MUNICIPAL CONFERENCE

Hokitika Guardian, 19 July 1923, Page 3

MUNICIPAL CONFERENCE

RULE OK THE ROAD. [ny i ei.eo a a Pit —nut press association.] CHRISTCHURCH, July IS A communication from the New Zealand Automobile Association was submitted to the Municipal Association Conference to-day, suggesting there should ho uniform by-laws requiring pedestrians to keep to tho left of the footpath.

The New Zealand Counties Association also wrote, stating that they were in favour of the association's suggestion.

The chairman (Mr J. A. Flesher) stated Christchurch had a by-law requiring pedestrians to keep to the lelt, hut it was one of the biggest nuisances ■with which the council had to deal In enforce the by-law. The council would require an army of uniformed inspectors.

Mr Baildon (Auckland'' said Auckland had a by-law requiring ■pedestrian.'' to keep to the rigid- In Wellington a hv-law required people to keep to the left, as was the ease in Christchurch. Tie thought there should be uniformity of the by-laws relating to the subjeit, and Auckland was inclined to come in with Christchurch and Wellington.

Mr 11. L. Tapley (Dunedin) said that, as a conference, he thought they should a (frill a principle of either keeping to the right or to the left. He moved the eonferenre affirm the principle of a uniform hy-law, and that it should he included in the .Municipal Corporations Act. Mr W. 11. Nicholson pointed out that the Automobile Association had a icry cogent reason in asking for a umlo.an hy-law to force pedestrians to keep to the left. One prominent oilmen had lost his life through stepping oil’ a footpath in the same direction as that ill which ho had happened to he proceeding. Besides providing for the safety of the general public, such a measure would relieve motorists ol no small amount of responsibility.

Mr Taplev's motion was carried, and it was further decided that the rule of (he footpath should he to keep to the left.

municipal cox ihct? enti

CHRISTCHURCH, July Id The Municipal Conference remits adopted included—That a majority of the bodies concerned in the upkeep ol a highway bridge on a boundary or river, can compel the controlling authority to carry out repairs deemed necessary li.y a majority; that control be given to the body contributing the largest quota of maintenance; that every Covernment building within a (own or borough district he subject to the control and supervision of the Council; that hawkers’ licenses be issued by a central body and the fees distributed on a pro rata basis among the local bodies concerned : that the Covernment be asked to proceed with the Town Planning Bill.