INCREASED TAX ON PETROL

Press, Volume LXXV, Issue 22802, 30 August 1939, Page 13

INCREASED TAX ON PETROL

UNANIMOUS RESOLUTION OF PROTEST OPINIONS OF 96,000 MOTORISTS (PRESS ASSOCIATION TELXGRAK.) PALMERSTON NORTH, Aug. 29. “This conference of delegates, representing all automobile associations and comprising the North and South Island Motor Unions, with a membership of 96,000, places on record its unanimous protest at the action of the Government in adding to the alrieady excessive rate of taxation on petrol fourpence a gallon, coming as it does after repeated representations had been made for relief by remission of that part of the former tax which was allocated to the Consolidated .Fund. “The Government’s action indicated a complete disregard of the interests of petrol users. The Government’s suggestion that the additional tax is required for the purposes of defence, is, in the opinion of the conference, untenable, for reason that the tax has not been earmarked for that purpose; Furthermore, should the active defence of the Dominion against invasion, become necessary the first step undoubtedly to be. taken would be to commandeer all bulk petrol stocks, thereby depriving the Government automatically of the revenue which it alleges is required for that purpose.” The foregoing is part of the text of a resolution adopted at the annual conference of the North Island Motor Union. The conference contended that it was a distinctly unfair position in which the Government’s action had placed petrol users. In protesting against the additional taxation they might be charged with being unpatriotic and unwilling to make a contribution to the security of the Dominion when, the real position was that petrol users were already taking their full share of this responsibility.