HEAVY TRAFFIC FEES

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 300, 19 September 1928, Page 13

HEAVY TRAFFIC FEES

QUESTION OF REDUCTION

CAREFUL CONSIDERATION

NECESSARY

That the question of reducing taxation ou commercial motor vehicles is not one for hasty decision was emphasised by the Prime Minister (Right Hon. J. G. Coates) in the House of Representatives yesterday, when replying to a question by Mr. 11. Atmore (Nelson). Mr. Atmore asked whether it was the intention of the Government to give legislative effect this session to the recommendation of the Industries and. Commerce Committee that some relief should be afforded owners of such vehicles.

"It is an economic question and a very comprehensive one.” said the Prime Minister in reply. “Whether it is necessary to reduce the minimum rate of taxation by legislation has not by any means been established, to my mind at all events. Tho whole question of a reduction in heavy traffic fees involves quite a large number of local authorities with regard to what, up to the present, has been assured finance. They are immediately implicated. 1 need only point to the case of Wellington to illustrate the difficulty which would occur. Other local bodies throughout New Zealand hav' drawn my attention to the fact that any reduction made in the heavy traffic fees would have to be met by some other form of revenue. A deputation from the carrying interests waited upon me recently, and I intimated to them that the Government would carefully investigate their request that the whole question of fees should be reviewed. I am not certain nat it is necessary to have legislation unless £5 is considered to be too heavy a minimum fee. I don’t know that £3 can be considered too heavy. The request was for a reduction, but no stated amount: was set out. That would require very careful consideration, as the finance of nearly every local authority in New Zealand is involved.”

WOMEN TEACHERS’ SALARIES

PETITION AGAINST DIFFERENTIATION

Contending that the differentiation in the salaries of male and female school teachers is contrary to the elementary and cardinal rules of natural justice, subversive to efficiency, hnd conducive to antagonism, instead of co-ordination, over 100 women teachers petitioned Parliament yesterday, through Mr. T. Forsyth (Wellington East), for the repeal of the existing regulations on the subject and for the introduction of a new scale of salaries in which there would be no discrimination, except in respect to allowances for domestic responsibilities. Petitioners claimed that salaries should be based on efficiency, and that differentiation on the ground of sex alone could not possibly be justified in principle or on any ground of expediency. It was pointed out that a female teacher required a higher grading status to ;iequire a given position and salary than was required by a male assistant to attain the same position and salary. They had been advised that grave doubts existed as to the validity of the current regulations insofar as they purported to discriminate between the salaries of male anil female teachers.

unless and until the board's decision has been confirmed by a Judge of the Supreme Court in Chambers. Sterilisation. The sterilisation proposals have been amended in the direction of applying to the operation on females the same physiological limitation as is to apply to operations on males. It is also provided that in regard to sterilisation the decision of a majority of the members of the board shall not be given effect to unless it is concurred in by tlie three members who are registered medical practitioners.