DAY BY DAY.

Waikato Times, Volume 92, Issue 14362, 13 May 1920, Page 5

DAY BY DAY.

Numerous letters have appeared in our columns of la to lira wins attention lo the reckless manner in which some motorists disport themselves on the public roads. There can he no question that the rate of speed at which some of those persons i travel tain only he classified as dangerous. anil they appear to deliberately flout danger and court accident. The police (neve instituted several prosecutions, hut were unahle lo convince the presiding magistrate that the speed travelled was “unreasonable," and the motorists have become increasingly , reckless in consequence. The magis- I Irate, of course, has to decide .on the evidence placed before him, and listening lo a recital in 'a quiet courtroom lacks the excitement concomitant to the actual happening which that recital portrays. Ifc judiciously weighs the , evidence, and speed being a difficult thing to judge, witnesses naturally j differ in their estimate. One man will assert that-30 miles an hour is not, more than 15, while another will aver j that 20 miles is fully a mile a nrinule. | With such testimony the magistrate , finds himself in a dilemma, and the njydorist gels the benellt. ' But the evil is growing, in intensity and has reached .that stage when something will have lo be done to check it. Many timid folk j are now afraid to cross our main street | during the busy hours of the day for I fear of being run over, and there have ) already been many very narrow escapes from casualties. Public safety, therefore, demands that an effort he made lo effectively deal with the matter, and it, should receive early consideration by the Borough Council when it assumes office. It certainly should not be beyond the combined acumen of 13 men, with qualified legal assistance, lo frame I a “reasonable” by-law to deal with a very pressing question. The solicitors for the county of Wai- j pa endorse the j opinion held by ; the superintend- i ent of the hobs- 1 ing scheme that any portion of a loan raised by a local body for the provision of workers' j dwellings cannot be utilised for the | purchase of land. This is certainly *i j peculiar position, and one calculated to j defeat the end for which the Act was , enacted. The county solicitors express i Ihc view that the wording of the mea- i sure does not convey the intention of Parliament, hut.'of course, the Act must he interpreted as it stands, and if the legislators have failed lo express themselves plainly the responsibility rests with them. No doubt when Parliament meets the necessary amendment will be made, and Ihosc local bodies which have already raised loans for the purpose of housing their employees will be enabled to proceed with (heir schemes. Much local body wO’k is being held hi abeyan.ee because of the housing dilliculty. Surfacemen cannot be obtained in many districts owing to inability lo obtain quarters, and now that Ihe | money can be secured for the purpose ] of actually erecting buildings for them, if the local authority does not own suitable allotments in the area, desired nr is unable lo finance, the purchase oulsidtT 1 lie loan, they are confronted with an insuperable obstacle. Another aspect was mentioned at the Waipa fcounly Council’s meeting on Tuesday which requires looking into. A councillor staled that he had hern legally advised that if the Council erected a house for one of its work_,~y' men, should that workman leave the Council’s employ he could not be dispossessed of the house so long as be paid the stipulated rent. This does not seem reasonable and the Act should certainly be amended in the direction of making the tenancy of a house erected by a local body for its own employees terminable when the occupant ceases to he an employee of the local body. Under present conditions a person could accept service with a, local body, and as soon as ho is provided with quarters ' leave the employ and snap his lingers f.t his landlords when requested to give u]) tile occupancy of Hie house. This might mean that the local body would require to erect a new house with every change in the personnel of its stall, and while it would thereby, no doubt be doing good work-in assisting in the isolutibn of Hie housing problem, it would not be a satisfactory position for the ratepayers. |

The Menace of the Speed Fiend.

Local Bodies and Housing Problem.