HEAVY TRAFFIC FEES

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 7, 8 July 1931, Page 11

HEAVY TRAFFIC FEES

RETENTION SUPPORTED

The subject of heavy traffic fees was considered by the Conference of the New Zealand Farmers' Union to-day. A South Taranaki remit suggested that farmers' lorries be exempt from heavy traffic fees under the Motor Regulations, provided that they were used for carting the farmers' own produce to the nearest railway. The . opinion was expressed that the conference could not achieve success unless remits were brought forward that had a chance of becoming law. Mr. N. Campbell (Dairy Farmers' Union) referred to the position of the cheese industry, and stressed its importance when delegates considered the remit. Mr. S. N. Ziman (Auckland) said the remit asked for a special privilege. He agreed that double taxation—farmers paying heavy traffic fees and rates —was wrong. He was sure that all members realised that the union had established the principle that in the care of the roads the user should pay. Mr. H. Denton (Levin) said that nobody had explained how the resulting deficiency wourti be made up- If only cream lorries were exempted, other people would have to pay. Mr.- J. Preston (Flag«S«-ampl pointed out that if the heavy traffic fees were abolished, there would be an inducement for lorries to run to the centres, to the detriment of the railways. Upon a vote being . taken, the remit was lost.