TRANSPORT SCHEDULE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23838, 13 December 1940, Page 9

TRANSPORT SCHEDULE

NORTHLAND DIFFICULTY OBJECTION TO PROCEEDINGS [nv TELEGRAPH—OWN CORRESPONDENT] TV KA XG AT?E I, Th ursd a y A\ith a view to bringing down a schedule of cartage rates in the Northland. sittings of the No. I Transport Licensing Authority, Mr. E. J. Phelan. have been held in various centres to hear evidence from operators and users ot road transport. Such sittings were first held in February, and a schedule for Northland was brought down by the authority. An appeal was lodged, and this was upheld by the Minister of Transport, the Hon. R. Sen)pie. The authority has now sat at Kaikolie, Kaitaia and Whangarei. while on Friday he will sit at Warkworth. The operators brought forward little evidence. At Whangarei lengthy evidence was given by representatives of the dairy industry and farmers' organisations. The lack of evidence from operators was commented upon by Mr. Phelan. who said that without evidence from operators he would not know what value could he placed on the statements handed in by them. Both Mr. A. ('. A. Sexton, who appeared for (he Fanners' Union, and Mr. A. C. Lamb, for the Northland Dairy Association, deplored the position wherein no operator would give evidence under oath, and so users wore deprived of the right of cross-examina-tion. Mr. Sexton and Mr. Lamb both lodged formal objection to the proceedings, claiming that due notices to all the interested parties had not been given, as required by the Act. while Mr. Lamb stated that the authority had no jurisdiction to make a blanket schedule for Northland, as was proposed.