TRANSPORT AUTHORITY

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18057, 6 April 1933, Page 3

TRANSPORT AUTHORITY

YESTERDAY'S BUSINESS NAPIER ROAD LICENSES ALL APPLICATIONS GRANTED All applications for 1 h<'. renewal of transport licenses tor passenger services, which came before tile No. 4 Transport Licensing Authority at yesterday’s sitting in Gisborne, were granted after brief discussion of details as to fares and occasional conflicts of interest among services operating on similar routes. .1 lie proceedings were full of interest for (hose concerned in the passenger services, and a development late in the day. in connection with the applications of the Whitfield and Hawke's Lay Motor Services, for the renewal of their licenses for the Napier-Gisborne route, aroused some interest.

The members of the authority, Messrs. If. B. Logan, chairman, Charles Matthews and M. Chambers, had demurred about granting the renewals of these licenses, pending the receipt of the formal applications from the Transport Board in Wellington. It was explained that tlie Transport Department had had the applications in good time, but had not forwarded them to the district body in time for yesterday’s sitting. Under pressure front counsel for the Whitfield service, Mr. L. T. Barnard, supported by Mr. W. D. Lysnar, the licensing authority finally agreed, however, to treat the applications as though they were actually in their hands, and forthwith both the Whitfield and the Hawke’s Bay Motor Service licenses were granted. In continuation of yesterday’s report, the following licenses were dealt with by tho authority during the later part of the afternoon. TOWN SERVICES

Gisborne Borough Council, GisborneTe llapara. —The license was renewed, with permission to reduce the services on public holidays. The commissioner commented that the fares were very reasonable on tliis service.

Gisborne Borough Council. Gisborne Wainui Beach. —The license was renew ed. on the old conditions.

Gisborne Borough Council. GisborneMangapapa.—The license was renewed. The Gisborne Borough Council was setting a wonderful example in regard to fares, said the chairman, the average being under J,d per mile. •WAIPAOA-GISBOR.YE W. ,T. Gomin, Waipaoa-Gisborne. via Waihirere. —The license was renewed, the licensee being advised to adhere to the route defined in his license. Latitude in this connection would be less liberal in the future than in the past. Mr. Beaufoy, who appeared for the applicant, was advised to confer with Mr. Chri.sp on the question of fares, in respect of which there were some discrepancies.

AIANUTUK E—PAP Alt ATI

F. Shekleton, Manututc-l’aparatu. — This was tin application for a new license for a mail route, the application being granted on condition that the applicant furnished a schedule of parcel charges. GISBOENE—NAPIEI {. Duso Motor Company, GisborneNapier.—Mr. Beaufoy appeared in support of the application, and there was no opposition. Air. W. D. Lysnar intimated that he appeared for the signatories to a petition from Wairoa and Gisborne, on the subject of the road services. He would only address the authority in case of any point against the interests of tho petitioners being raised, he added. On tho subject of fare.-, on the Gisbornc-Napier road, the chairman stated that tho Duco Company had asked for fares based on fills single and 555. return. The Whitfield and Hawke’s Bay Motor Services asked for 35s single and 655.

In this connection Air. Logan stated that Mr. Whitfield had been most inconsistent in his attitude on the question of fares. He had originally asked for 35s and Gss in his first application, but had written to the Licensing Authority later asking for a lower faro. When the matter came before the authority, however, ho had returned to his; original' figure. Then later he claimed to be able to run at 25s .single, and eventually the authority, partly on his representations, had fixed 27s Gd as the single fare. Then Air. Whitfield had complained that the authority had ruined him by fixing tho fares at a lower level. The chairman pointed out that the applicant now asked for a single fare of 355. The authority had not been quite fairly treated in tho matter. WHITFIELDS’ FARES. Air. Burnard, appearing for Whitfields, explained to tho authority that when AVhitfield had proposed the lower fare, he had had in mind tho running of a popular service in which ho would have the advantage of a difference in prices as against the other services,' which might maintain a higher standard of service. The authority had, however, decided that all must work on the same scale of fares, and the whole circumstances had changed. To-day there were the additional burdens of taxation and other costs which wore not then operative, including the exchange, irt crease.

Air. Logan pointed out that, the application for a 85s fare train Whit fields had been received prior to tin increase in the exchange rale.

Mr. Barnard stated that possibly Air. Whitfield was one of those, lucky individuals who had “known something" beforehand about the rise in exchange, and had allowed for it. (Laughter). Counsel declared that the authority having ruled that all must conform to tho ono scale of charges, Whitfield must meet the standard of service provided by other proprietary companies, and con sequcntlv had to charge on a. higher basis than ho coukl ran on if allowed to conduct a popular service. ITo stated further that he had been perfectly genuine in tho representations ho had made on behalf of Whitfields before, on the subject of fares. Mr. Lysnar spoke strongly on the point of the authority’s power to fix fares. He maintained that the authority had every right to fix the maximum fares for the route, and then to allow the services to fix their own fares. COST OF SPARES Air. Beaufoy, for the Duco Company, mentioned that tho cost of spare parts had risen very substantially, practically 50 jku' cent., and that petrol and tvro costs were higher. The Duco’s request for an increase of the single fare to 30s was fully warranted.

Tell the neighbors here and now, Phone them and impel them, Toll the neighbors why and how You feel urged to tell them, Tell the neighbors one by one Till your tale is told and done, Tell tho neighbors soon and sure — "Colds need Woods' Great Peppermint Cure.”