BUS SERVICE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23000, 30 March 1938, Page 14

BUS SERVICE

THE TAMAKI DISTRICT OBJECTION TO PURCHASE TRANSPORT BOARD CRITICISED Considerable indignation at the proposal of the Auckland Transport Board to purchase the transport service to the Tamaki district operated by L. J. Keys, Limited, was expressed at a public meeting in the St. Helicrs Anglican Church hall last night. The meeting was called by the residents' committee set up last year to investigate suggestions that the service was going to be purchased. About 200 persons attended the meeting and protests against the hoard's proposal were general and were unanimously supported. The chairman, Mr. F. G. Baskett, said he wished to disabuse anyone who might have thought that Mr. Keys was more or less responsible for initiating the meeting. Ho could say authoritatively that such was not the case. Mr. H. E. H. Smytheman, secretary of the residents' committee, detailed efforts made by the committee to place residents' views that no change should be made to the service before the Transport Board and tho Railways Department.

Authorities' Letters A letter from the Transport Board, in answer to an invitation to be represented at tho meeting, referred tho committee to tho recommendations adopted by tho board in November and stated that under these the board had entered into negotiations with the firm, but so far no finality had been reached. There was nothing further that could be added to this position. Tho Minister of Railways, the Hon. D. G. Sullivan, wrote confirming that his department was prepared to negotiate for the acquisition of the service. However, the Government decided that th Auckland Transport Board was the appropriate body to operate the service and since tho board decided to take over the service, the department had taken no further action. Failing the acquisition of the service by the board the department would again consider entering into negotiations with tho service.

It was decided, on the motion of Mr. J. W. Kealy, that tho meeting should enter an emphatic protest against any acquisition of the transport service by either the Auckland Transport Board or the Railways Department "Residents Flouted"

In addition to the principle that a firm which gave satisfaction to its customers should not be dismissed, said Mr. Kealy, there was the question of the wishes of the persons who lived in the Tamaki district. Mr. Kealy said he had spoken to a vcrv lnrco numher and he did not believe that one in 10 wanted a publicly-owned service. It was also litter nonsense to suggest that the service was in competition with either the trams or the railways.

" The board is deliberately flouting the declared wishes of their electors without one shadow of justification,' said Mr. Kealy.

A further resolution, moved by Mr G. F. Marshall White, was that the meeting should express satisfaction with -the present service and management and call upon the Auckland Metropolitan Licensing Authority to grant without further delay the licences applied for last December. It was claimed that the failure to grant the licences at the time appointed by lawhad deprived the users of the service of an extended time-table offered by the licensees. The residents' committee was also called upon to resist any attempt at dictation by the Minister of Railways. It was decided to forward copies of both resolutions not only to the board and Mr. Sullivan, but also to-the Prime Minister, Mr. Savage, the Minister of Transport, the Hon. R. Semple, the Auckland Metropolitan Licensing Authority, Mr. E. J. Phelan, and the member for the district, Mr., W. 1 Endean.