THE TRANSPORT BILL

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 74, Issue 191, 14 August 1931, Page 9

THE TRANSPORT BILL

MINISTER’S STATEMENT SURPRISE IN AUCKLAND “It is extraordinary that the Minister should make a statement when the Bill is under consideration by a Select Parliamentary Committee,” said Air J. A. C. Allum, chairman of the Auckland Transport Board in commenting on the Hon. W. A. Veitch’s statement, published on Saturday, regarding the Transport Licensing Bill. Air Allum pointed out that when he was at Wellington to give evidence before the committee regarding the Bill, uo less than five lawyers had appeared and had given evidence on behalf of widely varying communities. Yet Mr Veitch had made a suggestion that laymen should get legal advice before they criticised the Bill. “It is curious that he should raise questions which are widely controverted,” continued Mr Allum. “The control of service car and goods traffic is necessary, but there is nothing to be gained by interfering with the existing licensing areas, such as Auckland, where they are operating successfully.” From the legal point of view, said Air Allum, there must be objections to the Bill. The Minister’s remarks had the effect of saying, “Just leave it to me i and my Department and it will be all right,” but, said Air Allum, the more he saw of the Bill the more ho was convinced it was wrong. Until recent years there had been a great diversity of opinion as regards traffic. The bill he said, seemed to bo drawn up at a time when everything was satisfactory, and all former criticism was behind the board. The result of the Bill could only tend to impair tho board’s existing system. “It seems extraordinary that the Minister should make the statement he did,” said Air G. Grey Campbell. “It seems as though he did it to stop criticism. He must have known that legal advice was obtained on the evidence given.”