OUR FIRST MOTOR CARS

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXII, Issue 147, 7 June 1932, Page 5

OUR FIRST MOTOR CARS

ONLY 34 YEARS AGO. EMPOWERING LEGISLATION. In view of the universality of the use of motor-cars nowadays, it is interesting to remember that the very first automobiles to come to New Zealand were imported no further back than 1898—only thirty-four years ago —and that it was found necessary to introduce into Parliament a private Bill, involving its promoter in fees to the amount of £2OO, in order to secure the right to run them. t The distinction of having initiated in this country the new means of transport belonged to Mr William McLean, then a well-known financial agent in Wellington, and a few years later a representative of the city for a short period in the House of Representatives. Mr McLean imported two light cars of very primitive structure compared with the smart ones of to-day, and they were the wonder of the hour. Prior to their arrival motor-cars were unknown except throqgh descriptions in the European Press and through cinematograph pictures. Rather curiously the cinema had arrived only a few months prior to the automobile. There must still be many hundreds of Wellington citizens who can remember how they sat open-mouthed in the old Theatre Royal—on the site in Johnson street now occupied by the Police Department’s headquarters—gazing at very flickery reproductions on the screen of those days of views of cars racing in France at speeds that almost took away their breaths. When Mr McLean applied to the City Council for a license to run his cars the council found that it had no authority to grant it. Accordingly, he took steps to procure the presentation to Parliament of a private Bill entitled the McLean Light Locomotive Bill, granting him authority to use light locomotives in any county, borough, or road district. In its original form the Bill proposed to give Mr McLean a monopoly of this right, but it was suggested by Mr John Hutcheson (“Jack the Rigger”), member for Wellington, when moving its second reading in the House, that a provision should be inserted compelling Mr McLean to issue to a’.y applicant, for a mere nominal sum, an equal right with him to run cars. However, in Committee, the House excised the name of William McLean and inserted a clause of general effect, enabling any person to be licensed to use motor-cars, and in that form it became law. That was the beginning of the licensing of the host of motor vehicles now running in New Zealand —the number registered last year was 221,237, including 52,237 dormant registrations.