PETROL REBATES

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21315, 7 November 1934, Page 17

PETROL REBATES

*0 THE BDITOB Or THE PRESS. Sir >— 1 read with much disapproval a statement made yesterday by Mr t i W *-{ ohnston . president of the South rebate M^ t ° r ? n u 0 ?' in re Sard to petrol I think Z S he t says, "Personally, oi t pHni l r te stunt should be cut ? s uis alm °st imposT i, • ce abuses." qhLih this is grossly unfair and, 1 occur, would increase farming costs immensely where tractors • Plou Shing, for instance, would be increased by Is to Is 3d an acre, while other work would be proportionately more expensive. Moreover, it would be most unfair to contractors using petrol tractors, who are competing against others who nave tractors using crude oil and who are not affected by the tax. This tax of 6d a gallon has nothing to do with agriculture, but is entirely ■ 3 a x the use of the highways. As for the alleged abuses, tractors are used in the rural districts where applications for rebate and attached invoices have to be approved of by the local stationmaster or postmaster, who has, in most cases, a fair idea as to whether the tractors are being used or not and, from my experic ice, makes sure that the applications are genuine. —Yours, etc., CONTRACTOR. November 6, 1934.