ROAD TRANSPORT APPEAL CASES

Southland Times, Issue 23693, 16 December 1938, Page 5

ROAD TRANSPORT APPEAL CASES

Mr Semple Explains Position “POLITICAL INFLUENCE NOT EXERTED’’ (United Press Association) WELLINGTON, December 15. “No politician has ever tried to bring influence to bear on me since I nave been in office, either from the Opposition side or from the Government benches, on any appeal before me, said the Minister of Transport (the Hon. R. Semple) today in referring to remarks made at a sitting of the No. 2 Transport Licensing Authority in Hastings. , Mr Semple was emphatic that the appeals were dealt with by him purely on the documentary evidence submitted. Anyone reading the report of the sitting would be led to the conclusion that political influence had been brought to bear on him to give a verdict against the Licensing Authority s previous decision and to deal with the appeal in an irregular manner. The name of the Speaker of the House of Representatives (the Hon. W. E. Barnard) had been mentioned as if he had tried to bring such influence to bear, but he had done nothing of the kind, nor had Mr E. L. Cullen, M.P. for Hawke’s Bay, or any other politician. It had also been suggested, Mr Semple continued, that he had made up his mind at Napier about the particular case, and that the man concerned had come to him as a private deputation. That was not true, and if he adopted tactics of that kind in dealing with transport licensing appeals, licensing authorities would become a “I know my job better than that,” he added. Mr Semple said that all Mr Barnard had done, and he was within his rights, was to introduce the man mentioned, in common with many others, but Mr Barnard had never asked the Minister to do anything for the man in question. “It happens that about that time I had made up my mind about the decision and made the announcement in the presence of the Press, my chief reason being to issue a warning to all individuals who intended to seek licences not to buy equipment before (he application was heard on the assumption that licences' would be. granted,” he added.