Automobile Club Negotiating for Rest Houses and Road Patrols Questions concerning the use of new Hangchow highway form a the main subject" of diseassion the anonol general meeting of the Automobile Club of Chinaryheld on April 2h in the fice "of "me Secretaries, Messrs, Beck & Swann, ithe Bund The Chairman, atr. W ieener, Said:—~Out ex-Chalemian, Mr."E, Gordon Lowes, left. Ching Recently for good, and I'am sure you Join mein wishing hint a plea ant retirement in his Rome tand. Acted as Chairman during the goats 1026-1932 and the Club progieased considerably under his able leaders 'The report and accounts nin Jour bands for some tine and following usual "procedure will take"them as read The Ret Port gives a. very "comprehensive Survey of the "work of the' Class luring, the past year and leaves litre forme to, add." Before prox Posing the adoption of the accocnie however, 1 have a few brief chess: vations "to. mae.
With the opening to trate of the mngchow motor road. in October lust the Cub entered into a period of prosperity never before equalled Suring'the 27 years of Sts existence This was due principally to the fact that instead' of being Testreted to the roads in the Shanghat "became Possible for automobile owners to obtain greater "benelt and "pleasure from their: vehicles and the Club was thus enabled Gitend its cope. of activity: and usefulness. "Much "ritiiens been' almed atthe new high and, incidentally, those' who have Been engaged in' their construction and' your Committee as "taken every'step possible to point out the Unfaleness and. ndesieablity. of invarranted erticiom of roadwase this Juncture," The difeuitce inder which the Bureau of Public Highways "has "bern operating are very considerable. The county has been passing through several crises Both economic and military, fonds for roadbullding have been dificult 40 obtain and the necessity for edu. eating the peasant, who has. been Used for centuries to. other: forme transportation, la by mo. means simple matter." The work achie the circumstances calls for hign'praise and whist a few poesie who have endeavoured' to use the Shanghai-Hangchow "Road in' bad weather, prior to the completion surfacing, have experienced difieat tes, the majority of users of 1 dnd' othey roads have done so with rear enjoyment to themuclves. Our Secretary travelled nearly 00 ites over the Shanghai-Hangchow Road lid' those in the Hangchow district China, New Year, and. with the exception of one ection ofthe Kiwelehow Ready which was at the time under repair, travelling wat rapid and as "comfortable. "as could be desired. Since that. time good deal of progress has been the Club in considerable expendi ture which can only'be met by greatly increased hip and possibly an increased annual subscription.
The inclement weather over the Easter holidays prevented avery considerable number of people from making use of the roads, but your committee trust members will" get the habit of motoring away from Shang! by so doing greater! encouragement will be given to the efforts of the Bureau of Public Highways, and the possibility of mutual aid in the event of breakdowns will be thus increased.
It will probably interest you to learn that in spite of the bad. weather conditions' Miss Viola" Smit completed over the Easter holidays tour of 886 miles including. the Hangchow Road, the Nanking: Road, the Kweichow Road and several others. She experienced no difheulties whatsoever, and on the Hangchow Road the only bad! patch was few miles from Haining where the roadway has been neglected owing to the fact that a new section, eliminating several dangerous bends will be brought into use the near future. The work on the sea wall between Choling and Cha-oe was completed on Sunday, April 16. in other words during the holiday, and our thanks are due to the Commissioner "of Reconstruction, Chinkiang, who rushed this work through in an endeavour to have it completed in time for the holidays.
Our secretaries will be glad receive reports from. members using the roads regarding their experiences, as it is only by this means that" accurate informa tion can be conveyed to members as to conditions existing from time to time.
The Club emblem ix now seen reater frequency on members! fears, but as the member has' now reached approximately, 1,000 we should undoubtedly see more badges on the road, An endeavour is being made to get the badge made locally and if this is found possible: there will be a considerable reduction in the cost. Your committee has in mind a proposal to start an: entrance fee upon joining the Club, which would include a Club emblem free of charge, By thix means new members would automatically become possessors of one of the Club's badges, Talking of traffic and licensing 8 your committee regret that not been found possible to inaugurate some ce-ordination of public services which would render it possible to obtain a licence from the local authorities ble mins to be no reason why it}
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.