Lincolnshire Automobile Club  

Annual Report of the Committee 1918

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The committee have pleasure in presenting the Annual report and Balance Sheet.

  It will be seen that the active membership is 140, in addition to which there are a large number of Honorary members who dropped active motoring during the war period only. Fortunately this has now come to an end, and the renewed vigour which is being shown by the various motoring associations augurs well for the future. With the withdrawal last November of so many of the irksome, but unavoidable, restrictions a considerable number of members have been able to regain the use of their cars.

  At the Annual General Meeting held on February 15^th 1918 , Sir Hickman B. Bacon, Bart., was unanimously elected President, and the Vice-Presidents were also re-appointed. The committee, with the addition of Mr. Harrop, were again re-elected; also the Hon. Solicitor, Hon. Treasurer, Hon. Secretary and Auditor – Messrs. A.R.Padley, A.E. Simpson, T.C. Ives and J.S Streets.

  Since the Armistice, the Royal Automobile Club, with which this Club is associated, has formed a Parliamentary Committee to consider legislation affecting the roads and road transport, with power to take action when considered desirable. Any danger arising from the possibility of the railway influence affecting roads from the motorists’ point of view will be carefully watched.

  Throughout the year your Committee have continued to supply the “Autocar” to all fully paid up Members, despite the price per issue having been increased by the publishers to 3d.

  In the last report the members were advised that, bearing in mind the abnormal conditions then existing, it was desired that formal notice should be given to the Royal Automobile Club to terminate the existing agreement. With the cessation of hostilities, the Committee resolved that such notice to terminate be withdrawn, and this has accordingly been done, so that the benefits of the R.A.C. New Associates Scheme described in the recent issue of the “Autocar” and “Motor”, are available for all fully paid up members, together with a copy of the “Autocar” weekly. With these advantages, which many of the members know, comprise facilities for “getting home” at no expense to themselves should they unfortunately have a breakdown, information regarding tours, special terms for insurance, the advantage of the use of a room at the Royal Automobile Club Headquarters in Pall Mall when in town, the receipt of a copy of the R.A.C. Year Book with its list of hotels and repairers, and the knowledge that they are members of a body which, in the aggregate, if it is thoroughly well supported by all motorists through the country, can wield a very great influence in obtaining conditions for motorists which, under the circumstances, might readily be lost.

  This essential unity of action can only be gained by the whole hearted support referred to, and those members who have been compelled for various reasons to give up active motoring through the period of the War are pressed to support the central bodies to ensure that motoring is not taxed out of existence or has no unnecessary restrictions imposed to warp its development.

  With reference to the application of the City Corporation to have a speed limit imposed in the principal streets of Lincoln, a formal notice of objection has been lodged by the Club, and the Committee have gone through the list of reasons given by the Corporation officials as to the necessity of reducing the speed limit to 10 miles per hour, and have come to the conclusion that such speed limit is absolutely unnecessary. The City has been singularly free from serious accidents, and the Committee is of the opinion that it would be most unjust for a speed limit to be enforced as a result of occasional high speed by military motorists, whose presence is but of a temporary nature

  At an enquiry which will be held within the next few weeks it has been arranged for the R.A.C. solicitor to represent the members of this club and to safeguard their interests.

  Any member who is experiencing a difficulty in obtaining a petrol licence should write at once to the Secretary of the R.A.C., as arrangements have been made for Associates to be supplied promptly with the necessary permit.

  At the end of last year the balance was £203 7s. 4½d; this year it is £234 15s 7d, of which £150 is invested in the 5% War Loan.