MOTOR SPEED LIMITS

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 374, 7 June 1928, Page 16

MOTOR SPEED LIMITS

BY-LAWS OVER-RULED A.A.A. MONTHLY MEETING The much-debated question of the speed limits allowed under the new motor regulations has been made clear by a letter from the Under-Secretary of the Public Works Department to the Auckland Automobile Association. The letter states definitely that maximum speed limits set by local authorities were now ultra vires, and could not be recognised by the Public Works Department except on special application. The Under-Secretary stated that to date no local authority had applied to him to have its speed limits recognised. When the letter was read to the meeting of the A.A.A.'last‘evening, the council decided to forward a copy of the letter to all its representatives throughout the province, as it was understood that the Waipa County Council was prosecuting for speeds of over 25 miles an hour, and the Rotorua Borough Council for speeds over 30 miles, although the Government regulations allow up to 35 miles an hour in the open country. The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals wrote asking the support of the A.A.A. in preventing motorists carrying dogs on running boards of cars. The letter was received.

The Council of the A.A.A. was approached by the Taumarunui Chamber of Commerce to support a request to have the telephone connected between the Whakapapa Huts, National Park, and Tokanu. Members supported the chamber in its request. TAIL-LIGHT PROBLEM The misunderstanding over the necessity for proper tail-lights was dealt with in a letter from the North Island Motor Union, which pointed out that the new regulations required a tail-light with an effective reflecting surface of two square inches. The association received a letter from the Pukeatua Ratepayers’ Association asking for support in pushing on with the Albany-Kumeu Road. This was agreed to. One of the association’s road patrols reported having made a survey tr*p through Tauranga, Opotiki and Rotorua, completing a tour of 530 miles. On this trip he found the roads in general good order, with the exception of the Waihi-Tauranga-Te Puke section. He reported having secured 72 new members. The Minister of Education wrote complaining that motorists passed the Waitoa School at an excessive speed, although there was no footpath for tl& children to walk on. The association decided to reply to the Minister explaining that they were not now erecting school warning signs as a protest against the unnecessary clauses in the relative regulation. In order to assist motorists to adjust their headlights correctly, the association will station two of its patrols at the headlight testing station on the Civic Square from 7.30 to 9.30 p.m. each evening for a fortnight commencing Monday, June 11.

The association decided to write to the Harbour Board drawing attention to the fact that motorists had been fined for parking their cars on the wharf, and asking for a ruling. The secretary reported that 241 new members were accepted during the month of May, 50 resignations received, leaving the membership a 1; approximately 7,000. -