BRANDING CARS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20306, 13 July 1929, Page 12 (Supplement)

BRANDING CARS.

NAMES AND ADDRESSES.

Tlio latest in ridiculous proposals is tho Wellington City Council's move for a by-law compelling motorists to placo their names and addresses on their ears. The Wellington Autoinobilo Club lias raised just complaint., and lias received an assurance that the idea will receive fuller consideration. Iho intention is apparently to expedite tho work of tiaihe inspectors. Incidentally, it is a lather .strong indictment of tho present system of licensing and issuing annual number plates. If the tracing cars through tho post ollico records is so laborious it is tie,lo the system was overhauled, but it is questionable if tlio records aro so vastly deficient. Much depends on tho procedure of the local body. There havo been many instances of " red tape" in dealing with motor offences. Tho police arc not exempted. Thero are iiles to bo pursued and passed to higher authorities, only to come back to the originator. A name on a motor-car cannot solvo tho problem. A largo proportion of cars are driven by several mouthers of a family. Tlio owner may havo no knowledgo of tho movements of_ his vehicle. Thero aro commercial vehicles which change hands or aro worked in shifts. Endless trouble with changes of address would couiplicato matters. Motorists from outside tlio city council boundaries would introduce dilficultics. The Auckland City Council has riot been unduly harassed by the operation of tho licensing system. Motorists rarely havo to complain of delays in notification. As a rule the number noted ill tlio case of an alleged breach is reported to tho ollico within a lew. hours. A telephono call to tlio registration department of tho post ollico usually brings -advice of tho namo and address m a tow minutes, and tho traffic inspectors aro in a position to get in touch with tho owner very shortly after his supposed error. In serious cases "a traffic inspector can obtain the details within a few tninutes of tho off once, and a motor-cycle officer can bo detailed to follow tlio inquiry. 110 may even beat the motorist to his own home. If the Wellington suggestion is intended to give. motorists a better opportunity 1o recall tho circumstances it hardly justifies its complications. Thero should he no obstacle to any city motorist being informed within 24 hours under the present system, and this is hardly an unreasonable delay. Should tho traffic authorities merely wish to issu* a kindly warning the inspector has only to " tag" the car, requesting attendance at the traffic office. Any motorist who ignores such a hint deserves to bo promptly prosecuted, no matter how trivial tho breach. When tho traffic authorities show a willingness to point out an error, one should take the correction without quibble. A motorist who finds himself hailed for a misunderstanding a point-duty signal should always pull up when clear and return for further information. If the traffic inspector has a respite lie will probably explain, and a prosecution may be avoided. This happen* frequently in Auckland, and b is much more impressive to iho motorist than f* fine for something he does not understand and will probably repeat. Unwisely, tho corrected motorist occasionally adopts a attitude, and invites the traffic officer to " go ahead and prove it." The proof is usually forthcoming, to the satisfaction of the magistrate. „ TRAFFIC SIGNS. County Councils have been circularised by tlio "Ministry of Transport with instructions for early signposting under the Motor Regulations. Tho department proposes to place a bulk order for tho approved signs when requirements are known. Several local bodies havo already obtained satisfaction by obtaining signs through the A.A.A. and tho association is willing to furnish standardised warning signs. The Minister has been asked hv tho A.A.A. to suspend his instructions to local bodies until representation from the motor associations aro considered. HIGHWAY *0 HAMILTON.

A conference was held this week between representatives of tho Waipa County Council and tho Auckland Automobile Association in connection with tho failing section of tho main highway between Ngaruawahia and Hamilton. The Highways Board, baa offered the county a subsidy of £3 for £1 tor reconstruction in bitumen, but tho local body has not committed itself. The section concerned is [! miles 72 chains in length, and under existing heavy traffic tho metal surface will cost £250 a inilo yearly for maintenance in reasonable condition. Maintenance on a bitumen road is estimated at £33 a inilo. Interest and sinking fund amounting to about £IOO would bring tho total annual charge up to about £133 a mile.

Unless the county moves quickly it will still bo maintaining an inadequate metal road when every other authority between Auckland nod Hamilton has settled ils (roubles by permanent construction. In viftw of tho handsome offers being inade by the Highways Hoard it will bo n strong reflection on any local body which has not taken steps for reconstruction before the end o£ this year. If a progressive spirit was universal there'need not bo a vant of metal road between Auckland and Hamilton within three years: Tho work cannot bo done in. a • fe.v' months and a great deal of maintenance money is being wasted in procrastinating over tho preliminaries.