H.—4oa.

that goods-services will have reached the same stage. If the term of licenses is to be increased, legislative sanction will have to be obtained. We refer to this subject again in a later paragraph of this report. 25. The Board has given much consideration to the simplification of licensing procedure, with a view to making it cheaper and easier. The present procedure is not entirely satisfactory, especially since the attendance of applicants and witnesses is usually necessary even when there is no objection to the license which is desired. The Board has prepared a draft of a new procedure which has been circulated to District Licensing Authorities and to certain transport interests, and when replies have been received and any suggestions considered the Board will be able to make a definite recommendation which may need legislation to bring it into effect. 26. Regulations dealing with the hearing of appeals have also been redrafted and approved by the Board, and are now in force. 27. Representations were received from the Cornmandery of the St. John Ambulance that ambulance services be declared passenger-services under section 30 of the Transport Law Amendment Act, 1933, and therefore made subject to the licensing-system. The Board recommended that the request should be granted. 28. The area within a radius of ten miles around the Borough of Hamilton was formerly exempted from the operation of the goods-service regulations. Representations were made by local carriers seeking the abolition of this exemption, and after sitting in Hamilton to hear and consider evidence the Board recommended that the goods-service regulations should be made to apply to this area, and the exemption was abolished in November, 1934. 29. In order to carry out its duties under the Transport Licensing (Commercial Air Services) Act, 1934, the Board asked for a report on the condition of aerodromes and emergency landing-grounds in the Dominion. The report received was sufficient for the Board's purposes, but indicates that much work remains to be done on all landing-grounds before they can be regarded as safe and convenient for the larger machines which are about to be used for air transport. The whole question of the preparation of aerodromes and installation of the necessary ground equipment will no doubt engage the attention of the Government at an early date. 30. In addition to the points specifically mentioned, the Board has been engaged on much routine work in connection with its duties. Much time has been spent also in conferences with representatives of various transport interests and others concerned, and with deputations either coming direct to the Board or referred to it by the Minister of Transport. A series of conferences with representatives of the shipping industry and Harbour Boards was held in connection with fixation of rates for different forms of transport, following on the Board's inquiry into the subject already referred to. The following table indicates the number of conferences in which the Board has been engaged.

Table III. —Conferences in which Board was engaged during Year ended 31st March, 1935.

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Body represented. Number of Conierences. 1. N.Z. Master Carriers' Federation . . ... 2 2. Wanganui Chamber of Commerce . . . . 1 3. Wanganui Harbour Board . . . . 1 4. Hamilton Carriers' Association .. . , 1 5. N.Z. Road Transport Alliance .. . . 1 6. N.Z. Shipowners' Federation . . . . 1 7. Overseas Shipowners' Allotment Committee I 8. N.Z. Government Railways Board . . 1 9. N.Z. Aero Clubs . . . . . . 1 10. N.Z. Harbours Association .. • .. 1 11. Napier-Wellington Daily Transport Co., Ltd. 1 12. Concerns interested in Commercial Aviation 1 13. St. John Ambulance Association .. . . 1 Total .. .. . . 14