THE PETROL TAX

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 99, 28 April 1928, Page 10

THE PETROL TAX

MENTION OF INCREASE NONE NOW WARRANTED Commenting on the statement reported to have been made by the Hon. A. D. . M'Lcod at Masterton, in which a further tax on pet-1 rol was hinted'at, Councillor H. D. Bennett, chairman of tho Works Committee, and an acting member of tho local Highways Board, stated to•day that while the general public has willingly enough subscribed to the fourpenny tax policy, he did not think .that any further increase could bo warranted either now or in the immediate future. Nor did he believe that the statement had any considered significance. Tho trouble to-day, lie said, was not so much to got tho money, but rather how to dispose efficiently of tho huge sum collectable under tho present tax. Until the Government could show this, no further tax, he thought, would be tolerated. VALUE FOR PRESENT TAX FIRST. Mr. Bennett said that ho had recently published figures to show that of the existing tax something like £200,000 was duo to bo expended in and around Wellington annually. Ho had urged that definite steps be taken to put this money into road-surfacing. 110 had no doubt that tho right thing to do was to ask tho City Council, either .direct, or through the City and Suburban Highways Board, to carry out road-sur-facing work for and under tho supervision of tho Main Highways Board. Anyway, Mr. Bennett said, Wellington under tho present taxation was entitled to urge a big forward road-con-struction movement, and it was just iis well (0 plan ahead and help to move things along. There was enough money in sight to justify pretentious ambitions. Wellington wanted its two main arterial road connections surfaced. The money was being provided now not by tho disgruntled country ratepayer, but by the user of tho road. Ho wanted valuo for his present tax before he would consider anything more. Mr. Bennett concluded by saying that with.-a combined effort Wellington could have a paved road connection to New Plymouth and Napier within three years, and to Auckland and Eotorua within five.