THE PROPOSED MOTOR CLUB.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 14 August 1924, Page 7

THE PROPOSED MOTOR CLUB.

(To the Editor.) Sir,—lt is with considerable satisfaction we note the advertisement calling a meeting to discuss the formation of a Motor Club for this district. You yourself have paved the way by your recent leading article on the need of such a club, and if such a club is formed it will be partly due, at any rate, to the views you have expressed. Such a club can be an organisation of real value to all parties concerned, and I venture to set before you some of the ways the club will be able to express itself.

1. It will be able to co-operate with the public bodies concerned within the limits of a prescribed district, and, interpret roads and bridges, street* and crossings, from a motorist’s point of view. If this club will work on lines similar to motor clubs in other parts of the Dominion it will draw the attention of public bodies concerned to dangerous corners, grades, and crossings, and by mutual and financial cooperation the club and engineers may help each other. I know of several dangerous bends and corners in country roads that have received generous attention from the public bodies concerned, because the Motor Club voted to them grants of £SO or £6O to help clear obstructions to view, etc.

2. Such a club can also be of valuable assistance to the local bodies and the police in framing regulations for dealing with motor traffic in all its branches. One .thing above another that struck me as a newcomer here was the ugly numlier plates carried on the majority of cars. The lines and design of the cars are quite spoilt with such plates, and when I made enquiries I found that the local regulations demanded such number plates in such positions. Surely if number plates as were originally put on the cars satisfied the requirements of jcity and borough regulations in other places, it seems needless to make structural alterations to the cars in order to conform to the regulations here. A club will he the organisation to speak with a collective opinion on such matters, and also to co-operate with the local authorities. 3. Such a club will be able, also, to deal with its own members in the matter of road courtesies. I have experienced myself in this district traffic behaviours that should never exist amongst motorists. Courtesies of passing on hills, giving the up motorist the right-of-way and a motorist’s pleasure of doing the hill on top, while the down motorist should lie prepared to stop on a narrow piece of road rather than spoil another motorist’s pleasure. There are also the questions of lamp glare, herds of cattle spreadall over the road, especially on market days. A motor club can speak with a collective voice on all these matters.

4. Other points necessary for attention at this time are the proposed Highways Bill and also motor taxation. At present there seems to be a general desire on the part of public and local bodies to. levy taxes from motorists. Already the Government has about £250,000 of our money through the tyre tax, and in addition we have to pay local taxes through the toll-gate. The Government also talks of a petrol tax, and unless the motorist is united he is going to be taxed off the road, as threatened by the Minister of Railways. As a motorist I trust there will be a good meeting, that those concerned in calling the meeting will .be loyally supported, that the club will he fortunate enough in getting a good live secretary, a large membership, and be of mutual help to public bodies and motorists combined.—l am, etc., MOTORIST.