MOTOR REGULATIONS.

Taranaki Daily News, 19 June 1925, Page 8

MOTOR REGULATIONS.

RECISTRATION SYSTEM. OBJECTIONS TO SCHEME MADE. DEPUTATION TO MINISTER. By Talegrapli.—-Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. Representatives of motor interests and local bodies throughout the Dominion nii&t at Parliament Buildings this morning to discuss the question of motor registration, and subsequently concrete proposals were made to the Minister for Internal Affairs (Hon. R. F. Bollard), and the departmental view in defence of the present registration system was advanced. The opinions of the various interests represented at the conference were co-ordinated at a brief meeting prior to the meeting with the Minister. The Minister submitted to the confeience for consideration four main questions as follows: (1) Are the annual number of plates to be continued? (2) Are plates to have local letters? (3) Wha-t is the most suitable colour for plates to make them easily identified ? (4) Is it feasible that a plate can be permanent and have some addition, such as the year, to indicate that the requirements of the Act have been fulfilled ? “It is clear,” said Mr. Bollard, “that if local letters are used it would be necessary to have annual plates, as an owner might, and would ui a great many cases, change his address, in which case the local letters would be quite useless, even for the purposes of inquiry as to the state of the roads. A person cannot be prohibited from changing his address, and it is not practicable to

issue new plates in cases only where a person has changed his address. If local letters are to be adopted it would certainly not be practicable to have a letter in respect of each local authority. What system, could, therefore, be adopted? Is it feasible to divide the country into districts, such as postal districts, highway districts, or provincial districts? If there is to be a new plate each year the colour will vary. The present colour of plates is due to the fact that it was the colour available.*’ VISIBILITY OF PLATES. On behalf of the conference Mr. H. L. Tapley (Mayor of Dunedin) expressed thanks for the opportunity afforded them of discussing the matter with the Minister. In the first place, he said, the interests represented disapproved of the colour and lettering on the present number plates, and they were pleased to hear that it was only adopted because time was the essense of the contract and because it was the only one that could be procured speedily. While members of the conference, were not unanimous on all points, it had been decided in their deliberations that a majority decision should rule. They maintained . that the colour of plates should be black, with white figuring, which was regarded as more distinctive and more readily picked up than any other system. The present green plate was almost indiscernible from a very short distance. Mr. L. T. Watkins, representing the New Zealand Industrial Association, said New Zealand manufacturers could offer several types of number plates. He urged the support of local industry and the best possible opportunity of competing with the imported article. The present system of registration was strongly defended by Mr. G. MacNamara (First Assistant Secretary of the Post and Telegraph Department). From the point of view of the department there were no faults in the system, which was giving satisfaction to a lot of people and was operating economically. It had involved a lot of work, but he contended that a good system had been worked out. He was not in favour of the green plate, but he pointed out that it was forced upon the department as no other colour was available at the time. The department recogised that good plates could be made in New Zealand, but deliveries could not be made in time. He saw no reason why plates should not be made in the Dominion, but he wanted to deny that he had obtained ’plates from America without regard for local industry. PRESENT SCHEME DEFENDED. Mr. MacNamara opposed a permanent number plate. It had been urged that temporary plates would cost £lO,OOO per year, but so far this year the plates sold did not total as much as that. Considerable preference would have to be given to a local manufacturer to enable him to secure the contract. ‘‘We believe,” Mr. MacNamara said, “that an annual system of registration is the only really practicable one. The objec--tion to a permanent number plate could be summed up in many different ways. In the first place it had been said that it identified a ear for all time, but, many cars were burnt or destroyed and there was an opening under the permanent system for plates to be retrieved and attached to other registered cars, with the result that they would pass as registered for evermore. Tiie present system was an excellent one for the purpose of tracing cars. With over a hundred thousand motor vehicles in the country it would be impossible for the police to trace offenders. The police declared that it would be dangerous, therefore, to have permanent plates. The Government wanted to close up a loophole which* had existed in the past whereby cars avoided registering and paying their license fees. Under the new registration system 108,000 cars had been placed on the books, whereas borough councils, county councils and other public bodies had estimated there were 65,000. The Minister stated the matter would be carefully considered by the department, which desired* to do its best for all concerned.

Mr. Cousins, a member of the deputation, summed up his views in these words: “Let us give the scheme a chance and carry on for a year or two before we suggest changes.”