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New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1527, 31 July 1919, Page 26

As a result of the last meeting of the Hawke’s Bay Automobile Association all local bodies in the district and the inspector of police have been written to and asked to give assistance in making the roads safer for all persons. Attention is called to the number of lightless cycles, carts, etc., nightly met with, and the need for better control of all traffic. The wrong use of spot lights is also objected to and some concerted action is called for. 0 • » • A Gisborne motorist who has returned from a trip up the Coast, states that the roads are in a remarkably good condition for this time of the year, and adds that when the road between Gisborne and Tolaga Bay is

metalled, it will be an easy one-day journey from Gisborne to Ruatorea. A promise has been made by the Government to assist local bodies with the work of metalling the section of the road between Gisborne and Tolaga. North of Tolaga, as far as Awanui, the road is reported to be in excellent order for this time of the year.

The state of the roads in Christchurch was touched upon by Cr. Flesher at a recent meeting of the City Council, the speaker stating that the roads were in very bad condition, and were full of “pot-holes.” Other speakers spoke in similar terms, Cr. Herbert expressing the opinion that the council was out-of-date in the method of doing its work on the sides of its roads, and that until some better method were found the council would always have trouble with its roads. Cr. McKellar considered that, on the average, Christchurch had the best roads in the Dominion. No motion, however, was brought before the meeting and the matter lapsed.

It was a dear day at the Dannevirke Court recently for motorists who had killed live stock whilst travelling. A dog cost a car owner £3l 3s. 3d., and a ram another defendant £l5 155., apart from the cost of solicitors’ services. The legal claim of a non-fare paying passenger who is injured in a motor accident has hitherto been rather a contentious point. Realising this, the Royal Automobile Club,' England, have just taken counsel’s opinion on the matter. The eminent authority by whom the club were advised cleared up a number of the intricacies of the question. Counsel held that a car owner is liable for any personal injury caused to its passengers through his negligent driving, even although such passengers are not paying for their conveyance. The car owner is also liable if injury is caused to passengers through the careless driving of his servant, provided that the passengers are being conveyed with his consent. But he is not liable to them if they are being given a “joy ride” by his chauffeur without his permission. Regarding injury caused to passengers by defects in the car of which the owner was not aware, counsel held that there is no liability on

his part, except, of course, where gross negligence is evident. There is, counsel suggested, no distinction between a servant of the car owner who may happen to be a passenger and any other free passenger. The servant injured by his master’s negligent driving has a claim against him.

One enterprising individual in the motor trade (says the “Dominion”) is credited with having -conceived a brainy way of doing business in connection with the traffic induced by the Trentham races. He furnished a motor van with a stock of new tyres, tubes, and other material for effecting quick repairs, and patrolled a considerable section of the road, assisting lame dogs over styles in a highly remunerative fashion. With the roads alive with motor vehicles of all descriptions—due to the lack of any train service—there were many breakdowns, from the humble puncture to serious engine trouble, and the arrival of the skilled mechanic with the material and ability to put things right was regarded as almost providential. Referring to this enterprise one motor expert, with an English experience, said that there were itinerant motor repair outfits always on duty on the London-Brighton road, most of them fitted with a lathe and a vulcanising plant, so that almost any kind of repairs could be effected at the roadside.

The Mayor of Christchurch (Dr. Thacker), in his statement to the Christchurch City Council, said he would like to impress on the By-laws Committee that some further serious motor accidents had occurred, and unless something were done more accidents would occur in future. He suggested that two inspectors should be appointed to keep a watch for motorists and motor cyclists using excessive speed. He instanced a case of dangerous driving by a motorist which he had seen on a Sunday afternoon. He took this motorist’s number, and would report the matter to the local body which had licensed him. Some measures must be immediately taken to check careless driving. Later in the evening it was resolved, on the motion of Cr. Herbert, that the By-laws and Finance Committee be authorised to appoint two more* traffic inspectors to deal with the traffic of the city, the committee, if it thought fit, to equip them with two fast motor cycles. » ♦ * ® What might have been a very serious accident occurred at Pakarae, Gisborne, recently, at the bridge near Mr. Seymour’s property. It appears that a car, owned by the Farmers’ Co-operative Co., was proceeding to

Tolaga Bay, driven by an employee of the company, Mr. J. Ensor. In the car were also Miss Johnson and Mr. Colley. The approaches to the bridge are on very steep grades, with an unusually sharp bend. The car had crossed the bridge, but while going up the hill, by some mischance the car commenced to run backward, and before the driver could recover control the car went into the river. The car fell without turning over, fortunately for those remaining in it, Mr. Colley having jumped out before the car went over the bank. Miss Johnson, being unable to swim, was soon in difficulties, but was supported by the gentlemen in the party. As the banks are particularly steep and slippery, it was fully a quarter of an hour or twenty minutes before the party gained the road. The party was kindly received by Mr. and Mrs. Seymour, where Miss Johnson, who was given every attention, soon recovered from her trying experience. A taxi was telephoned for to Tolaga and arrived as soon as the tide was suitable, and the party landed in Tolaga about 2 a.m., cold and-wet, but none the worse for their experience. A party of mechanics went out by car next day to rescue the car.

