MOTORISTS’ AFFAIRS

Southland Times, Issue 21728, 14 June 1932, Page 3

MOTORISTS’ AFFAIRS

SOUTHLAND ASSOCIATION. MEETING OF COMMITTEE. At the monthly meeting of the general committee of the Southland Motor Association last evening, the president (Mr D. J. Wesney) presided over an attendance of Messrs F. G. O’Beirne, G. 1 Tapper, W. A. Stout, J. R. Haigh, A. E. Wish, W. R. Ronald, J. Pickard, P. A. Pearce, Gordon V/ebb, A. M. Macdonald, M. M. Macdonald, J. D. Gilmore, A. J. Campbell, J. Hunter, A. C. Ford and Dr Stanley Brown. As the meeting was the first since the annual meeting, the president extended a welcome to Messrs Pickard and Wish, who took their seats at the table for the first time. Mr Wesney stated that he hoped the new members would find their work on the committee pleasant, and he was sure that any duties which the committee placed on them would be carried out in the same sporting spirit which had characterized all members in the past. The following sub-committees were appointed: Road Signs—Messrs A. M. Macdonald, M. M. Macdonald, W. R. Ronald, G. Tapper, L. B. Hutton and G. G. Webb. Road Traffic and Camp—Messrs G. Tapper, J. McNeill, A. C. Ford, F. G. O’Beirne, J. Pickard and Dr Stanley Brown. Finance—Messrs Sydney Smith, A. J. Campbell, W. A. Stout, J. D. Gilmore, J. Hunter, P. A. Pearce and A. E. Wish. Mr A. J. Campbell was elected club captain. Mr P. A. Pearce was elected deputy club captain. Advice was received that the quarterly meeting of the South Island Motor Union would be held at Waimate on June 24. Messrs Haigh, Ronald, O’Beirne and A. M. Macdonald were nominated as delegates and on a ballot being taken Mr Haigh was appointed first delegate and Messrs O’Beirne and Ronald, who tied, were left to decide who should act as second delegate. It was decided to write to the Southland County Council and request that the railway siding at the Ocean Beach freezing works and the private siding across the main road at Edendale be improved. A letter was received from the Conservator of Forests in Southland (Mr N. J. Dolamore) stating that he was prepared to meet representatives of the association at any time to discuss camping arrangements on the Eglinton Valley road. The Road Traffic Committee was empowered to meet the conservator and report to the next meeting. The question of the control of pedestrian and cycle traffic on city streets, which was raised at the annual meeting, was referred to the Road Traffic Sub-Committee. Kingston-Queenstown Road. Through the secretary of the South Island Motor Union (Mr P. "R. Harman) was received the following letter from the Minister of Public Works (the Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates): “I have your letter containing the views of your union in respect to the KingstonQueenstown road. I note that your union is in accord with the representations which have previously been made to me by local authorities and others, and I shall be pleased to give careful consideration to the request for completion of this road by means of unemployed labour.” In a covering letter, Mr Harman stated that as the Minister’s reply still left the matter open, he was writing to the Minister again asking when it might be expected that a decision would be arrived at. Gore Matters. Tn reply to the association’s letter regarding the obstruction of the view caused by the hedge at the corner adjacent to the Gore Croquet Club’s lawn, the Town Clerk at Gore wrote stating that the matter had been referred to the Works Committee. This body had examined the hedge and reported to the council that it did not consider the hedge a cause of danger, and this recommendation had beenapproved by the council. Mr Haigh said that newspaper reports showed that there appeared to be some feeling in the council on the question and the council could not agree to the removal of the hedge. The road officer said that one councillor had given notice of motion that the hedge be cut back to the boundary line which it overlapped by several feet. The suggestions made regarding traffic domes in Gore were approved by the Borough Council, stated a letter from the Town Clerk, except as affecting the Medway street intersection. The council had decided that the domes at the intersection be left in their present positions, and that a further dome be put in opposite the Police Station in the centre of street in the line of the buildings. The road officer reported that the Gore motor inspector was strongly opposed to the four-dome system in the main street, as he considered it likely, in view of the centre of the road being a motor parking area, that a head-on collision might occur. “I suppose we had better leave Gore to deal with its own domestic troubles,” said the president, and no action was taken. Road Complaints. Dr E. Brown (Lumsden) wrote drawing the attention of the association to two or three culverts across the road in front of Castlerock homestead on the main Invercargill road. These culverts had no white posts at the sides and hence were a source of danger if two cars happened to pass abreast on the culverts at night time. It was decided to request the Wallace County Council to have white posts erected at the sides of the . culverts. A letter was -received from Mr T. Egerton, Colac Bay, asking that the attention of the Wallace County Council be drawn to the new road at Tiaka. The writer stated that if a man were put on the road for a few days to fill in the ruts it would meet the case. Mr Macdonald reported that the secretary had arranged for road signs to be erected at either end of a road by which it was possible to make a detour to avoid the bad stretch of road.