OTAGO MOTOR CLUB

Otago Witness, Issue 4031, 16 June 1931, Page 62

OTAGO MOTOR CLUB

MONTHLY MEETINNG. The monthly meeting of the Otago Motor Club was held on Tuesday evening, Mr H. Halliday presiding over a large attendance of members in th e absence of the president (Mr J. L. Passmore). The Vincent County engineer advised that the new concrete bridge over the Lindis River at the black bridge site, near the Morven Hills station, had now been completed by the contractors, and would be open for traffic on June 6. This bridge is on the Timaru-Queenstown (via Lindis Pass) main highway, and replaces the old timber suspension bridge, the difficult approach to which was often the cause of many complaints by motorists.—lt was decided to write to the Vincent County Council congratulating it on its step in thus improving the main highway in question. P. M'Kinlay (Benhar) wrote drawing the Motor Club’s attention to the unnecessarily large camber on the main road between Milton and Waihola. The curve was so great that passing another car was really dangerous.—The chairman stated that after the last monthly meeting of the club Mr Tindall, engineer of the Main Highways Board, had travelled over the Main South road in company with members of the committee, and inspected several portions of the road which required attention. He stated then that they could not hope for permanent improvement to the streten o’ road between the Taieri bridge and Milton just yet, but promised that he would place the matter before the Highways Board. Mr Tindall stated that he was pleased with the work which was being done on the main highways in Otago, referring especially to the tar-sealing operations which were being carried out on the Kilmog Hill. He also stated that they could look for come improvement in the Portobello road in the near future. He, however, warned members of the club that the finances of the Highways Board were in such a position as to necessitate a careful control of expenditure.

Referring to the forthcoming conference of motor unions, the chairman stated that the Otago Motor Club intended bringing forward a remit dealing with the present position whereby the Government Insurance Fund did not recognise any liability in the case of a motorist, after having given a friend a lift, becoming involved in an accident which resulted in personal injury to the second person, even although the motorist himself was liable for compensation. A member stated that the floor of the quarry at Ross Point w*as now lower than the roadw'ay immediately alongside, with the result that water was accumulating, and having a detrimental effect on the road. —It was decided to draw the Public Works engineer’s attention to the matter, and ask if the quarry could be drained. At the conclusion of the business meeting a lecture of more than usual interest to motorists was given by .Mr J. H. Pennington, who gave a very instructive talk on petroleum, its origin, history, and commercial value, and the various products to be derived from it. By means of a kinematograph projector Mr Pennington showed a film which dealt with the very early efforts to obtain petroleum, w’hich had been sought after an i used for various purposes as far back as ancient Egypt, and then depicted the first endeavours to secure the commodity by drilling during the middle of the last century, finally passing on to show the petroleum refining industry as it existed to-day. Dor.ng an interval in the presentation of the film Mr Pennington conducted a practical experiment in which he showed how, by means of distillation, n was possible to secure petrol, kerosene, and lubricafThg oil from a sample of crude petroleum. At the conclusion of his lecture Mr Pennington was accorded a hearty vote of thanks.