TRANSPORT APPEALS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIX, Issue 18, 17 December 1938, Page 15

TRANSPORT APPEALS

MINISTER’S STATEMENT. WELLINGTON, Dec. 18. A denial that l>e had ever made an appeal judgment on matters submitted to him at a private deputation was given by the Minister of Transport (Hon. It. Semple), when referring yesterday to remarks made at a sitting of the No. 2 Transport Licensing Authority in Hastings. He said that no politician, either from the Opposition or Government benches, had ever tried to bring influence to bear on him on any appeal he had had to hear since he had been in office. Anyone reading the report of the sitting would be led to the conclusion that political influence, had been brought to bear on him to give a verdict against the licensing authority s previous decision and to deal with an appeal in an irregular manner, said the Minister. That was not so. It had also been suggested that he had made up his mind in Napier regarding the particular case, and that the map concerned had come to him as a private deputation. That was not true, and if he adopted tactics of that kind in dealing with transport licensing appeals the licensing authorities would become a farce. “1 know mv job better than that,' said Mr Semple. “When I am on the long tours -which I have to undertake to reach the big jobs in hand, urgent papers are sent after me from, place to place and I deal with them when I have the opportunity. The papers ni this case were sent to me along with many others and I perused them and decided for certain reasons to uphold the appeal. The decision was made long before I met the man in question. It happens that at that time I had made up my mind about the decision, and T pnide the announcement in the presence of the Press, mv chief reason in doing that being to issue a warning to all individuals who intended to seek licenses not to buy their equipment before their applications were heard, on the assumption that the licenses would be granted. Some of them would only fall in and be left with the equipment on their hands.” The suggestion that he had allowed the appeal after seeing the man concerned was denied by Mr Semple. “I have been at this job for three years, and have had little or no trouble.” lie continued. “My decisions have always been accepted without resentment from anybody, so far as I know.. Seldom have I upheld against the judgment of a licensing authority, and there must be very good reasons for doing it." Still, it is my prerogative, and when I do it I am not influenced by anyone. My decisions arc based on the documentary evidence before me It would cut no ice with me if any politician tried to bring influence to liear On me.” In many where licenses lia<l been refused; the people concerned had tried to interview him, but. while the appeals were pending lie had refusd to see them, Mr Semple added.