MOTOR UNION

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23748, 30 August 1940, Page 12

MOTOR UNION

CONFERENCE REPORT WAR AND PETROL RATIONS MANY ACTIVITIES REVIEWED Reference to the curly offer of the North Island Motor Union to help New Zealand's war effort, in spite of circumstances so far causing no demand to ho made, is made in the report which will be submitted to-day to the 27th annual conference of the union, which was opened in Auckland yesterday: Jho union before the outbreak of war offered the Government its entire organisation, including the motor transport services controlled by the eight automobile associations affiliated to it. The report states that to the extent that petrol rationing was necessary for the conduct of the war, the scheme had the approval of the union. Full care, however, was being taken to ensure fair treatment for members in the circumstances, and close contact was maintnined with the oil fuel controller. Automobile association representatives were acting on local oil iuei control committees. "Nothing more has been heard of the proposal submitted at the last conference that persons convicted of being intoxicated in charge of motor vehicles should be sentenced to imprisonment for a week-end or a scries of week-ends, the report continues. "It appears fortunate that there lias been no enforcement of a recommendation by the Road Safety Council that a person should be prohibited' froih operating a vehicle within half an hour of taking liquor." Road safety continued to be an important activity. Only some associations had given complete instruction in schools in their areas. Associations which had conducted the work found it valuable, and the union recommended that it be extended by the use of films wherever possible. The lack of observance of pedestrian crossings by pedestrians was a subject constantly before the union, and it was disappointing that more concerted action was not taken by trailic and police authorities to have the conduct of pedestrians improved. The report regrets the apparent impossibility to enforce registration of bicycles, since cycle traffic was one of the greatest bugbears of the highway. There had been an improvement in the marking of rear mudguards, but there was much to support the view that rear red lights were necessary for cycles at night. Wandering'stock constituted another danger on highways, and the union had called for altered legislation to stop the nuisance. The matter was now being considered by the Department of Agriculture. CONFERENCE DELEGATES REPRESENTATIVE GATHERING Delegates attending the annual conference of the North Island Motor Union include the president, Dr. E. E. Porritt; vice-presidents, Messrs. J. 11. Edniuudson and A. Grayson; the immediate past president, Mr. W. A. O'Callaghan, and Messrs. F. G. Farrell and G. W. Hutchison (Auckland), W. T. Guild and V. Duff (Taranaki), J. C. Allen and G. Laurence (South Taranaki), A. S. Burgess and F. J. Hill (Wanganui), W. H. Brown and S. I. McKenzie (Manawatu), R. W. Roydhouse and N. C. C. "Shepherd (Wairarapa), E. Palliser and W. A. Sutherland (Wellington), and Dr. W. D. Fitzgerald and Mr. C. V. Freedman (Hawke's Bay). The South Island Motor Union is represented by Messrs. P. W. Breen (Dunedin) and P. Harvey (Christchurch). Most of the visitors arc at the Grand Hotel.