MOTORING AFFAIRS

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 94, 22 April 1933, Page 15

MOTORING AFFAIRS

NORTH ISLAND UNION

LIMITATIONS OF SPEED

The executive of the North Island Motor Union met at Palmerston North this week. Consideration was given to the question of a safety signal for one-way bridges. Mr. Batt moved that the union adopt a regulation sign, silver letters on. a black board, placed on both approaches to tho one-way bridges, and that the Commissioner of Transport be asked to approve of the suggestion. Mi. B. Palliser said, the only safe Way was to instruct all traffic approaching the bridge to give way. It was agreed that this might cause unnecessary delay, and that it might bo better to instruct one ear to give way. The president ventured the suggestion that the notice "One car bridgo" would meet the case, and Mr. Edmundson moved that the "ono car bridge" sign be adopted. Mr. Eoydhousc seconded this, and the proposal was carried, the executive holding that the coloured disc would not be effective. The secrctaiy stated that a, letter had been received from the private secrctaiy of the Governor-General that his Excellency w*'is of opinion ' that the policy of distributing schools safety posters appeared to be prudent and wise, and that his Excellency was very interested to hear that what promised to be an effective method of attaining the union's object had been adopted so widely. The secretary also reported that let-

teni of appreciationhadbeen received froity a'■nn'mber of schoolmasters' who had forTvaraed'lauggeation^i ;for further posters.' ■"■:.'" r-..:-''-;";,1.->'.'>.;■ ■■''.. ;■■•;/V\.>/. ■ The headmaster;: ; the Mokauiti School, r Tauniarunuiy TVTOte' that; as' a 'motorist'as well: as he fully : I appreciated the fwprkj that was bejngj done to promote ' 'road sense >J in child-' | jen'j-'-'.as' too 'fewlof, them■•"today./.were! traffic wisei 'He'f elt he could "not '• offer: suggestions for a further poster, but- thought that' the of each school; ycai- could, be- signalised by the distribution of the' union's; first poster,, which, he felt, had dpnd more good than tii&'iestr-put together.V ;■ ■;■;. ]■'j..';{y -■.■■-yhe'r^uestipa-.of/jth^-iOrmUe'B^.ai-hoii^1 speed'limit was the a^b-ject of considerable discussion,, and it was finally decided that a' deputation consisting; of, Messrs..:W. Q'Callagtian (president),' A'; Grayspn, E. A.: Batt,\ and Dr. A.; E. Porritt wait uponv the: Cbmmissioner of; j Transport with the object .of securing a definite understanding 'in 'regard to speed restrictions; In connection with the! same matter; a letter was teceived from the.i Wellington Automobile Club; intimating that the -executive of that •cliil) was of • opinidn that the Cpmmis-; sioner of Transport should be requested to'exempt,from ;;the' prpppscd speed limit the, gravel sections on No. 1 highwaybetween Wellington and the club's boundary at \the iVhirokino Bridge. Actually the only gravel sections were those between' Poririia. and I*aremata. The letter went on to say that betweon Levin and Palmerston North via Shannon thpre were certain' gravel sections which also should be exempted, forming as they did part of what must be termed, an aiterial highway. The whole of the1 east coast route in the clpb's territory —to the top of the summit of the Kimu-: taka Hill—was surfaced so-that no speed limit applied. In regard to the other, gravel . roads iin the territory the' letter stated, they were considered^ to be of secondary impprtance, and that the club was not seeking exemptions on any of these. The letter concluded with the observation that because of the existing condition of tho gravel sections between Levin and Palmerston North through.,Shannon^ it was not possible to trayel at even.4o mil§s per;hour., Mr. G. Wi Hutchison (Mayor of Auckland) stated'; that ■ the. North Island Motor Union conference definitely" agreed that the speed limit restrictions we're too drastic, but their decision had been ignored by the Commissioner of Transport. Mr. W. G. Walkley (Hawora), explaining the delay in gazetting the new motor regulations, said this could riot be done until there was'an amendment of tho Counties Act at the next session of Parliament, despite the fact that, the regulations were to be operative in'the meantime. This step was necessary to avoid confusion -through various local restrictions, as it had been, agreed that certain graver and pumice roads should bo exempted. Mr. A. Grayson (Auckland) said that certain existing legislation dealing with motor offences should ;be, rescinded and everything brought within the scope of the' new regulations. Dr. Porritt observed that it was understood the new regulations would supersede all existing regulations, and that no local, restrictions could-be adopted by local bodies without references to the Minister. It was pointed out that certain local bodies still had speed restrictions', in operation, and that these wduld remain in force until the new regulations were gazetted.

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PURE AIR TRAVEL