Issuing Of Car Warrants

Northern Advocate, 9 July 1947, Page 3

Issuing Of Car Warrants

'(P.AJ WELLINGTON. This Day. “In his speech in the Address-in-Reply, Mr J. B. F. Cotterill, member for Wanga’nui, is reported as having attacked what he alleged to be looseness in the issuing of warrants of fitness in some places,” says a statement by the Retail Motor Trade Association. “fte stated that people were being sacrificed on the roads today lor 30 pieces of copper, the price of a warrant of fitness.

“Mr Cotterill said lie knew of one case in Wanganui where a garage had issued a warrant of fitness on the payment of' 2/6 without even inspecting the vehicle.

“It would appear that Mr Cotterill has either said too little or too much. RUN BY CITY

“In the first place, no garage proprietor in Wanganui city has authority to issue warrants of fitness, as this responsibility is entirely in the hands of a testing station run by the Wanganui City Council.

“Therefore, it is up to Mr Cotterill to clarify this particular point, “If the statement made by Mr Cotterill is true, that a garage did issue a warrant of fitness without inspecting thd vehicle, it is a moral obligation on him to supply the facts to the Minister of Transport, so that the case may be investigated.

“If he is not prepared to do this, he should unreservedly withdraw the statement he made.

“The Transport Department, in cooperation with the association," the statement continues, “investigates all causes where there is any evidence of neglect on the part of a garage to fulfil its responsibility. EVIDENCE OF NEGLECT "There are cases on record where the evidence of neglect has been such that the Minister has seen fit to cancel the authority of the particular garage to issue warrants of fitness. “During the four months ended April this year the total number of vehicles reported as examined v by members of the retail inotor trade is 43,709. Of this total, 24.830 were given warrants on inspection. “‘T‘he balance examined needed some adjustment before a warrant could be. issued. “On this evidence it would be difficult to maintain a case that care is not exercised by members of the retail motor trade in the issuing of warrants of'fitness.”