BETTER THAN NOTHING.

Auckland Star, Volume LV, Issue 250, 21 October 1924, Page 4

BETTER THAN NOTHING.

On the principle that half a loaf is better than no bread, the Motor Vehicles Bill may be accepted thankfully. It has been severely buffeted in the House, and Ministers have spoken of their own product depreeatingly. It is admitted that it might be better, but if Parliament will pass it there will be an opportunity to amend it after a years experience. Most legislation proceeds on this basis, but there is unusual frankness among Ministers about this measure. Since it has now passed the House, and the Council is not likely to amend it materially, we may say that something, though by no means all, that was needed, has been clone. The weakness of the Bill as a . national measure for taxing motor cars is that it does not make the position of local bodies clear and strong. The schedul of annual licenses, the proceeds of which are to go to the Highways Board, runs up to £5, which nobody would pretend w-as adequate for certain kinds of vehicles. It is left to the municipality, which has to maintain its own roads, to fix its own fees, but the Court has already held that that power is limited, and the Bill does nothing to amend the law in the Us"* of that decision. The position of local bodies seems to be very unsatisfactory. The Mayor of Auckland made a brave attempt to formulate, in conference with other local bodies, an alternative policy, but the decisions of the meeting apparently have had no effect. The Bill, however, has some good points. It is an attempt to fix national rates ot taxation, the proceeds of which shall go to road improvement. It introduces a long-overdue system of national licenses and provision for their endorsement, suspension or cancellation in case of conviction. Penalties for reckless or negligent driving are properly increased. These improvements in the law arc needed for the protection of the public It is clear that nothing save imprisonment or the loss of the right to drive will deter some motorists from en-dano-cring their own and other peop c s I lives. Moreover, the Government takes I power to make regulations covering I every aspect of motor transport, from i the use of bells to the size and weight of cars. On the vigilance and wisdom with Which these regulations are framed and enforced will depend much of the success of the measure.