MOTOR CARS.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 13902, 29 November 1910, Page 8

MOTOR CARS.

LOCAL REGISTRATION

Reporting to the City Council last night, the By-laws and Finance Committee stated that the regulations made under the Motor Regulation Act, 1908, were not being complied with.

The Council was recommended to ask the Minister, under Regulation No. 42, to allot numbers, to be used as identification marks, -and affixed to motors registered by the Council, and in order that owners of cars may not have to change their numbers, the Minister should bo asked to grant the Council Nos. 1 to 1,000, and 4,001 to, say, 6000, and the letters • > Ch. , ' -lie small "h" would indicate to the police that the motor had been ro-registercd. Regulation No. 4 provides that the manner in which the registration mark is to be affixed to the motor shall be decided by the, registering, authority. The present regulation is that the registration mark shall be shown on the rear of cars ana on the front of cycles, in such manner as to be visible both by day and by night, and tho Committee thought that they should be continued. Regarding regulation No. 5, providing for the re-registration ol motors, and the granting of a separate number the Committee stated that it appeared that all owners of motors must re-register, and the Committee recommended that advertisements bo published to that effect, and, after sufficient time lias elapsed, say, fourteen days, the iioliee bt requested to enforce the act.

Cr. Thacker thought it was a grave injustice on the oart of the Government to bring in a new law causing people already registered to re-register. It seemed to him that the prosont session had been prolific in similar legislation. The whole of the medical profession throughout the Dominion would have to "stump up' , another five guineas. On being informed that the registration foes would go to the Council, Cr. Horsl— said that he thought owners of motors could afford t-j pay the fee; indeed, he thought that motor cars to pay an annual tax, the same as other vehicles. The Mayor said that the Government failed to make regulations under the Act until recently, and the Council previously passed a by-law providing for the registration of motor cars—a. power that it was questionable the Council possessed. Xow that registrations were made under the Act tho Coamcil had to comply with them. Cr. Parsons: 'Did not the Council have power to register motors ? The Mayor: I think it is likely that it is so. Ci\ Parsons: ff the Council has been illegally collecting fees, the least it can do" is to refund them. Cr. Sorenson favoured an annual tax. and said that there was less danger in crossing Oxford street, London, than in crossing at the Bank corner at certain times of the day. The Council should have some control on such traffic, aand especially as regards motor cyclists, "the worst nuisance I have come across." Cγ. Gapes did not sco why motors should be penalised. It was quit© apparent that the motor had come to stay, and ho supposed that they ■were useful. He o,nite believed in the- regulation of motor traffic, but it was a wrong idea for the Council to penalise motoriste. The Committee's report on the subject was adopted.