Public Authority Should Support, salts Tribunal T "question as to whether
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a nationalized industry should support a road haulier's application to carry goods for it was dealt with by the Transport Tribunal in London on Wednesday when the president. Mr. G. D. Squibb, Q.C., maintained that a public authority was still a business undertaking.
The Tribunal dismissed an appeal by Goodier and Sons Ltd., of Preston, against the refusal of the North. West deputy Licensing Authority to amend A licences for 12 vehicles to include carriage of coal from Yorkshire.
Presenting the appeal, Mr. J. R. C. Samuel-Gibbon said that a large quantity of coal was carried from Yorkshire for the North West Gas Board but the Board had declined to send witnesses to the deputy L.A. because "as a public authority the Board could not support applications of that type submitted to traffic courts by private contractors ".
Mr. Squibb, in giving the Tribunal's decision, said: "We fail to. appreciate that point of view. Though it is true that the North West Gas Board is a public authority, it is engaged in business and ought to conduct itsaffairs in the same way as anyone else engaged in business.
"If the North West Gas Board really feels this traffic ought to be carried for it by the applicant it .ought to attend and say so and give the reasons why.
No witness was called from the Gas Board. Instead, a letter was submitted by a gentleman describing himself as the coal officer, saying that it was not possible for the Board to give the applicant any support in the matter.
After the appeal was dismissed, Mr. Samuel-Gibbon asked if it was possible for the Tribunal to say the amendment would be allowed for the remainder of the currency of the existing licence.
The president replied that the Tribunal could not agree to that but they would let the order dismissing the appeal lie in the office until the end of January and commented: "That will give the North West Gas Board the chance, if it wishes, to act like any other trader if it feels sufficiently strongly about this." •