CARTAGE OF METAL

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 78, Issue 7015, 4 February 1949, Page 5

CARTAGE OF METAL

CARRIER'S APPLICATION TRANSPORT AUTHORITY RESERVES DECISION At yesterday’s fitting of the No.I Transport Licensing Authority (Mr E. J. Phelan), at the Te Awamutu Courthouse, D. J. Craig (Mr P. S. Page) applied for the renewal of his license No. 9332, with one additional vehicle authority and amend the area to 50 miles radius of Te Awamutu, and permission to deliver metal from the Te Awamutu Borough Council quarry. Mr Page said that Craig had one Public Works license and one general goods license, no additional license was wanted.

Mr J. E. Hammond, secretary of the Carriers’ Association in opposing the application, said that his association could not support any fresh applications. The Public Works Authority of the applicant had not been sited in Te Awamutu, and Craig recently came into the district. The Carriers’ Association thought that there were a sufficient number of licenses to cope with that class of work.

Desmond Joseph Craig then gave evidence as to the licenses he held, when the Te Awamutu Borough Council started the quarry, and tenders were called for the cartage of metal he tendered for the job, and his tender was accepted. He was an ex-service-man.

Mr Spinley in giving evidence in support of the application said that the demand for metal from the quarry was increasing to such an extent, that they expected the contractor to devote a considerable amount of time to the cartage of metal. The quarry was open to other carriers to cart metal for their clients.

In reply to the Authority, Mr Spinley, said that Craig did not have the sole right of cartage from the quarry. C- E. Vazey, president of the Carriers’ Association was concerned with the question of Craig being allowed to carry metal all over the district. Prior to the opening of the borough quarry, local carriers used to cart metal from the Waipa County Council pit at Puahue. In reply to Mr Phelan, witness said that he would be prepared to cart metal at'scheduled rates, but not at the lower price. Mr Phelan remarked that the Authority still had the power to control prices even those of local bodies* At this stage the question as to whether the price charged by Craig was an economic one was raised, and Mr Phelan said it would be investigated. When it was stated that Craig was a member of the Carriers’ Association the Authority expressed mild surprise at the application being opposed, and Mr Hammond said that the association considered that there were sufficient licenses in the area to control the work.

Combatting the implied suggestion that the price tendered by Craig for the cartage of metal was not economic Mr Page said that his client had a specially made truck of a carrying capacity of seven cubic yards. Mr Page contended further that his client with one vehicle would not seriously ‘interfere with the work of the other carriers. The Authority reserved decision and stated that it would go into the question as to wether the price for the cartage of metal was an economic one.