MOTOR VEHICLES

Dominion, Volume 19, Issue 98, 20 January 1926, Page 8

MOTOR VEHICLES

REGISTRATIONS INCREASE STEADILY SOME BIG FIGURES SYSTEM WORKING SMOOTHLY Motor vehicle registrations continue steadily to increase throughout the Dominion, the total at the end of December last being over 123,000. Commenting on the position yester= day, the Minister of Internal Affairs referred to the success, ful operation of the method of registration, adding that it would soon be possible to trace a motor vehicle wherever it went.

Completed returns of the number of motor vehicles registered in New Zealand up to December 31 last have now been supplied to the Minister of Internal Affairs (the Hon. I<. F. Bollard) by the acting-registrar of motor vehicles (Mr. G. McNamara). The returns show that registered on the books of the Department there arc a total of 123,390 vehicles, made up as follow: — North Island. Cars -U’,815 Trucks, etc., 11,356 Cycles 14,125 Total 75,296 South Island. Cars 31,84/ Trucks, etc 5,039 Cycles 11,214 Total 48,100 Grand total for both islands, 123,390. The figures of the registrations in the different highway districts are interesting. In No. 1 district (Bay of Islands, Eden, Great Barrier, Hobson, Hokianga, Mangonui, Otamatea, Rodney, Waitemata, Whangarei, Whangaroa), there were registered 15,330 vehicles. No. 2 district (Coromandel, Franklin, Hauraki Plains, Manukau, Matamata, Ohinemuri, Piako, Raglan, Thames, Waikato. Waipa), 11,437. No. 3 district (Opotiki, Rotorua, Taupo, Tauranga, Whakatane), 2431. No. 4 district (Cook, Matakaoa, Uawa, Waiapu, Waikohu), 2552. No. 5 district (Dannevirke, Hawke’s Bay, Patangata, Waipawa, Waipukurau, Wairoa, Weber, Woodville), 8075. No. 0 district (Kaitieke, Kawhia, Ohura, Utorohanga, Taumarunui, Waitomo), 1512. No.' 7 district (Clifton, Egmont, liltham, Hawera, Inglewood, Stratford, Taranaki, Waimate” West, Whangamomona), 7217. No. 8 district (Patea, Rangitikei, Waiinarino. Waitotara, Wanganui), 6031. No. 9 district (Horowhenua, Hutt, Kairanga, Kiwitea, Makara, Manawatu, Oroua, Pohangina), 15,274. No. 10 district (Akitio, Castlepoint, Eketahuna, Featherston, Masterton, Mauriceville, Pahiatua, Wairarapa South), 4831. No. 11 district (Collingwood, Marlborough, Murchison, Sounds, Takaka, Waimea), 4125. No. 12 district (Buller, Grey, Inangahua, Westlaud), 1574. No. 13 district (Amuri, Awaterc, Cheviot, Kaikoura, Waipara), 1343. No. 14 district (Akaroa, Ashley, Ellesmere, Eyre, Halswell, Heathcote, Kowai, Maivcia, Mount Herbert, Oxford, Paparoa, Raligiora, Selwyn, Springs, Tawera, Waimairi, Wairewa), 14,998. No. 15 district (Ashburton, Geraldine, Levels, Mackenzie, Waimate. Waitaki), 9848. Tso. 16 district (Lake Maniototo, Vincent, Waihemo, Waikouaiti), 1756. No. 17 district (Bruce, Clittha, Peninsula, Taieri, Tuapeka), 7454. No. 18 district (Fiord, Southland, Stewart Island, Wallace), 7002.

Commenting on the returns yesterday, Mr. Bollard expressed the opinion that thev had exceeded expectations. “For a new undertaking,” he said, “the system devised for the making of a complete register of the ever-growing motor traffic of the Dominion has worked smoothly,' and this has been due to the keenness and efficiency of the officers handling the work. They have now got properly into their stride, and a complaint is of occasional occurrence. Soon it will be possible to trace a motor vehicle wherever it goes; that is as it should be.”