MOTOR INTERESTS

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 133, 1 March 1929, Page 12

MOTOR INTERESTS

PROPOSALS OF GOVERNMENT APPROVAL EXPRESSED “OUTLOOK PROMISING” “The proposals of the Government in respect to motor legislation must be welcome news to all sections of the motoring community, and the outlook is distinctly promising,” said Mr. H. J. Knight, secretary and. organiser to the White Star motor services, who is dally In touch with all sections of the motoring community, in the course of an interview yesterday with a “Dominion” representative. “Practically a new precedent has been established in the constitution of the National Transport Advisory Board in that Government representation is limited to the chairman, and the various motor interests therefore are enabled without restriction to discuss the problems an make their representations to the Minister. The proposed conference will give full opportunity to all sections of the motor community to air. their views. The chief difficulty will be to confine discussion to the principles of the case, and avoid individualities. The Transport Board will no doubt heed the opinions arrived at by the conference, and may call or hear evidence to aid in the solution of the many problems confronting them? “Ideas Sound.” “It must not be forgotten,” continued Mr. Knight, “that although private owners naturally outnumber all other classes of the motoring community, many of the latter pay an infinitely greater proportion of tax, and in many ways are under restrictions from which the private owners are free. It is generally accepted that the private owner’s average taxation is £5 per ear, but many omnibus owners pay various taxes up to £2OO before they turn a wheel. •- “All sections of the motor community are affected, and unless the problems are approached by the representatives at the conference in a reasonable spirit, the prospect of' equitable taxation and improved legislation will be considerably discounted. The machinery bas been provided for the solution of the whole problem, and the ideas the Government Is putting forward are quite sound.