AUTOMOBILE ASSN.

Timaru Herald, Volume XCVIII, Issue 18084, 23 November 1923, Page 8

AUTOMOBILE ASSN.

X ANNUAL MEETING; annus? meeting of the South Canterbury Automobile Association was held in the Wentworth Booms last night, when the President (Mr G.' A. Bridges) presided over a fair attendance. i The annual report (which has 'been .published in the “Herald!’). was taken as read. ' f. ' / iPBESIDENT'S STATEMENT. • The President said that the Association had had a' very year. The membership had been increased by 51 during the year, but. it should be still larger than- it -was, and he thought that every member should endeavour to get at least one additional member every year. It; was mainly due to the work of Mr E. A. Scott (the Association’s secretary) that had got so many new members during--tha. past .year, but the work should not to him. The Main Highat last got on to the statute .Book, and he was glad to say that it provided that the revenue rais-from--the tyre tax-in each Island must be spent”in the Island in which 'it'-was raised. This meant that they j ‘"would get their own money, spent on /their own roads. A good many sign .posts had been erected, but the difficulty at times was to know the best •places to put them, and information on-this head would always be welcome. The.. South. Island Motor , Union were trying a new scheme in colour markfng tlie car route from Invercargill to i Nelson; and if this was a success other* main routes for cars would be marked in the same way. This should save motorists, especially strangers to each : district, a great deal of trouble as j coloured posts would mark the route for them all the way. Mr Bridges ■ also referred to the “safety first campaign” which had been launched hv the j -A*is< o. r. 1 !o«;' with a view to educating fi < v the use and courtesi?. «! tl.e j .road so that trouble and accidents ! might be averted. The South Canter- | bury local bodies had worked amicably and well_ with the Association during the year and had earned the best thanks of the Association. The Press was also entitled to the Association's, thanks for the fall and accurate reports of its meetings and activities. Mr Bridges then moved the adoption of the report and balance sheet! ■ The niotion was seconded by Mr D. C. Tnrribull.

. THE USE OF THE ROAD I .

Mr. IV. T. Ritchie said that! the safety first campaign was a very important one. and promised to have very good results. It would help the Association vevr much if "all users of cars would pass on their experiences to the executive so that the piiblic might be educated on every point of value. All suggestions would be welcomed by the 'Association.

Mr IV. A. Courtis inquired whether sheep drovers.’were entitled to the , whole of the road? Some drovers made j no attempt to clear a track for cars, i It seemed‘to him that drovers should i recognise the rights of others, to the ’ use of the roads, as well as their own rights. The President said he was not sure of ‘the ..legal position, but he under-stood-that a drovei- was expected to, make a track within ten or fifteen minutes from the time a car driver

wished to pass a mob of sheep. Mr E. R. Guinness said he thought that most motorists had every sympathy with sheep'drovers. Sheep could not be shifted in a minute, or if they were the chances were that some of them, would be injured.- . Mr .Turnbull said he, found that drovers as a rule were very, obliging. (Hear, hear.) The worst trouble was with men driving drays on a piece of road who refused to get out of the way to allow a car to . pass. ■.The President said .that he hacl never had any trouble with drovers on the road. 'Mr Courtis said that be also found .drovers obliging as a rule, but on one occasion, he had met, a drover who declined to make any attempt' to allow him to "pass with his car.'” ' . ' Mr G. P. Wood referred to the factthat a resident of Timaru- had, -as a private citizen, laid an information against a'■motorist for .speeding, and the motorist was fined £5. The action of,the- informant was to be highly commended. (Hear, hear.)The "report and balance sheet were then adopted.

ELECTION OF OFFICERS. |

The election of officials for the ensuing year resulted as follows—Patrons : Messrs A/ S. Elvorthv, A.' Hope and H. A. LeCren; President : Dr C. A. Paterson ;' Vice-President: Mr E. R. Guinness; general committee : Messrs T. Scott. H. R. Harris, W. H. Orbell, W. W. Baxter, J. Moody, R. J. McKeown, W. T. Ritchie, G. A. Bridges, Edgar Jones, J. Palliser, Dr G. E. Gabites. and the President and VicePresident : Secretary: Mr E. A. Scott: Auditor:'Mr John Rohm; Solicitors to the Association : Tripp and Rolleston.

GENERAL. . ' Very complimentary references were made to the excellent work of the secretary (Mr E. A. Scott) who was given: all the credit for the present •flourishing .state of the Association. Mr Turnbull suggested that the Association should spend say, £SO a year, on the up-keep of a section of road to show how a road could be kept for cars, and to let tlie local bodies see that they were interested in tlie matter of roa».l-making in a practical way. This was being done by the-North Canterbury Association on the Hornby Road, and the man employed by that body was doing very good work. The' President said that the matter had already been mentioned in the executive,' and something would probably be done in the coming .year. Mr J. M. Dunn, secretary to St. John Ambulance, expressed the warm

appreciation of members, of his Association for the generous way in which members of the Automobile Association bad taken the competitors at the recent St. John Ambulance competitions in Timaru for a drive in the country. The President suggested that steps should be taken with a view to increasing the membership of the Association, and that each member should have his car so marked as to indicate that the owner belonged to the Association. Mr Ritclne expressed the hope that the Asnociatiotvs badge would be mado full use of so that the privileges to which it opened the door would be fully enjoyed. If this were done, it I would be an aid in increasing the mem I borship of the Association. Mr Elgar Jones gave some of br f experiences as an motorist, when on his recont trip Home, and said that his letter of , introduction from the South Canterbury Automobile Association had been the means of securing for him all the privileges of the Royal" Automobde Chili—and they were many—when he was in London. After some minor matters had been talked over the formal meeting closed, lint before dispensing, all present were entertained at supper by the Association. Some musical items were <Wven, and a pleasant hour snent. °