MOTORISTS INTERESTS.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 30 August 1927, Page 10

MOTORISTS INTERESTS.

NORTH ISLAND UNION. IMPORTANT WORK DONE. Several members of.the Main Highways Hoard, including ' the chairman, were present at the conference of the North Island Motor Union, held at Napier. Mr. F. W. Furkert, chairman-of the Main Highways Board, Was welcomed to the conference by the president, who extended to him an invitation to address the conference. Mr. Furkert said that he had been thinking and sleeping on harbour affairs in the past few weeks, and in that time he had not l>eeh able to get his mind' into the strain of highway matters. However, taking into consideration the figures for the cost of road maintenance it could he seen that cost of maintenance of roads worked out at €l3 nor car. Also there was n definite relationship on the increased expenditure of road maintenance with the increased- nmnbe of cars. The decrease of traffic on the railways was also due to the popularity of the motor car. However, although there was no doubt that the IT iah ways- Board was spending more on the roads than it was receiving, the hoard was in toll sympathy with the aspirations of thermion. ROAD CONSTRUCTION.

Mr. A. E. JuII, a member of the hoard, also spoke briefly to the meeting. He said that some sections of the community expected that the Highways Board should see to the administration of .sections of the Highways Act, but the representatives of the counties did not seek to give instructions or assist in the administration, as their powers were more advisory. The various- automobile organisations had shown fine spirit in road constrirtion, and had 00-operated -in every direction, while the local associations had been always ready to render assistance when the necessity required. In reply to a question asked by the president as to when the automobile societies would have representation on the Main Highways Board, Mr. Jull said that the time was not far distant when that would probably come to pass, but it would be a. better achievement if representation was given on the District- Highways Councils, because there were 18 such bodies opertaing with a great deal of success in an advisory manner. Mr. IV. H. IVynyard also spoke briefly on the question of maintenance of highways, pointing out that in the past year the cost of maintenance of roads was fa/r greater than that for construction.

SUBJECT OF GOOD ROADS. A welcome was extended to the delegates by Mr. T. E'. Cross, chairman of the Hawke's Bay- County Council, who said that he was pleased to have the opportunity to speak to the conference on the important subject of goodn roads. The .and owners and the motorists were both desirous of having good roads, so they met on common ground. They were compelled to ask the motorists to carry' more of the burden, which increased year by year, and it was the motorists who would benefit by additional expenditure on the roads in the way of safety’ comfort and reduced running costs. Many important road works were held up for want of funds and the proceeds from a petrol tax would remedy' this. , If the conference passed a resolution asking the Government to impose such a tax lor. the purpose of road construction and maintenance, the speaker felt sure such a resolution would be applauded • by all who had a real interest in the good of the land. A modest estimate of the motor-cars in the Hawke’s Bay county' and the towns therein would be 50C0, and if such cars paid an annual license fee of £ls, which was much less than in England, the annual revenue available would he £75,000 for construction work. Under existing conditions the amount available for motor taxation, together with subsidy out of general taxation, was about U'SOfiO. SAFETY FIRST. The following remits were introduced by Mr Hill from the Wanganui Automobile Association-, under the heading of “Safety First”: (1) That immediate steps be taken by .the North Island Mqto-r Union to- arrange for a daily safety message to be broadcast from the New Zealand Broadcasting Company stations on safety first principles; (2) That- immediate -representation be made through the Town Planning Board to all city and borough., councils to point out the necessity of immediately applying safety first -principles to all town planning schemes, and that they be urged to give serious consideration before issuing building permits, on corner sections where it is thought that the proposed building or even fences may interfere with the visibility. • Mr. Hill, in speaking on the first of the above remits, said that it would he a fairly easy matter to establish broadcasting from the Auckland station, as it was proposed that the items broadcasted should bo similar to those given in Melbourne. On Mr. Grierson's suggestion it was decided to -add to the remit that alternate days should be devoted to the “safety first” lectures for motorists and pedestrians. " Regarding the second remit, Mr HIT pointed out the extreme desirability of having the corners entirely free fio-m obstructing buildings or fences and it was only right that this should be strictly enforced by the councils concerned. Mr. F. IV. Mo ton stated that the mater of obtaining land from the corner's was often very’ hard- on the councils, as there was often a great deal of compensation asked fur although some, people gave the land free. Mr. Hill said that the remit was brought forward to- enforce -the act on some towns who- would -perhaps desire to evade- it, hut the- majority of towns were bound to- look into the affair very carefully. The motion wa-s carried. PUNISHMENT OF CAR THIEVES.

“That amended legislation be sought asking that tlw> removal of a car by an tmaucrfiomod p-enson, now trea-tew aconverting to own use, be treated a-, ,;neft, -aiui the penalty be a. sentence of imprisonment, without the option of a 11 no, ” was the text- of a remit from the Wellington Automobile Club, which received the unanimous support of the meeting mid was agreed upon. A -further remit from the Taranaki Automobile Association asking that Section 10 of the Police Offences Amendment Act, 1924, be amended so that the penalty for any offence under that section should be substantially in:v'eased wav overlooked in favour of the Wellington remit.