TRANSPORT CONTROL

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 6, Issue 17, 23 October 1942, Page 5

TRANSPORT CONTROL

COMMITTEE'S DECISION REVERSED LICENSING AUTHORITIES ACTION ALL PARTIES CONFER

The special sitting of the No. | "1 Licensing Authority in Wha|jS(— katane last Wednesday for the purpose of investigating the recent decisions of the local Transport Control Committee, relative to the enforcement of ••dairy produce hitherto carried 1 ~by road to the Whakatane whar- _ ' ves, to the rail, produced somey- "thing of a surprise decision, by "the chairmian, Mr E. J. Phelan, ~who after hearing the representations of all parties, and initiating; a conference between all -concerned, decided to uphold the local appeals, and reverse the regulations contained in 'Clause VI, of the recently announced control schedule. The meeting took place in the 'County Chambers, and involved representatives from the Rangitaiki Plains; Dairy Company, the Opourrjao and Waimana Dairy Companies, ! the Northern Steamship Company •and the Whakatane Harbour Board. Position Serious Opening the meeting, the Chairjnan said, that he understood that the gathering was primarily to conW- sider a decision of the local co-ord-ination committee ■ which was likely to have rather a drastic effect upon the community. He realised i that the appeals which had come ' " forward were filed in good, faith, /but he reminded all present that the present policy was to conserve all the petrol and tyres: possible, and "therefore all that could be transported by rail would, have to go by rail. lit would therefore be necessary for the appellants to sound causes as to Avhy this should not be given -effect. Mr L. Buddie (Rangitaiki Plains ;Dairy Co.) said he would like to :raise the question of. the dairy companies which had been affected by the neAV order of control. He understood that the order did not apply 'to those companies controlling their voAvn transport. Mr Phelanc No, the decision does not apply to those possessing •ancillary vehicles, but it might in future and it w r ould therefore be as Avell for your company to assume that "it did. Drastic Change-over "Mr Buddie then said that at a of most of the bodies concerned it, had been thought that in view of the drastic change-over which Avas required, and also the loss in money to the ratepayers of this district that a further jjeriod -of revieAv should be afforded those • concerned, to go more thoroughly into the matter. •No one Avas opposed to the objective of the regulations but it had been thought that ■perhaps the committee may not .■have given the whole matter the fullest thought and consideration in vieAV of the Aatal effects of their resulting enforcement. Mr Phelan said he Avas inclined to agree' that there had not been sufficient time for consideration. His experience had been that most people were anxious to help, but he had • found it. always advisable- to take the different, parties concerned into conference. Invariably he had discovered that they avctc just as /anxious to do the right thing. He felt therefore that if the committee and the various representatives present "got together and came to a common decision a Aery consideriable saA'ing of time Avould result .and a satisfactory basis of agreement achieved. The position, said 1 Mr Phelan, has become far more serious than anybody had anticipated, as far as supplies of rubber were concerned and I think, realising this that we will all be together in an effort" to prolong the life the tyres as much as possible, in pursuance of the <; National good. Steamship Company's Position Captain R. C. Hammond, managing director of the Northern Steamship Company, stated that if the pi-oduce of the dairy companies Ave re diverted to rail, the boat service to this port 'would be abandoned. Fig--rires showed that the bulk of the revenue came from this quarter, Avhile 75 per cent, of the goods transported to the tOAvn did not go beyond its ihounds. If therefore l these Avere all to the railway, it would (Continued in next column)

mean a nine-mile trip by road conveyance back to Whakatane. At this stage it was decided to go into conference oil the question with the co-ordination committee and the board made a two-hour adjournment. When the meeting resumed it was pointed out that all parties had agreed, to a basis of cutting down the original annual mileage of 38,400 miles to 24,100 miles for the transport of produce. Penalty Not Warranted Commenting upon the above, Mr Phelan said that with the iigures available to the Authority, the matter had actually been investigated by it, and a conclusion had been reached, very much along the same lines as that agreed upon. They bore out very closely the conclusions which had been arrived at. He wanted to say particularly that the •Control Committee had rendered a sound service by drawing public attention, fearlessly to the urgency of the position. Having regard for all parties however he had decided that the saving effected did not warrant the penalising of the community which would inevitably result. The decision of t lie committee, therefore did not meet with his approval and he was not prepared to accept it. He would uphold the appeals in every instance. If however it were possible for the Dairy Companies to make any saving in the transport of their produce or the collection of their cream it was their duty to do so. in the meantime the services would remain as they wofo. Mr Buddie on behalf of the appellants thanked. Mr Phelan for his decision and the patient hearing he had afforded their representations. He was sure, he said, that the companies concerned would where possible' seek to conserve their own transport and. <lelivcry methods in their own interests.