TRAFFIC CONTROL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19418, 28 August 1926, Page 9

TRAFFIC CONTROL.

Six, —The appointment of traffic inspectors for Auckland City in place of tbo police has many weaknesses. Traffic control is really in the direction of the maintenance of public order in our streets. To do this considerable powers are necessary. These powers, for obvious reasons, must be invested in one body only. They are given into the hands of the Police Department. This body, therefore, as representing the Government, is the only one armed with the essential povors for keeping order in streets or on the footpath. It would be ontirely tgalnst tho interests of the community to delegate the maintenance of such order to an elective body as the City Corporation. In fact this could not be done. Such city traffic inspectors must bo ordinary civilians. They cannot come under the discipline of the police. Therefore, they cannot enforce the law. If one phase of tho maintenance of order can lie delegated to a city corporation, there would be no reasonable obiectiqn to having city polico maintain all law and order. This would be a farce and tho law would be administered differently in each centre.. Uniformity is what is required, and the Government {Joliqe is the only body that can assure this. As far as the polico themselves are concerned, we hare ; good authority for saying that that department wishes to. bring all towns ,into line. This is exactly what is being done in England. Wellington has not yet settled the question. The general feeling there, as far as we know, is to leavo it to the polico, and the only difficulty with which that department is concerning itseli is.uniformity. Throughout England tho traffic is controlled by fully-disciplined police* Tho larger towns have their own departments, which, in turn, come under the control of the Homo Secretary. A definite movement is being made there to bring all polico departments into uniformity in every detail. N.Z. Wei-pars League.