Service Officers Have Many Duties

Press, Volume C, Issue 29565, 14 July 1961, Page 9

Service Officers Have Many Duties

The Automobile Association provides many services for its members, and a number of these, such as the erection of road signs, also benefit the motoring public as a whole. Signposting, breakdown services, road patrolling and many other duties are performed by the association’s service officers. The Automobile Association (Canterbury) has resident service officers in Culverden. Kaikoura, Ashburton, Greymouth, and Christchurch.

In Christchurch itself, there are six service officers, including a testing officer who checks used cars tor intending purchasers. The chief service officer is Mr B. A. Anderson. The Culverden officer serves the Buller district, part of North Canterbury and the Lewis Pass. The officer at Kaikoura serves Waipara and the Clarence bridge area, the Ashburton district includes the Rakaia river, the Rangitata and Ashburton county. The entire West Coast, excepting Buller, and the Haast is the territory of the officer stationed at Greymouth. Duties Duties of the city service officers include signposting, :he breakdown service, the nter-island shipping service ind the inward and outward overseas shipping service. The shipping services provided by the Automobile Association are a little-known facet of their work. A member wanting to send his car to Wellington on the interisland steamer express may hand over his vehicle to the AA.C., and a service officer will take the car to Lyttelton and see that it is loaded on the ship. One officer can ferry three cars between 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. on any one day. The overseas shipping service entails a great deal of work for the service officers. When requested, the association will send an officer to collect a vehicle from an inward overseas vessel. The officer arranges the necessary papers for customs clearance, has the vehicle sprayed for foot and mouth disease, registers it and prepares it for the road.

The association’s officers era who wish to take their also arrange the necessary documents for New Zealandvehicles overseas temporarily tor touring purposes, as well as those who are exporting their vehicles permanently. Testing The testing officer not only checks used cars but is also available to give A.A.C. members any technical advice regarding their vehicles. The tests for used cars includes a road test and close inspection of the vehicles. The A.A.C. has a fleet of 10 vehicles which are used by service officers. All are equipped with radio and carry tools for roadside repairs. They also carry tow ropes. A four-wheel-drive utility vehicle is based at Culverden, another at Greymouth, and a third in Christchurch. Two-wheel-drive utilities are based at Kaikoura and Ashburton. and Christchurch also has three station waggons, one light utility vehicle, and an eight-cylinder coupe. Radio There is a 24-hour radio watch, and patrols can get in touch with the chief service officer or his deputy at any time. An example of the work of a radio-equipped mobile patrol was given when snow conditions existed on the Lewis Pass recently. A four-wheel-drive utility vehicle remained at the pass all day and late into the night assisting vehicles to negotiate the snow and radioing road reports back to the association headquarters. These road reports were then broadcast.

Past Officers Presidents of the association since its inception were: Sir Henry Wigram (1903), Mr A. E. .G. Rhodes (19045), Dr. H. T. J. Thacker (19056>, Mr R. M. Macdonald 1906-7), Mr A. R. V. Morten (1907-8), Mr P. R. Halsted (1908-9), Dr. E. Neeley (190910), Mr R. English (1910-11). Mr W. E. Mills (1911-12), Dr. M. Louisson (1912-13), Dr. W. H. Simpson (1913-14), Mr F. W. Johnston (1914-15), Mr A. S. Clarkson (1915-17), Mr W. H. Tisdall (1917-1918), Mr J. S. Hawkes (1918-20), Mr R. W. Lockhead (1920-22), Sir A D. Dobson (1922-24), Mr W. H. Nicholson (1924-28), Mr B. J. Falek (1926-28), Mr F. W. Freeman (1928-30), Mr W. R. Carey (1930-34), Mr R. Twyneham (1934-35), Mr L. M. Wilson (1935-37). Mr H. C. Harley (1937-40), Mr C. G. Curtis (1940-43), Mr G. Hamilton (1943-45), Mr J. L. Danks (1945-46), Mr W. R. Carey <1946-54), Mr E. C. Champion (1954-57), Mr E. R. Casbolt (1957-). In its long history, the association has had only seven secretaries. There were:— Mr M. A. Jenny (1903-4), Mr F. Asquith (1904), Mr E. Norden (1904-1914), Mr J. Sead-Gowing (1914), Mr C. W. Hervey (1914-1922), Mr J. S. Hawkee (1923-1954), Mr E. S. Palliser (1955-) having held the appointment of joint secretary from 1951 to 1954.