NATIONAL SCALE OF FEES.

Press, Volume L, Issue 15023, 18 July 1914, Page 15

NATIONAL SCALE OF FEES.

EEYEXUE FOR BOADS

LICENSING OF DRIVERS

tepiCUL 10 {i THE riOaß. , ')

WELLINGTON, Jol? , 17.

Tho Motor Bill which was brought down in the Legislative Council to-day , by Governor's Messago ie an exceedingly important measure so far a& the lavgo number of in tois country aro concerned. Its provisions are intended to clear up the present chactio system of registration and licensing by numerous local autuoritics in uifierent parts of tne Dominion. Tne Uiu proposes, first of all, to eetabiian a single register of mocore ior tno waoio iJoininion. with, rey.stiy offices Jtn tae principal cuy or botuugu 01 eiuia provincial district. .At evoiy uorouga Council of a town oi orer o«aw ! inuatmaatt, ana every County Oouncii is a legisiering authority, mc vow measure proviues ttiat every nioi-or-car so&ti Do legisteiod a& tno office or tue ot Aunors in tno provincial aistiiot in wuica the garago oi liitt motor is situated. In auuition to tho t»oputy-itegißirar, » macto for tuo sppoincment ot a Jttegistrat of Motore ior tae waole Douiauon, Wim aoauquaitere at Wellington, iiegistratioa ouce etteefcod in tne wanner Uβsonuod uoee not require to be renewed. Ino olroct will be to estabiian uniionnifcy of marks and nuinoers tmouguout tuo JJominioa ior tue several ci-atoes oi motors, mo registration fee is £,i ior private oars, 6s for mocor-cycies, and iOb ior any otner motor. After registration it ie provided that a motor suali be licensea to use tae roads and streets of the Dominion. Xaia licencing is annual, and annual ics aro payable, varying according to tho class and power or tuo motor. The licensing Authorities in tue oaeo of private cart* are tho deputy registrars of tho provincial districts alre&ay described, a«d in tfco caeo of every other motor tho local authority within whose district & situated tho garago of such motorPROPOSED LICENSING FEES. Tho scheduled feee payable for an* nuai licensee are as follow:— (1) In respect of every priyato motorcar and of every motor-omnibus and of every motor-coach not exceeding 12 h.p., £2; exceeding 12 but not exceeding 16 h.p., £3; exceeding 16 but not bxcooding 26 h.p., £4; oxceoding 26 but not exceeding 33 h.p., £7; exceeding 88 but not exceeding 40 h.p. £10; exceeding 40 but not exceeding GO h.p., £15 5 exceeding 80 h.p., £20; provided that a registered medical practitioner ehall in respect of a privato motor-car txeod principally for the puroose of hie profession be entitled to an allowanco equal to half the annual fee. (2) Every public niofcor-car not exceeding 16 h.p., £l; exceeding 16 but not exceeding 26 h.p., £2; exceeding 26 h.p., £4. (3) Every motor-cycle 10s, and an additional fee of 10a if such cycle is ueed to propel a trailer. (4) Every trade motor not exceediug» 16 b.p., £2; exceeding 16, but not exceeding 26 h.p., £3; exceeding 26, but not exceeding 40 h.p., £-1; exceeding 40 h.p., £5. (6) Any other motor, £2. Exemptions:—(a) Motors owned by a municipal coroporation, town district, county road district, drainage board, river board, education board, harbour board, o- fire boardjand used exclusively for general or local public purposes; ( ambulance motors: (c)i motors-owned by and used exclusively for the purposes of any authority of a public naturo defined ac exempt by regulations under this Act. «

Applications for licenses mast be made within one month after registration of the motor, and every application must state whether it is intended to use the motor as a motor coach during ihe currency of the license. No exemption is provided by Bill for motors from charges made under any law or by-law relating to heavy traffic or to vehicles plying for hire. The registrar of motors shall keep a general register of all motors and of all animal licenses granted. Provision is made for the cancellation and transfer of registration. Special provision is made for sxemption from license foes under special nennit of "demonstration" cars oi' manufacturers and dealers. These permits may be granted on application oy the deputy-registrara or the registrar of motors. Fees of 10s for motors and 5s for motor-cycles are payablo for these permits, which much bo produced Vhen asked for.

The, Bill makes strict provision against tho driving of motor-cars Dy unlicensed persons. Licenses may be issued under tho Bill by local authorities on payment of a 5s fee by the applicant, and the license shall have effect during its currency throughout Now Zealand. Any person under the age of seventeen is disqualified for holding a. license. Examinations or other test or conditions to be passed by applicants for a motor driver's license may be prescribed by regulations made under the Act. Such regulations may apply generally or specially to drivers of public motor vehicles, and may proscribe that no person shall drive a public motor-car unless he is.the bolder or a soecial motor driver's license. For exceeding sneed limits or other offonco under the Act. a convicted person may ba^ 6 his license cancelled or suspended. The effect of the provision regarding the driver's license is rather to enable the Court beforo whom the driver is convicted of negligent or improper acts to suspend or cancel ins license, and by such means, ac in England, to make it uec<.«arj> in bis own interest that a driver should exercise care. . • v ±v«. mc speed question is mc:, by tne foUowing provision:—'.'Every person commits an offence, who drives a motor on a public highway recklessly or negligently or at a s-peod or in a manner which 'is dangerous to the public, havuj" regard to all circumstances of tno ' Motorists v. ill be interested to know wl«it is to be done with their foes. The Bill provides that all fees for registration and licenses of private motor-cars aud motor-cycles shall be paid into the oonsolidated'fund, and shall be utilised first in providing a due proportion oi the cost of administering tho Act, and then in the special repair or roads o-enerally used tor motor traffic within the provincial district in which tho fees were received. Foes received by local authorities from tho annual licensing of al 1 other motors are to be devoted tvrothirds to the local fund of the licensing authority, and one-third to the consolilated fund lo be esr>c-nded in the repair of reads within a certain radius of the of the lcc-al authority issuing ;he license.