MOTOR VEHICLES BILL

Greymouth Evening Star, 13 September 1924, Page 2

MOTOR VEHICLES BILL

LOCAL BODIES OPPOSED.

Copies of the proposed Motor Vehicles Bill have been forwarded to the different local bodies, and very careful study of the various provisions has been given by two at least the Grey County Council and the Greymouth Borough Council. The Bill though not objected to entirely does not commend itself to either of the local bodies in one or two sections, and strong representations are being made to the Government to safeguard the interests of the authorities affected. A special meeting of the Grey County Council considered the provisions of the bill very carefully, and a letter has been forwarded to Mr. J. O’Brien, M.P., asking him to bring up the- matter in Parliament and press for amendments to the Bill in the directions suggested, The Borough Council is .also in communication with the member and with the Municipal Association, which, however, irns expressed the opinion that it is better to get the Bill passed, and afterwards remedy the difficulties that have, presented themselves in the form of amendments to the Act. The position of the local authorities was very clearly set out by the County Engineer (Mr. J. Higgins) in a statement lie made to a reporter after the special meeting of the Grey County Council. The main ground upon which his council takes exception fo the Bill, he states, is that it will mean a loss of a considerable amount of revenue. The license fees collected under the Bill are to be devoted to main highways, and local authorities ai e to be deprived of the right to exact license fees from vehicles other than those plying for hire. A short history of the different circumstances that led to the enactments empowering local bodies to collect license fees, was given by Mr. Higgins. He stated that prior to 1892 no county council possessed power to license vehicles other than those plying for hire and the Grey County was the first to make a by-law for the purpose. Finally the Westland, Grey, inangahua and Buller Counties Vehicle Licensing Act 1892, was enacted. This Act authorised the counties mentioned to make

by-laws for the licensing of all vehicles drawn upon or along any road in the said counties. In the following year (1893), the Counties Vehicle Licensing Act was passed. This empowered the Governor, by order-in-council, to grant powers similar to those already granted to the West Coast counties to eleven counties in the North Island named in-the Act, and to one in the South. The Counties Amendment Act of 1915 gave power for motor vehicles to be licensed,, and to prevent unlicensed vehicles- from using any vehicle in the counties named. The particular section was later repealed by the Amendment Act of 1919, which gave the Governor-General power to make similar by-laws to operate in any county. Thus the special provision

conferred on the four West Coast Counties in 1892 had been extended until in 1919, it was open to any county to take advantage of them. The Motor Vehicles’ Bill, howeVer, endangered those powers and the Grey County Council takes the attitude that the present provisions should be preserved. Another provision regarded by the County as unfair was that which states that htougli the proceeds of the licensing under the Act are to be devoted to main highways-, no local authority shall be entitled to charge any fee in respect of any motor vehicle or any road or street. The County Council .suggested that “main highways” be substituted for the words “any road or street.”