FREIGHT CHARGES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24399, 10 September 1940, Page 6

FREIGHT CHARGES

CARRIERS OPERATING IN jCITY MOVE TO FIX SCHEDULE . A' special sitting of the - No. 4 Transport Licensing Authority was held yesterday to consider the arranging of a fixed schedule of freight charges for carriers, operating in,-the city. 'Mr V. Raines presided, and, besides the Otago Commercial .' Transport - Association, various organisations and firms "*were represented at the. sitting.. . On behalf of the Otagb Commercial Transport Association. Mr J. P. Ward stated that the association had prepared a list.of charges covering, the various activities of the' transport operator. Executive members of the association, ;he said, had given their attention to the matter over a considerable time, and, while the list required further attention to detail, it was felt in all the circumstances that the proposed prices were fair and reasonable. He suggested that the sitting should be in the form of a preliminary inquiry, and . that-; conferences should, be ar- , ranged between. the ' association .and each .objector to the proposed prices. In- the -past there 'were- ho; fixed-prices in Dunedin,. and.an; investigation had shown that some of. the existing'prices were uneconomic. .-;-. ■'-..- Mr Raines said that it was not the policy of the Transport' Department to force charges up, and it tried to reduce costs wherever possible. The department tried to base charges on operating costs: and then to have the industry operated with the greatest efficiency so that it might be possible to have the charges to customers reduced. It was, a. difficult task fixing: prices, but the Government had agreed to fix charges whenever asked to do so. In this case it had been asked ,by the OtagO" Association, ;and he thought the best course would be to adjourn the sitting to enable the association and objectors to confer and "arrive at charges acceptable to all concerned. . The hearing was adjourned sine die.