MOTORISTS AND ROADS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18223, 17 October 1922, Page 8

MOTORISTS AND ROADS.

THE RECENT FATALITY.

POSITION OF LOCAL BODIES. TSLEORAPH. —SPECIAL RKPOBTEI-]

WELLINGTON. Monday.

A reference to the motor-car fatality which occurred near Eketahuna on Sundav morning whs made in the Houso tonight, when Dr. H. J. T. Thacker (Cnristchurch IfSast) asked the Minister for Internal Ailairß whether he did not think that a very close inquiry should be made into the local circumstances. The member mentioned that the accident was apparently due to tho bad state of the road, the wheel of the car getting into a rut and causing tho machine to swerve and get out of control. He asked that an inquiry be made so that, if necessary, the responsibility could be thrown on the local authority which controlled tho road. The 1 Hon. W. Downie Stewart said he did not know that he could take any action which would protect the drivers or passengers in motor-cars. .Dr. Thacker: But you could make tho local bodies sit up and look after their roads.

The Minister: I would ask the member if there are no rats in the Christchurch roads. Continuing, the Minister said he always understood that the legislation the member had asked for was in the direction of preventing furious driving, but in this case there was no suggestion of that. He did not think he could ask the Government to exercise any control over the local bodies in the direction suggested. The Government could not impose penalties on the local bodies for having ruts in the roads.