FIXING RENTALS

New Zealand Herald, Volume 81, Issue 25051, 15 November 1944, Page 6

FIXING RENTALS

HARBOUR BOARD LEASES

POWERS OF COMMITTEE "The Land Sales Committee has taken unto itself, in giving consent to the surrender of leases and the issue of new ones, the right of reviewing the rentals," said the chairman, Mr J. H. Frater, at a» meeting of the Auckland Harbour Board yesterday. The board's solicitors, who considered the matter was one for the Stabilisation Committee and not for the Land Sales Committee, were seeking a definition of the position in the form of a motion to the Land Sales Court. It was explained that the committee had approved recent surrenders and issues of new leases for the balance of the existing terms under the board's policy of granting leases, which carried a right of renewal in perpetuity at 21-vear intervals. The committee had, however, made its consent conditional on tho rental to be fixed the first renewed term being submitted for approval. In recent cases tho first renewed term was from_ November _ 30, 1944. The board's solicitors stated in a letter that they believed the assumption of the Land Sales Committee that it had power to impose such a condition should be contested by appeal to the Land Sales Court. "It seems that the Land Sales Committee is overstepping its job in dealing with a matter that is not under its jurisdiction," said Mr Frater. It was necessary for the solicitors to take early action. _ Approval of the solicitors' action was given. TAXI LICENCES ACTION OF AUTHORITY HOME SERVICEMAN'S APPEAL (P.A.) • WELLINGTON, Tuesday . The action of the Wellington Metropolitan Licensing Authority in giving preference to overseas returned soldiers when granting ten additional taxi licences was reviewed in the Supreme Court today. A former home serviceman, Arthur Mornington King, an application from whom was rejected by the authority, is seeking to have the decision upset. The subject came before the Supreme Court in the form of a motion for a writ compelling the Transport Appeal Authority, Sir Francis Frazer, who had held he had no power to allow the appeal which King had made to him, to determine the appeal. Mr Justice Johnston was on the Bench. Mr Hurley appeared for the plaintiff and Mr Currie for the defendant. Mr Hurley said that early in this year the licensing authority decided to issue ten additional taxi licences. This authority was directed by regulation to take into consideration tho rehabilitation of discharged servicemen. The chairman of the authority stated that preference would be given to returned overseas servicemen, and the selection turned on that, overseas exservicemen receiving the licences. King^was an ex-home serviceman, with 15 years' > experience of driving and owning a taxi, who had given it up only to enter the forces, added Mr Hurley. He was not selected for a licence and took the appeal to Sir Francis Frazer, who held that there had been discrimination against King, and that the licensing authority was not entitled to make a further classification within that directed. But Sir Francis Frazer held that he was without power to grant the relief sought, on the ground that King could not appeal against the granting of the ten licences to men jtvho had received them, although he might have appealed against the rejection of his own application. He dismissed the appeal and confirmed the decision of the licensing authority. After hearing legal argument, His Honor reserved his decision. PRODUCE GROWERS CHARGE FOR CONTAINERS The case on behalf of the commercial gardeners for a charge on vegetable containers has been put by their society in a letter to the Herald. The advent of stabilisation and ceiling prices, it was stated,-had. placed the growers in a disadvantageous position, preventing them from selling at the highest offer and failing to give protection from low and unprofitable prices. In the case of tomatoes, for instance, the grower paid 8d for the case, and, on a price of 2s, which was not uncommon in the glut period, received 10Jd for a 201b case. The retailer was allowed a profit of 60 per cent, or Is 7d, and could also sell the case for about 4d. Under the new regulations, the grower was entitled to receive back part of the cost of the case; but the buyer would still be able to receive the full cost if returned in good order. The container charge was an outcome of long investigation by the Government departments, and an honest attempt to do justice where it was long overdue, but the buyers wished to preserve what appeared to be a long-standing "racket" at the expense of the grower, and the Auckland retailers proposed to do it by what amounted to a boycott. As for_ the statement that the new regulations were equivalent to retailers charging for paper bags, it was pointed out that the retailer weighed fruit and bag, hut the container weight was deducted from the growers' total. CITY YOUTH SERVICE A report on the progress made since tho Auckland Metropolitan Youth Service was formed some weeks ago was given by the interim honorary secretary, Mr J. O. M. Herriott, yesterday. He said steps had been taken to establish the executive committee to control and administer the service. It will consist of 23 members and Mr Herriott said that as soqp. as it was formed it would have the task of implementing the objects of tho service. He emphasised that if the service was to prosper it was incumbent upon all those societies and organisations interested in promoting the welfare of the youth of Auckland to affiliate with it. Associate members could be elected by the executive from clubs, chambers, societies, firms, companies and other organisations and would be entitled to vote at any meeting.