Federated Farmers To Seek Delicensing Of Transport

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29264, 23 July 1960, Page 14

Federated Farmers To Seek Delicensing Of Transport

(New Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON, July 22. Complete delicensing of the transport industry should be a basic objective, Federated Farmers decided at its conference today. It was agreed that as farming industries were required to compete on world markets for the disposal of their products they could not be expected to continue to bear the high costs created by near monopolistic conditions in transport. The conference believed 1 that there was a place in the economy for" both road and rail and that their respective functions were best determined by free competition. Other decisions reached by the conference were: Research

The main political parties will be asked to set up an agricultural research council. The conference decided the council should be similar to the one in the United Kingdom. Children on Tractors: Legislation prohibiting children from driving or riding on tractors was opposed. The conference thought an intensive education campaign would be more effective. Taxation A remit urging a review of the taxation system as it affected the self-employed was passed. The remit asked that a simpler system be adopted. The conference thought the remaining extra petrol tax, plus the additional 33 1-3 per cent, sales tax on motor vehicles, should be removed The duties, it was stated, added considerably to the costs of the

farmer some distance from a trading centre. Stolen Cars The conference decided to ask the State to accept responsibility for ' cars stolen or damaged by escapers from State institutions. Arbitration Court The appointment of two addi■tional Judges to sit with the presiding Judge of the Arbitration Court was urged by. the conference. The conference adopted an Otago remit which said such a move would better serve the public interest.