LOCAL MOTOR CONDITIONS.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 20037, 19 September 1930, Page 6

LOCAL MOTOR CONDITIONS.

It will be interesting to seo how the bad times through which the Dominion is now passing will affect the sales of motor vehicles. The announcement made by the Prime Minister, some time ago, that the preferential duty on Canadian cars was to be removed is expected to reduce the import figures so far as vehicles coming into New Zealand from that country are concerned. Then there is the additional petrol tax to be taken into consideration. Fortunately this was reduced from the originally announced increase of 3d per gailon to 2d, and as the petrol companies are bearing Id of this there should not be much appreciable difference in the quantity to be used. It is not only in New Zealand that busiucss in motor vehicles has eased off. A very decided decline is indicated in the official returns issued, by the British Ministry of Transport regarding the number of new motor vehicles that were registered during March last as compared with the hgurcs for March, 1929. In March, 1930, the total number' of new vehicles registered in Great Britain was 57,565, whereas in the corresponding month last year the figure was 42,887. The chief falling-off occurred in the motor-cycle category, where the figures for the month of March this year and last were 11,727 and 14,649 respectively. The total for new ear's registered last March is not very encouraging, the figure being 18,848, as against 21,112 in March, 1929. A marked decline is also recorded in the hackney vehiclo category from 1411 vehicles to 1046. On the other hand, the figures for goods vehicles are better this year than last, there having been 5475 new registrations during March, 1930, as against 5297 twelve months before. In the category relating to "other vehicles" the figure for March last year was 418, and this year is 469. Coming back to local conditions, it must be admitted that the weather of the past few months has not been such as to fill one with optimism, but there has nevertheless been an odd day when one felt the call of the countryside and as the motor touring season is approaching it is probable that from now on the motor traders will commence to do an increased business. Already a considerable number of motor-car and motorcycle owners, whose vehicles have been garaged for the winter, are making a reappearance.

S.I.M.U.'S NEW PBESIDENT. The announcement that Mr F. "W. Johnston, of Christehurch, will not be opposed for the presidentship of the South Island Motor Union this year will mean that that gentleman should be able to attend most of the meetings of the executive, which are held in this City- This will, of course, be an advantage, in that it will enable the president to keep in the closest touch with hia co-workers. It is not suggested that the retiring president, Mr A. E. Arisell, of Dunedin, was not always conversant with all that was done by hip executive, for as a matter of fact, that gentleman is regarded as possessing an extraordinary knowledge of motoring matters, and it is recognised that since his return to Parliament he has done.yeoman serviee on behalf of thd interests of the ; motoring f nity. In following him Mr Johnston has no easy task to perform. Mr* Johnston does not lack experience, however, as, in addition to his long term of office on the executive, he was the first president of the Union, being elected an IA2O and the following year. He was followed by Mr J. S. Hawkes, secretary of the Canterbury Automobile Association, who occupied the position for four years, being succeeded by the retiring president, Mr Ansell, who haa been president for a similar term. In the opinion of a good many members of the Union it is desirable that the president shoW hold office for more than one year for Jhe reason that it ' usually takes a n«w man about twelve,months to become thoroughly familiar with the onerons duties he is called upon to fulfil.

ROAD PATROLS. An important conference is to be held in the rooms of the Canterbury Automobiw Association on Thursday even-. ' ing next, when delegates to the a'nnual meeting of the South Island Motor Union and others will discuss the question of establishing a chain of motor patrols from Nelson to Bluff. The matter has been occupying the attention of organised motorists for some consider able time but the present position is that, although there are a number of patrols on the road, there are, at the same time big gaps in the system, and it' is with the object of filling these that the conference will be held. The Canterbury Automobile Association has had two patrolmen on the roads for some time, as also has the Otago Club, while smaller organisations, like the Southland Motor Association and the South Canterbury Automobile Association each has one man on duty. To be -successful a patrol system should he continuous. The value of such a system is, when a motorist, held up through some troubje with his car, knows that a patrolman will be at. such find such a placet at a certain time, and will, accordingly, t>e able to give him the assistance he "requires. "But if, on the other "the patrolman is on the road'only on certain days and :is not worjdnjj according to time-table then the service is, useless to him on that occasion, and so, far aa he is concerned might as well ; no* be.iii existence. The conference to discuss, the matter is to be held at the proper moment,; and if it is decided to extend the system us indicated there will be ample time for it to become established before the holiday period arrives.