AUTOMOBILE CLUB

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 201, 20 May 1921, Page 9

AUTOMOBILE CLUB

HANDLING AND STORAGE OF PETROL

PROTEST AGAINST LATEST RESTRICTIONS

The monthly meeting of the committee of tho Wellington Automobile Club was held this week. There were present: — Dr. Prendergast Knight (chairman), Messrs. B. L. Donne, L. R. Partridge, W. Mantell, C. M. Banka, H. J. Stott (secretary).

The secretary reported that with regard to the Explosive and Dangerous Goods Act, he hud sent to the Minister the following resolution passed at a previous meeting:—"That the Wellington Automobile Club regrets to learn that the Minister of Internal Affairs declines to agree to the proposed amendments to the Explosive and Dangerous Goods Act regulations, by the oil companies and motorists in regard to the handling and storage, of petrol, that a strong protest be made to the Minister in charge against the unnecessary and hampering restrictions, that the New Zealand Automobile Union be requested to obtain support to the objections by all motor associations throughout the Dominion, and that a copy of this resolution be forwarded to the Minister of Internal

Affairs." Afr. Stott said that he had also asked the secretary of the New Zealand Automobile Union to take action by communicating the resolution to all affiliated associations, jtoget'her with the South Island Union, with the object of such associations protesting to the Minister in a similar manner. The present regulations, now in force, would mean that practically all the oil stores throughout New Zealand would have to be reconstructed, entailing enoffcnous expense, because some of the buildings did not comply with the requirements of the regulations, which demanded that the buildings be turned into reservoirs, 'and that they be surrounded by a wall of brick or concrete. The present buildings were all licensed by the local authorities, and were constructed on plans approved by them. Even tho large brick and concrete stores would have to be built up at the doorways to tho height of, say, three feet, and carts would not be able to

enter them. Under these circumstances mechanical devices would have to be installed in the shape of gravity runways and power-driven elevators. The cost of installing these mechanical devices would t, ilhnncnndq rtf T>onnds. which COst

run into thousands of pounds, wmen cost the oil companies would naturally pass on to the consumer. 'TJnder the regulations,” he continued, "a motorist cannot 'hold more than 8J gallons of petrol unless he first obtains a license. In the past it has been cus-

tomary for the oil companies to supply, say, five to ten cases at a time to the consumer. The oil merchant employs contract carters, and it therefore follows that it would cost as much to supply one case as it does o supply ten cases. In other words, if it were customary for the consumer to order ten cases, the same being supplied on one delivery, say at a cost to the oil company of 2s. 6d., then if these ten cases have to bo supplied in ten deliveries, it is going to cost the oil companies ten lialf-ciowns, and it stands to reason that this expense will not be borne by th'e companies unless they increase their selling price for petrol. Under tho new regulations the case must carry a special paste-on caution label. Tho statement has been made by one of the oil companies that if the package had to carry this label, the suppliers would only pack

tJIUJ KWI) VUI7 Oll.ppil'?*. J nvui U ''“‘J oil for Now Zealand when the casing factories had not much to do. As the demand for case oil exceeds the supply, the chance of New Zealand receiving specially-labelled cases is somewhat remote. Consequently, there is a risk of Now Zealand again, facing a petrol short' age. Cases aro at present indelibly branded "highly inflammable.” Petrol is not highly explosive: it is highly/inflammable, and the wording of the paeteon caution label is therefore misleading. “No good purpose will be sowed' by having cases carry tills special paste-on caution label. It will mean extra expense in packing, not only in the cost of the label, but for the labour entailed in pasting it on. Experience in the past has positively demonstrated that packages carrying paste-on labels have arrived in New Zealand in a most-deplor-able state, at least 50 per cent, being mutilated, and from 10 to 20 per cent. — o xt 1 ~ 1-—1 HTUvi* Tsennv InTinl •pfiT

of the labels on. rue paper miwi iul case oil was therefore cut out as being entirely unsuitable. No other country demands that cases shall carry a caution label for export. The oil companies do not deny that case petrol in America and England have special labels pasted thereon, but the case oil trade in America would represent less than one per cent, of the total consumption, and in England probably less than two per cent, of the total consumption. The club considers that the present marks adopted by the importers are ample to safeguard any risk of danger, especially as under these regulations petrol will be under very much greater control thau in the past.” Other Matters Dealt With.

