for his services. He submitted a petition containing 23 names supporting his application. There were ten families at Kumara Junction, but he l did not know if there were five private cars there. He was not looking for business but just required a license lor an emergency. He ’had a 1935 Essex car. Traffic Inspector Ramsay said the car was not suitable for a taxi. The Authority said he did not think a license was warranted. Tne district was being amply serviced. Application was refused. GOODS SERVICE LICENSES G. B. Saunders (Mr. Taylor) applied for three new continuous gooas services licenses. Applicant said he had been carrying out contract -work on the West Coast for many years. .His present job in South Westland, for tne P.W.D., required a good deal of cartage. This job at Duffer’s Creek, could take from six to eight trucks, there’being a long cart. He had been informed that there was plenty of P.W.D. work available for him. He had been approached to cart coal from an open cast mine, but that was subject to negotiation. Lack of suitable vehicles had retarded his progress on previous jobs. His applications were made only because or the difficulty in obtaining transport. The Authority said that there were fifteen suspended licenses for men overseas and it was his duty to see that they “got h fair go.” Applicant said he would be satisfied to use hired transport, if suitable vehicles were available. The applicant was granted the right to carry road and bridge building material and his own goods, in one vehicle, in the No. 12 Highways District. - George Bennett Marsden, Mawheraiti, (Mr. Taylor) applied for a new continuous goods service license. Applicant said he< had been driving his lorry for the Jnangahua County Council on Blackwater Road. There was abouth three months’ work gravelling this road. He th&d previously been working on his mother’s farm, for which he had purchased a twoyard tip-truck. Another operator in the district could not do the work as he could not fill.

Mr. Corcoran said he was objecting to the application, as another operu-

tor, B. I. Cummings, had a truck in his garage. l B. I, Cummings objected on behalf of the Reefton Goods Transport Control Committee. The Authority said that obviously . a license was not necessary as Cum ings with three trucks was prepared to carry out the work. The application was refused. G. Passmore, Kumara, applied for an amendment to his goods service license, to allow the lifting of restrictions on carting not more than 10 cwt., of general goods between Kumara and Hohonu. Applicant stated that he had a general license and serviced the Taramakau district. Farmers wished him to carry heavier loads and offered him work, though it would be irregular. They complained about the present service. Mr. Corcoran said that Westland Transport Ltd., would not object if applicant was confined, in his operations, to the Taramakau. The application was granted for the Kumara Railway-Taramakau settlement route ' only—prevailing rates to apply. A transfer of a goods service license from Denis Ryall (Mr. McGinley); to D. J. Ryall was granted. ft. A. Black applied for an animendment to his goods service license. Applicant-said he left work in a sawmill on Tuesday owing to ill health. His present license allowed him to be employed by the P.W.D. only. He had not, operated on his license for three years. He had purchased a truck about three months ago. The ammendment was refused. J. W. Burr was granted transfer of a goods service license from E. Lowery. N. Moore applied for transfer of a goods service license from Mrs, A. M. ; Maloney, Blackball. (Mr. Taylor). Applicant said he had a part time goods cartage service at Blackball. He had paid Maloney £4OO for the goodwill of the business. He now considered that price to have been too much. He had been told he would make £750 clear a year. He submitted an account of his takings for tne past four months. Mr. Campbell stated that applicant had offered the business to the Rehabilitation Department for £750. Applicant continuing said Blackball residents thought the business was worth £4OO, and so did he until he received his first monthly accounts. The Authority said it would be wise to adjourn the case, as at present n was too delicate for him to handle. Accordingly the case was adjourned, Moore and Maloney to discuss tne matter privately with the Authority. HOKITIKA RENTAL CARS Shannon Motors, Hokitika, (Mr. Taylor) applied for a new, rental car license for two vehicles. Mr Campbell opposed the application on behalf of the Rehabilitation Department. J. F. Shannon, proprietor, said he had cars available for hire. His firm repainted cars and most of the owners of these requested to hire cars while they were in the garage. They did so from Greymouth often. The firm had had a rental car department at one time, but that had notbeen part of the business sold tc Chinn Bros. Taxis in Hokitika would not be affected by the establishment of a rental car business. A. Chinn said he was of the opinion that his taxi business would bey in-, terfered with. He alleged that Shannon. asked customers to state on petition that a rental car was needed. He himself did not receive more than one genuine application for a rental car a month. A lot of cars were asked for by young chaps who would park them outside hotels. If a rental car was required he had two cars lying idle and another requiring repair. The Authority stated that if he granted a rental car license an appeal would probably be lodged by tne Transport Commissioner and upheld. If when times were, different, a rental car license was granted at Hokitika he considered preferential treatment woud be given Chinn Bros. The , application would.be refused.