SOUTH OTAGO

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24450, 8 November 1940, Page 11

SOUTH OTAGO

BALCLUTHA Transport Licensing A sitting of the No. 4 Licensing Authority (Mr S. V. Raines), was held at Balclutha Courthouse yesterday, when a number of passenger and other services were reviewed. Mr C. D. McKenzie, assistant traffic manager, represented the Railways Department, and Mr K. W. Davies represented the Transport Department. An application by J. A. McDonald, Clydevale, to have his passenger service between Tuaneka Mouth and Balclutha amended was adjourned sine die. Clutha Taxis, Ltd., came up for review of the number of rental cars operated by the company. Mr James Wilson, the manager, said his company used two rental cars and four registered taxi cars, and two of the latter were also used as rental cars. Four rental car licences were necessary in the business. The authority said there would be no alteration in this case. An application to transfer a taxi cab licence at Gore from R. A. Dawson to G. Houston and others was granted. In a review of the passenger services of J L. Bishop, Kaitangata, and Kaitangata Motor Services, Ltd., Mr B. A. Quelch (Dunedin) appeared for the former and Mr Grigor for the latter. Counsel stated that neither of the parties wished'

to amalgamate with the other as had been suggested at a previous sitting.—Mr Grigor said a petition signed by between 600 and 700 persons had been put in, asking that the services should be maintained, and that should carry some weight. After hearing further argument and Mr J. W. Fenton (Mayor of Kaitangata), who said the people of Kaitangata wanted to get the railway time table altered so as to admit of the through expresses stopping at Stirling, which would obviate the need for the bus service with Balclutha, the authority said that apparently neither of the parties wished to amalgamate, and, m the circumstances, he did not propose to do anything further about the matter. There would therefore be no alteration in either of the licences. Goods Charges The new schedule of charges for the carriage of goods, to come into force in the No. 4 district on December 16, was considered. Route licences were excepted from the schedule, which Mr Davies explained at length. The authority said the new schedule of charges was based on the increase in running costs, and was equal to a charge of 8s 7d an hour for an operator with a single vehicle, plus 6Jd per mile. The idea was to keep costs down'so as to reduce costs to the public. No objections had been received from the farmers in Southland and South Canterbury, but the operators were not pleased with the scale of charges. Later. after consulting with Mr Davies, Mr A. Craig, on behalf of the Farmers' Union delegates (Messrs Alexander Renton, S. Winter, and W. Caldwell), stated that they were prepared to accept the new schedule. T. J. Bell (Balclutha) was granted a new licence for the transport of wool and skins in the counties of Clutha. Bruce, and Tuapeka. He was represented by Mr J. T. Walter. "Idle and Disorderly" Thomas Francis Hill, aged 41, was charged before Mr J. R. Copland, J.P., and Mr J. W. Fenton, J.P., at the Balclutha Court yesterday with being an idle and disorderly person, in that he had insufficient visible lawful means of support. The accused pleaded guilty.—Constable McCormick, of Clinton, said the accused had been drinking heavily and had resorted to methylated spirits. On the previous evening he had found his way to an unoccupied public works whare where he had camped for the night. He had lit a fire in the hut and had then gone to sleep, and the place caught fire. The j canvas of which it was partly composed was burning when discovered by a passer-by. But for that the consequences to the accused might have, been serious. The accused had 37 previous convictions for various offences, including theft.—The Bench sentenced the ac-. cused to three months' imprisonment, with hard labour.