THE MOTOR AGE

Dominion, Volume 19, Issue 254, 10 July 1926, Page 8

THE MOTOR AGE

RAPID INCREASE IN USE OF VEHICLES THE YEAR REVIEWED Motor registrations are the subject of an interesting reference in die annual report of the Internal Affairs Department, which supplies an extract on the subject from the Secretary of the General Post Office. “Although it was necessary, owing to the late supply of the new number-plates, to deter the relicensing in the North Island, until, early in April and in the South Island until the end of April,” says the extract, “the whole of the large task of relicensing approximately 130,000 vehicles whs carried out with a minimum of inconvenience to motorists. lhe relicensing is not yet complete, but there is no doubt that the system will ensure that every motor-vehicle used on the roads will bear the new number, plates at an early date. During the first motor-registration year, which ended on March 31, 19'26, the Registrar collected from users of motor-vehicles the sum of £351,530 9s. This amount, less working-expenses, will be credited to the funds of the Main Highways Board It is not expected that the income during the year 19'26-27 will reach that amount, which included the registration fee. of £1 for motor-cars and trucks and 10s. for motor-cvcles. Owing, however, to the growing use of motor-vehicles, which will account for an increase in the number of license and registration fees, it is estimated that the total receipts will closely approximate those of the first year of registration. The number of motor-vehicles registered as at March 31. 19'25, was 99,233 At March 31. 1926, the number liad risen to 13'2.811. an increase of 33,578, which indicates an average increase of 2798 vehicles per month. Although this average is high, the records for the three months January 1 to March 31, 19'26, show an average increase of 315-1 per month, winch indicates that the use of motor-vehicles is increasing at a very rapid The number-plates issued for 1. were manufactured in New Zealand; and it is considered, that the standard of workmanship is equal to that of the imported article. The following figures show the distribution of motor-cars, trucks and cvcles respectively as at Mai ch 19'26:—North Island—Cars, ol.Oai, trucks 12,227; cycles. 15,276—a total of 81 557 vehicles. “South IslandCars ’33,951; trucks, 5418; cycles, 11,885-a total of 51,251 vehicles, making a grand total of 132,811 for both Islands. '