NUMBER PLATES.

Timaru Herald, Volume XCVIII, 19 June 1925, Page 3

NUMBER PLATES.

MOTOR REGULATIONS. •fly Telegraph—Fross Association. WELLINGTON, June 18. Representatives of motor interests and local bodies throughout the Dominion met at Parliament Buildings this morning to discuss the question of motor registration. Subsequently, concrete proposals were made to the Minister of Internal Affairs, ,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 meeting with the Minister. The Hon. R. P. Bollard submitted to the Conference ■ for consideration lour main questions, as follows: (1) Are the annual number plates to be retained. (2) Are the plgtes to have local letters ? (3) What is the most suitable colour for the plates to make them easily identified? (4) Is it feasible that a plate can be permanent, and pave some addition, such as the year, to indicate that the requirements of the Act have bocai 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, in a great many eases, chango his address. If there is to be a new plate each year, the colour will vary. The present colour of the plates was duo to the fact that it was the only colour tnai. was available. The present system of registration was strongly delonclod by iur O. McNamara, of the Post and Telegraph Department, from the point of view of the Department. Ho was not in favour of the green plate, but pointed out that it was forced upon the Department, as no other colour was available at the time. The Department recognised that good plates could be mane m New Zealand, hut deliveries could not be made in time. The Government wanted to close up the loop-hole which was open in the past, whereby cars avoided registering and paying their license fees. Under the new registration system, 100,899 cars had been placed on the books, whereas Borough Councils and other public bodies had estimated that there were only Üb.IHMJ. Finally the Minister stated that the matter would be carefully considered by the Department, which desired to uo the best for all concerned.