TRANSPORT ACT

Hokitika Guardian, 24 March 1932, Page 3

TRANSPORT ACT

LICENSING 'AUTHORITY MEETING

APPLICATIONS DEALT WITH

GREYMOU/H, March 23. The No. 7 District Licensing Authority appointed under the Transport Act, commenced its sitting at Greymouth yesterday. The members were 'Dr S. .A. Gibb, and Messrs VV. A. Churchward, and J. W. Hannan. The Chairman, <at the beginning of the meeting, said that he did not propose to give a speech outlining the objects of the authority. The procedure was to hear the applicant first, then

the objector, the applicant then to have the right to reply. Dr Gibb s went on to say that the Court was nut a formal

one, and the members, wished to cooperate with the transport services representatives as much as they could , in , the interests of reducing national waste. Such co-operation had been freely given in Nelson, and the chairman hoped that he might be able to say the same of Grey mouth. G. M. Haroourt applied for a license from Hokitika to Humphries. Applicant was represented by Mr M. B. James. No objection was raised, and the application was granted, .subject to a satisfactory schedule of parcels, and 'goods freight prices being supplied.

The Chairman explained that all applications must be subject t<> a certificate of fitness, granted by the Department after inspection. Kennedy Bros. Ltd., applied for licenses for Greymoufh-Paroa and Greyinouth-Karoro. Mr F. A. Kitchingham, who appeared for applicant, said that there would be no objection. There were three times in the timetable which the applicant wished to have omitted on week-days, namely buses leaving Greymouth at 2 p.m.. 2.30 p.m., and 3.30 p.m., and the corresponding return trips. The application was granted subject to the applicant complying with any Borough regulations regarding stopping, starting and parking places, also subject to applicant supplying the time of starting for each trip, and the timetables to be .amended if the speed was in excess of the legal requirements.

A. Arthur applied for Grey-Blnke-town license. Mr H. McGlashan appeared for applicant. No objection was raised, and the application was granted subject to the same conditions as ithat for Messrs Kennedy Bros.

A. B. Spiers applied for a license horn Kumara to the ICumara Railway Station. No objection was raised, and the application wa s granted subject to a goods and parcels’ schedule being supplied and also a time-table showing that requirements as to speed were being complied with. Newman’s Motors, applied for a

license from Hokitika to Rhnu. Mr H. J. Knight appeared for applicant, and said that the service was a -school connection, running only on schooldays. No objection would be raised.

The Chairman said that there was another application from a Mr Keenan for the same service.

Mr Knight said that the time-tables were different for the two services,

,nd the applicant had no objection to he other service.

The .application was granted. Keenan’s Motors, Hokitika, also applied for the Hokifika-Rimu route, and the application was granted, subject to the applicant submitting a satisfactory schedule of goods and parcels charges.

Hokitika-Weheka Service.—/The West Coast Motor Ltd., applied for a license from Hokitika to Weheka. iMr Klcock, Hokitika, appeared for applicant. Mr H. Knight, for Newman’s Motors, said that an objection was made on the grounds of irregular running of the service. He had not seen the statement of application. He submitted that the applicant must satisfy the authority that he had carried on the service lawfully since April 1, 1931, before being granted an automatic license, under Section 28.

The Chairman -said that applicant’s statement was that the service had been carried on continuously since ■April 1.

Mr Knight said that if applicant based his claim for u license 1 on the -fact that he had been running a service throe days o week, the objectors maintained that he had not carried on such a service. Ho submitted that if it could be shown that the grounds for the 'application exceed the previous -service given, then the license should be granted only for the Marne (service as 'the company had made in the past. Mr Elcoek -said that the Company absolutely denied any irregularity of running. The service had been ru:: regularly and efficiently, for three days a week. The Company had now a mail contract to Weheka running three times <a week. James Kerr, manager of the company, said that on -account of weather conditions only the cars had not run on one or two occasions. The- company had an up-to-date fleet of cars, and he maintained the -service was one of the most regular in the Dominion. To Mr Knight: Prior to the mail contract being received from the- Governiriont, the -service bad run regularly three times a week. He could produce the waybills of the- timetables run during the period. When driving witness would not always

know whether the opposition service was on the road during 'he day. Mr Elcoek submitted that the mere fact that the Oovormnent had granted ■i mail carrying license showed that the service- was regarded as ellicicv

Mr Knight stated that he t-limmb‘ tie- wav hills referred to should be The objector; had no ob

jections to a license being granted but only for the .service that they maintained had been carried on in the past.

