“IN THE DARK”

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1042, 5 August 1930, Page 1

“IN THE DARK”

RAILWAY COMMISSION CRITICISED PREPARATION OF EVIDENCE “It is farcical to expect local bodies and others interested to prepare data in the time allowed before the sitting of the commission.” This statement was made by Mr. S. Ensor, a member of the Thames Borough Council, who has been giving evidence before the Railway Commission which has been sitting in Auckland. “Local bodies were notified that a commission had been set up, but the time and place for taking evidence was not sent out until a few days prior to the actual meeting of the commission. Notice was given on July 26 that the commission, was sitting, but it would not be until two days later that the interested parties would receive their notices. It wonld take another couple of days for the bodies to call their representatives together, leaving but two or three days for the collecting of evidence. “No indication was given as to what lines should be followed in preparing evidence, and we were working ‘on the blind.* This is a serious state of affairs, and I ake strong exception to that way oi doing business. If we had been given some indication as to what evidence was desired, we would have known what to do. “If returns were required from the Railway Department it would probably take a month to have them Turnished. while we are expected la prepare in a few days.”