TRANSPORT APPEALS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24608, 16 May 1941, Page 6

TRANSPORT APPEALS

SIR FRANCIS FRAZERS APPOINTMENT EXPLANATION BY MINISTER (P.A.) WELLINGTON, May 15. The Minister of Transport, Mr R. Semple, stated to-day that apparently there had been some misunderstanding concerning the appointment of Sir Francis Frazer as adviser to the Minister in dealing with appeals under the transport legislation. The reason for this appointment was that because of the greater urgency of other matters there had been no opportunity during the last session of Parliament of introducing legislation which would enable Sir Francis to be set up as the direct appeal authority instead of the Minister. Mr Semple explained that nevertheless he still proposed to take the first opportunity of introducing the necessary legislation, and in the meantime would give the greatest weight to the advice tendered to him by Sir Francis on any appeal. "I want to make this clear." Mr Semple said. " because certain sections of the press seem to have the impression that I intend to carry on permanently as the appeal authority. I have no such intention. The present arrangement is purely temporary pending consideration of the necessary amending legislation by Parliament. "I feel also that I should make it clear," he added, "that when I stated my intention of relinquishing my duties as the appeal authority the road transport industry went out of its way to express its confidence in me and urged me to carry on the job. I was unable to agree with this as my position in holding the office of Minister of Railways would have been an invidious one and untenable."