Licence To Carry Scrap Metal Extended

Press, Volume C, Issue 29515, 17 May 1961, Page 9

Licence To Carry Scrap Metal Extended

A Christchurch scrapmetal dealer has been given permission to carry scrap metal from any point in the v South Island to Christchurch when the amount collected is less than one rail- * way w'aggon load. The pere mission was granted to New t Zealand Metal Smelters, Ltd., .- of 593 A Colombo street, by v the No. 9 District Transport e Licensing Authority (Mr J. n S. Haywood) in a reserved - decision. e The company’s previous ‘ licence allowed it to trans- '■ port scrao metal to the nearft est rail-heads. If a small ft amount of metal was left a on the truck after filling a - waggon, the company was e allowed to carry this to e Christchurch on the return - journey. e When the application was s heard at Christchurch on t April 27. the company’s - manages - for the South Island - branch, Mr. D. J. Callahan, said the company had been e prosecuted twice for carrya ing small lots of scrap metal h to Christchurch. In both [j cases the loads were less . than a waggon load, but none t had been unloaded at railr head®. d “The evidence is clear that - the licensee is a substantial ■t railways customer.” Mr Haywood said. “Its railways acn count in the last six years d has not been less than £5OOO r a year, and in one year was e £20.000.” He said he accepted the j evidence that the relief J sought would involve freight worth within £2OO a year to g the Railways Department. s “This business, in my opinion, is quite important e to the national economy and e should be encouraged as a " work of reclamation.” he e said. “ At the hearing, the come ranv was represented by Mr C. B. Atkinson Mr L. C e Brown, for the Railways Dey partment, objected. n Application Fails ° An application by the Asha burton Mail and Guardian r Company, Ltd., for a licence to carry newspapers and : parcels to Methven by way of Rakaia has been refused by the authority. y In a reserved decision, Mr - Haywood said he was syms p-athetic toward the application, but the standard of

i- proof required for the grant n of a new licence was a matp ter for which he had to have e strict regard, particularly in view of objections. “Lack of supporting wit- .- nesses is not entirely fatal to •- an application, but in this v case about 65 firms and per- .. sons signed a petition in y support of the proposed ser•t vice and, without exception, 1. failed to give evidence at the d public hearing,” Mr Haywood said. s "At this stage lam there- ;- fore compelled to infer that - there is not any evidence beI fore me concerning unsatist fled demand for carriage of a parcels over the route in s issue.” o The company was free to ft make a fresh application on bringing more precise and s cogent evidence in support ft of the licence, he said. ® Mr J. A. Bretherton apa peared for the applicant, Mr “■ Brown for the Railways Den partment, and Mr T. Morton ' for Mr G. S. Aldridge, a “ rural mail delivery contrach tor. IS