TRUCKS FOR ARMY

Waikato Times, Volume 128, Issue 21366, 10 March 1941, Page 4

TRUCKS FOR ARMY

l COUNCIL VEHICLES i MOTOR-CYCLES WANTED i l —— l l IN’DIGNATION IN WELLINGTON I (By Telegraph—Press Association) WELLINGTON, Saturday There has been no word, so tar,‘ about the impressment of trucks or: buses used by the Wellington City‘ Council, according to the tramway’s manager but the electricity depart-i ment has received demands {or three 1 motor cycles and, as these were used T by emergency men, difficulty is likely I to be caused in making the necessary i rush repairs. 1 According to the president of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce,i Mr R. H. Nimmo, business people in“ Wellington are amazed at the man- i nor in which the impressment was‘ carried out, not the slightest endeavour being made by officials to‘ obtain the co—operation of the busi- ; ness people. i Instead they made peremptory demand apparently without con- ‘ sideration of the repercussmns upon business and the civil population. It is going to disorganise a great many businesses, whereas by the exercise of commonsense methods of discussmn, or even by giving sutficient warning to enable adjustments to be made, disorganisation. indignation and even bitterness. could have been avoided. It might be that the impressmcnt will be toned down to something approaching reasonable practice. when owners have stated their Side of the case but that did not alter me fact that had they gone about the impressment in another manner to—day‘s turmoil and indignation would have been avoided. MINISTER’S EXPLANATION “OWNERS BEING CONSIDERED" (By Telegraph—Press Association) MASTERTON, Monday At a meeting of farmers protests were made against what were de—scribed as the hasty and ill-conceived methods employed in the impress.ment of motor trucks in the Wairairapa. The Minister of Defence, the Hon. E. Jones, attended the meeting. The Minister said that the original arrangements for the impressment were not carried out because of the pressure of time, but the owners of vehicles need not act on the warrants if they thought they had grounds for appeal. In explaining the reason for the sudden impressment the Minister said that the vehicles were required for mechanised manoeuvres to complete the training of territorials. When the committee of cabinet went into the matter of impressment it was decided that consideration must be given to the needs of an owner. If a man needed his truck for carting milk or cream to a factory or doing urgent farm work then it was decided that there would be no interference with his work. . Trucks to be Bought The Minister made it clear that the district impressment officer had acted solely on instructions from Wellington. “Those who think they cannot spare their trucks should carry on with their farm work or cream carting till this matter has been straightened out,” he said. “I realise that because another method of Impressment was used a certain amount of unrest has been caused. Every ‘opportunity will be given an appelilant of stating his case. There is a session of the appeal committee to—imorrow and I will take the matter ‘ up then.” ‘ Asked whether the vehicles were to be bought by the Government, the IMinister replied in the affirmative.