BUSES AND LORRIES.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18412, 19 June 1925, Page 9

BUSES AND LORRIES.

ROUTES AND LICENSE FEES. AUCKLAND BY-LAWS ATTACKED. (r&ESS ASSOCIATION TZUGQKAXj AUCKLAND, Juno IS. Tho Supremo Court action regarding tho prohibition of motor-buses from Queen st-reot was concluded to-day. Roferring to Sir James Gunson's evidence, Mr Meredith, for tho bus proprietors, eaid tho witness had staled that tho tramway finances would bo seriously threatened unless tho Council obtained control of tho bus routes. He threw away money in concessions with the idea of injuring the bus competition. Tho Court was asked to belicvo that an outstanding personality who had controlled tho affairs of tho city for many years had not oren been consulted, and had allowed himsett to bo the merest cipher. •Mr Justice Rood reserved decision.

Another of tho Auckland City Conuoil's by-laws was attacked, in the Supremo Court to-day, when a motion to ■ quash a portion of tho by-law relating to the payment of heavy traffic license fees was brought by James William Lovcll, of Otahuhu, president of tho Auckland Motor Truck Owner* 1 Association. The by-law was claimed to be unreasonable and ultra Tires. Theportion of tho by-law in dispute provides for tho payment of the. following annual license fees: for horse drawn two-wheeled Tchicle £1 10a, horse drawn four-wheeled vehiclo £3, motor vehicle engaged in heavy traffic, whoso unladen weight does not exceed 30 cwt £l2, motor vehicle between 30 cwt and 2 ton £25, between two and three tons £37 10s, between three and four tana £6O, over four tons £75. The ground of attack, said Mr Leary. was cine of tho various ramifications of the doctrine of unreasonableness. He contended that tho fees were at any rato excessive. Then tho byJaw was unreasonable, since it was unfair because the City Council had exempted some heavy troffio from payment of fees. It had let off 200 private reticles which wero.included in the byJaw, and which could have well borne tho tax. Further, the. by-law. did not differentiate between, those Tehidea which might be said to cause considerable wear and tear to.roads, and those vehiclos which caused considerably lew damage. That should have been a relativo matter and an allowance made. The essence of the caso was ttai wwlte it was agreed that a fair sum should be paid by heavy Tehido owners for . the maintenance of roads, it was also maintained that these owners wore not called on to assist in tiw payment far any elaborate reading scheme on woicn the Citv Council might choose to embark. Traffic fees could be compyted on the amount required to maintain the roads and repair damage as a result of heavy traffic. That was easy. Bis Honour: Is it? .. . Mr Leary: The whole object of too traffic law is really.to make good tbe damage that vehicles have caused, and not to-form a sinking fond for an alUmate scheme of reading improvement*. Turning to facts, Mr Leary.- saw there had been a general change in the • chpractor of vohiculation in reoen* years and that had called for a change. in road surfaces. It had to bo decided which class of vehicle was wsponaMewr damage, and to what extant.. Geansel contended that the responsibility of M» ' motor-lorry and ' motor-bos baa been exaggerated. Affidavits on behalf o{ both sides agreed there wese lw» motor-cars in Auckland, 16UGI tomes 'and"'2oo buses. A.bos wore tba naft 'twice "as much as a car, and a> «rry nearly three times as much. A ton* * basis'for comparison, however, bad to consider the numbers of each clasa <* vehicle and mileage. The scale coaW be worked out with almost mathematical accuracy, and be submitted ttoWlowing figures—buses 12-124tfcs, tarw 40-124ths, private cars- 72-124tbs. I* was idle to say tho ordinary inotor-car did not contribute to the wear of the roads. Proceeding then ononis argument that fees were to be maintenance only, be wfcttbited th*t there was a sum of £70,000 to oo me* annually in Auckland. Lowes, according to his method of compntaUon, would thus pay 40-124ths of £7o,ffl», which worked out roughly at an .average of just over £!<> a «°rry. The caso was adjourned tul to-mor-row.