Dunedin’s dilatory motorists
The date of registering motor vehicles under the new Act expired on Saturday, but from inquiries made that morning it would appear that the owners of many vehicles have so far failed to fill in the necessary form. When the police commence to demand the production of the registration receipts, however, the dilatory ones may have cause to regret their neglect, as a penalty of £20 for each day the car or vehicle has been in use will have been incurred, The post office authorities expected that about 5000 registrations would be made on Saturday, but only 2400 and about 400 motor cycles had been registered by the hour of closing. The amount received in fees is approximately £5000. Although the date has expired, the registrations will still be received at the office in the old post office building, and the public are advised to register at once in view of the possibility of action being taken by the police. There is a special office and a special staff at the old post office building to assist in effecting the registrations, and applications will also be received at the post offices at Mornington, Roslyn, North-East Valley, Dunedin North, Moray place, Manor place, South Dunedin, Caversham and St Kilda. The new number plates are expected to arrive in the near future, but in the meantime the owners of cars will use the numbers at present affixed to their vehicles.
Heat turned up on gas
It was announced a few days ago that as a result of negotiations carried on by the Department of Industries and Commerce, based on the experience of countries such as Great Britain, Canada and Australia, regulations had been issued for the purpose of controlling the conditions under which gas is sold — price, purity, pressure and heating value.
The regulations make provision for the inspection of meters. Three specially appointed officers, to be known as gas referees, have been appointed. Any gas company will be required to: (a) declare the calorific value of the gas; (b) fix maximum prices for each therm or thousand cubic feet of gas of declared calorific value and (c) supply gas of the declared calorific value at a specified minimum pressure and free from sulphuretted hydrogen. When seen about the matter on Saturday the assistant town clerk (Mr K.A. Johnston) said that the Dunedin City Council had no apprehensions. "The calorific value of our gas is probably higher than that of any other centre." — ODT, 2.2.1925
Compiled by Peter Dowden
