SOUTH ISLAND MOTOR UNION.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17294, 4 November 1921, Page 4

SOUTH ISLAND MOTOR UNION.

MEETING OP EXECUTIVE, The executive of tho South Island Motor Union mot last evening. Present : Messrs F. W. Johnston (president), J. S. Etawkcs, N. M. OrbaO, C. W. Hervey, F. V. Thomas, .T. It. Brown, W. H. Benson, and W. L. MinBon. An application for affiliation from tli© Ashburton Motor-Cycling Club was granted. A lotWr was received from the Waimate branch of the Canterbury Automobile Association, stating that tho executive would toe pleased to have a quarterly meeting of the union there, Cut that the date suggested, February, would not be suitable, owing to harvest operations being in full swing at that tune. It was decided to reply stating that the date of the quarterly meeting to be held at Waimato would be fixed at the annual meeting. An enquiry was also received from Waimate in regard to petrol supplies, and it was agreed to inform the branoh that the union did not enter into competition with the. ordinary sources of supply, so long as the price was reasonable. A letter was received from . the Deputy-Chief Inspector of .Explosives, in which it was statedi that the clause of the regulations dealing with storage provided 1 that the place of storage must be a "depot" (i.e., having provision to prwent out-flow). The distano® of 40 feet applied when the store was m>t a "depot," and it was the Chief Inspector's interpretation of the proviso to Regulation 21, as being the minimum isolation from protected works at which dangeroua goods might be stored without provision to prevent out-flow. In view of the ease with "which the provision could be marie, there did not appear to be any necessity, for a reconsideration of the decision in question. It was agreed to reply, stating that the main question -with which the union was concerned was in regard to the storage of moderately small quantities of petrol by private owners. The executive was surprised at the statement) that a 40ft minimum could be< enforced with ease, and, in the opinipn of members, a 30ft minimum was ample. The South Canterbury Automobile Association wrote enclosing a resolution suggesting that a definite classification or grading of all petrols arriving in the dominion should be supplied with each shipment, in ordw that the consumer might know th« composition of the contents. Messrs J. S. Hawkes and N. 4 M. Orbell were appointed a sub-committee to enquire into the matter of supplying grading tags with shipments of petroT, and report to the quarterly meeting of the union. Mr Benson suggested that the union should give a lead in tie proposed "Safety First" movement, ana, on his motion, a sub-committee was set up to confer with the Canterbury Automobile Association and the Pioneer Sports Club, to organise the movement.