HIGHWAY SYSTEM

Dominion, Volume 23, Issue 46, 18 November 1929, Page 15

HIGHWAY SYSTEM

TIRE TAX RETURNS

The improvement of the highway system of New Zealand is a mutter to which attention is drawn in the annual report of the Main Highways Board. In 1925-26, when there were 136,715 motor-vehicles using the. roads of the Dominion, the return from tire tax was £223,699, being approximately £27,600 more than the return from tire tax in 1928-29, when there- were 56,000 more motor-vehicles on the roads. While there lias been a 40 per cent, increase in the number of motor-vehicles, there* has been a 12 per. cent, reduction in the return from lf'the aver-, age amount collected per annum during the four years prior t0'1.928-29 is .taken, it is found to be 'greater thafi the amount collected during 1028-29. fci ' 1 - Although during this period there has been a reduction in the price, of tires, which would have the effect of reducing., the amount of Customs duty, the figures afford striking evidence of the improvement in the highway system. No doubt there has been an improvement in the design of tires, but the better standard of road surface brought about by the expenditure of special motor taxation must be recognised as the outstanding reason, states the report.