MOTOR ASSOCIATION

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXII, Issue 265, 8 October 1942, Page 2

MOTOR ASSOCIATION

The Manawatu Automobile Association's year ended on August 51 with a membership standing at 3547, states the president (Mr W. H. Brown), in his annual report. This is a decrease of 252, the first for many years. The majority of deletion are attributable to members having disposed of their cars or to having left the district, but when viewing the fact that the importation of new cars is now prohibited, the association is fortunate in retaining the membership figure at 3547. It is the policy of the council to grant free membership to all members who aro on active service, and the total at the end of August stood at 306. Consistent with a policy of careful administration the finances are in a very healthy position and once again there is an appreciable excess of income over expenditure. With membership falling and more men going on active service the next few years arc likely to show considerab'e decreases in the income accounts, but thanks to the past careful administration tho council will never need to reduce any of the services that have made automobile associations the worth-whilo institutions they arc to-day. The "get you home" service has once again been of material assistance; a special sub-committee under the chairmanship of Mr T. R. Lees has left no stone unturned to ensure that the maximum of service i 9 always available to members. A service that saves members time and inconvonienco is that of obtaining the registration transfers during the. re-licensing period, and this year over 800 members took advantage of the service. A considerable amount of repainting work was carried out by our signposting patrol (Mr B. Register) before entering camp on June 1. Since then only urgent and necessary work has been carried out. The council is still assisting materially with the efforts of the E.P.S.. transport section, and . organised the battery service arrangements that wero

so necessary earlier in tho year. Last year I made claim to having three of the best service officers in the Dominion in our employ. T\Vo_ of those (.Messrs Whitehead and Register) are now serving with the Forces and we look forward to the day when they will return to their normal duties. Thus we aro left with Patrol Smart, who is doing yeoman service, but I consider that a war appointment to assist him will have to be considered by the incoming council.