COUNCIL'S VIEWS

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 5, Issue 46, 29 April 1942, Page 5

COUNCIL'S VIEWS

MAORIS AND LIQUOR QUESTION OF TAX! SERVICES The recent representations made by the County Council for a review of taxi licenses has led to an invitation from the Transport Department for councillors to s'ubmit evidence to a special sitting of the Board regarding the alleged 1 transport of liquor to Natives. The effect of this invitation which came before a meeting of the council yesterday was that members expressed the opinion that they never had any intention of giving actual evidence but had merely voiced the growing seriousness of the position as it had been told to them by other ratepayers. A letter to the Secretary of the Licensing Authority crystallising the position from the council's point of view was endorsed, details of which read as under: — "The council's resolution as communicated to the Commissioner of Transport (1) requested the Commissioner to review all his Department's Whakatane taxi cab licenses and (2) requested the Commissioner to supply the council with a list of licensed tarvi cabs in this district. Matter of Investigation The information in the second request was to assist this council, as the authority which issues the licenses to drive taxi cabs,, to obtain a police report on the character of each taxi cab driver. This council considered, that as the isuing Drivers' License authority, it was its duty not only to make this investigation but also to have its inspector investigate and report on the drivers of taxi cabs operating in any manner other than the public interest-. Regarding the foregoing the council desires to stress that in the matter of its request to the Commissioner of Transport the council definitely considered it its duty to obtain all the evidence necessary which would enable it to review the motor drivers' licenses of taxi cab drivers. Matter of Public Interest In regard to the first request to the Commissioner the council thanks Llie Authority for having arranged the Whakatane sitting and the council trusts that as a direct result of such sitting and the investigation which the Authority will be making, an improvement in the local position will be evidenced. The council trusts that the Authority will direct the local Transport Department's Inspector and request the police officers domociled here, to proceed with the investigations the meeting of the Authority will commence and when the necessary evidence has been obtained, it is trusted that a further sitting of the Authority will bo held in Whakatane. The council is of the opinion that the Authority will appreciate that local authorities in a general "way have many matters of public importance brought to notice, which matters while not supported by evidence in the strict sense of the word, bring to light matters of public interest which require rectification. Such a matter, is the manner in which taxi cbas arc being used extensively in this district in transporting liquor, principally to Maoris. Council's Duty Fulfilled Herein the council considers that as respecting its duty to this district that such duty was amply fulfilled when it represented to the Transport Department the abuse as abovementioned of our taxi cab transport. The council desires to state that if before voicing a public wrong it is required firstly to collate evidence to the standard which is requirtfl in a Court of Law, then the voice of local authorities will be stayed, and in the council's opinion a public service of inestimable value lost. The council knows that the Authority does not wish any license to 1 issue here or elsewhere where such license will be incorrectly used or applied. The council is confident that the Authority Avill leave no stone unturned to rectify llie use of taxi cabs in this district in any manner contrary to pubic interest. Details of the discussion on the above subject will appear in a later issue.