SAFETY ON ROADS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 230, 28 August 1937, Page 12

SAFETY ON ROADS

REORGANISATION OF COUNCIL. MOTOR UNION VIEWS. Proposals for the reorganisation of the National Road Safety Council were submitted to the annual conference of the North Island Motor Union sitting in Wanganui on Thursday by the Automobile* Association (Auckland) and the Commissioner of Transport, Mr G. L. Laurenson. The chief question at issue was whether the council should have executive or advisory powers, the conference passing a resolution in favour of executive power. A committee comprising the presidents and secretaries of affiliated associations in the North Island, together with delegates from the South Island, will consider the matter further and submit a report to the executive before any proposals are placed lvefore the Minister of Transport, Hon. It. Semple. “There lias been some suggestion tha.t the Government might appoint a council with executive and spending powers in substitution for the present advisory council, .and that the council should delegate its powers to local safety councils in the various centres,” said Mr Laurenson at the outset. “The Government is not favourably disposed toward this proposal as it is considered that more effective work can be done with the machinery suggested. To ensure satisfactory results in a campaign of this type it appears essential that the body to whom the work is entrusted should be a competent and responsible organisation with a knowledge of the work involved and comprising members who are well known for their public spirit. Instead of sotting up some new and untried organisation it appeared to the Government that the automobile associations, already well organised with staff facilities, might consider some responsibility for general road safety education and propaganda in their respective districts.

“Although this would involve considerable extension of their present activities, the proposal does not imply that there should be any interference with the normal work of associations,” Mr Laurenson added. "Where measures were proposed in relation to cyclists and pedestrians, the associations might consider it desirable to co-operate with tho local authority or some prominent citizens, he explained. PUBLICITY MEASURES.

“As regards the important question of finance, I might say that provision is being made on the main and supplementary Estimates for this season for tho cost of publicity measures by tho Government. Provision will also be made for a further sum for expenditure by the automobile associations if they are prepared to accept a share of the responsibility in the road safety campaign. A tentative subsidy of £2 for £1 has been suggested.” He added that if the associations were in accord with those proposals, estimates of their expenditure would he submitted each year for the Minister’s consideration. So far as the road safety portion of their work was concerned, the associations would have the same relationship with the Dlinister as the local authorities had to tho Dlinister of Public Works in -respect of their roading activities.

Dir E. Palliser, Wellington, said the most effective method of control would be a council with executive powers.

Mr G. IT. P. Fitzgerald. South Taranaki, referred to the _ Government’s present proposals as being unnecessarily cumbersome. The Auckland delegates, Messrs P. G. Farrell, A. Crayson, G. W. Hutchison and M. H. Wynyard, submitted u statement which in their opinion u mild implement the maximum degree of coordinated effort. After further discussion, a clause in the Auckland remit, “That in view of the published statement of the actingMinister of Transport, Hon. H. G. 11. Mason, on July 19, that the National Safety Council is still functioning, this national medium for safety-first research and propaganda should be developed in such a manner as effectively to fulfil the purpose for which it was set up,” was carried, and the remaining clauses were referred to the committee set up to form proposals which will he placed before the Minister. The conference assured Dir Laurenson, however, that in the meantime it would do' everything possible in the interests of road safety.