MOTOR TYRE BURSTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18694, 28 April 1924, Page 6

MOTOR TYRE BURSTS.

LABOUR PARTY'S MISHAP. SPEEDING TO GAIN TIME, CAR RUNS INTO A BANK. MR. HOLLAND SLIGHTLY HURT. fBT TELEGRAPH. ASSOCIATION.] ASHBURTON. Saturday. A motor accident occurred five miles south of Ashburton this evening, those concerned being Messrs. H. E. Holland, Leader of the New Zealand Parliamentary Labour Party, P. Praser (secretary), T. Brindle (president of the New Zealand Labour Party), D. W. Coleman (president of the Gisborne Labour Representation Committee), and Clark, a Dunedin taxi-driver. The accident was not of a serious nature, although all the occupants received minor cuts and bruises, and suffered from shock.

The members of the Labour Party mentioned had been on a tour of the sou.thejrn 'districts, addressing meetings in connection with the railway strike. They left Dunedin at 7.45 a.m. to-day, and held meetings at Palmerston, Oamaru, and Timaru. Up till that time they had had two punctures of the same tyre. These were repaired at Timaru. The same tyre was punctured a third time when nearing Ashburton.

The car was travelling at a speed of about 35' miles an hour, as the members of the party were anxious to reach Ashburton to address a meeting there, and and to proceed to Lyttelton to catch the ferry steamer for Wellington. While going at this speed the tyre burst. The car swerved round to right angles with its course, and then ran into a small bank, and turned on its side. The car, was a glassed-in Sedan, and many cuts were received from flying glass.

Mr. Holland subsequently stated that no blame was attachable to the driver, as it was by request that he had been hurrying- to gain time. Mr. Holland received cuts and bruises about the head. Mr. Brindle, who fared worst of all, went to bed. He is suffering severely from shock. Mr. Fraser was severely bruised on the forehead. Mr. Coleman also received bruises and cuts.