MOTORISTS’ INTERESTS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 75, Issue 258, 1 November 1932, Page 5

MOTORISTS’ INTERESTS

SOUTH TARANAKI YEAR ASSOCIATION’S MEETING. Twenty-ono members attended the annual meeting of the South Taranaki Automobile Association at tho Winter Show Buildings in Hawera last week. The president, Dr. W. T. Simmons (Patea) occupied the chair and associated with him were Dr. E. E. Porrirt (Wanganui), vice-president of the North Island Alotor Union, and Air. W. G. Walkley (Hawera), secretary of both the association and the union. Air. Ivon Wilson, manager of the South Island Alotor Union Alutual Insurance Company, also was in attendance and at the conclusion of the general business delivered an address to members. An apology for absence was received from Mr. W. O’Callaghan (Hawera), president of the Motor Union. “The year ended August 31 has been a very difficult one for New Zealand and it is therefore not surprising that the growth of this association has re•ceived a check,” states the report of the president (Dr. W. T. Simmons). ‘ ‘ However, I am sure that those motorists who did not renew their subscriptions last year will, this year, on reflection, realise that tho guinea they pay to the automobile association is the best investment they make in the vear.”

The service officer had had a very busy year, adds the report. Reciprocal assistance had been rendered by the service officers of the Wanganui, Manawatu and tho Taranaki Associations so that on special occasions all tho main roads had been patrolled. Tho patrol officer had found abundance of work in erecting new road signs and repairing others, in revising tho maps and the road guide, in collecting subscriptions, and in patrolling tho roads, in tho course of which work many thousands of miles were covered and a great deal of road service extended to members.

During tho year the committee had decided to institute the school patrol system. Tho idea is that senior pupis at the principal schools in tho district w’ill bo instructed in controlling traffic near their schools. Each school traffic officer would bo provided by the association with a special badge. Pupils would bo specially selected for this work and they would go on duty just before tho school assembled and see that the children going to school •crossed tho street properly and did not play or wander carelessly on the street when a footpath is provided. These school traffic officers would be released just before the school came out at lunch time and in tho afternoon, when they could again contrS? the children. This system had been in vogue for some time in other countries and had been tried out with very successful results in Otago and Southland. Tho North Taranaki and Wanganui associations were acting on similar lines. The headmasters of the principal schools in this district had agreed to lend their invaluable co-opera-tion in getting this system started. Main Highways Fund. Commenting on the final report of the National Expenditure Commission and the Alain Highways Act at the annual meeting of tho North Island Alotor Union, tho president had said: When the Main Highways Act was first planned it was arranged that additional taxation would bo levied by way of license fees and later by means of a petrol tax for tho purpose of maintaining and constructing highways in this country. The tax levied was for a special purpose. It w r as to be a user tax and it was to be expended by the Highways Board, which was to be free of political control. The board had functioned, generally speaking, to the satisfaction of the county councils and tho motorists who paid the tax. Before tho Act camo into force the main roads in this country were rapidly deteriorating and, indeed, some of them had reached a stage when they were almost nnpassable. Surfaces were so bad that tho wear and tear on motor vehicles was becoming extraordinary high.

“The administration of the Main Highways Board was so successful that motorists throughout New Zealand viewed with surprise and a good deal of concern the proposal of the Naitonal Expenditure Commission that the main highways funds should be placed under political control and that revenue from motor vehicles and petrol tax should not be earmarked for a specific purpose, but available for the general purposes of Government. This union and the South Island Alotor Union joined forces in objecting very strongly to the proposal and were supported in their protest by tho Farmers’ Union and the New Zealand Counties’ Association, with the result that tho Government, in its wisdom, decided not to interfere with tho principles upon which the Main Highways Act was founded. Naturally we are pleased to see that the Government agreed with our way of thinking, and it is to be hoped that now the principle is re-affirmed that motor taxation, which is user taxation, shall be used for roading, and the question of interfering with the Main Highways Act will not arise again.” The remarks of the president of the North Island Alotor Union were made before the publication of the final report of the National Expenditure Commission, which again reiterated its view that tho Main Highways Fund should be under political control,” states Dr. Simmons. “I feel that the Government should not listen for one moment to this recommendation of tho National Expenditure Commission because it involves an absolute repudiation of tho arrangement entered into between the county councils and tho motorists when New Zealand embarked upon a modern system of road construction and maintenance. If tho revenue derived from the motoring public is more than sufficient to maintain and construct highways then the Government should in common honesty reduce the taxation to a figure for that purpose.” Officers for tho ensuing year were elected as follow: President, Mr. G. A. Carter; vice-presidents, Messrs. W. O. Williams and T. B. Crump; general committee, Messrs. W. O’Callaghan 8. C. Tonks, 11. G. Dickie, M.P., G. J. Bayly, J. A. Duffill, R. H. Lcece, W. A. Spragg, B. Rawles, W. A. Betts, N. IL Moss, C. R. Honeyfield, G. H. P. Fitzgerald, and Drs. W. T. Simmons and W. M. Thomson. In returning thanks for his election to the office of president, Mr. Carter said that during tho past 12 months the association had achieved splendid results, but there still remained a good deal to be done to ensure the rights of motorists being protected. He instnncpd the need for strenuously op-

posing the proposed 40 miles per hour limit and tho suggestion of tho National Expenditure Economy Commission to abolish the main highways fund. Mr. A. K. Fyson was re-elected auditor and Air. W. G. Walkley was reelected secretary.