Captain Euan Dickson, who holds the Distinguished Service Cross (and bar), the Distinugished Flying Cross, and the French Croix de Guerre for service as a pilot, has been appointed by the Canterbury Aviation Company to take charge of the Sockburn aerodrome in succession to the late Mr. C. M. Hill, who was killed while flying over the Riccarton racecourse recently. In 1912 Captain Dickson came out from England to the Thames, where he was associated with the engineering branch of Price’s foundry. In 1915 he went Home and joined the Royal Naval Air Service and had a distinguished career on the western front, including 186 bombing raids. Counsel in a civil action arising out of a motor collision appeared in court (reports the Christchurch “Press”) each armed with a plan of the locality of the collision, Mr. Thomas being in possession of a large and gailycoloured document, and Mr. Johnston with an insignificant-looking sketch. Mr. Johnston urged the magistrate not to be unduly impressed by Mr. Thomas’ plan, which, he said, showed the streets in the locality as “large and blooming garden plots, or something of the sort.” “Quite so, your Worship,” remarked Mr. Thomas, amidst laughter, “and I may say that in my friend’s plan the same streets are shown as insignificant back alleyways.” “Anyway.” commented Mr. Johnston, “they were both prepared by the same man.” • * * * Major K. R. Park, R.A.F. (son of Professor Park, of Dunedin), has just accomplished a fine flight round the British Isles in a Handley Page machine with two Rolls-Royce engines. Major Park left New Zealand with the Field Artillery, and served in Gallipoli. He -has the Military Cross with a bar, and the French Croix de Guerre. He was formerly in the service of the Union Steam Ship Company. ♦ * • » The motor car which bore the devices of the Mothers’ Help Division, Women’s National Reserve, in the Wellington Peace procession, was awarded first prize for the best decorated car. The car was lent to the division by Mr. J. E. Fitzgerald. The car was driven by a returned soldier in uniform, who volunteered to do so when he heard it was being used by the president of the Mothers’ Help Division. The car was occupied by Mrs. A. Gray and Mrs. E. A. Aherne, president and hon. secretary respectively of the division. A more or less serious motor accident took place at Hastings, in which two cars were considerably damaged and one person seriously injured. A party of Napier visitors to Hastings were driving along Karamu road when a car containing five men emerged at high speed from a cross street and a collision resulted. The Napier car was badly smashed, but the occupants escaped injury. Those in the other car were thrown out, and one. a returned soldier, was so severely injured as to necessitate his removal to hospital. The others escaped with minor scratches, bru’ses and shock. The front wheels, forecarriage and wind-screen of the motor were more or less knocked to pieces. • a « • A rather daring and impudent theft of a Ford motor car was perpetrated at Silverstream, Wellington, one evening recently. Two cars were left standing on the roadway whilst the occupants thereof spent the evening with friends. Meanwhile, the Ford car was “commandeered,” and to prevent pursuit the larger car of the two was relieved of its sparking plug. So far nothing has been heard as to the whereabouts of the Ford car.

It has been decided that America is to hold a Tourist Trophy motor cycle road race on similar lines to the English event, which was the premier motor cycle road race in the world in pre-war days. The English event was an international one, open to the world, and on several occasions American riders and machines figured prominently in the contest. As the American event is to be of an international character, it will afford British makers an opportunity of demonstrating that their products are still qualified to rank with the world’s best. From a trade point of view, no business can accrue to English makers in America as a result of such a practical demonstration, owing to the American tariff precluding a market for British machines in the United States. The effect in other parts of the world, however, would be invaluable, as proving to those obsessed with the superiority of American products that the British machine is at least equal to the best America can produce.

A Hastings borough by-law provides that “no vehicle of any kind shall be allowed to stand in any one position in any road or street in the borough for longer than 10 minutes.” Recently several people who infringed this by-law were proceeded against, but Mr. Dyer, S.M., who heard the cases, has held that the by-law is invalid. In his judgment he said: “The operation of the by-law is not restricted to the busy streets of the borough, but it is applied indiscriminately to all streets, including places and times at which there is little or no traffic. The police say, and I believe with truth, that they have only prosecuted in instances of breaches of the by-law in busy streets. The by-law, however, has application to all streets in the borough, and it is therefore valid or invalid as it stands. It would, I think, be impossible to hold that the bylaw is valid in some instances and invalid in others. I think, therefore, for the reasons I have given, that the by-law as it at present stands is unreasonable, and therefore invalid, and all the informations must be dismissed.”