RELICENSING RECORD.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 77, 31 March 1928, Page 7

RELICENSING RECORD.

FAST MOTOR REGISTRATION. 1237 ISSUED YESTERDAY. HECTIC RUSH THIS MORNING.

Twelve hundred and thirty-seven sets of new number plates for 1928-29 were issued by the relicensing depot at the Wellesley Street Post Office yesterday. That number broke the previous record for a day by over 200. Again this morning it was expected that a new halfday record would be established, it bein<* thought that 800 pairs of plates would be distributed.

Starting off relicensing motor vehicles at the rate of only a few score in a dav, the special staff engaged has stood the strain of the last couple of week's rush remarkably well until to-day. Nearly 14,000 owners in Auckland now have their new brown and white plates on their cars. The fact, considering that a late start was made, and remembering that the biggest percentage of the work has been done during the last week, speaks volumes for the efficiency of the registration staff.

Motor car owners who drive through city streets after midnight to-night with the old gold and black plates attached to their cars will be liable to prosecution, and it is stated that the policj will probably take action early next week. As was the case last year there was a hectic rush at the depot this morning, a queue being formed as early as eight o clock. Later in the morning, as the queue grew, two constables were detailed to watch that everything was done in an orderly manner. It was a hustling, bustling crowd which crowded round the door in the early stages, but order was soon established, and for the best part of the morning, everything went smoothly. * ° Just as the doors were closed yesterday afternoon, Government departments came in for some strong criticism at an impromptu gathering. The crowd compared notes on the side-walk, and many were the criticisms of the registration officials.

A line had to be drawn somewhere, officer in charge of the bureau explained. He said that after the doors were closed nearly lialf an hour passed before the last person waiting could be served. That did not mean that the staff was finished for the day,.for all the thousands of records had to be classified. It was essential that every one of the records should be indexed, so that a car could be identified at a minuto'a notice.

Even in spite of the fact that seven weeks' ago warnings were issued against a last minute rush, hundreds of people left tsheir obligation until this morning. Officials take the view that people deserve to be prosecuted if they have not got their plates, for they have had plenty of warnings and pienty of time.