CONDENSED LETTERS.

Taranaki Daily News, 3 October 1922, Page 6

CONDENSED LETTERS.

“The Last ’Bus” writes from Oqunalce, criticising the last contribution of "W. B. W.” The correspondence commenced with the discussion of the Opunake-New Plymouth motor'bus competition, and has turned to an indulgence in personalities, which is of no public interest. For that reason the last letter of “The Last ’Bus” is declined. “W. C. H.” (Auroa) writes deploring the above controversy, and urging that the two combatants should have it out in the “good old way,” and not inflict their opinions upon an unoffending public. C. E. Betts (Kaponga) writes explaining that our report of the case in which he appeared at Eltham last week did not do him justice. He had taken out licenses each year with the county for his services, and he was of the opinion that the license permitted him to run anywhere in the province. He quotes the case heard at Stratford recently, in which a licensed driver was charged with a similar breach as himself, but which had Deen decided in favor of the motorist. This case he regards as analogous to his own. Mr. Betts adds: “The statement was made in the court that I had been plying for hire in Eltham for a number of years without a license, and that I had always refused to pay the borough license-fee. It is only quite recently that I have been approached by the borough about the said license, and, as a matter of fact, the day before the case came off I sent in my cheque for the borough license, with a request that the case be withdrawn, and was asked to pay three years’ license-fees and they would accede to my request. This, of coursa, I refused, as the borough by-laws were only compiled in 1921. It was also pointed out to the court that I held the county licenses.”