FARMERS' TRACTORS

Taranaki Daily News, 17 September 1940, Page 2

FARMERS' TRACTORS

PERMITS FOR ROAD USE NEED FOR CO-OPERATION Unanimous support was given by members of the North Taranaki provincial executive of the Farmers' Union to a petition which is to be forwarded to the Hon. R. Semple, Minister of Transport, requesting that farmers' farm tractors without trailers, with empty trailers, with trailers containing agricultural implements and nothing else or drawing agricultural implements should be permitted to travel on the road without number plates, subject to the condition that the tractor must not be driven in such a way as to damage the road. Tlie object of the request was to enable farmers to take their tractors to neighbours' farms in order to help one another during war time. It was considered that, as so many farmers and farm hands had volunteered for overseas service, it would materially assist farmers if farm tractor owners were permitted to take their tractors and agricultural implements along the road. It was pointed out that there was less danger of farmers doing injury to the travelling public with slow moving tractors than with horse-drawn vehicles, and consequently there was no neressity for insurance, so that the Goverr rnent Was not being asked for free insurance. The petition was sponsored by Mr. G. M. Tolhurst, Wellington, who stated that despite considerable correspondence, in which he had explained that farmers were not able to go on the road with an unregistered tractor without fear of prosecution, that 90 per cent. of the farm tractors were unregistered and stood idle for seven days out of ten, and that by agreeing to the request a great deal of work could be done expeditiously, he had been unable to persuade Mr. Semple that it was important. Mr. Semple had, however, promised to reconsider the matter if representations were made to him, backed by farmers' organisations.