TRANSPORT CONTROL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 5 April 1938, Page 6

TRANSPORT CONTROL

REFUSAL TO ACT FURTHER

ON COMMITTEE.

ON ACCOUNT OF TREATMENT BY MINISTER.

By Telegraph.—Press Association, CHRISTCHURCH. This Day.

Because of “the treatment meted out to the Metropolitan Licensing Authority” by the Minister of Transport (the Hon R. Semple), the Mayor (Mr J. W. Beanland), who is chairman of the authority, refuses to continue as a member.

This was announced by the Mayor last night at a meeting of the Christchurch City Council. Mr Beanland’s statement was as follows: —

“The council, being a metropolitan licensing authority under the Transport Licensing Act, 1931, delegated its powers to a committee, but owing to the treatment meted out to the committee, when dealing with taxi business, by the Minister of Transport, I find that I cannot see my way to continue as a member of that committee and I ask the council to relieve me of the position.” The council discussed the Mayor’s statement in committee. It was afterwards reported that a resolution had been passed expressing to the Minister regret and dissatisfaction at “the way in which the authority’s work has been stultified.” Mr Beanland’s comment on the Minister’s action apparently related to his handling of appeals against the authority’s decision, which was upset in three important points. The first was in the substitution of a system of assessing fares by “passenger” miles instead of by “cab” miles, as decided by the authority. The second was in allowing six appeals against the cancellation of licences by the authority, and the third was the Minister’s ruling that in fixing the dates between which taxi-meters were to be installed, the authority did not correctly interpret his judgment.