Automobile Activities In the Manawatu

Manawatu Times, Volume 60, Issue 176, 29 July 1935, Page 5

Automobile Activities In the Manawatu

MEETING OF ASSOCIATION The monthly meeting of the committee of the Automobile Association (Manawatu) was held on Friday night, 31 v. x. H. Mackio presiding. Also present were Messrs H. E. Edmunds, E. S. Oliver, S. G. Rosvall, J. E. Hughes and M. A. Eliott. The Commissioner of Transport an vised that he was authorising on August l a further general check oil headlights and brakes on rotor vehicles. The procedure would be exactly the same as in previous years, i.e., all traffic officers and bodies throughout the Dominion would bo cooperating. Motorists would be auto to obtain certificates from garages, which would enable them to be passed by traffic officers. A uniform typo of windscreen sticker-was being adopted. .V loiter expressing appreciation of the association’s donation of fil was received from the Palmers-on North District Free Ambulance.

Kcplving to suggestions in tne direction of making the Mangaone bridge safer for traffic, the Kairanga County Council advised that its engineer had been instructed to have a whito line painted in the centre of the road, and also to have the inside wing walls of the bridge painted white. It was not considered advisable to lower the southern wall, but the engineer would take steps to see that any grass growth was not allowed to get away so as to obstruct vision.—lt was decided to make -farther representations on the subject.

TTe chairman was appointed to represent the association at the annual conference of the North Island Motot Union 1 at New Plymouth on August 23. tlervlcs Officer’s Report. ,inter alia, the service officer (Mr. V. Crichton) reported as follows: — Signs: Three “road formation” signs l ave recently been erected oh the outskirts of the city, in the following localities: Rangitikei line, Terrace End

and Foxton line. Should a suitable pcs.lion be available, and if the committee considers it justified, arrangements will be made to erect another one ua.itr Fitzlie.rbert bridge. The signs are designed so that a plate may immediately be inserted, indicating any changes in road conditions, or special ic'strietions applying to any particular ’•am route. Additional direction and road signs have also been erected at Vba-karongo, Kelvin Grove, Awapuni end Kongotea. Headlights and brakes: Arrangements I j been made to conduct headlight a -.meat and brake testing at the I grounds from Monday, July 2D. It 3: oo of interest to record the exj .oils of op.nion of a large number « motorists regarding the action of t icgGovernment in their efforts to com- ) fl-owners, to comply with the rcgulat on.;. While the majority of motorists

appear to consider enforcement of the regulations in regard to “beam height” necessary, there are many who havo expressed tho opinion that they are not in favour of the right-hand lamp being slightly deflected towards the left-hand side of the road, the main objections being that, in driving around rightliand bends, the beam is concentrated too much to the left; also, that wandering stock when on the right-hand sida are not so easily seen. This method of adjustment has been fairly generally adopted by many of the garages, and several cases could bo cited where motorists havo altered tho lamps ia order that the beams would be focussed straight ahead after receipt of a certificate. Regarding the enforcement of the regulations in connection with brakes, most motorists express the opinion that good brakes are essential to safety and that the action of the Transport Department in this respect is justified.