CAR CONVERSION

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 147, 17 March 1939, Page 3

CAR CONVERSION

Escapees From Borstal Institutions SERIOUS PROBLEM A resolution of the South Island Motor Union urging further representations to the Minister of Justice and the Minister of Transport in the matter of the illegal conversion of motorvehicles and drawing attention to the participation in these offences of escapees from Government institutions was unanimously supported by the North Island Motor Union at its halfyearly conference in YVellington yesterday. Mr. R. YVilson (South Island Motor Union) referred to the cases that had been brought under notice of vehicles being converted by Borstal escapees. “This conversion of cars is becoming a very serious problem,” he said. The secretary read letters sent to the two Ministers. In a letter to the Minister of Justice the view bad been expressed that the effect of the penalties imposed had not reduced the number of offences. No reply had been received from the Minister. It had been pointed out in the letter to the Minister of Transport that, not only were the offences numerous, but that in a number of eases accidents had resulted from the wrongful conversion of vehicles. A reply had been received In which the Minister thanked the union for its view’s. The Minister intimated that lie would arrange for mote publicity to be given to the desirability of motorists locking their cars and removing the ignition key when they were left on the road unattended, and he asked for the co-operation of the union in stressing that aspect of the problem. Dr. Fitzgerald said that in many eases, if a man tiad a little mechanical ability, it did not much matter whether the keys were in the cars or not. It seemed to him that they were not getting the protection that they should. The chairman (Mr. J. H. Edmundson) : What further action ’ can we take? Mr. Wilson explained what the South Island Union had done, and it was decider] to support its resolution.