MAGISTRATE AND COUNTY COUNCIL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 3697, 29 September 1927, Page 1

MAGISTRATE AND COUNTY COUNCIL.

Sir, —-My attention has been drawn to some remarks made bv Mr. J. L. Stout, S.M., in connection with a motion passed by the Manawatu County Council at its recent meeting re a recent prosecution under the Motor Regulations. I should not have troubled to reply, but, as Mr. Stout mentioned my name as the proposer of the motion, I cannot allow the matter to rest where it is. The motion was the result of keen disappointment felt by councillors at the manner in which the case was dealt with by the Magistrate. He seems to think we were annoyed because he did not inflict a penalty, but that is not so. We were exceedingly disappointed with his general remarks when hearing the case, which, in our opinion, were not calculated to impress on the offender that he had been committing a serious breach of the regulations, but, on the other hand, were more likely to bring ridicule on those responsible for drafting them, and on those responsible for their administration. I am prepared to admit that Mr. Stout has the necessary legal qualifications for his position, but I am not prepared to accept him as an authority on roads, their construction, or the pace at which motor vehicles can pass over the roads without doing serious damage. These are matters for experts. In this case, a bus weighing about tons unloaded was caught travelling at a speed of 33 miles an hour, twice the speed allowed by the regulations. This has been going on for some time and the Council are determined it shall not continue. This action was brought, not with the view as stated by the Magistrate, to compel them to ravel at 16 miles per hour, but to compel them to .make application to the Council for a reasonable speed limit. A conviction having been recorded, application has been made and the speed fixed at 25 miles per hour for buses of this description and 30 miles per hour for the ordinary service car, which I think, will be considered reasonable by all fair-minded people. Mr. Stout infers that these prosecutions were made with a view to collecting revenue. He ought to know that any penalties imposed under these regulations are not paid into the County fund, but are passed on to a higher authority. In regard to my “not being a sportsman on this occasion, because I could not take a licking,” all that I have to say is I have no sense of defeat. It is not a personal matter. As a matter of fact there was no defeat-, as a conviction was recorded.

In conclusion, I should like to point out the difficult position of the Manawatu County. It has a tremendous length of main highways, over which there is very heavy traffic. We have not the money to make roads that will allow motor vehicles of every description to travel at unlimited speed. The rates in the County are already high and any increase at the present time would be very keenly resented by ratepayers. We are trying to do our, best with the funds at our disposal, but, in the meantime, the County roads are being starved in order to spend money on the main highways. To make better main roads, more money will have to be placed at the disposal of the Highways Board by those using the roads, as the ratepayers are doing as much as can be expected from them at the present time. JOHN H. PERRETT. September, 26.