THREE REMITS TO MEETING

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29324, 1 October 1960, Page 15

THREE REMITS TO MEETING

Bicycles, Parking, Rebate Petrol

Of the three remits before the South Island Motor Union’s annual meeting yesterday, the first, on parking-meter hours, was amended and then ruled out of order, the second, on carrying persons on bicycles, was lost, and the third, on rebate petrol, was carried without discussion.

The Marlborough Automobile Association’s remit on parkingmeter hours, suggesting that they be made unifrm throughout New Zealand, provoked considerable discussion and almost as much procedural tangle. An Otago amendment “that parking-meter hours be restricted to normal shopping hours in each locality, and that representations be made to the appropriate authority along these lines,” was passed, and then rescinded because of confusion over the term “appropriate authority.” When the amendment was considered with the term reworded as "the New Zealand Municipal Association,” some delegates asked for a definition of “normal shopping hours.” Mr A. C. Perry (Canterbury) then said that the amended remit ■was so much at variance with the original remit it should be ruled out of order. The chairman agreed and ruled accordingly.

“Bicycles—who rides them?” asked Mr R. V. Bythell. introducing the second Marlborough remit “that an endeavour be made to introduce universal regulation controlling the carrying of extra persons on bicycles.” At present, by-laws in various parts of New Zealand varied on this, said Mr Bythell. Persons should be restricted to carrying only one other person on a bicycle—anything else was a menace.

In the old days it was quite a normal thing to “take the girl friend home" on the bar of a bicycle, but today so many children attempted to carry friends on both the front and rear, said another Marlborough delegate. “Is all this in order? —we’ll be discussing prams soon.” asked a delegate. It was a road matter, Mr Bythell said.

The remit, when put, was lost on the voices. The third remit, sponsored by the Canterbury Automobile Association, urged that the Government continue its investigation of methods of identifying rebate petrol to ensure that it could not be used for other purposes.

It was emphasised that the remit was not directed acainit anv particular class of petrol user but only against those who abused the privilege of rebate petroL said a note to the remit Successful prosecutions emphasised the prevalence of these offenders. “It is time something was done," said Mr E. R. Casbolt (Canterbury), introducing the remit. “We should press for some finality in the matter." All associations formally indicated support for the remit which •was passed without dissent