Licensing motorcars

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 20 January 1916, Page 2

Licensing motorcars

JUST A LITTLE ARGUMENT

AN interesting discussion took place on Friday at the meeting of the Waitemata County Council, when the question came up for passing by-laws re licensing of vehicles. Under the regulations motorists pay a license of 30s per year to traverse the roads of the County. The fees in other classes of vehicles are, in some cases, 10s, and in others 20s. The meeting of the Council started in committee at 10 o'clock in the morning, but it was close on 2.30 p.m. before the public business started. When the question of adopting the by : laws came up, Mr J. McLeod suggested that, instead of passing them, a nt)w one should be passed regulating-motoi-cars alone Several speak-t ers objected to licensing settjer.sAgL vehicles, and it was suggesteO;^/" they be exempted, or that a''-* nominal fee of Is be imposed. Ji Following upon ' this,' several Jk' members said if the by-law w&Ts"' passed, they did not wish it to be enforced in their ridings. MrV. Kerr-Taylor remarked: It is the city we want to get at. Finally the bylaws were adopted as submitted.

Some discussion then followed as to whether or not certain ridings could be exempted from the operation of the by-bvw, and it was again suggested that settlers should be free from the tax.

Mr A. Cochrane warned the Council that it could not discriminate in favour of the settlers otherwise if a case came to Court they would be liable to very--severe comment from the Bench.

Mr J. McLeod said he wished his riding to be exempted, and Mr Dye followed suit, also the member for Birkenhead.

Mr John Bethel objected to any riding being exempted. Personally; he would like his district exempted, but thought the by-law when passed, should apply all round.

Mr Cochrane said if they got reasonable compensation from the City Council for the way the roads were cut up, there would be not be any need for licensing vehicles. As it was, did not get compensation, and this was the only way to get some revenue for necessary repairs.

Mr Day pointed out that the backblocks did not suffer from traffic from the city.

The Chairman said that perhaps Maratahi, Birkenhead and Kaukapakapa ridings might be exempted from the operations o the by-laws.

Mr McLeod said he objected to the by-law altogether, as he considered that a retrograde step. Even if the by-law was not operative in his riding, "t'tie .fact of it being in force nearer towTi>' vcwould stop motor cars coming to his district. To- try and stop motor-cars was to keep back .the progressiveness of the district.

Mr Kerr-Taylor remarked that the motorists were continually writing about ths bad state of the roads, and putting the Council to the expense of repairs, therefore it was only right they should contribute towards the upkeep. Mr F. Poynton said he would like to see more motor cars coming through his district, it was' a sign of progress.

Mr McLeod said the land at Waikumete had increased wonderfully in value since the motor-cars went there.

Ultimately it was agreed to let the by-law stand as passed, and not to formally exempt any ridings from its operations — "Star." • ■