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C. RENTAL CAR SERVICES (а) Licensing.—The District Licensing Authorities dealt with. 142 applications relating to rental car services—22 new licences were granted, 43 licences were renewed, 21 amended, and 10 licences transferred. Full details are set out in Tables 31 and 32. (б) Financial and Operating Statistics, 1947-48.—1t is estimated from financial and statistical return% lodged with the Department that rental cars ran 12,000,000 miles in 1947-48 and earned a revenue of £349,000. Table 49 sets out traffic and financial data based on a sample of full-time rental car operators throughout the Dominion. D. GOODS SERVICES (a) Licensing.—During the year ended 31st March, 1949, the District Licensing Authorities dealt with 5,142 applications relating to goods-service licences —394 new licences were granted, 2,723 licences were renewed, 979 licences amended, and 445 licences were transferred. (b) General. —Public road freight services have continued to fulfil capably their task in the national transport system. It is estimated that the industry recorded 335,000,000 ton-miles during the year. This figure indicates the magnitude of the demands of industry and trade for the services of road transport operators. Transport firms have provided efficiently the service required from them. E. APPEALS During the year ended 31st March, 1949, 208 appeals against decisions of Licensing Authorities were lodged. Of these, 100 related to goods-services and 108 to passengerservices. This represents 1 appeal lodged for every 43 decisions of Licensing Authorities. In 123 cases either the appeal was withdrawn or the decision of the Licensing Authority upheld. Table 35 sets out full details of the manner in which the Appeal Authority disposed of all cases coming before his notice. F. REHABILITATION The number of transport licences current as at 31st March, 1949, was 8,198, of which 3,553 were held by ex-servicemen, The percentage of total licences operated by ex-servicemen increased from 37 per cent, as at 31st March, 1948, to 43 per cent, as at 31st'March, 1949, by the acquisition of 640 licences during the year. The fact that many licences are held by companies in which ex-servicemen are beneficially interested as shareholders has not been taken into account in arriving at the above figures. As a result the industry has been a more fruitful source of rehabilitation than the departmental records indicate. G. FIXING OF FARES AND CHARGES Until 20th November, 1948, the Licensing Authorities dealt with applications concerning passenger and taxi fares, while the Goods-service Charges Tribunal handled all cases concerning rates for the carriage of goods. As from 20th November, 1948, by the Transport Law Amendment Act, 1948, the functions of fixing and reviewing fares and charges for passenger, taxi, rental car, and goods-services were transferred to a new body, the Transport Charges Committee, from whose decisions there is a right of appeal to the Transport Charges Appeal Authority. The Goods-service Charges Tribunal, which had done valuable work since its appointment in 1942, was abolished. The personnel of the Transport Charges Committee are all required to be qualified accountants. Mr. L. H. Atkinson, 8.C0m., A.R.A.N.Z., of the Transport Department, is Chairman of the Committee, while Mr. H. C. Campbell, A.R.A.N.Z., represents the Transport Industry, and Mr. D. L. M. Martin, 8.C0m., A.R.A.N.Z., the users of transport.

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