MOTOR TAXATION.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 149, 30 July 1914, Page 8

MOTOR TAXATION.

« WHO SHALL PA*? * [From our own Parliamentary Reporter.] WELLINGTON, July 29. "We don't agree at all with the proposed distribution of the revenue to be derived under the taxation in this Bill,' '• said Mr A. E. Jull, chairman of the Counties' Association, at a deputation to the Hon. H. D. Bell yesterday morning, when the Motor Bill came under discussion. They maintained, Mr Jull said, that the upkeep of the roads was mainly in the hands of the "rural local bodies, and under this Bill the rural local bodies were not going to get a fair proportion of the revenue. Mr Bell: If you say that the rural districts are not being treated fairly as compared with the boroughs and towns, then you are wrong. Rural local bodies, continued Mr Jull, could not 'have the supervision over the speed of motors which urban bodies could, and speed was one of the greatest factors in damage to the roads. They thought that the Government should take the whole of the revenue to be derived from the Bill, and give in return a better system of grants for road purposes. Mr Bell said the Government had thought of that, but they had to consider that the taxi and the motor lorry which took the washing home used the streets as distinct from the roads. In. distributing the revenue, they hail 'to think of this. Answering a question regarding the distribution of the tax from private cars, Mr Bell said that it might t>e fairer to make this an island matterl It would not be fair, for instance, to spend tax derived from Auckland on Otago Toads. Mr Jull /said that they did not think that the private car .should -be taxed higher than the commercial vehicle. Mr Bell said that the position was that the taxis and lorries had to pay other fees now. Next year, if this Bill passed, the whole .question of heavy traffic would have to be dealt with. The Motor Bill wa& intended to make the use of the roads available for motorists, 'not for swelling the rates. Mr Jull observed that there was a big section that thought a motor tax was unfair. Mr Bell: Please make it understood in your districts, gentlemen, that the taxation under this Bill will go back to the benefit of the motorists. In answer to a question, Mr Bell said he thought that from the private cars the taxation would be about £40,000 — from all over the Dominion, of course. Prom trade motors, he was utterly unable to arrive at any estimate. In England, the tax had grown in a very short time to half a million, and in the' Dominion they had more motors in proportion to population than England had.