BOROUGH COUNCIL OBJECTS

Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21423, 15 March 1935, Page 6

BOROUGH COUNCIL OBJECTS

♦_ ALLEGATIONS OF INTOLERANCE PRESIDENT OF MOTOR UNIONTAKEN TO TASK A protest against an allegation of intolerance made by Mr F. W. Johnston, president of the South Island Motor Union, during a discussion of the deviation of the Main South road, was made by the Temuka Borough Council in a letter received by the executive committee of the Motor Union last evening. The protest was considered in committee and it was later reported that a motion supporting the president's remarks had been passed. The words which the borough council complained of were used by Mr Johnston in a letter on the deviation of the Main South road to Mr F. Langbein, the District Public Works Engineer in Canterbury. The letter was published in "The Press" on February 11, and the passage complained of was: ". . . the travelling motoring public generally consider there is a certain amount of intolerance displayed by the authorities governing the smaller towns and villages. Whilst as far as my own experience and knowledge is concerned, and from what I have heard from others, Geraldine could not be accused of intolerance. I am afraid the same cannot be said of Temuka. In fact, besides being an advocate of the deviation of the main road so that it would go past Geraldine, I would strongly advocate that if a by-pass road could be constructed to take travelling motorists past Temuka instead of through it, this work should be carried out in the near future. "In the short time at my disposal I have not had the opportunity of consulting my executive, but I feel certain that my action in writing this letter will be supported not only by my executive, but by every travelling motorist in the South Island, and indeed a great many of our visitors from the North Island. I feel that I would be lacking in my duty to the motoring public if I did not enter my protest against what I consider a retrograde step." Borough Council's Protest The borough council wrote that it had considered Mr Johnston's remarks at a meeting on February 20, and had passed the following resolution: "This council views with grave concern the unfounded and malicious attack made on the town of Temuka by Mr F. W. Johnston, president of the South Island Motor Union, in a letter to Mr Langbein, District Engineer of the Public Works Department and published in 'The Press' on Monday, February 11. "We consider the assertions made by Mr Johnston uncalled for and calculated to do our town harm, and therefore we respectfully ask that they be publicly withdrawn immediately." The borough council contended that no facts were stated on which the alleged intolerance could be based, and it wished to know on what grounds intolerance was alleged, and if the executive supported its president. The Motor Union discussed the borough council's letter in committee and reported later that the following motion, to be submitted to the council in the form of a letter, had been passed:— "The consensus of opinion amone motorists, so far as this executive can ascertain such, is that the president's reference to intolerance in regard to the regulation of motor traffic in Temuka in the past was well founded. Accusation Resented "Further, the fact as published in the newspapers that there have been only nine convictions in three vcur« for breaches of traffic regulations in Temuka is beside the point at issue as motorists generally are so apprehensive of prosecution for possible breaches that they at some inconvenience, drive through Temuka at exceptionally low speeds. If the Temuka Borough Council wishes to carry the matter further, the executive committee would be pleased to receive a copy of any local regulations in force in Temuka governing traffic. The executive would also like an expression of opinion from the Temuka Borough Council as to what, in ordinary circumstances, is a reasonable speed at which a modern motor-car should proceed through Temuka. In conclusion, the executive resents the accusation of your council that the president's statement was malicious: This accusation in itself savours of intolerance."