MOTOR BY-LAWS.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 15486, 13 January 1916, Page 9

MOTOR BY-LAWS.

DISCUSSED BY MOTORISTS. | RAISING OF SPEED-LIMIT DESIRED. ' . A public meeting of motorists was idd in the Chamber of Commerce last night, to discuss the motor-traffic bylaws of the city. Mr A. S. Clarkson, president of the Canterbury Automobile Asfiociatiou, wss in the chair, and there was a fair attendanco of motorists and others interested. The chairman said the Automobile Association had called tho meeting primarilv to discuss tho by-law relating to tho 6-mi!c limit over street intersections. As far as tho Citv Council was concerned, the Automobile As- ' soeiation had always received courtesy, and in many instances the Council had carried out the suggestions mado by tho Association with very good results. So far as this particular by-law was. concerned, however, the Association ' and the Council could not see eye to eye. A denutation from tho Association had waited on tho By-law Committee of the Council, and had received a verv good hearing. It had suggested that tho speed-limit over intersections should he 10 miles per hour, and ho believed that a recommendation 1 to this effect had been forwarded to the Council, which, however, rejected tho recommendations of its committee. Some time ago the Association approached the City Council, and asked that noticos of speed-limits bo placed at tho entrances to the city, so thati country motorists should bo made aware of the limits. The Council declined to do this, as it considered that notices placed on the outer area would have •no effect, while tho police and tho motor inspector were qujto competent ■ to enforce the by-law in the inner area. Mr F. IV. .Johnston remarked that it was of little us© 'the C-ouncil ap- • pointing a committee of experts as its By-law ComrTiittec, and then refusing to act on tho recommendations of thoso experts. Tho Mayor was reasonable enough, hut some of the other members of-the Council wero not. Ono couucillor'said that if he had his way he would not let any motors into tho central area of tho town at all! There were many matters regarding tho speed of traffic of all kinds that the Council could very well turn its attention to, but it preferred to concentrato on a policy of pin-prick by-laws that irritated, . were consistently broken by all, "and did not have tho intended effect. Who dreamt of going at 4- miles per hour over the intersection of Victoria, -Kilmoro and Durham streets, for instancc. or of going 4 miles per hour from Broadway's corner to Carey's? The limit was sensible at the Bank corner, but onlr because tho police interpreted the limit in a sensible and reasonable manner. If all. motorists, leally strictly observed the by-laws regulating traißc, tho public wolild soo at once how absurd they were, for ■ there would he congestion at once, and nil traffic would soon be held lip. It would he a good thing if the speed regulations I were entirely abolished, for, the Coun- £. .. cil and police had absolute power to control the traffic under the "driving to the common danger" clause £ 'n the Motor Regulation Act, which i lause bad been nracticallv copied in the city by-laws. He also thought that f steps should bo taken to suspend or r- onncel the driving licenses of certain v . notorious offenders, who merely laughed i iit> a small fine. (Hear, hear.) In a great many cases country motorists were worse offenders with regard to speeding than town motorists, and they also had less , experience in traffic flrivine. and wero more liable to have accidents. Mr Johnston moved:—"That this meeting regrets tho City Council's re--4.' fusal to adopt tho recommendation of its own By-Jaws Committee in regard to the regulations affecting tho speed of . otors arourid corners and over crogsintrs. and. requests %> Council to reconsider its decision, as tho present byJb laws are oppressive." Sjh' Tho motion was seconded by Mr §;/ Candy, who pointed out tho danger if two ro°T>:o nding on ono "push" cycle, as was often done. Mv Pipor said the by-laws were very gLf niunh> out of date, and were not en(f, ', for t- \y iiich showed they were nnnecS " lewsary. . h •>" sJiir «A Spaith suggested that the ; Association should try to help the Coun- * cil "by making some specific demands. V' They should ask for a definite speed«nd undertake to stick to it. vEv Dr. Inglis 6aid the point was, how were they going to do something really Sv useful to bringy the absurdity oftfie k\ ;.by-laws before the Council > and the Sj L nohlic? Possibly, if »n information was laid/against everyone who committed .'Vitflcnibicail breach it would have a. -vtfpdafeffect; certainly half -the townsbe caught under these circumstaaccs. TJi6y should try to hring to get ■ - < f J < epealod,and' reasonable ' • in'their stead; ' . r V . . that ■ if' the memtjuirs ' Committee were driven . at' tho legal pace; it ■ WTOj|BM|demonßtrate to them now •PiW-tne' limits now were. ' w Wdker eaid that some years-ago 1 'E. G. Ehodes's chauffeur . i " for loitering at the , Jyw-Grossing, when he was going at speed of four miles per . XtotirL " % .Broadway said he thpught there no need for the meeting, as, on the Jssak«rs' own statements, the by-laws, i%pro not enforced. Clarkson said what they objected frf. having by-laws that it waa impossible to complv with. . Smith moved as an amendment:— r ,VThat the speed-limits should be B'and per hour, instead of 4 and 6, as f'^jMLtresont." '• -l r Can<J y that the. "driving to g, the common danger" clause was suffia oient to meet all requirements. 3lr Johnston said it was a good idea to give the By-laws Committee a lead. pijLjf- -They did not want a by-law with re- ' - 'ff»rd to passing trams like thev had in x TVeUinzton. " • _ J. O. Jameson said that the Council, in 'framing by-laws, had to Consider all kinds of traffio—not only . the motorists. He thought that the prs- .. sent by-laws, if administered in the right sririt, would not be found onoressivo at all. Tho new laws also had not been, given a fair test, but possibly, even now. tho Council would be open to meet tho Association reasonably. > The amendment was then put and lost, and the original motion carried.