H.-40

The number of registrations of motor-cars was only three-quarters of that recorded for the previous year and less than one-quarter of the number for 1929-30; figures for trucks and motorcycles, however, remained almost unchanged, after showing a decline of 35 per cent, in each case in the 1932 licensing year, as compared with the 1931 year. The analyses by country of manufacture direct attention to the continued swing-over from United States of America and Canada to Great Britain. In motor cars and trucks the magnitude of the swing-over is such that the registrations of these vehicles manufactured in Great Britain have shown successive increases during the past two years, whereas the corresponding registration figures for United States of America and Canada show a continuing decline. For the first time on record the number of motor-cars from Great Britain actually exceeded the number registered from the United States of America and Canada. The registration in 1932-33 of motor-cars manufactured in Great Britain represented 75 per cent, of the number for 1929-30, while the same percentage for cars manufactured in United States of America and Canada was only 11 per cent. The registrations of commercial vehicles, although of smaller magnitude, are of no less interest. The registrations for vehicles manufactured in Great Britain in 1932-33 represented an increase of 36 per cent, over the 1929-30 figures, whereas the vehicles manufactured in the United States of America and Canada fell to 24 per cent, of the 1929-30 figures. On the Ist June, 1932, the registrations of 12,872 vehicles lapsed owing to the licenses not having been renewed during the relicensing years 1930-31 and 1931-32. The following table shows the number of motor-vehicles, excluding those operated by motordealers, licensed as at 31st March, 1933: —

(c) Motor-vehicle Registration-plates. Reference was made in last year's report to the newly introduced system of prefix letters on registration-plates. Eleven classes of plates were issued, nine of which had the prefix letters embossed thereon in addition to numerals. As the innovation proved a success, similar plates, with the addition of a special plate for rental and private-hire cars, with the prefix letter " R," were ordered for the year 1933-34. The colour combination of the 1933-34 plates is white numerals on a darkbrown background. (d) Vehicles actually on the Road. The number of " live " registrations on the register kept in accordance with the provisions of the Motor-vehicles Act, 1924, may be taken as a reasonable indication of the number of vehicles actually on the road. The numbers of these " live " registrations have been estimated for each month, and the monthly averages for the twelve-monthly periods ended on 31st March, 1930, 1931, 1932, and 1933, are given hereunder : —

N.B. —Service-cars designed to carry not more than nine persons are included with motor-cars, while those designed to carry more than nine persons are included with omnibuses.

5

Trucks. 1 Js B »fS i$ 8 . 1 Care. a.- I"! J3 . if If S gj Total. lit f: i I jj P i I H 1 l £3 I j 1 f 1 1 1 Number. Number. Number. Number. Num. Number. Number. Number. Number. Number. Number. North Island .. 81,194 13,624 9,738 23,362 400 1,044 708 702 959 15,144 123,573 South Island .. 45,884 7,911 4,519 12,430 138 554 453 393 458 9,901 70,271 New Zealand totals 127,078 21,535 14,257 35,792 538 1,598 1,161 1,155 1,417 25,105 193,844

Monthly Averages. Type of Vehicle. ■ 1930. 1931. 1932. 1933. Number. Number. Number. Number. Motor-cars .. .. ■■ 125,013 131,407 130,889 127,115 Trucks .. •• •• •• 23,512 25,294 26,232 26,907 Omnibuses .. I- 1 ' 1,040 1,048 1,000 Traction-engines 173 117 123 136 Trailers '.. .. •■ ■• 755 923 1,160 1,545 Tractors .. .. ■• •• 293 302 426 561 Motor-cycles .. .. .. 26,266 25,167 23,487 21,995 Other motor-vehicles ... .. 445 458 441 421 Totals .. .. .. 177,486 187,708 183,806 179,680