STRATFORD MOTORISTS

Taranaki Daily News, 17 October 1931, Page 8

STRATFORD MOTORISTS

ASSOCIATION BRANCH MEETS. RULES FOR .ELECTING OFFICERS. Matters concerning jffhich the Stratford branch of the South Taranaki Automobile Association has been busy during the past 12 months were discussed at the annual meeting last night of the branch. Mr. A. Betts presided over a good attendance. Members would see that the committee had been interested in a variety of mat- . ters affecting motorists, Mr. Betts said. It was only by co-operation among members of the committee that such items could be satisfactorily dealt with. Motorists increased in number each year, and a close watch was kept by automobile associations on legislation likely to affect their interests. Nowadays many items of proposed legislation affecting motorists were referred to I the North. Island Motor Union, and from that to the various associations before amending laws were brought before Parliament. That was evidence that the strength of associations was fully recognised. Motorists contributed a large amount of money by way of taxes to the Government funds. During the past twelve months the Dominion had been passing through a difficult period, and it was gratifying to find that although where members had. been in the unfortunate position of being absolutely unable to .find the money for their annual subscription at the time, they had requested the secretary or service officer with whom they had come in contact to allow them time to pay, rather than resign memberships of the association. During the past few weeks a large number of outstanding subscriptions had been paid. The safety first campaign in schools which had originated from the association had been carried on during the past year with outstanding success. It was proposed to extend that service next year if possible by sending the service officer to the schools in the district to give lectures. A matter had been brought to his notice recently of commercial travellers with their,motor cars filled with samples obscuring the view to the rear of the car. That could well be gone into as a car with the rear view obscured was a menace on the road. The matter would be brought before the committee. Since the formation of the branch in 1925 the practice had been .to elect a president, three vice-presidents and a committee, which then had elected a chairman. The vice-presidents had been the Mayor of Stratford and the chairmen of the Stratford and Whangamomona County Councils. Those officers had been elected in consideration of the help extended by their staffs to the branch in .the matter of the erection and maintenance of signs, and it had been felt that by electing them as vice:presidents the branch was showing its appreciation of their assistance to a slight, degree. Some years later fresh rules had been drawn up for the association, and the constitution of branches had been defined. The rules provided for a chairman, an honorary secretary and a com-, mittee of not fewer than five members at Hawcra and Stratford, where active branches of the association were in existence. .Through the rules not being taken as a guide for the past two or three years members had continued electing a president and vice-presidents at the annual meetings. The past year s committee had had the irregularity brought to its notice eight months ago, and a decision had been arrived at whereby the then elected officers would hold office until the annual meeting and then only officers in accordance with the i-ules of the association would be elected. In the past the branch had had six town members of the committee together with associate country members- Mr. Betts suggested that the new committee be elected on the same basis. PROBLEM OF SUBSCRIPTIONS. As chairman of the executive Mr. N. H. Moss stated the signing of roads in the district had been practically completed and apart from that, expenditure in view of the times had been kept as low as possible. The branch had four representatives on the central executive and they had always had good treatment at the hands of the Hawera members. Perhaps a rebate in the subscription for prompt payment would result in less being outstanding, said Mr. J. Fredric. A suggestion had been made that subscriptions should be reduced to a flat rate of 15s, said the president. Recently, however, subscriptions had been coming in in larger numbers and the amount outstanding was nearly all collectable. People from whom it was hopeless to collect had been struck off the list. As it had been stated that the amount of subscriptions in arrears was practically all collectable and that as most of the road-signing had been completed, leaving little that would need large expenditure, Mr. A. Coleman announced his intention of giving notice to move at the annual meeting of the association that subscriptions. be reduced to 10s 6d if paid within one month of the due date. Mr. Moss said the Hawera executive was greatly opposed to any reduction but he agreed that it would be far better to have subscriptions of 10s 6d paid than to have subscriptions of £1 Is outstanding to the extent of about £lBOO. A motion was carried unanimously in support of Mr. Coleman’s suggestion. Officers elected were: Chairman, Mr. A. Betts; honorary secretary, Mr. F. P. D. Jeffries; committee, Messrs. G. A. Carter, L. J. Furrie, W. Willans, N. H. Moss, A. Rawles and J. C. Allen; country mem bers in advisory capacity, Messrs. E. W. Hancock (Cardiff), J. Bonner (Ngaere), E. A. Adlam (Waipuku), M. Gernhoefer (Toko), G. Muggleton (Tututawa) and R. Mounsey (Purangi) and the Rev. A. Hamilton (Whangamomona). Several members thought the annual meeting at Stratford should have an op portunitv to discuss the balance-sheet of the association. A recommendation will be forwarded that the central executive furnish all members with a copy of the balance-sheet two weeks before the annual meeting. It was also recommended that steps be taken to collect the arrears of subscriptions, i