MOTOR LICENSES.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 24 May 1928, Page 4

MOTOR LICENSES.

MAGISTRATE UPHOLDS ACT

ANNUAL, RENEWAL NECESSARY I.BY TELKGR4PH—PBEBB ASSOCIATION.J JN VERCARGILL, May 23. Contrary to the precedent established by another magistrate in a rather similar case, the Magistrate, Mr G. jruicksliank, in a reserved decision today upheld the provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act where they applied for renewal or licenses, and entered a conviction, against an offending motorist. The defence raised was that the license lasted indefinitely, and did not require renewal. The Magistrate said that up till December, 1927, the law was definite that all licenses expired on March 31 each year. To make the change-over to May 31 the words about ending in March were repealed. The whole scheme of the Act and .regulations in many places showed that an annual renewal was required. It rested with the defendant to show that, by amending the Act, the period of license which he held had been extended until now. In support of this, defendant said the words ‘‘shall remain in force till March next” were repealed to say that a license which was lawfully issued for the year ending on March was now indefinitely extended. Because the words saying that all licenses shall end in March were now struck out of the Act was, to the Magistrate’s mind, an unsound proposition. To so extend such a licenserequired very definite words in the Statute. ’