Grant of 12 A Vehicles—
Page 35
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If No-one Objects
THE Metropolitan Licensing Authority, Mr. D. 1, R. Muir. who formally requested an applicant company to change their declaration of normal user because they were doing "the same business in another way" indicated that, provided there were no objectors on republication, he would grant them 12 A-licensed vehicles. ,
The applicants, D. Goldsmid (1438), Ltd., of London, were applying to the Authority, in the Metropolitan court on Monday, to add 12 vehicles to their A licence with a normal user of " General goods within 25 miles of Tower Hill; occasional longer journeys as required."
Mr. D. Carmel, for Goldsmid's, said the extra tonnage was necessary because of congestion at London Docks—greater use was 'being made of Dover and the Medway ports, and also Shoreham and Portsmouth, for the importation of fruit and vegetables from Continental countries Giving evidence, Mr. F. Davis, managing director, said that a large proportion of the fruit and vegetable traffic until last October came into Gravel Lane rail depot and one vehicle could carry away five loads in two days. This depot had now closed and, instead, the traffic arrived at Hither Green depot, an hour's travelling time away, and it was a "hard job" to get each vehicle away with one load a day.
Asked how often they went farther than the 25 miles radius, Mr. Davis said: "Normally we keep Within the 25 or 30 miles." Questioned by Mr. Muir as to what was meant by "normally," Mr: Davis said that it might be two or three loads a week, or 10 per cent. They might even go to Birmingham. Mart chester or Liverpool."
Mr. Muir: "But this is important. This is for an A licence and the facilities declared are for comparatively short hauls, with occasional Jong journeys, as required." He added that '' as required" added nothing and subtracted nothing from the normal scope.
Unable to get a precise reply from Mr. Davis, the Authority continued: "1 take it that all the small ports are within the 25 miles?" Mr. Davis replied that only Gravesend was.
A Proper Description?
Coming back to the normal user, Mr. Muir asked if the applicants were satisfied that the declared facilities were right. Did they contend that it was a proper description of what they were doing, bearing in mind that part of the reason for the application was the need to go to ports such as Gravesend, Shoreham, Rochester and Portsmouth'? Mr. Davis replied that they went to exactly where their customers sold their goods.
Mr. Muir: "As you know, I cannot force you to alter a declaration of facilities."
Mr. Carmel said that he would feel happier if facilities included " South and East Coast ports."
After consulting his clients, Mr. Carmel said that they agreed that the user would have to be changed, and he asked Mr. Muir to consider granting a short-term B licence with a limitation of 25 miles, to "tide them over." Mr. Muir agreed to this.