MOTORING INTERESTS

Hawera Star, Volume LIV, 24 August 1935, Page 8

MOTORING INTERESTS

NORTH ISLAND UNION REMITS AT ANNUAL CONFERENCE MR O’CALLAGHAN AGAIN PRESIDENT. The proceedings of the twenty-second annual'conference of the Noi-th Island (N.Z.) Motor Union were brought to a conclusion at New Plymouth yesterday afternoon. There was an attendance of over 30 delegates, over which Mr W. A. O’Callaghan (president) presided. TEST CERTIFICATES. Mr E. A. Batt (Wellington) moved, on behalf of his association, that the union is of opinion that the issue ot certificates in respect of the stopping ability of brakes and the efficiency ot headlights should be confined to automobile associations and local authorities. He said the procedure at present was that the motor garages and such like places had the right to issue certificates and it was inadvisable that such a custom should be allowed to continue. Such firms often had a direct interest in the person owning the car. The automobile associations and local • bodies would have no such interest and for that, reason it was urged that the issue of such certificates should be in the hands of local authorities and automobile associations. Mr E. 'Palliser (Wellington) in supporting the proposal gave a striking instance of certified brakes being hopelessly inefficient. Air N. R. Bain (Wanganui) said there was no real value in the certificate. If, in the event of an accident, brakes were found to be inefficient, a certificate that they had been efficient on a certain date would be of no avail.

Air G. W. Hutchison (Auckland!) suggested it would be very unwise to condemn the whole motor trade by passing a remit of this kind, for that would be the effect of it. If a car which was certified as in good order in this respect was found to be inefficient, it might be the effect of some little lapse on the part of some junior in the garage concerned. He did not think the mption should be passed without first conferring with the motor trade.

Air Batt suggested that brakes might be certified in good order on a Alonday morning and be quite inefficient by the next day on account of excessive emergency use. The motorist himself was the only person who knew all the time whether his brakes were in efficient condition.

Air F. W. Johnston (South Island Union) said the certificates had no legal effect. They were only , for the benefit and advice of the driver, and the proposal appeared to give the certificates a value it could never possess.

Air A’- Grayson (Auckland) said the certificate; was helpful to motorists on long trips and would save him the trouble of having to stop to have his car tested in local areas through which he was passing and so avoid being held up. The chairman pointed owo that the passing of the resolution would at once bring the association up against the garages who were really the people who had to make the tests and adjust brakes to make them efficient. Mr Batt said he did not wish to press the matter and was satisfied with the expression of opinion by the conference and would withdraw the motion. CO-ORDINATION IN PRACTICE. Following the above matter came a proposal from the Alanawatn association, sponsored by Air S. I. AlcKenzie, that the Alotor Vehicles Act, JIW24, be amended so as to provide that it be compulsory to produce with the relicensing form of each vehicle a certificate that the brakes and lights were in accordance with the regulations before the number plates could be issued in respect of such vehicle. Air W. H. Brown (Alanawatu) seconded the motion and the proposal was supported by Hawke’s Bay and Wairarapa. delegates. Air Duff said that the issue of the certificate under such circumstances would tend to lull a motorist into a false state of security for the rest of the year.

Air Johnston referred tc the proposal as academically’ good but impracticable.. After the mover had replied the motion was lost. CONTINUING CHECKS. Another related matter was a proposal, also by the Alanawatu association, that the Transport Department be requested to organise checks on brake and headlights in Alay and November of eaefi year. This was carried with the proviso that the department should carry out a continuing check, with specially organised chocks in Alay and November in view of the winter conditions ajud the Christmas holiday traffic. On the motion of the Alanawatu delegates it was decided that action be taken to have drivers’ license fees payable to local authorities reduced from 5s to 2s fid .after the first year of issue; that is, a person applying for a new license would be required to pay a fee of os for the first license and 2s fid for each renewal of such license.

Alessrs- W. T. Guild and F. Amoore, on . behalf ot the Taranaki association, mqCed that further representations bo made to the appropriate authorities to. have a universal sot of bylaws drawn up. The chairman suggested the matter should be referred to the executive for consideration and this was adopted. ELECTION OF OFFICERS. —v W. A. O’Callaghan (Haf.vera) was re-elected president, and Dr E. E Porritt and Air J. H. Edmundson (Hawke’s Bay) were re-elected vicepresidents. The executive consists of the following, nominated by their respective associations and under the rules appointed automatically: Messrs A. Grayson (Auckland), R. AI. Chadwick

(Hawke’s Bay), N. H. Alackie (Manawatu), W. O. Williams (South Taranaki), V. Duff (Taranaki), R. Roydhouse (Wairarapa), A. S. Burgess (Wanganui) and E. Palliser (Wellington). 'Hie president and secretary (Alessrs W. A. O’Callaghan and W. G. Walkley) and Alessrs A. Gi'aysori and E. A. Batt were appointed delegates to the South Island Union conference at Christchurch on September 27. Alessrs Henry Kimber and Son were re-elected auditors. Levies were fixed at the same figure as for last year. Carterton was selected as the place of meeting for the next conference. Thanks was also recorded to the Taranaki association for its hospitality to the delegates to the conference, and Air Johnston expressed thanks on behalf of himself and Mr Carey for the courtesy extended to them as representatives of the South Island Union. A vote of thanks to the president for his conduct of the proceedings concluded the conference.