AUTOMOBILE UNION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16300, 5 August 1916, Page 8

AUTOMOBILE UNION.

MEETING AT WELLINGTON.

ADDRESS BY MR. RUSSELL.

[bv telegraph.—rßESS association.]

WELLINGTON. Friday. The annual meeting of the New Zealand Automobile Union was held today. The executive's report, after referring to the necessity of having regulations dealing with licenses and other matters affecting motorists, drew attention to the enormous increase in the motor trade with America, although importations from the United Kingdom virtually had ceased for a time. It would, said the report, be a great misfortune if, when the times changed, a nonBritish monopoly was found to have been established here.

The meeting decided to recommend the Minister to have uniform regulations regarding licensing of drivers. Speaking at the meeting the Hon. G. AY. Russell said they all recognised the immense progress that had been made in motor traffic. As to roads, the cost of bringing them up to motor requirements would be so huge that it would have to be left to develop itself. In his Local Government Bill a few years ago he had inserted a clause providing that no one should be appointed as county engineer who could not prove that lie had scientific knowledge that would go a long wav towards solving the problem. He thought the cost of road improvement should come either out of the Public Works Fund or the Consolidated Fund. lie was. in favour of the licensing of drivers and the bringing into force, of a set of model by-laws for the control of motor traffic. He would be willing to receive any suggestions from the union on the subject. As to the maintenance of roads, he said he had already advocated a system of graduated Government subsidy on the rates, based upon the necessities of each county and its rating capacity. In any case the Government was not in favour of the erection of toll gates, and its legislation .would be framed in that direction. The law, as it stood, was quite sufficient to deal with the question of unreasonable speed.