AUTOMOBILE ASSN.

Grey River Argus, 22 July 1942, Page 1

AUTOMOBILE ASSN.

GREY COMMITTEE MEETS The committee of the Greymouth branch of the Canterbury Automobile Association met. last evening. Mr S. B. Quintrell presided, and there were also present, Messrs T. Blackie, w. P. Hambleton, M. J. Fogarty, N Ellery, J. Smith, E. McDonnell and W. F. Harley (secretary). Reporting on the request by the branch for the painting of white lines on the. road at Wallsend, the secretary reported that he had seen the Public Works Engineer, who wax ■doing his best, but was faced with the bad weather and shortage of. staff. The chairman said that the lines had been blocked .in. Referring to the question of motorists failing to dip their headlights and also using foglights the secretary said that drastic action m rounding up offenders was likely. When the chairman said that. he understaad that foglights were illegal the seicretary said that he thought that they could be used with two small lights, but some motorists were using them with the headlights.' The- granting of honorary membe’ship of the Association to members of the Armed Forces serving in New Zealand was supported when a letter on the matter was received from the Canterbury executive. It was stated that this applied to all members who had paid all arrears prior to joining the Armed Forces. The secretary said tiiat about 50 pel' cent, of the members were now in the Armed Forces. They would receive the “Motor World” and would be. entitled to the free road service u they required it. It was decided to support a proposal forwarded by the Canterbury executive that the subscriptions of. members whose cars were totallv laid up through shortage of tyres and petrol should be subject to a rebate of Ils. This will make the annual subscription 10s instead of £1 Is. In concluding the discussion the chairman said that it was better- to retain such members and reduce- their subscriptions than lose touch with them altogether.

Mr McDonnell said that insurances should also be reduced. The secretary said that this was being done by the S.I.M.U. Insurance Office, which had returned 58 per cent, of the premiums, between £30,000 and £40,000 in bonuses. Mr Smith raised the question of asking for an extra allowance of petrol for persons living more than five miles from town, on the ground that they needed more petrol for shopping than those living in the town. Members pointed out that the present allowance was given only to keep cars mobile and not for such purposes as shopping,. and it was decided that no action could be taken.

It was left to the secretary to go into the question of making representations to the Greymouth JBorough Council to have the stock route- at the railway station widened so that it could be used by cars to relieve traffic. Mr Fogarty said that he had seen Army lorries using the route, and he considered that it needed only a little widening to make it available for one-way traffic.

The secretary said that it was on railway land. The Railway Department was formerly opposed to having it used for anything but a stock route, but they might have changed their minds.

The annual meeting of the branch will be held next month in Harker’s lounge, on a date to be arranged.