Owing to several complaints having been received with regard to a dangerous corner in the. Ngahauranga Gorge Bond, it was decided to write to the Makara County Council (drawing attention to the dangerous point and asking if it would ho possible to have it improved. In reply to the secretary's request to

the Minister that an advance copy of the Main Bonds Bill should bo forwarded for consideration of the committee, it was stated that copies would be available for circulation in the near future.

The secretary reported he had written to the Petone and Lower Hutt Borough Councils asking them if they would be prepared to allow an officer of the club to check the speed of motorists when the traps were out, particularly on race days. The Lower Hutt Council had consented to tho times being checked, subject to there being no interference either with the motorists or tho council's officers. —It was decided to act accordingly, and the was left in the hands of the secretary and Mr. IT. AV. Lloyd to appoint a suitable man for the purpose. Tho Minister of Internal'Affairs, replying to a request that he receive a deputation with regard to tho ejection of toll gates by local bodies, Matf®that he would he away from Wellington until the end of the month, but would l.e pleased to arrange a date on his return. Parking Cars. Tho committee recently communicated with the City Council with regard to parking cars at certified parking places with the engine end-on to the pavement,

tho opinion being that the by-laws should be amended or given serious considera-

tion for various reasons as follows: —The present by-law provides that cars shall bo backed against the curbing. The committee is of opinion that it would be better for tho cars

if parked with fronts to the curbing nnd diagonally as in America, this being tho quicker way to get into position, thus avoiding obstruction of other traffic. The cars could be packed very much closer together, saving considerable space. By parking cars diagonally, it reduces the risk of collision with passing traffic as the engine need not bo raced to .draw out of the gutter. It obviates ih<y danger to pedestrians of hoods and other parts of tho car protecting two or three feet over tho footpath. Tho most vulnerable and valuable parts of a. car — the ro-sta.rter stoc-ing ports, and engine —are in front and would ho protected

from damage by passing vehicles;. Tho risk of colliding with another car in the park would ho greatly reduced. The Council wrote in reply to the previous suggestions that tnoy regretted not seeing their way ■clear to accede to tho request that tho cans be parked with

the engine to the curb, hut that they had approved the parking of cars at an angle of 45 degrees to the curb. The council agreed that a saving of space may bo gained by parking the cars as suggested, but held that a danger would arise when reversing into the centre of tho (Street. The Taita. School Committee, the Otaki School Committee, and the secretary of the Wellington Education Board wrote asking the club if it would be propared to erect school danger boards outside tho schools in their respective districts. It was decided to have twelve boards made of the latest approved pattern of the Royal Automobile Club and distribute same in the outlying districts, it being understood that thef.school committees undertake to erect the boards.

The secretary of the Wairarapa Association wrote thanking tho club for their donation of .£25 towards the cost of fencing the Rimutaka Hill, and stated that tho job was practically completed and appeared to he satisfactory. He also asked for assistance in bringing pressure to bear upon the authorities in order that six telephones may bo installed on the Kaitoko Hill. The committee was in sympathy with tho object, and stated that it would do its best in the matter.

A complaint was received with regard to the bod state of tho road half-way through the Silverstream Gorge on a bend leading to the river bed.—lt was decided to write to the Hutt County Council on the subject. Mr. C. M. Banks, who had been appointed on the sub-committee to report on the suggestion that garage proprietors and motor dealers should be supplied with a card or badge indicating that they wore mombors of the club, stated that all members of tho club who were motor traders had been written to asking for their opinion on the matter. He could come to no other conclusion than that the suggestion could not bo carried out. ns it would cause endless Confusion. It was therefore decided not to take any action in this matter.