OTAGO MOTOR ASSOCIATION.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13665, 7 August 1906, Page 2

OTAGO MOTOR ASSOCIATION.

The firft annual general meeting of members of the Otago Motor Association was hold in the Otago' Agricultural and Pastoral Association's Board Room last night. There were 11 gontlemen present, and the chair wss taken by M? J. F. M. Fraso.i-, vicepresident. in-the-absence of Mr James Mills, pr<;«iclent. The annual report was as follows: — T)ie members oi the association are to be sympathised with inasmuch as they have not yci been provided whh a garage, but tho executive is keeping that object steadily in view. The association has amply justified its existence by assisting, when possible, local bodies in making reasonable by-laws, and the committee gratefully acknowledges tho almost universal courtesy it Ims received. Local bodies begin to recognise tho fact that the association is f,b desirous as themselves of regulating fraflk- and «ifeguardins "the convenience and sflfety of the public whilst avoiding tlu other extreme—namely, unworkable regulations. Tho motor traction has to be recognised as having como to stay. It is practically in its infancy, and it entails little, if any, outlay on roads, mid is capable of wide use a.nd application. In San Francisco the loss and destruction would have been far greater had it not been for the magnificent service xeudewd by

mat ore—practically the only method 0 f conveyance available. Motors transported food supplies, carried out, the work of the Rod Cross Society, carried the injured to the hog. pitals, transported tho women and children from the danger zone to the parks and other places of safoty, and carried the dynamite for the fire department. Every auto in tho city was commajidcered by tho military or civil authorities—in faet, one of tho New York papers went the length of saying that " the automobiles saved the day for San Francisco." In timo of war the value of motor traotion is recognised as u means of rapidly movino troops with Maxims from one centre to another! It would be as well if these facts were home in mind by the driver of a. restive horse when a little temporary inconvenience is experienced by passing motors. Tho committee strongly urges all motorists to show consideration for horse traffic. It must not bo assumed that every man with a, horse is competent to manage it, and tho utmost cara should be exercised in approaching or overtaking horse treffio. Fortunately on many roads the horses are accustomed to motors. On the South road, for example, tho horses take practically no notice of motors whatsoever. Extra caro and precaution is of course necoasary up-country, where the motor is a novolty. On tho other hand, it must be borno in mind by local bbdies that a car or motor cycle is tho moat easily controlled machine in tin world, and that when travelling at twice or thrice the average speed of a. horse or trap it can l>e stopped practically in its own length, The flexibility of an auto is not generally understood, and it would be as well were carcwners to occasionally invito those who frame regulations to motor traffic to ride on their cms and form their own judgment. During t'ho past year certain runs and competitions were promoted, but, owing to the broken weather, some had to be abandoned. Next season tho committco hopes to arrange a, nr.rcber of runs for members, including one to Christchurch, tujd it i 9 to bo hoped that every member will make a point of attending if he possibly can.

Tho balance sheet showed that the income for the ye.U' was £36 18s 6d, and that the'association now has a credit balance oE over £36.

The Chairman, in moving the adoption of tho report and balance sheet, said tho executive had done a good deal of valuable work in conferring with local bodies, in endeavouring to overcome prejudice, and in getting motor traffic put on a reasonable footing. It was unfortunate, of course, that t.hey had not yet been provided with a garage. Their revenue was not at present sufficiently great to warrant them in hiring a suitable building for tho purpose, and they must wait until their means enabled them to attain that wished-for end. lie thought the time had now arrived when they should have a garage—not. necessarily their own—in a central position. By a, central position ho meant tho area of reclaimed land lying between tho wharves and tho centre of Princes street. It was a decided want, and if the. local trade did not bestir itself to supply that want there was a danger of outside enterprise coming into the city and, to put it tersely, jumping tho position. Tho trado must understand that a, very largo number of thoSo who owned motors had not the timo to attend personally to them, neither had they tho time to go to outlying portions of the town for tho purpose. It woul't! bo a great convcnicnco to motorists if some person or persons would establish a garage and repair shop where the work could be attended to on up-to-date line.;. Mr H. E. Stark seconded. th« notion. Mr W. (I. T. Goodman hoped a garago would be established independent altogether of tho trade. If tho committee gave the matter some consideration be thought a. scheme might be drawn up. He know thoro were several pcoplo hero who would go in for motoring and purchase either motor cars or motor cycles if thoro was some place where they could take their machines and leave them. ' knowing they would bo attended to. Othor towns in tho colony had garages. _ Tho following officers were olected for the ensuing year: —President, Mr James Mills; vice-presidents—Messrs J. F.' M, Frasor, .T, Gray, A. 0. Hanlon, Pr It. Y. Fulton. Rev. H. W. Cleary; committee— Messrs "\Y. G. T. Goodman, J. Wardell. W. Bell. E. E. Stark, T. Praser, E. Howlison, and TI. V. Fulton; hon treasurer, Mr H. V. Fulton: hon. secretary. Mr G. Siovwright.

The Chairman said a suggestion had been mado that tho city should acquire Forbury Park. In connection with that proposal there was an important matter from a revenue point of view that had not been montionod yet. and it was this: If tho city did acquire the park and made a speed track for cycles round tho outside of it ho did not think it would bo too much to say that it would produce an income of £500 or £600 a year. On such a track thoy could easily put tip ail exhibition of 40 or 50 miles an hour. That speed had never been seen in Otano, and it was the only traol: in tho colony where tbev could let out a machine at speed. It would l>e an enormous attraction from all parts of the colony. Ha thought the track would require little or no banking. Ho did not think be was overstating the figure when he said that from that source alone tho corporation would bavo an income of..from £500 to £600 a yenr (including tramway revenue). The opinion was unanimously expressed that tho idea was a good and feasible oiio, and that it could lie given effect to at little cost.

Pour nmv members were elected. There are now 52 members in the association.

Tho subscription for the year was fixed at 10s 6(1 per momlior.

A conversational discussion took place with reference to runs for tlio coming season, and a number of suggestions were referred to the committee for consideration.