POWERS FOR THE ROAD TRANSPORT BOARD.
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ANEW REGULATION under the Defence of the Realm Act has been passed in order that appropriate powers may be conferred upon the recently appointed Road Transport Board.
The text of the Regulation is as follows :—
"(1) Where the Board of Trade (hereinafter referred to as the-' Board ') are of opinion that, with a view to providing and maintaining an efficient system for the transport of goods by road (hereinafter referred to as 'road transport') and using in the manner beat suited to the needs of the country any horses or vehicles in use or capable of being used for the purpose of road transport, and thereby furthering the successful prosecution of the war or otherwise securing the defence of the realm, it is expedient that they should exercise the powers given to them under this regulation, the Board may by order do all or any of the following things, that is to say :—
(a) regulate, restrict, or give directions with respect to, the use for the purposes of road transport or the sale or purchase of any such horses or vehicles as aforesaid :
(b) take possession of any such herses or vehicles as aforesaid or require them to be placed at the disposal of the Board or of any person specified by the Board in that behalf either absolutely or by way of hire and either for immediate or future use ; .
(c) require persons owning, or having in their possession or under their control, any such horses or vehicles as aforesaid to make to the Board, or to any person 'specified by the Board in that behalf, returns giving the prescribed particulars with respect to those horses and vehicles, and require any such returns to be verified in the prescribed manner : ' (d) require persons owning, or having in their possession or under their control, any such horse or vehicle as aforesaid to give notice in the prescribed manner before disposing thereof or allowing it to pass out of their possession or control : (e) prohibit the carriage of goods of any class by road, and prescribe the radius or distance within which goods or goods of any class may be carried by road : . 0 provide for the giving of directions with respect to the carriage of goods on any particular vehicles, or by any particular route, or to any particular clearing house or depot: (g) regulate the priority in which goods are to be carried by road and vehicles used for the purpose of road transport : ' ,
(70 prescribe the conditions on which, and the rates at which, horses or vehicles may be hired for the purpose of road transport and goods carried by road, and the conditions on'which goods so carried or to be carried are to be loaded or discharged :
(i) make such other provision in relation to road transport as appears to the Board necessary or expedient.
"(2) Any order under this regulation may be made so as to apply either generally to all horses and vehicles or to horses or vehicles of any class or to horses or vehicles belonging to any particular owner.
"(3) Such compensation shall be paid for any horse or vehicle of which possession is taken, or which is placed at the disposal of the Board or of any person specified by the Board, in pursuance of this regulaB40 tion, as shall in default of agreement be determined by a single arbitrator appointed in the prescribed manner, and in determining the amount of the campensatien the arbitrator shall have regard to the age and condition of the horse or vehicle, but shall not be bound to have regard to the market price of the horse or vehicle, or to the rate of hire prevailing in the district.
"Nothing in this provision shall require the payment of compensation in respect of horses or vehicles taken or placed at the disposal of the Board or of any person in connection with apreconcerted scheme to be put in operation in case of invasion or special military emergency.
" (4) For the purpose of testing the accuracy of any return made to the Board under this regulation, or of obtaining information in the case of failure to make a return or to give any prescribed notice, any person authorized in that behalf by the Board may enter any _premises belonging to or in the occupation of the person who has made or has failed to make the return, or on which the person so authorized has reason to believe that any horses or vehicles with respect to which a return has been required under this regulation are kept, and may carry out such inspection and examination (including the inspection and examination of books) as he may consider necessary for testing the accuracy of the returns or for obtaining such information.
"(5) No individual return or part of a return made, and no information obtained, under this regulation, shall without lawful authority be published or disclosed by any person except for the purpose of a prosecution under this regulation.
"(6) If in' any case the Board are of opinion that it is expedient to obtain information from any person in connection with any horses or vehicles, the Board may, without making an order for the purpose, require that person to furnish them with that information, and vihere the Board so require any information to be furnished the provisions of this regulation shall apply to information furnished and the furnishing of the information as they apply to returns made and the making of returns.
"(7) The powers conferred by this regulation shall not be exercised as respects horses and vehicles used • 'wholly or mainly in agriculture except in connection with a pro-concerted scheme to be put in operation in case of invasion or special military emergency, and nothing in this regulation shall authorize any person to sell or part with the possession of, or buy, any horse in-contravention of Regulation 2T or of the conditions of any licence granted thereunder.
"(8) In this regulation the expression 'prescribed' means prescribed by an:order made under this regulation, and the expression ' horse ' includes nude.
"(9) If any person
(a) acts in contiavention of or fails to comply with the. provisions of this regulation or of any order or requirement made thereunder ; or
(b) sells, removes or secretes any horse or vehicle so as to, or with intent to, defeat, obstruct or delay the operation of any order made under this regulation or any directions duly given in pursuance of any such order ; or .
(e) obstructs or impedes any, person authorized by the Board in the exercise of any of his powers under this regulation ; he shall be guilty of a summary offence against these regulations."