AGAIN REFUSED

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 8, Issue 61, 3 April 1945, Page 5

AGAIN REFUSED

LADY TAXI DRIVER'S LICENSE

COUNTY COUNCIL'S DECISION

The Whakatane County Council reiterated its previous decision not to grant a taxi driver's license to females in this area at its meeting last Tuesday. The matter was again brought to its notice when the owner of an existing license for the Edgecum. bfc' district ( Mr R. Yardley waited on the Council and personally pleaded his case.

| In this Mr Yardley who [ was introduced by Cr Hunter stated that he was going to military camp next month and desired to retain his taxi license in his wife's name until such time as he could return and carry on the business he had built up. The whilst, desiring to be sympathetic towards a man serving in the forces, was nevertheless firm in its stand that positions of this sort should be conserved for those men returning from overseas who might not be able to undertake manual labour.

Cr Lux ton was particularly strong in the above argument arijd urged that always the Council should be guided by giving jirefercnce to men of this nature. Mr Yardley pointed out that his position as holder of a taxi license would lie protected and held for him until lie did return. All he wanted was that his wife should be given the right to exercise the business during daylight hours whilst arrangements had been made for an accredited male driver to take over during the night. Crs Cawte, McGougan and Butler expressed a desire to help the applicant but claimed that in a dis j triet of this nature a very dangerous precedent would be created by permitting a license for a woman taxi driver. It was finally decided to make 110 change, in the Council's previous decision.