Motor and Transport Defence League - the Monster ½ Mile Petition

We were fortunate to have  a tour of the stacks at the Public Records Office of Victoria (PROV) recently.  We were shown around by PROV staff, Leigh and David. It was so much fun and so interesting and one of the treasures we were shown was the Monster ½ Mile Petition - it is 2,703 feet in length and contains 36,073 signatures, and is housed in a purpose made storage box. The petition, organised by the Motor and Transport Defence League,  asked Parliament to reduce the registration fees for motor-cars from 3/ to 2/6 per power-weight unit. 

Monster ½ Mile Petition

Image: Isaac Hermann

At the time petitions to the Government had to be on one continuous sheet of paper, thus sometimes individual sheets were attached to a length of fabric or paper, to make it continuous. In this case, the Motor and Transport Defence League used a large roll of papers attached to a large spool to create the petition, which made it a convenient format to collect signatures. It is shown in the image below which was taken at the International Melbourne Motor Show.

Collecting signatures on the Petition at the Motor Show

The Herald May 15, 1936 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article244731647

The Argus of July 8, 1936 had the following report on the presentation -

Petition Half a Mile Long. Two Members Fail to Lift It.
Bearing the signatures of 36,073 "enfranchised citizens of Victoria," and wound on a large spool in the fashion of a surf reel, a petition half a mile long was presented in the Legislative Assembly yesterday. It asked Parliament to reduce the registration fees for motor-cars from 3/ to 2/6 a power-weight unit. 

Mr. Lamb (U.C.P., Lowan), who presented the petition said that it contained the signatures of residents of every city, town, and village in Victoria. The petition was sponsored by the Motor Transport Defence League, and its preparation occupied more than two months. 

Mr. Lamb, having moved that "the petition do lie upon the table of the House," sought the assistance of Mr. Dillon (U. A .P., Essendon) to lift the spool, on which was inscribed "Monster Petition," from the floor, but the combined effort of the two members failed to move it. The petition was allowed to rest on the carpet near the clerk's table, where members inspected closely the bulkiest document ever accepted for transference to the archives of the House.

Following the presentation of the petition, the Motor and Transport Defence League (1) entertained a few of their supporters at dinner at the Hotel Windsor. The president of the league (Mr A. E. Kane) presided, and the guests included the Speaker (Mr Everard) and Messrs Dillon and Hollway, M.L.A. (2)

The presentation of the Petition

The Argus, July 8 1936 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/11889930

The Age had a more detailed report of the petition -

"Half a Mile" of Petition. - Bearing over 36,000 signatures, and wound round a carrier of the type 

generally used for electric cables, a petition urging amendment of the Motor Car Act to modify registration fees, was presented to the Legislative Assembly yesterday. Mr. Lamb (C.P.), who, with Mr. Dillon (U.A.P.), presented the petition, said it was, 2703 feet - or more than half a mile - in length, and, he moved that standing orders should be suspended to enable it to be read. Members inquired "Names and all?" The petition suggested that the clause providing for the charge for each power weight unit for motor cars should be amended to 2/6 instead of 3/ as at present, provided they were fitted with pneumatic tyres on resilient wheels. This, it was stated, would create a flat rate of 2/6 per power unit for all private and commercial vehicles, removing an invidious distinction in favor of one section of the community. 

The upkeep of the roads was the petition claimed, more justly met from the existing tax on petrol, of which only one-third was devoted to that purpose. The amount now yielded by the present registration rate far exceeded the anticipations of Parliament, and it submitted the sliding rate on commercial vehicles was inequitable. The increasing power weight units per vehicle should, it argued, be sufficient to cover all road requirements, as motor cars were no longer luxuries but "virtual necessities," without which many citizens could not enter into business competition with their rivals owing to inability to pay high registration fees. If the amendment were made, it was suggested the revenue would probably increase.

After viewing the bulky document the Speaker blandly directed that it should "lie on the table of the House." And, like all petitions that are presented to Parliament, it was forthwith transferred to the vaults under Parliament House, there to join the records of Parliament —and to be forgotten. (3)

Was the petition successful? The Chief Secretary estimated, in October 1936, that the reduction in the charge from 3/ to 2/6 a power-weight unit, would cost  £125,000 for twelve months. (4) The issue had still not been resolved a year later as in September 1937 it was reported that the Motor Registration Branch estimated that State revenue would  decline by £188,000 if the reduction was put into effect. As  a matter of interest the same article reported that during the last financial year the revenue of the Motor Registration branch reached the record figure of £1,647,000. (5) Perhaps, indeed the petition was put into the vaults and forgotten.

Footnotes

(1) Motor and Transport Defence League - established in 1934 - see The Argus, September 4, 1934, see here; their rationale for the petition The Age, May 1 1936, see here.

(2) The Argus, July 8, 1936, see here.

(3) The Age, July 8 1936, see here.

(4) The Age, October 22 1936, see here.

(5) The Age, September 10, 1937, see here.