MOTOR VEHICLES

Southland Times, Issue 22214, 5 January 1934, Page 9

MOTOR VEHICLES

LICENSE FIGURES. A SMALL DECREASE. Although there has been a drop in the issue of motor vehicle licenses in New Zealand during recent years, the decrease has not been as great as the average individual imagines. The drop was greatest between June, 1931, and June, 1932, when it was more than twice as great as during the following 12 months. The Auckland postal district has the greatest number of registrations and the Christchurch district comes next. The total registrations at the end of June, 1931, were 163,250, and at the end of June, 1932, 151,441—a drop of just a little more than 7 per cent. On June 30 this year the registrations of all classes of motor vehicles in New Zealand totalled 146,994, which represents a decrease of not quite 3 per cent, on the total as at the end of June last year. Of the four main centres the greatest number of registrations of all classes of motor vehicles at the end of June this year was in the Auckland postal district, with the Christchurch postal district next. The respective totals were as follows: Auckland 27,280 Wellington 16,467 Christchurch 19,358 Dimedin 9,584 By the end of September the registrations in the Auckland postal district had risen to 30,985, in the Wellington postal district to 18,212, in the Christchurch postal district to 22,563, and in the Dunedin postal district to 11,327. The figures for _ the final quarter of the year will not be available until some time in January, but it is anticipated that substantial increases will be shown on the returns for the previous quarter. The returns of all motor vehicles licensed on September 30 also show that there are many more in the North Island than in the South, the figures being:— North Island 108,524 South Island 59,669 Total ■ 168,193

New registrations of cars, commercial vehicles, and motor-cycles to the end of November this year totalled 8127. For the 12 months of last year the total was 9293. A special graph kept by the Registrar of Motor Vehicles in Wellington gives an interesting illustration of English competition with American and Canadian motor-cars. At the end of 1928 the registrations of new motor-cars of American and Canadian manufacture were over the 5500 mark, and the registrations of English cars were less than 1000. The registrations of American and Canadian cars dropped- during 1929, but they were up again to close on 5500 by the end of that year. At that time the registrations of English cars are represented as having reached their peak, being more than 1000. From the end of 1929 registrations of Canadian and American cars began to drop down sharply, until during last year they got below the English registrations, and as far as the graph has been plotted for this year they are shown as having remained below. At the end of 1932 the registrations of new English cars were nearly 1000, whereas the registrations of new American and Canadian cars were a little more than 500. There were more motor-cycles licensed in the Auckland postal district than anywhere else in the Dominion at the end of September, the total being 3870. Christchurch was second with 3063, Wellington, 1845, next, after which were Hamilton 1413, Dunedin 1246, and New Plymouth 1221. The total number of motor-cycles registered in the North Island on the same date was 11,531 and in the South Island 7209, making a grand .otal of 18,740. To those who have no fondness for motorcycles probably it will be of some interest to know that Westport, whose registrations right through are small, has fewer registered motor-cycles than in any other postal district. The total for Westport is given as 81.