CARS ON GROUND

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 16, 9 April 1927, Page 9

CARS ON GROUND

READY FOR MONDAY NORTH SHORE TRANSPORT DEVONPORT COY.’S BID Another phase of the North Shore traffic struggle will commence on Monday. Twelve Hudson Sedans, to the order of the Devonport Steam Ferry Coy., were driven on to the vehicular ferry this morning, and transhipped to Devonport. On Monday morning they will commence to run for hire on the Devonport-Takapuna route upon which Mr. A. H. Smith’s Yellow ’buses ran until the Transport Appeal Board recently decided otherwise. The Devonport company, in the course of a few days, will have a fleet of 20 Hudsons running. Eight other cars from different parts of the Dominion will be assembled in Auckland without loss of time. “Attempting to run a Hudson car through the Act,” declares the chairman of the Takapuna Tramway and Ferry Company, Mr. St. Clair Brown, with reference to this move' On the other hand, the Devonport company vigorously protests against any action of the Harbour Board chairman, Mr. H. R. Mackenzie, which might have the effect of depriving them from running their ferry steamers to Bayswater, when their application for permission comes before the board on Tuesday afternoon. BOROUGH COUNCIL ACTS A new development to-day was that the Takapuna Borough Council has notified the Takapuna company that it must comply with its deed. The company must not content itself with running three steam trams night and morning. The company will, therefore, supplement the yellow bus service by running hourly a bus or a tram in accordance with public requirements. The fare to be charged, says Mr. St. Clair Brown, will be at tramway rates. In a statement this morning Mr. Brown reviews his company’s view of the recent negotiations with Mr. Smith after the Appeal Board’s decision. “Mr. Smith was never asked by my company to sign anything but ttye notice to the public announcing the commencement of the joint service. “Mr. Smith has given his mortgagee an irrevocable power of attorney to act for him and his mortgagee’s solicitor is his solicitor. That solicitor claims, in fact demands, the right to act for him even when his interests diverge from those of his mortgagee MR. SMITH’S “DIFFICULT COURSE.” “Mr. Smith was not told by my company that his licence was cancelled. The company has every sympathy with Mr. Smith’s effort to steer what is a difficult course.” With regard to Mr. Smith charging a penal fare of 2d, said Mr. Brown, “it is clear that, inasmuch as this provision is solely for the protection of the tramway concern, if the tramway company asks Mr. Smith in the public interest not to charge this sum, the public would not demand in its own interest to add 2d to each bus fare.” “That is where independent legal advice would be of benefit to Mr. Smith.” adds Mr. Brown. Protesting against Mr. Mackenzie’s reported opposition to their ferries running to Baysw'ater, Mr. G. E. Alderton, of Alison and Alderton, solicitors, wrote to-day to the Auckland Harbour Board on behalf of he Devonport Company: “We have been advised to protest against any action of the chairman which may have the effect of depriving this company of its right to run its vessels to the wharf at Bayswater.” Mr. Mackenzie’s action was referred to as “entirely irregular.” FERRY TRACKS, HIGHWAYS Attention was drawn to a statement made by Mr. Justice Hosking. When speaking of the Harbour Board in his report in 1915. he said: “The ferry tracks are really highways connecting up the country and population on both sides of the harbour. and the ferry wharves are landing places giving continuity to the highways on both land and water. “It has not erected these landing places for any particular company, but for enabling the public to pass to and fro. The proprietors of the ferry boats have come in and made use of them as they were entitled to do.” Again, dealing with the question of monopoly, he said: “The so-called monopoly is nothing more than the circumstance that it is substantially the ferry companies, and the ferry companies only, wiiich have occasion tc make use of the wharves. With this exception the wharves are open to all and there is no more monopoly than there is in the case of a line of steamers constantly appointed to be at a particular wharf and thereby fourvd in occupation of it.”