TRAFFIC CONTROL

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21972, 22 December 1936, Page 6

TRAFFIC CONTROL

APPOINTMENT OF FIVE MORE INSPECTORS PROPOSAL APPROVED BY CITY, COUNCIL i Five more inspectors are to be appointed to the City Council's traffic department during the present financial year, according to a decision made at a meeting of the council last night This action was recommended by the traffic committee as being es«*t»l tor effective control of the crty s traffic ivd nninion on the need foi tnese "• sp a ect°o P A was closely divided. ..the committees recommendation being adopted by a margin of one vote. Thp committee's report, after sevun, J! rev ew by the Chief Traffic Inspector (Mr J. Bruorton) of the duties • ' the present staff, said it could be that the numerical strength of in* department was .insufficient to ■,},v, v v attention to be given to all the duties. The difficulties had been aggravated by the adoption of a 40-hom week and the promotion of Mr Bruorion reducing the outside staff by one. The adoption of a 40-hour week had meant a loss in working hours equal to the time of one and a half inspectors, and it wos understood that amendments to the Transport Act to be introduced in Parliament next ses<=;on would cause more duties to t>c placed on the traffic officers. Increased Revenue "The committee believes that the increased revenue, which is already considerably in excess of that received during the whole of the last financial vear. justifies the request for an increased allocation." the report added, "and it therefore recommends that authority be given to call for applications for the appointment of five additional traffic inspectors, it being considered that the effective control oi traffic cannot be carried out with fewer." -There has been a lot of expenditure this year not provided for in the estimates." said Cr. E. H. Andrews, chairman of the finance committee. "We cannot say, because one department has made a profit, that that money should be spent on that department. At present the works committee is overspent by about £I4OO, and I could go on with a list of a number of smaller items. I recognise we have to face this need for an increased number of inspectors, but I ask the traffic committee to hold its hand until the next financial year." The Mayor (Mr J. W. Beanland) remarked that the iraffic committee was about to call tenders for the installation of automatic lights at the Bank of New Zealand intersection, and the operation of this system would assist the committee in its allocation of inspectors. Cr. G. Manning suggested that four inspectors should be appointed at the beginning of February. Their wages to the end of the financial year would be about £l6O. and this should not be too great a burden, An Election Pledge

Cr. M. E. Lyons said he was prepared to agree to the appointment of one man immediately, and the appointment of two on» April 1. Remembering the pledge given by the Citizens' Association's representatives not to increase the rates, he was forced to vote this year against the committee's request. , The chairman of the traffic committee (Cr. T. Milliktn) said the council -should take as lively an interest in traffic control as that being shown by the Government. The work was waiting to be done and it was essential to have an adequate staff. The voting on the division was:— For: Crs. T. H. Butterfield, J. S. Barnett, E. Parlane, R. M. Macfarlane, Manning, A. G. Jamieson. SandstOn, Miliken, and F. D. Sargent. Against: Crs. Lyons. W. Hayward, T. Andrews, J. Guthrie, Sir Hugh Acland, W. S. Mac Gibbon, E. H. Andrews, and the Mayor.