MOTOR TAXES.

Auckland Star, Volume LV, Issue 250, 21 October 1924, Page 8

MOTOR TAXES.

NOBODY SATISFIED. BUT SCHEDULES RETAINED. (By Telegraph.—Parliamentary Reporter.) ■ WELLINGTON, Monday. : When the Motor Vehicles Bill was put through committee of the House of Representatives last week the schedule of license fees was held over, the Minister of Internal Affairs undertaking to reconsider it, in view of general criticism of its provisions. The bill was again considered to-night, when the Hon. R. I". Bollard confessed that he j had been unable to see a way of altering the. schedule. Every public car had to pay a license fee to a local body as well as an annual tax. Some members I had suggested taking weight into consideration, but the more he went into it the more complicated it appeared, because there were a number of cars weighing 15cwt and having 40 horse power, while others weighed 22cwt and , had 20 horse power. Consequently he I had come to the conclusion that the I schedule in the bill was the best way out of the difficulty. "The schedule is abominable and unjust," declared Mr. T. M. Wilford, in announcing his intention of dividing the committee on its adoption. He would not debate the matter, because the House had already spent hours over it, every member suggesting either a petrol or a tyre tax, so that a motorist would pay according to road use. Discussion then seemed to be taking the same course as on the previous committee debate, when the Premier interposed, declaring "We might go on till midnight without getting any further. Let us agree to this experiment, and, if it is not working well by the time Parliament meets again, let us knock it out and endeavour to provide something to take its place. I don't think it worth wasting more time." Mr. Wilfoxd remarked that, in view of the Premiers undertaking, he would not press his opposition. Discussion died down, and the schedule was adopted without division.