'Referring to the matter of co-ordin-ation in the service, the Chairman said that the three services, Newman’s, West Coast Motors, and Harcourt Motors should come to some arrangement regarding the sharing of excess passengers. He read the time-tables of each of the three services. Was it necessary for three services P Mr Knight .said that he contended Newman’s Motors should bo granted an automatic license. The Chairman said that though the service was entitled to a renewal this year future applications would he dealt with on the basis of public utility and it was better that if any co-ordination s hould be done, it should be carried out now rather than being forced upon the companies in twelve months’ time. Mr Knight said that there were many other services carried more cars and were served by more individual firms than was the route in question. The Chairman asked if arrangements were made regarding one or two excess passengers with the rival

firms. The reply was that a five-seater car was sent to take the excess, and there was another aspect, that local passengers along the road had to be picked up. The Chairman asked that if there were many intermediate passengers would it .not be in the public interest to run a more frequent service, but pick up such intermediate passengers only on the days that were at present run. Mr Kerr said that such intermediate passengers were also picked up, by lorries. He did not know whether or not a. charge was made. Mr Knight suggested that a conference could be arranged amongst the parties and perhaps an amended timetable could be fixed. A daily service i might work out just as well as. one arranged to 00-ordinate with the trains. The conference might eliminate some of the waste running on the route, inevitable. The (application of all th ree services was deferred until later to-day, when a- conference of the managers of the three services would report. The objection against West Coast Motors by Newman’s was over-ruled, on the grounds that the figures stated in the objection did not concur with those i.n applicant’s statement. Westport G'reymouth. Newman Brother's Ltd., applied for a West-port-Grey mouth licen.se. Air Knight appeared for application. No objections were recorded.

The Chairman said that an agreement between Mr Jack Newman, ami Gibbs’ Motors had been made at Nelson.

Mr Knight said that it was asked that the return tare should remain at 42s 6d.

Air J. Newman said that his firm in co-ordination with Grubs weie running oil alternate days, for two of tneir services, thus saving each firm six trips a week. His- firm was willing to. agree to this be-ng continued, aucl Gibbs were aiso in. favour.

Mr Howard said, on behalf of Gibbs’ Motors, they also opposed the reduction of the return tare from 42s 6d to 40s,

the application was granted, subject to tile lares being retained at 42s 6d, .and the co-ordination between Giu-bs and Newmans being main-

tained, and a schedule of parcels and goods charges being made, Gibbs’ Motors- application for the same run, was granted on similar conditions. Mr Newman asked if the fare from -Nelson to Blenheim had been fixed.

Lt was pointed out that the central authority in Christchurch had increased the fare for Newmans from Parnassus to Kaikoura, on the application of the Railways Board, combined with Curran’s Motors, who ran a continuation of the Railway service.

The Chairman said that the question was under consideration. R. C. Hompsced applied for a license from Waiuta to Ikamatua.— Granted, subject to ai satisfactory schedule of charges for goods, and parcels, to a time table of arrivals and departures, and subject to the time table being amended if it did not comply with the speed limit. G. T. Woolhonse applied for a licence from Hokitika to Koiterangi. Tire application was unopposed, and was granted, subject to a schedule of parcels charges being sbumitted. G H. Burrows applied for a license from Westport to Kara men.—Granted subject to the schedule and timetable conditions.

W. C. Kennedy (Mr F. A. Kitcbingliam) applied for a- license between Cobdon and Greymouth. The application was objected to by H McGlashan, for whom Mr T. I l ’. Brosnan appeared. There was also an objection made by the Cobden Town Board, for whom Mr AY. P. McCarthy

appeared. Mr Bros/nan said there was a separate application by H. MeGla-shan. The main objection was that McGlashan was the pioneer of the service for cue past nine years; also that there had not been a regular service by Ken-

nedy on one occasion for a montn, when Kennedy’s ears were, seized nv a- motor firm under the hire purchase agreement. Kennedy’s service had been discontinued from April 10 to August- l, io:n.

Both applications were granted, i To fare being approved, viz: 3d to Walker’s 'Gonier, 'ld to Wichniond’ Quay and r>d to the BeacfT, with concession fares ‘f 3d. Ms 3d, and 3s 9d, respectively for 12 rides. The time-table is also to lie submitted. W. O. Kennedy also applied for a.

d license between Greymouth and Blacky ball, and between Greymouth and n Wallsend. Mr Kitchingham, for' applicant, said i- that his client was not pressing the n application to run to Blackba). and i, it was accordingly withdrawn, t H. McGlaslmn, represented by Mr i- T. F. Brosnan, objected, as did the s Combined Railways Board s Mr Brosnan said Kennedy had no t regular time-table, whereas McGlashan had, while McGlashan carried by far 1 the greater number of passengers. He J considered the travelling public were sufficiently catered for by McGlashan. Mr McGlashan contended that Ivons nedy’s service was irregular. The Chairman said that Authority 2 held that the application came under ' I Section 28 of the Act, and could he i j automatically renewed; for twelve ! months. ! McGlashan’s Blackball application was granted under the usual conditions, the reservation and restrictions to be adhered to. Kennedy’s and McGlashan’s applications for the licenses, Greymouth to Wallsend were also granted, under the usual conditions. John Lowe, Runanga (Mr T. F. Brosnan) Dunollie to Greymouth route; and S. A. Coburn, Greymouth to Dunollie, applied for passenger licenses over this route. The applications were objected to by the Railways Board on the grounds that the territory was over-served from 8 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. Both applications were granted subject to a suitable amended time-table being submitted and other conditions complied with. Smallholme’s Motors (Mr T. F. Brosnan) applied for a license for tli Westport-Stockton route. Both applications were granted, under the usual conditions, each applicant to supply a scheme of co-ordina-tion before the next sitting of the Licensing Authority. The fares as amended, were approved. Denniston Motors, and Caldwell and Coy., applied for a license between Westport and Burnett’s Face. Both ’ firms agreed to a cut. The Railways Board objected to both applications. The applications were granted. -f-'ff.