"EVERY FAMILY A MOTOR CAR."

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXXI, Issue 4957, 18 February 1937, Page 4

"EVERY FAMILY A MOTOR CAR."

Speaking at Invercargill last week the Minister of Transport, Mr. Semple, said he would like to see every family in the Dominion owning a motor car. This may appear to be an extravagant statement, but statistics published in 1935 show that such a position may be realised. At that time there was a motor vehicle of some kind for every eight persons, and since then the proportion has largely increased. Only the United States can beat this, with a car for every five persons. New Zealand has more motor vehicles than Belgium, Australia more than Italy, and Canada more than Germany. While it is well recognised that motor transport, both in regard to passenger and goods traffic, has done much to develop the country, the growth in New Zealand has been so rapid that it has brought about many acute problems. The whole roading system has had to be revised and in the main routes put down with a tar-sealed surface. It has also been necessary to widen many of the roads which were formed in the first place for horse traffic. This ha» en-

tailed enormous expense to the country, and this expense will be never-ending. The motor traffic has also been responsible for the railways, in which every man, woman and child in the Dominion have an individual interest of over £4O, losing the cream of the transport traffic. In the towns the problem of parking motor vehicles is becoming a more acute problem year by year, and is taxing the brains of all local authorities. Even in a town the size of Te Kuiti the parking of cars in the main street has claimed the attention of the Borough Council. The time will come when every borough will have to provide parking areas for motor vehicles and make a charge for same. While the roads are being made safer for motoring it cannot be said that there has been any (appreciable falling off in the number of accidents for good roads are responsible for speeding and .this has its dangers. If Mr. Semple wants to see every family in possession of a motor car, it will mean an increase of at least 50 per cent., and present-day roading and parking facilities are not yet in a position to carry this extra traffic without serious danger to the owners and pedestrians.