MOTOR VEHICLES BILL

Greymouth Evening Star, 12 September 1924, Page 5

MOTOR VEHICLES BILL

DEBATE IN PARLIAMENT.

EXPERIMENTAL LEGISLATION

(Special to "Star.”)

WELLINGTON, September IL

The Motor Vehicles Bill was before the House, to-night, when the Minister of Internal Affairs, moved its second reading.

The Minister asked the House to consider the measure from the national and not from the parochial point of view. On the whole, the bill had been Very favourably received by local bodies more especially in the South Island. A good deal of the objection raised was from the point of view of what benefit those concerned would derive out of the legislation. The bill would regulate traffic right throughout the Dominion and would put a stop to record breaking runs, such as had occurred between Auckland and Wellington. Motorists were inclined to think that they had the right to run over people. “In America,” he said, “under the motor control that is in operation, they are not so particular about running over people.” The number of people killed by motor cars in the United States last year was 15700. The Leader of the Opposition: Out of a population of 112,000,000. What is that per cent? “Of the number he had quoted,” said Mr. Bollard, “5000 were children.”

Continuing, he said that farm tractors would be exempt from application of the Act, so long, as they remained on the farm. They would have to be licensed to take to the road. He asked that the bill be given a trial of say twelve months, after which any necessary amendments would be made. The Leader of the Opposition (Mr. Wilford)' described the bill as a “leech for a littlu blood letting on behalf of the Highways Board.” The amount at present in hand was not sufficient for the purposes of board, being about £125,000. He admitted the necessity for the bill so far as it related to the use’ of motor cars on public streets. The tyre tax was quite inadequate as a means of raising the necessary revenue. ’Many of the accidents which occurred to-day were due to insufficiency of test for the issuing of licenses, and he wanted to make a plea for the thorough examination of drivers. He protested against licenses being issued to children of fifteen years of age, and urged that the age be raised. The Minister had not told the House what amount of revenue he estimated would be derived from the scale of fees as prescribed in the schedule of the bill.

Mr. Bollard said the estimate was £lOO,OOO. Mr. Wilford: Oh, more than that surely. Does the Minister say £lOO,OOO without the tyre tax? The Minister of Public Wonks: Yes. Mr.' Wilford: For the annual license fees alone? Mr. Bollard: Yes.

Mr. Wilford: I am surprised. It would cause hardship to many local bodies by their being deprived of fees for licensing of the cars. The Minister of Public Works (Mr. Coates) said he had come to the conclusion that the number of motor vehicles in the Dominion could only be guessed. It seemed to vary from 50,000 to 80,000. He suggested that a record should be kept in each local body area of the number of cars registered in that area. This information would be valuable in connection with citations. Fines should go to the local authority, for the local body then had ah .interest in seeing that drivers complied with the law. He did not think a flat tax would be fair. He was willing to sacrifice everything . to get legislation by which a record of cars would be made, and by which the speed and driving of cars would be controlled. That was essential. Motorists asked for a flat tax but he thought that eventually New Zealand would follow the example of other countries. The age at which persons should be allowed to drive was an important question,, and depended upon circumstances, but it was necessary to learn yoiihg, and an opportunity should be afforded to young people. It would be impossible to provide legislation, acceptable to everyone in its initial stages. The suggested registration by the police would cost £20,000 and such a proposal was not justified.

The Minister went on to refer to the necessity for local bodies . to make the most use of the moneys borrowed for road construction. The State must take precautions in that copnection. Any amount of money had been borrowed in New Zealand for road construction, and at the end of eight or ten years there was no sign of money on the road. Parliament should take steps to ensure that such borrowed moneys were used to some national purpose. We were too much inclined in New Zealand to lay down long stretches of road and not make the most of the money. Mr. Holland said that he was somewhat concerned at the position the local bodies might find themselves in when the bill became law. Would the Government be prepared to make legislative guarantees that local bodies would not suffer loss when the change in the law was made? He was quite sure it would be a very serious matter for local bodies if they were to lose income. It was not a good principle to encourage local bodies to look to fines as a source of income. There seemed to be a multiplicity of fees in the schedule. It seemed to him to be anomalous for the same fee to be charged for a £l5O car as for a car costing £lOOO. The big car took more out of the road than the small car. Everyone would welcome the provisions in the bill for saving life. It was proper to inflict heavy penalties on intoxicated drivers, but he could find no heavy penalty for the sober driver who drove recklessly. He regarded the age of 15 as too young to commence licensing drivers. The matter was 'difficult and young people had to be trained to drive to meet the needs of the age, but there should be some period of apprenticeship. Another matter that needed attention was the overloading of service ears with luggage on each side. It should be compulsory for the floors to be left free so as to open easily in case of mishap. A service car should carry lugage on a trailer. The bill was read a second time.