TRANSPORT LICENSING

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIV, Issue 15, 15 December 1933, Page 16

TRANSPORT LICENSING

SITTING OF AUTHORITY. APPLICATIONS FOR SERVICES. Applications for goods service licenses, or amendments to a number already approved, were dealt with at a sitting of the No. 6 Transport Licensing Authority in Palmerston North on Wednesday. Mr G. A. Troup presided, associated with him being Messrs S. Jickell and W. I. Armstrong. The Railways Department was represented by Mr W. Schierning. 'R. F. Ohureher, of Apiti, asked for an area license for one two-ton truck over the Pohangina, Oroua and Kiwitea counties for fanners’ merchandise in a back country district where there was .no competition with the railways. He had 300 cords of wood and 203 bales of wool to cart shortly, and had a district of 100,000 acres to cover. Lorries at present operating could not cope with the work for the transport of wool and livestock, he said. The chairman commented that it was a new application and a number of area licenses had already been granted for the counties concerned.

Appearing for the Apiti Dairy Company, which already holds a license, Mr Seddon opposed the application, stating that it was not necessary as the district was already well served by the present service. There were carriers also operating from Kimbolton, Ashhurst and Rangiwahia. Evidence was given by Mr William McKenzie, secretary for the Apiti Dairy Company, concerning the extent of its transport business and the facilities provided. There was no necessity for a further service, he contended.

Application was made by R. C. Ccrry (Mr A. M. Ongley) for a route license from Apiti to Palmerston North, and an area license for the Pohangina County, to pick up wool and pigs to bring them to Palmerston North, and take back merchandise. Evidence was given by the applicant that he possessed a two-ton lorry and brought his own firewood into Palmerston North. There had been numerous requests to him to take back merchandise. He had been approached concerning a contract to carry pigs, which the Apiti Company had refused until it learned that it was likely to be let to him. Opposition to the application was expressed by Mr Seddon on behalf of the Apiti Dairy Company. Cross-examined by Mr Ongley, Mr McKenzie said the Apiti Dairy Company could not cope with the transport business in the busy period of De-eember-January, but could for the remainder of the year. He thought it was “stretching” it to say one man had had to wait for six weeks for the cartage of timber to build a house, and that others had despaired of having their wool transported, owing to the delay. The chairman of the Authority intimated that it would give its decision later in both the applications concerning the Apiti district. Subsequently it was intimated that both applications were declined.

Answering Mr Churcher, the chairman informed him that he had the right of appeal from the decision. Application was made by M. J. McLeavey, of Tokomaru, for a goods service license between Levin and Wellington for the transport of garden produce and the back-loading of manures, wheat, benzine, etc. Evidence was given by applicant that he had taken over the truck from Chang Lee, a market gardener, who had insufficient time to attend to transport arrangements and had one year, prior to obtaining the truck, paid the Railways Department £ISOO in freight on' the produce off thirty acres. Some £llOO had been paid in another year. Objection to the application was voiced by Mr Schierning, who said there was no “automatic” license, and it was the “thin edge of the wedge.” There was nothing to prevent the business later being extended in some other directions to provide for a different class of transport. Decision was reserved and subsequently the application was granted conditional on garden produce and benzine only being carted. Transfer of the licenses for two vehicles held by Hodgkinson’s. Ltd., to the Wellington Express Company, which had taken over their business, was sought, the authorities to be additional to the four already held by the applicants. An objection was lodged by the Railways Department against the transfer. Decision was reserved after it had been explained that the applicants merely wanted to safeguard themselves. Subsequently the application was declined.

No objections being raised, H. J. Kirkham was granted a passenger service license for the Palmerston NorthRongotea route. Permission to extend his present triweekly service between Ormondville and Te Uri to a daily one commencing on January 1 was sought by George Donghi, of Dannevirke (Mr P. W. Dorrington), and granted. Approval was given to an application by H. A. Capon for an amendment to his passenger service license over the Levin-Manawatu-South route. The authority declined to approve of a passenger service license for R. M. Canning over the OrmondvilleNgamoka route. Messrs Phillips Bros.’ (Dannevirke) application for a goods service license was approved. Application was made by A. E. Gibbons, of. Palmerston North, for a continuous goods license for the transport of mixed goods between Palmerston, North and the Manawatu Gorge.—Declined. Permission was granted the Palmerston North City Council to extend its passenger service from the Esplanade to Massey College. The Licensing Authority left later for a sitting at Masterton.