H.—4o.

Ignoring all other than purely motor - traffic considerations, it would appear that the best measure of road-usage is the gross weight (of the vehicle and the load) that passes over any given road. Road-maintenance varies with the weight and speed of the vehicles that use the roads. From the road - damage point of view, therefore, speed should, strictly speaking, be considered. This, however, is impossible at the present time, so the figures given hereunder relate to weights only. The average weights used in calculating the gross ton-miles have been carefully estimated, while the annual vehicle mileages are in accordance with actual conditions in New Zealand, so far as is known : —

Gross Ton-mileage of Mechanically-propelled Traffic on Roads and Streets.

CONDITIONS IN THE MOTOR INDUSTRY DURING YEAR. Impost Tbade. The main features characterizing the motor import trade during 1930 were — (a) Substantial falling-off in the numbers of new vehicles ; (b) The fact that the quantity of motor-spirits was the highest yet recorded, while the average value per gallon (invoice value in country of shipment plus 10 per cent.) was the lowest yet recorded ; (c) A substantial decrease in the value of tires imported ; (d) A substantial decrease in the aggregate value of motor-vehicle parts. It would appear that there has been a sharp contraction in the additions to the number of new vehicles in the Dominion. The following tables show the number and value of motor-vehicles, and the value of fuel, tires, and spare parts, on which Customs duty was payable imported into the Dominion during the last five calendar years : —

(a) Imports of Vehicles.

(b) Imports of Motor-spirits, Tires, &c., and Vehicle Parts.

6

Year ended 31st March, 1930. Year ended 31st March, 1931. Kind of Vehicle. ; Gross Ton-miles ; Percentage of I Gross Ton-miles Percentage of (000 omitted). j Total. | (000 omitted). Total. 1 xi'.i i it m »t 5ii <h ai - Cars .. ,. .. 1,000,104 6044 1,075,256 60-55 Trucks .. .. .. 543,737 32-88 591,712 33-32 Omnibuses .. .. .. 77,175 4-67 78,000 4-39 Traction-engines .. .. 2,076 0-13 1,404 0-06 Trailers .. . . .. 1,510 0-09 1,846 0-10 Cycles .. .. .. 29,549 1-79 28,313 1-58 Totals .. .. 1,654,151 100-00 1,776,531 100*00

Calendar Year. Motor-cars. j Motor-cycles. Totals. (a) NUMBER. 1926 .. .. .. 15,790 2,649 4,651 23,090 1927 .. .. .. 9,9.36 2,195 3,543 15,674 1928 .. .. .. 15,814 2,236 3,554 21,604 1929 .. .. .. 22,345 5,707 3,823 31,875 1930 .. .. .. 13,422 3,046 2,749 19,217 (b) value. £ £ £ £ 1926 .. . .. 2,610,392 588,053 203,868 3,402,313 1927 .. .. .. 1,504,749 361,920 165,300 2,031,969 1928 .. .. .. 2,231,757 418,841 173,241 2,823,839 1929 .. .. .. 3,272,653 833,827 189,359 4,295,839 1930 .. .. .. 1,860,174 482,002 134,594 2,476,770

Motor-spirits. Calendar Year. Tires and Tubes. Vehicle Parts. Total. Quantity. Value. j MBHrvt ** *" "t'|W S"** to I* r»"'« 11 i Gallons. j £ £ £ £ 1926 .. .. j 44,817,512 2,654,482 925,268 350,818 3,930,568 1927 .. .. 48,042,640 2,005,983 1,053,435 265.973 3,325,391 1928 .. .. j 54,540,416 1,655,451 991,022 239,823 2,886,296 1929 .. ..! 62,448,092 2,130,835 1,161,893 268,151 3,560.879 1930 .. .. 68,309,672 2,090,542 808,535 206,666 3,105,743