NORTH ISLAND ROADS.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18406, 12 June 1925, Page 5

NORTH ISLAND ROADS.

INFORMATIVE REPORT. Some interesting information regarding the state of North Island roads has been received by Mr J. S. Hawkes, secretary of the C.A.A. from Mr 11. J. Stott, secretary of tho Wellington Automobile Club, in response to enquiries made by Mr Hawkes on behalf of a member who intended to tour that island in his car. Thp letter states: —The road from "Wellington to New Plymouth is hi good order at present, but the Foxton road from Levin to Wanganui is in a bad state. Tho alternative route is to go through Levin and Palmerston North to Wanganui, via.Shanncii. The Taranaki roads tiro all good, but there is a possible deviation owing to the road being repaired at Inglewood. The road from New Plymouth to Te Kuiti and Te Awaniutu is passable in tho winter, but I have lately received adviue to the effect that slips are expected any moment north of New Plymouth.

I would suggest, instead of going to Hamilton, that your member brancli off at Te Awamvtu to Cambridge, and in to Tirau. If it has been raining heavilv. the road from Tirau to Rotorua is almost impassable through tho Mamaku Bush, and I would suggest, if the weather is bad, to deviate south at Tirau, and enter Rotorua from the south.

The road • from Rotorua to Taupo is not in such a good state, but is passable, and Taupo to Napier, most of which is unmctalled until within a few miles of Napier,,is good in the summer, but the country, being mostly pumice, is bad going in the wet weather.

From Napier through tho Wairarapa to Wellington is practically good all the way.

I would suggest that your member takes chains with him. as in the wet weather it is frequently necessary to use them north of New" Plymouth.

LIGHTS ON VEHICLES ACT. GRIEVANCE FROM NELSON. Dissatisfaction in respect a? tho Lights on Vehicles Act is the subject of a letter sent by tho secretary of the Nelson Automobile Association to the South Island Motor Union. The letter is as follows: ' My committee has been going into the question of lights on cars in parking places at night, with particular reference, of course, to a place where the street light illuminates the parking place to such an extent aa to maka the lights on the cars quito unnecessary. Under the "Lights on Vehicles Act'' there is apparently no option, even if tlje local body concerned may consent, and may eveii pass a by-law permitting cars to be in such a place without lights. We believe that prosecutions have already taken place in several places in the North Island, and con-' vicbicms obtained in places where the local by-law apparently permitted such to he done.

The Act appears to us to be defective in several directions, and ainbiguoua in other respects, and we would like to know what your union is doing in regard to endeavouring to get an amendment.

The matter lias been discussed previously by the Motor Union and the Government been ripproacjhed in regard to it, .and in addition, Messrs J. S. Hawkes, chairman- of the Union, and A. E. Ansell, a member of the executive, will bring it up again at the conference to be held at Wellington next week to go into questions connected with identification plates, and other matters of interest to motorists.

British car production has made a notable advance during the past two years, and it now looks as if the British car is coming into its own again. In 1922 the value of British cars made was £20,000,000, and despite greatly reduced prices in 1924 tho figures totalled £30,000,000. In 1922 cars made numbered 40,000; as against this in 1923 the output was:" Private cars 67,334; commercial vehicles 22,348; whilst the" 1924 totals wore 102,248 cars, and 31,350 commercial vehicles.