NO REASONABLE NOTICE

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXI, Issue 87, 12 March 1941, Page 6

NO REASONABLE NOTICE

METHODS CONDEMNED. Per Press Association. CHRISTCHURCH, March 11. "While desirous of assisting the war effort, this committee desires to protest regarding the absence of both reasonable notice and method in. the recent impressment of vehicles in this territory. It is considered that an unnecessary dislocation of business has resulted from the ill-considered and unbusinesslike commandeer."

This comment is part of the statement issued by the transport committee of the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce about the impressment ot vehicles for military purposes. The statement also asks under what authority the Transport Licensing Authority "is able to accept the appeals.

"With complete registration statistics recorded at the General Post Office and already tabulated under suitable headings, direct contact and ample notice could and should have been given to all owners of the value and class of vehicle selected, not only to prepare them for impressment but to give them an opportunity to submit their reasons to be classed as essential and exempted, thus preventing unnecessary hardship, inconvenience, and the apparently unfair and haphazard method of selection recently adopted. "The intended impressment of a large percentage of the most modern and efficient vehicles must have a serious effect on our whole transport system. The war effort must greatly benefit by the least possible dislocation of normal business, and the recent unfortunate example naturally raises the query: Cannot the authorities discover a satisfactory alternative to avoid the complete removal from normally essential business occupations of such an important share of our transport system?

"The Transport Authority announces that he is now considering appeals. There does not appear to be any provision in the regulations for such appeals and it would be interesting to know under what authority the appeals are being accepted."