TRANSPORT CONTROL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 21 April 1939, Page 5

TRANSPORT CONTROL

STATEMENT BY CARRIERS’ COUNSEL LICENCE FOR LOG CARTAGE OPPOSED. BUT GRANTED BY AUTHORITY. “Applicant has been a thorn in the side, not only of legitimate road operators, but also of the Authority for a number of years,” stated Mr J. Macfarlane Laing, counsel for the Carriers' Federation when opposing, at a sitting of the No. 2 Transport Licensing Authority at Masterton yesterday, an application .by E. F. J. Brenkley for a licence to cart timber logs. In granting the application, the Authority, Mr P. Skoglund said: "I want you to remember that this licence is for logs alone. If at any time it can be proved , that you are carrying general goods then steps will be taken to revoke your licence. I have read your past history and I know that it is not very good, but I feel that it is better to grant you a licence and so exercise a measure of control over you.” Mr Laing said that the activities of Brenkley and his wife, who was the applicant in this instance, had culminated in Mrs Brenkley losing her authorities in 1935. At-that time it had been possible to satisfy the Authority that applicant had been a flagrant violator of all the regulations from here o Wellington and that the business was carried on in an improper manner. Generally speaking the law had been flagrantly broken and flouted. This application was merely a starting point and would be supplemented later on. Mr Skoglund: “That is no ground for nbiee'ion. It does not necessarily follow that a man will get what he applies for. I will say that if this application is granted and is restricted l.i logs as long as I am the Authority he will get nothing else.” Mr Laing: “I will enter the strongest objection on the grounds that there are ample facilities in the district at present and in view of applicant’s past history.” Mr Skoglund: “I have read the operator’s past history and I agree with you that it is not very satisfactory. A 1 that time, however, he had a general licence and now he is only applying for a licence to carry logs. I feel that whether or not this man gets a licence for this class of work he will still carry on. That is due to weakness and laxity of the law. There is nothing to stop this man hiiing his lorries out to any firm and operating without a licence. I think it is better to grant him a licence and thus exercise a measure of control over his activities. I would like to see every vehicle on the road licensed and .that is the view of all Authorities.” Mr Laing said he now agreed thal would be better to grant applicant a licence, which Mr Skoglund did.