SIB JOSEPH WARD.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 19942, 31 May 1930, Page 14

SIB JOSEPH WARD.

CONDITION NOT IMPROVED. reported to be slightly WEAKER. (fbess association tileobam.l ROTORUA, May 30. Sir Joseph Ward's condition shows no improvement this afternoon. It is reported lie is slightly weaker. His medical attendant will Issue a bulletin to-morrow. HEAVY TRAFFIC. —« —— AMENDED REGULATIONS. LICENSES AND LOADS. (press association teleobam.) WELLINGTON, May SO. An Order-in-Council was to-day signed by his Excellency the GovernorGeneral effecting amendments to the motor-lorry regulations which deal with the protection of roads from heavy traffic and the taxation of such traffic. The licenses Issued on payment of the taxes are at present annual and the applicant is entitled to pay his fees in four quarterly instalments. Thus he is able to obtain a license for a full year on payment of one quarter's fee. Local authorit.es have objected to this as increasing their difficulties of administration, and therefore provision is made that in future a quarter's license fee will entitle the owner only to a quarter year l.cense. As owing to the recent political happenings delay has occurred in the issue of the Order-in-Council, a clause is included so that where licenses have already been issued no change thereto will be necessary if the applicant has paid his fees for the full term of the license.

It is already the law that the motor vehicle known as the "six wheeler" may be used on first-class roads although weighing up to 15 tons gross, and file Ordur-in-oouncil is intended to make clear that the modern type of six-wheeler (what is known as the rigid type) may, if of a class approved by the Minister, be included in the same law. Similarly on roads classified lower than the first-class, the multiaxled motor-lorry, as these types are called, will be entitled to a corresponding increase over that limit to which the two axle machine is bound. The gross weight limits for third and fourth class roads are altered from six tons and four tons. to six and a half tons and four and a half tons respectively, these being the limits for twoaxled machines on those classes of roads. The present classifications impose a handicap on vehicles manufactured in England, and the alteration is designed to remove that anomaly. It is provided that the total weight of the vehicle and its load which is borne by any one axle shall not exceed six tons in the case of a multi-axled machine and eight tons in any other case, and the steering axle must carry at least 18 per cent, of the total weight of the vehicle and its load. This amendment is partly a precautionary one. resulting from the fore>going provisions relating to multiaxled machines.

It is understood that the foregoing amendments are regarded by the Government as being urjrentlv required, and that they have either been advocated or agreed to by the majority of local bodies. Tt is learned that a comp'ete review of the regulations is now well under way, and that they will shortlv be issued in draft form for consideration by local bodies and others concerned, consolidated and with many other amendments.