EXTRA TAX ON PETROL

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28701, 26 September 1958, Page 8

EXTRA TAX ON PETROL

More Protests Likely

Bitter opposition to the petrol tax of Is a gallon is expected at the conference of the South Island Motor Union in Christchurch today. The signs were clear from muttered asides during the report of the motorists’ representative on the National Roads Board (Mr P. W. Breen) at the opening session last evening. The tax had been an unexpected blow to the board which received no prior warning, Mr Breen said. There was concern at this deviation from the principle that all taxation on motorists should be applied to the roads; but the Government had promised to meet needs from the Consolidated Fund. “I do not see, when this extra Is is a revenue tax, why anyone should receive exemptions from it,” Mr Breen said. Another matter of lively comment was coloured rebate petrol. Mr Breen said he could not understand the objections. No doubling up of bowser facilities was , entailed. Special tankers or trucks with drums would deliver coloured petrol to qualified users. If these people wanted clear petrol for road use they simply had to fill up at'the local bowser like others, or keep a drum of ordinary petrol at home. There was no danger of impurities getting in if drums were properly handled. There had been 181,000 applications for rebate petrol costing the board £31,000 last year. For this year the figure would be £36,000 for a “paper war with the Post Office.” That amount would provide 10 or 12 miles of new sealing which would probably mean more to farmers over the years than any rebate, Mr Breen said. The president of the North Island Motor Union (Mr W. H. Brown) said the Is petrol tax was the most vicious ever imposed in this land. Even back benchers of the present Government were now saying that it was only temporary. The Motor Unions should therefore start right now to press for its abolition. Discussion was deferred till today. ~