“OBSOLETE BY-LAWS”

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 873, 17 January 1930, Page 8

“OBSOLETE BY-LAWS”

Sir, — In common with several othe.r respectable citizens, I had to attend the Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday in connection with a by-laws prosecution. The work of the court was so heavy that two courts had to be used for by-law breaches. A simple sum in arithmetic would arrive at the cost of this stupendous waste of time. It certainly seems high time that something was done either to revise the by-laws, or alternatively to prosecute every' offender, so that they would break down with their own weight. My firm has recently been engaged carrying out alterations to the Bank of Australasia, in Queen Street, and while working there the writer inquired from a Queen Street traffic officer as to the advisability of standing between the safety zone and footpath for the purpose of unloading. Not satisfied with this, he also inquired from a policeman on street duty. Both men advised that, as it was obviously impossible to stop anywhere else, no sensible officer would take action. There is ample room for a vehicle

to pass between a stationary truck and the safety zone. The public utilities at the corner are as follow: First, safety zone in Queen Street; the posting-box on the corner; a women’s, rest room in Wyndham Street; a full-day parking area in Wyndham Street, on one side; a taxi stand and a fruit stall on the opposite side. The council, of course, receives revenue from the fruit stall. Notwithstanding the impossibility of observing the by-laws, a driver employed by our firm was fined £2 and costs for standing at this spot while unloading. The Traffic Department did not dispute our statement that its officer had advised us in. the matter, and one might be pardoned for concluding that these prosecutions are for the purpose of raising revenue only. After leaving the court, the writer counted over 40 cars which were infringing by-laws, and at the identical spot in Queen Street a Chinese fruit waggon was standing. We know it is necessary to pay traffic officers their salary, but a less cumbersome method could surely be designed, and it should not be left to the caprice of any individual inspector as to who should be prosecuted, and who should not. I trust this protest will arouse some influential motorists in Auckland, who will agitate that this obsolete and inefficient traffic service be swept away, and replaced with something worthv of the year 1930. E. B. BAMBURT.