AUTOMOBILE ASSOCIATION.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 17428, 12 April 1922, Page 4

AUTOMOBILE ASSOCIATION.

MONTHLY MEETING. The ' Committe* of tl*. Canterbury Automobile Association met yesterday." PresentMjesare R. W.'Loohhead (oh»irm«n), F. W. Johnston, J.. S. Hiawkea, W. H. .Nicholson, N. M. Orbeli, J. Wood, A. D. Dobeon, J. E. Brown, and Dr. P. S. .Foster. Tho Paparua County Council , wroto etatirur that it was intended to bridge water* raoee -at • Yaldhurat,, and asking for. financial assistance. : '''.»■■** The president said there was no doubt that tho-bridges should bo improved. Whether the- Council should pay a proportion of i the necessary expenditure was another 'matter. • It '■ was -decided■■..to- reply" to. the *fiect that ,the Association■ wasi -prepared to pay a proportion of the-cost. .'* __■ _.,, Witt regard to a, request fromi the War; xewa County Council;. for awifltanoe in the direqtion, o'j' : ,bridging Wafker'a:;Qr4elc,. *karoa road, it was decided to give..£lS toward* the work. • , , • It was reported that the work'had'already been carried out. . , A letter from the Mt. Somers Road Board 'with reference to the'erection of danger signposts was referred to .the \ Road Committee.. • .' • . ' • •-, , It was decided to.write,to Mr A. Morten thanking him for hifl letter bf appreciation with regard to the sign-posting work of the Association. » The Eesident Engineer, Greymouth, wrote stating that the matter-of bridging or culverting small creeks on the main road south of Ross would be given early attention. The .president of the, Navy League wrote thanking the Association for the outing provided to the men ,of ; H.M.A.S. Melbourne. ■ ~ _ ! - ' .„■ .Messrs A.. Hughes and H. E. Kennett, of the Christoburch Garage Proprietors' Association, waited on the Association with reference to > the motor trial which it has been suggested should he held. 'Mr Kennott said that bis Association.would •like such a trial to be restricted'to standard, bars. They did not want patent carburettors and other such aids to be need. The matter .was referred to a special com-, mittee :to disouss matters with the-.Garage Proprietora' Association. ■ ,Thei chairman suggested that Akaroa. or Parnassus should be the site of the trials, which he would like to eee take place at an early date. • «' • i ■ ■ ■■ Mr Johnston stated, that.he would shortly be attending a. conference.' to go into the question of the main roads in the Dominion. He would like an expression, of: opinion frost the Association concerning, the matter. He would'like to eee the money/raised by the motor tax set aside for a period of, eay, ,iwo'or three years, before any attempt was made to proceed;with improving the roads. The Government was" taking tip the matter in the wrong way. He considered that ft should first of all find out what the policy was going to be regarding .the -question oi road versus railway traffic. . It- would be a mistake if the roads were made for light tr&ffio, and it"* was subsequently • deoided to carry heavy loads on them. The. ohairmin said, there was no doubt that the: present taxes were.'insufficient to enable local bodies to - maintain the easting roads, and he understood that this new tax would be used to assist.them. The secretary .was - instructed .to call . a special meeting of the committee to .discuss the matter at a later date. The following new members were eleoied: —Messrs F. A. Boyeg,' Wa. Macbeth H.. Bromley, C. J. Badham, D. Coleman H Goodman, F. L. Gant, M. Gillies. R. B. Johnson, A. Jones, .F. K. Kerr, A. Manhire, Geo. Soott, G. Btoddart, C.-G. Woods, H. S. "Williams, and G. W. Basaett.

A SOCIAL GATHEEHSTG. In; tie evening a social gathering was held, the chairman, in 'welcoming new members, stating that the idoa of .the gathering'waa bo get members to talte a. greater interest in motoring matters. Short addresses were given by Mr F. W. Johnston and Mr. A.. Hughes. Discussing tho Main Highways Bill, Mr Johnston said that the idea- was to set ! up one Board for tho whole of the Dominion. The roads in the North Island would be commenced first of all, and through the"tyre tax the 15,000 motorists who lived in the South Island would be called on to pay for the upkeep of,-, the North Island : roads, as no doubt it would b*» about ten,or fifteen years before the South Island roads were taken in hand. The solution was to set up two Boards—ono -for- each island. 'With re* gard to the Motor Vehicles Bill, ..Mr Johnston held that the registration of ell such vehicles should be made,' through the police and no other -Gource. The Hon. D. Buddo congratulated Mr Johnetoa on his speech. He was thoroughly in accord with 'the suggestion Ifßat the police should, be .entrusted with--the , issuing o! licensee. He was also eirttck with the idea mentioned t. by S Mr, Johnston that -; a motorist proceeding around a lorner ehould -be heldl primarily responsible for traffic on hie rignV Another point he would like to make w»s with regard to cyclist* who iwere. s source of great danger to motorists. These cyoli«ts were those who rode in front of motors without any lights to notify themselves,' and thus plaoed themselves, in peril'of being run down from behind: Mr Johnston, subsequently atswered a number of questions. ■:.' .' ■.-.'■ Mr A. Hughes delivered an. interesting leotUTetfe on engines. - Both speakers were accorded a vote of. thanks. .. --■-- ■ *■■ During the proceeding* a number of vocal items wero'oiven.