OMITTING DETAILS

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 964, 6 May 1930, Page 7

OMITTING DETAILS

MR. VEITCH AND MOTOR PURCHASES THORNYCROFTS AND WHIPPETS “Mr. Veitch carefully omits details concerning the British bus chasses purchased by the Railway Department, and that the Canadian Knight and Whippet Company is the agent for the Thornycroft, but he makes a very strong point of the fact that the bus bodies were built in New Zealand. That is far from being unusual, for no omnibus bodies are imported, the freight and duty charges would be prohibitive.” This was among some of the statements made to The Sun this morning when inquiries were being made from prominent men in the motor business, concerning the statement made by the Hon. W. A. Veitch, that motors purchased by the Government from the Canadian Knight and Whippet Company. a firm in which the Ward family was interested, constituted a lower percentage of the whole than any other motor-car purchased. “Of the 26 motor-bus ch- "n>*chased, and which, by the way, were not classified by Mr. Veitch ... . l. . case of cars, 16 Thornycroft chassis were supplied by the Canadian Knight and Whippet Company, and it appears that this company also supplied 21 chassis. The approximate price of each of these vehicles would be about £1,000,” continues the statement. “OTHER DEPARTMENTS” “Then we notice that 14 Thornycroft trucks were purchased by the Post and Telegraph Department, and under the heading of “Other departments,” one Thornycroft truck, a total of 15 trucks of this make supplied by the Canadian Knight and Whippet Company. One Whippet truck, five Whippet small vans and 20 cars were also secured from this firm.

“It is significant that the bulk of high-priced vehicles came from the

firm in "which Mr. V. A. Ward, son of the Prime Minister, holds three-quar-ters of the share capital. ‘ This publicity was bound to come, and in fact should have come sooner. Sir Joseph Ward has, unfortunately, laid himself open to criticism. “We feel certain that the country could be saved thousands of pounds a year if the Government would appoint a man who knew the motor business thoroughly and recognised values and the suitability of vehicles in certain work. A man with technical knowledge and letters after liis name is unsuitable. The man required should possess mechanical knowledge, gained in motor works, and general business knowledge. Men of many years’ ex-, perience in the motor business are available at a modest salary.

“On November 20, 1925, tenders were called for five or alternatively, 10 mo-tor-omnibus chassis of 33 seating capacity. Tenders closed on January 16. 1929. and 10 Thornycroft chassis were ordered from the Canadian Knight and Whippet Company. Ltdtenderers being notified of this on February 11, 1929. On May 28 last year, tenders were called for 10 fourwheeled omnibus chassis and two 6wheeled omnibus chassis, each of 33 seating capacity. Five Thornycroft four-wheeled chassis and one Thornycroft six-wheeled chassis were ordered from the Canadian Knight and Whippet Company, Ltd. Tenders closed on June 12. and tenderers were notified in October last.”