DRIVERS PREFER PRISON

Southland Times, Issue 23388, 21 December 1937, Page 6

DRIVERS PREFER PRISON

Five Refuse To Pay

Fines

PENALTY FOR TAKING TOURISTS ON TRIP

VISIT OF CRUISE VESSEL TO AUCKLAND (United Press Association) AUCKLAND, December 20. An unexpected sequel to the recent prosecution of several Auckland taxi drivers, who were charged with conducting unlicensed transport services when the tourist ship Strathmore was in Auckland in November, was provided when a statement was issued by five of the men, who have elected to serve prison sentences rather than pay the fines imposed when they appeared before Mr C. R. Orr-Walker, S.M. The drivers were fined £5 each and ordered to pay costs. In a statement the men say the fines were imposed for “an honest endeavour to earn a livelihood by taking overseas visitors to see what they wish in God s Own Country, not on our part for a wilful breach of a law made by Order-in-Council overnight. There is not one of us who can afford to pay a fine because of the persistent dictatorial persecution we have had meted out to us during the past two years. Yet again there is not one of us who afford to turn down absolutely legitimate business, for which we have been specializing for years, because our No. 1 Licensing Authority decides to give the business exclusively to a chosen few.” , , ~ It was claimed that there was nothing in the Act to say who was to be granted a licence and who was not. The men claim that as owner-drivers they took a personal interest in their passengers.

SIXTEEN VEHICLES LICENSED

The men received a telegram this morning from the Minister of Transport (the Hon R. Semple) stating that he had been advised that 16 vericles were already licensed under the Transport Act for the tourist traffic and that if additional cars were required furtherlicences would be issued. An appeal could not be determined until he had heard sufimissions from all the parties interested and if a formal appeal were lodged with the prescribed fee it would determine the position for future occasions. Mr, A. R. de Balfour, manager of the International Bureau, who was fined £lO and ordered to pay costs for counselling and procuring breaches of the regulations, left for Wellington tonight and will place the matter before the Minister. He stated that a promise had been made that temporary licences would be granted to the International Tourist Bureau for all its cars, as it had been explained that the drivers concerned were under contract to the bureau. He did not attach any blame to the Minister, to whom he intended to present the facts of the whole afMr de Balfour added that those of the men who had asked for time to payhad been granted until January. 15, otherwise each man would be liable to the penalty of default 48 hours after the imposition of fines, and the powers for the execution of the warrant would be contained in the Justices of the Peace Act. The five drivers who signed the statement were L. Davys, F. Laver, H. Chambers, W. H. G. Woods and V.' Sefont.