N.I.M.U.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 191, 15 August 1933, Page 12

N.I.M.U.

WORK REVIEWED. MEMBERSHIP FALLS OFF. FURTHER TAXATION.

A review of the work of the North Island Motor Union during the past year is contained in the annual report of the president, Mr. W. A. O'Callaghan, which is to be presented at the annual meeting in Auckland next Thursday. Among other things, tho report says:—

Conditions throughout the Dominion have been depressed to such an extent that a great many members have- been forced to relinquish their membership. Further than this the Government has found it necessary to impose further taxation, and the motorist has not escaped the net of the tax-gatherer. In spite of difficulties, however, it is pleasing to know that all the automobile associations in New Zealand have continued steadfastly to maintain full service to members.

Change of Name

Prominent on the agenda paper are a series of resolutions to which notice of , motion has been given disapproving of the action of the Auckland Association changing its name. Doubtless this matter will be fully discussed during the meeting, and I feel that I should take this opportunity of saying to delegates that whether they approve or disapprove of the Auckland Association's action the problem should bo approached from the

angle of "what ie the best course to take in the interests of the motorists." Let us keep in the forefront of our deliberations the fact that the automobile associations exist to give more and yet more service to members. If there is a problem to eolve let us eolve it calmly and temperately. Main Highways. There is no gainsaying the fact that our main. highways are . deteriorating, due, of course, to the diversion of funds from the Main Highways Board account to the apparently insatiable maw of the Consolidated Fund. . This is a matter which no doubt will be fully discussed at this meeting, but it seems to me essential that we should continue to remind the Government that it is the worst form of false economy to allow our roads to fall into disrepair through lack of provision for maintenance. Transport -When this department was established one section of motorists regarded it as "just another department" in our Gilbert and Sullivan departmental Systern; others were inclined to suspect that one of the. primary objects of the ntfw department would be to bolster up the railways at tlie expense of all road users, and recent events lead me to the conclusion that this suspicion was not at all unjustified The fact remains that, the transport department has placed the commercial road user to a very heavy expense in protecting what used to be regarded as a constitutional right, to run our own business In our.own way, provided that it, by its nature, calne within the four corners of the law. It seems clear, however, that while the operations of the transport department may not have been without compensations to counsel engaged , to protect as far as possible the rights of commercial road users, its principal achievement to date'is to advantage the Railway De-, partment at the , expense of all road users., ' Speed Limit. It-is fitting that I should refer to this question immediately after commenting on the activities of the transport department, because the imposition of this speed limit, as far as we are able to-ascertain, originated with the transport department. We have stated that the local authorities did not ask for it, the police did not ask for it, and the Main Highways did not ask for it, and we certainty did not.ask for it,, and our assertions have .not; been : contradicted. Speed limits were abolished in England last.'year, but our transport department is now attempting to "modernise" New Zealand road by adopting speed limits regarded in England 'as being antiquated! Strenuous opposition to this 40 miles an hour speed limit was offered by this union and the South' Island Motor Union, with the result that it is not to be applied to surfaced roads, but it does apply ,to all metalled roads excepting- those specially exempted. , The principal argument advanced by the advocates of the speed limit was .that if the average" speeds In the country were reduced the cost of maintenance of roads; would- automatically be reduced. The advocates of this "Heath Robinson" idea are content , 'to close their eyes to the obvious fact that

to bring about a saving of this kind 100 per cent enforcement of the law would be necessary. As this is out of the question, our Legislature has been induced to add just one more useless regulation to the agglomeration of illconsidered matter that passes for legislation, in this country. Membership. As might be expected, the total membership of automobile associations in the North Island shows a drop compared with 1932. At. June 30. 1932, there were 29,628 persons members of associations affiliated to this union. At June 30, 1933, this number had dropped to 27,869, a decrease of 1759. Let us hope that good times are only just round the corner, and that with the return of better times associations will continue to show the same rate of increase they have shown in tho past. The following figures show tho membership of each association as it stood at June 30, 1933: Auckland, 15;204; Wellington, .'5026; South Taranaki, 1385; Wairarapa, 1390; Taranaki, 1228; Manawatu, 1241; Hawke's Bay, 1030; Wanganui, 1365; total,. 27,869.