COASTAL GOODS SERVICE

Taranaki Daily News, 6 August 1934, Page 11

COASTAL GOODS SERVICE

REFUSAL OF AN APPLICATION LICENSING AUTHORITY BUSINESS. NEW COUNCIL BUS ROUTE AGREED The only opposed application before the No. 5 District Licensing Authority at its concluding sitting at New Plymouth on Saturday Was that of. William James Larking, Okato, for a non-auto-matic carriage of goods service license. The application, it was stated by counsel, was made by Larking at the request of the Taranaki Chain Stores, which had offered Larking a contract for the carriage of goods to its Okato branch. The authority was unanimously of the opinion that the‘service was neither necessary nor desirable. It appeared on the evidence that the goods transport services available in the district were adequate, to say the least, for the needs of the district, and the prices at which these facilities were available were most reasonable. There was lack of competition and the prices laid before the authority showed that settlers and stores could have the work done at reasonable prices. , , Mr. J.'H. Sheat opposed the application on behalf of S. R. Johnson and Opunake Motors, and Mr. L. M. Moss on behalf of G. H. Duke and Stanton and Sons. _ , . , , Mr. C. White stated that Larking had been offered a contract by Taranaki Chain Stores to cart goods to their Okato branch. At present Larking was a farmer and contractor, and in the course of his contracting carted firewood and shingle to New Plymouth, returning empty. The bulk of the contract he had been offered would be from New Plymouth to Okato, and it would enable Larking to cart a return load. Larking also desired to be at liberty to deliver goods in the Okato district. This would be done only on rare occasions, and with such goods as manures . and cement. There would be a certain amount of cartage from Okato to New Plymouth by way of returns of goods taken to Okato by mistake. The main object would be to enable Larking to carry goods from New Plymouth to Okato for the Taranaki Chain Stores, and accordingly he applied for a restricted license. Larking said he supplied firewood to 14 of 20 coal and firewood merchants at New Plymouth and at Rahotu. He also carried shingle on his own account to New Plymouth. He had resided at Okato for 15 years. To Mr. Sheat Larking said he believed five carrying firms operated on the route and there was another service available if necessary. Larking said the idea of the contract was not to offset any financial responsibility to Taranaki Chain Stores. He had applied for the license at the firm’s request. ' DEMAND FOR GRAVEL. Mr. Sheat: What need is there to bring gravel from Okato to New Plymouth? Larking: The demand. \ . S. R. Johnson said he had carried the goods for two years at 9s a ton, 6d more than that which Larking had offered to do the carting for. There had been no complaint during this two years and ample facility had always been available for all the goods. Mr. Sheat submitted it was so amply clear that Larking should not have a contract that further evidence was unnecessary. Johnson said the stores manager had told him that if Larking secured a license Larking would for financial reasons get the contract. William Stanton said his firm- could carry the Taranaki Chain Stores contract of approximately 275 tons annually without adding to the fleet, or the number of trucks. There were ample trucks on the route. Many contracts had been renewed lately at uneconomic prices because of forced competition. The New Plymouth Borough Council was granted a license for passenger carriage from the Brougham Street terminus to the South Road boundary via Devon Street, Loma Street, Calvert Road, Doone Street and Devon Line. The route is a new one to serve Veale’s Estate at the west end of the town, and will start on Wednesday. Four return trips daily with an additional trip bn Friday evening were proposed, said George Wyatt, manager of the Borough Council Tramways Department. The proposed service had been requested in a petition signed by 150 persons. Charles W. Henwood, Urenui, was granted an increase in his area. Last year the area embraced Tikorangi, Urenui and Waihi ridings of the Clifton county. This year the whole of the county was desired. In last year’s application for an area license he had overlooked a contract in the Urenui riding, . said Henwood. A large part of his business was the carriage of bridge timber. He also had a cream collecting contract with the Onaero factory. A defined route license from Waitoitoi to New Plymouth, via the main road, was described- by the applicant ,as satisfactory and was granted. ' An application for a license over an extended area was granted Samuel J. Marsh, Urenui. His business was confined entirely to the cartage of metal, said Marsh, and he desired that his present area, the Clifton county, should be extended to include the Inglewood, Taranaki and Clifton counties. He carted metal and shingle only and did not compete with general carriers, but wanted to be in a position to tender for any metal contract. Scott’s Motors, Urenui, was granted a renewal of its area license over the Clifton county and the Waitara riding of the Taranaki county. An application for a route license between Pukearuhe and New Plymouth was granted, with the right to deviate five’miles up side roads, at least three return trips to be made each week.

L. A. Muller, Uruti, was granted a renewal of a continuous goods service license. A similar application by A. H. Midler was granted.