The Ensign. WEDNESDAY, JULY 22, 1914. MOTOR TRAFFIC.

Mataura Ensign, 22 July 1914, Page 4

The Ensign. WEDNESDAY, JULY 22, 1914. MOTOR TRAFFIC.

Motor-carp -i::d motor-lorries have eomo so and so ntef'toapthe thai the time has.lnVivei wh .i s-ome hotler mean- .**j- !;i., in ,.; n 'I iioi;- use has foeceni-., ■:,',,„ ; ,. ||t ■ j ) j ' j {■-urniiH'in ho; t!;.. -,';• ~-,,':# ..,,,;' i' i !-" for H.iiif)!!,-!-. .. .\t pvCWMi. ! ■ «'>!■•'!• / R l vi:.i: : cii -V,, ' j or iiiav hi' n ,-,;.)] . i ;., .orm- author .•',-, 'I .-wry •0-. ~-,:; "'-'I ~,;'■ ~ ;;.. ''".-' . ' ' ' ' ■■■■! ,i-;rici. ~ . mr ivgis--1 :■'" '•■ -,i «riling, a-'id, in ■' "' '" ■ i. production ri '.lio ...stralion once oll'oeWd does : • • -;o renewal. The efrot-twill- he .i:>hlisli uniformity of malts and ■".aihcrs. throu.civout tl.o Doniiiion for tho._ several classes of motors; a*nd fo obviate iji,. confus-cei noiv oris'nK from t'»? lartrc number of rerasiorinf autliori'iics. This provision will ho ircferablo to ilio present one, and wliei it is re-im-mborod that up to the. present boroudis such as (lore have rot had 1 any hnnclU. from foes {.aid ire further ' hiuses of the Hill- will he heartily approval of, for the I'oos .-re to he distributed as provided hy liter clauses in Ihe Ait. These are to ho expended as .'arliam.-nt. directs in special repair of main roads throughout the provincial district in which tlio garages of the private motors are situated. Fees received hy local authorities from the annnal licensing of all other motors- go, as to two-ti ii-ds ikroof, to the local fond of the licensing authority issuing ! .ic license ; and, i\g to one-third thereof, to the Conrol'dated Fund to he. expend-. "" '" I't'linir i-if roads wiihin a certain !';Ul!us of the Io.a! authority issuing the ni-ewe. While the sum s <i obtained

I may not he von-.largo, as was- predicted I '-'.v t':o Leader of the Opposition, it-will he much better than allowing the cars [ to enjoy immunity from taxation alto- ", oi '','.',• -I'l'ovision is made, as in the I'.ngi.'sii .Act, for the licensing of drivers "t motors. Xo person may drive a motor without having a. driver's license, fur which a ."mall, annual fee is paid. •I is not at present- made csreutial that 'lk- driver should have anv special o.liaiilicatioH. Tie effect of the provision regarding the driver's lieen.-o is rather to enable the court before whom iho driver i K convicted of negligent or ii-j-iopo-r a. ts to suspend or cancel his

iVeiific. ami by such means, as in England, to make it receysarv in his own interest that a. driver should exercise v. ■■■<'. This proposal „jn ] )C a vm - wise one and.should reduce the chances of accident to ;; minimum. The place of registration of a ' motor, h;h\ the local an.hority to issue the annual license in respect of a motor, are both made to i.ep.md upon the location „f the motor, and' not upon the residen.e of the owner, hj, the case of a driver's license, the authority to is ue a license depend:' upon the place, of residence of the driver. The location of the motor is established by tie definition oi the garage as the place where the motor is generally kept when not in use. It is "•'vious that the residence of the owner "I a public, motor or a trade motor lias .no ii'.'ce-ssary relation to the locality in which such motor is used; and in'the '"»'? «'f the owner of a private motorcar, tl-e owner may have several resid-eti'-es in connection with each of which a separate motor is kept. .Registration is to be oU'ecied in the provincial district m which the garage of a. motor is situated, and it is provided that officers or the Public Servi-i shah keep the registi r of motors. I'raetically no fee is

payable (or repeat: i: at present. The ait 11 iv;l Irt-riiso (except in the ca<o of a p:-:v.u<> motor-ear) is required to he iVI sued by the 'oral authority of the local •ilix'.n.: -.viihiii- which ihe parage oiythe ti'.rtor is situated, >-.:u-!i loon I authority receiving the annual I'oo. In tlicense |<'f a private motor-ear. the .■innual i license is issued by ti*e Deputy hevh.- | tr.it- oi' the provincial district within uhvh the garage of iho private .'notorial- is .situated. Private motor-ea-rcv use tlio roads and street.-, to a voit large distance- from tltcir respective garages, and their traffic is tint in genera! conii'icd in any way witliiu the limits of any s-ierial local authority. ■• Trade motors and miblio motor-ears have g;>:vora!ly a loss range of trafiie. and the local authority ivit ! 'in which the irnrace is situated is entitled to receive and! ■etain the .renter part of the annua!! hc-ensp fees paid for all ears other than I private motors. The foregoing j- a sue-! • incr summary of the provisions of tbej l'i•' to regulate motor traffic and pro-j vide some funds with- which to repair'

the wear on the roads of the Dominion. | It is held by some that there should i bo a tax on tyres rather than a license: ice on the horse-power; but the Departmental officers have cone verv carefully I into the pros and eon.9 of the question > and have decided tliat the horse-power j

should: govern the license fee. '.Victor-1 ists Lave fur some time recognised that they must contribute somehing to the-] upkeep and improvement of the roads, I and it is merely a matter as to whether j they should pay on the tyres or the

horse-power of their cars. 'The Bill is a- good one, and any objections to it can be overcome, in committee.