The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 17th, 1925. MOTOR VEHICLES ACT.

Hokitika Guardian, 17 February 1925, Page 2

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 17th, 1925. MOTOR VEHICLES ACT.

In the course of an interview given a Wellington paper last week, the Hon. B. F, Bollard. Minister of Internal Affairs, said that probably no measure introduced into Parliament in recent times was given greater thought and consideration before it saw the light of day than the Motor Vehicles Bill. For several years, as motor traffic began to increase so phenomenally in New Zealand i\k to demand proper control, in. quiries were made l>y tin? flomnmont

in Australia, England, and the United States of America where some such system as ours is in force. Very valuable material was obtained troin those countries and sifted and considered by competent olliecrs. When the hill was drawn up and formally brought before the House copies were circulated to all local hollies and motor ai.x i 3 ieiatioii.s concerned, from whom suggestions wore asked. Then, at the instance <>t the CJoverninent, Parliament set up a special committee of the Mouse to t i evidence on the hill. The result v.athat the measure was very thoroughly examined. One of the biggest discussions on the bill centred on the form of taxation on cars to he adopted. Unanimously the committee agreed not to entertain the tyre tax, or the petrol tax, hut to give the Hat rate of tax provided for in the hill, a trial ; and Parliament approves, the recommendation. If this tax is found not to work equitably after a period of twelve months, then it will he for the Government to consider what other form of taxation should he imposed, hut in tho meantime the tint rate tax is tha which was decided upon by the Legislature, and it will have to stand. It is also the tax wiii; h a majority of the bodies interested approved. Referring to questions that had arisen on the system of registering and licensing of motor vehicles, the Minister said no time was lost by (lie Department of Internal Affairs in bringing forward the regulations. Copies of the regulations, immediately tuey were prepared, were sent to local bodies, motor unions, anil others interested, and very careful consideration was given to the various suggesiijns made. It was originally proposed that the system of regstration ill England he followed in the Dominion. That system provided for the registration of a car by means of a number plate, and the issuing of an annual license, the license being required to he carried in a. conspicuous place oil the ■ motor vehicle. "While this proposal met with the approval of some of tin interested parties,” said Mr Bollard, “it was strongly opposed by others. Tne North Island Motor Union, for instance, considered that the proposal was one which lead to considerable inconvenience, not only to motorists themselves, hut to the controlling authority. The union pointed out that in , London it became necessary for the . controlling authority to periodically stop all motor vehicles in order to examine the licenses, as it was not practicable to have the license of sufficient size to he read without stopping the ear. It was urged that the system in force in California would he a much more suitable anil up-to-date one, and it was practically that system which was subsequently adopted. It provides for the issuing of a registration number plate, which i.n itself would tie an indication not only that the car was registered, but that the annual liiense fee had been paid. It entails the reissuing of number plates each registration year. There has been a good deal of comment on the proposal. It v.as urged in some quarters that the system adopted was both unnecessary and an unjustifiable expense; hut it’has to he remembered that the charge for the plates is exceedingly small, being only Is for each plate, and the benefit, not only to motorists, but to the controlling authorities, would appear to outweigh the annual charge for number plates. Criticism of the use on the number plate of the letters “S.Z.” was touched .on bv the Minister. “It has lioeil argued,” he said, “that it was neces saiy there should lie a local or distil, identification letter, anil that the letters ‘X.Z.’ were useless. It is interesting. in this phase of the inatteJ, to know what is being done in other parts of the world. In New South Wales the system has been in force ior some time of simply having the letters ‘N.S. W.’ and nn identification number; anil the police, who are the controlling authrities in that State advise that they have no difficulty whatever in ascertaining full particulars about any • car from the lxistal authorities, wlm are the registering authorities under the Act. Later in the year. I am obtaining a report from the legisteiing authorities as to the work of the regulations, and may consider - it necessary to call a conference of interested parties, in order that they ma\ have an opportunity of expressing their views, before the commencement of the next licensing year. It is absolutely essential, as far as the present ]iconsing year is concerned, that the number plates as ordered should be used: and, while I agree that the letters ‘X.Z.’ are not essential, they certainly do no harm and cost no more. Leaving other considerations of the question, it would have been impossible to have used local identification letters, at all events in the first licensing year, as no one knew with any degree of certainty the number of existing motor-cars in any locality. It has all been purely guess work; and this one of tho many wmm f&r the iieswht? of gome

system by which it was easy to ascertain at any time the number of existing cars. Thus it would have been impossible, under the present system, to have known tvliat number of registration plates to order for any given locality; and consequently it became necessary to adopt a system by which the number plates could be used in any part of the Dominion. It is, of course, difficult to inaugurate any new system without some inconvenience to tlio.se affected. It is hoped that the system adopted will, generally speaking, prove satisfactory. Only by the actual experience gained in the carrying out of the provisions of a scheme can it he ascertained whether or not it is workable and satisfactory."