OUT AND ON

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 24009, 5 July 1941, Page 10

OUT AND ON

MOTOR-VEHICLE LIGHTS

BUSES IGNORE RULES PRIVATE OWNERS STOPPED j GIEBERTIAN SITUATION I A Gilbertian situation in which a ij new law is ignored by the Auckland ! Drivers" Union, while representatives of ;! three departments enforce the same 'j regulations against private motorists, •i has arisen from the half-hearted attempt, to introduce motor vehicle Ijgbt- ! ang restrictions in Auckland. Private motorists by the dozen hSve oeen warned this week by uniformed officers of the Transport Department, the : polite, and the city traffic department, " of the need for observing the new law, j bat last night, as on every other night since the regulations became operative,, ■I most bus-drivers pleased themselves, j and ignored the foil restrictions, t Following a conference with reprej sentataTes of the union and other ini terests in Auckland, on Thssrsday, the S Conjnsi®ioner of Transport, Mr. G, L. I Lsarensuo, discussed the matter in j Wellington yesterday w:th the associi ate-Minister of National Serrsee, the Hon. D. Wilson, in the absence from Wellington of the Minister of National I Service, the Hon. It. SempSe. Advice i had previously reached Wellington of i the scion's decision not to go on the ! roads after ~ p.m. if the restrictions ' were enforce>d. So Officii! Statement | When asked by telephone yesterday j for a statement. .Mr. Laarenson said he bad nothing to say. The Transport Department' in Auckland reported late 'in the afternoon that it had had to | further instructions from Wellington, ] and was unable to say whether or not ■. ibe law would be enforced against b-i\- - drivers in the same manner as against i private motorists.

"I do not know sufficient about it to make any statement," said Mr. Wilson. in a telephone conversation with the Herald from Wellington last night. "All I have is what I saw in this, morning's paper, and I had a few words with Mr. Lauren son later."

When pressed to reply to a question whether it was proposed to hare one law for private.. motorists and another for members of the Drivers* Union, the Minister said be could not answer all tee question' he was asked. He could not offer any statement on the Government's intentions. Awaiting Union's Mot# The position was discussed in A tickland yesterday at a meeting of the Auckland branch of the New Zealand Omnibus Proprietors' Association. The Dominion vice-president, Mr. N. B. Spencer, said that some word had been expected from Wellington whether the buses should carry on with one or two lights, bat nothing had been received.

| "We decided that until Sunday, when j the union is to meet, we would, to ; keep faith with the public, run with two ; lights," Mr. Spencer said. He added | that after Sunday the action the pros prtetors would take was related to what 5 the union decided. Meanwhile, how- * ever, toe proprietors would just carry I on with the two lights to avoid inconj sentencing the public. Rales lor Vehicles | Under the regulations, motor vehicles within the restricted area are cot peril mitted to use tbe right-hand headlamp, and must have the left-hand one i dipped in such a manner that the beam drops eight inches in 10ft. Side-lamps j anl tail-lamps are required, and single I spot-lights or fog-lights, suitably dipped, ; are permitted instead of the left- ] hand headlamp. The Drivers' Union 1 has made a request for the use of both | headlamps, in a dipped position, and j this adjustment was used by tome buses ' last night. Taxi-drivers also support the | proposal for two dipped headlamp®, in | the interests of safety. COASTAL RESTRICTION | GUARD AGAINST ENEMY SHIPS | The opinion that lighting restrictions jon motor-vehicles were wise was exj pressed yesterday by Vice-Admiral Sir i Guy Royle. C'.B., C.M.G., R.N., is visiting Auckland. Sir Guy said all illuminated streams •of traffic which could be observed from the sea gave away the position of the coast and for this reason it was advisable to have ■ lights reduced. i Sir Guy said tbe New Zealand blackj out was not needed to add to the diffijcullies of aircraft. New Zealand's proi blem was from the surface ship and it j was necessary to have a blackout to make it difficult for vessels to approach these shores at night. CRITICISM RESENTED STATEMENT BY MINISTER fBT TELEGRAPH —PRESS A&SOCIATIOX] CHRISTCHTTRCH. Friday "Just carping superficial criticism" was the comment of the Minister for 1 National Service, Hon. R. Sempie. to-day, on statements made at a meetI ing of the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce on the lighting restrictions. "'Restricted lighting has not been imposed upon people for the purpose of embarrassing or upsetting the community," he said. "Advice has been given to us by the heads of the Army. Navy and Air Force, and we have accepted their advice, because we think their judgment is sound." prosecution in Auckland SUBURBAN SHOP LIGHTS A charge of failing to observe the blackout regulations in respect of shop lights was denied by Venus Astrella. ice-cream manufacturer, before Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M., yesterday. Arising from the same circumstance, a charge of obstructing the police was denied by George F. Saunders.' Both were represented by Mr. Dickson. Evidence was given by the block warden. Harold 0. Wile®, and the deputywarden, Stanley S. Scott, thai Saunders. who was working in a shop yi Coates Arenue, Orakei, which was brightly illuminated with unscreened lights, refused to give them information. He also told another man present not to give information. Astrella was there. Later they called in Constable Dwan. and defendant again refused the information asked. AstreUa said he was brushed aside by the warden when he intervened. The warden would not listen to him. The case was adjourned until Monday,