TRACTION ENGINE HAULAGE.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18400, 5 June 1925, Page 6

TRACTION ENGINE HAULAGE.

QUESTION OF LICENSE FEES. At the May meeting" of tho Eyre County Council information received from tho'UnderSecretary ot i'ubiic WorKu made it compulsory on all local bodies. to consider- &• traction engine and a' trailer as a motor lorry and each extra trailer &s an additional motor lorry .andto chaige oach motor lorry the fee specified in the motor lorry reguiat-Kiiis, in tradition to any fee the local body might charge the traction engino tinder their own by-laws. This also applied to owners of chaffcutters and threshing plants when their engine drew. a trailer loaded with coal for use with the plant. It.was found that q. traction engine drawing .three trailers with iron shod tyres, each trailer weighing two tons and carrying a load of 6 tons of produce, would be liable to a yearly license tee of about £2OO, This being looked upon as prohibitive, it was considered that the traction engine service would cease and the farmers be compelled to .fall back upon rTorsc cartage. A Resolution was accordingly, carried asking the Minister of Public Works to get the matter altered so that local bodies might make their own arrangements- regarding the licensing'of traction engine trailers; as they do at present for traction engines. At the laat meeting of the Council a reply was received from the Under-Secretary of Public Works, but it was considered of such an indefinite nature that it was decided to circularise all the counties'in Canterbury and endeavour to get their support to an attempt to have the regulations altered. '