MOTOR TAXATION

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXXII, Issue 12254, 9 April 1935, Page 7

MOTOR TAXATION

UNION’S REPLY TO MINISTER “FIGURES QUOTED ’ARE PITRE ASSUMPTION” < Press AssoeiatUiA.'. ITAWERA. April 8. The North and South Island Motor Unions have issued the fri.lowing statement in a. further reply to the Rt. Hon J. G. Coates on the subject of motorists’ taxation: — “In stating that motorists have not established a claim to priority in tax reductions, Mr Coates entirely, and no doubt conveniently overlooks the indisputable fact that the Government has not at any stage advanced any reasons other than specious ones iii support of its action in inflicting discriminatory taxation on the motor vehicle owner. Every timo in late years that the Government has found itself short of money it has come down on the motorist like a wolf on the fold. ‘The amount of taxation exacted by the Government from transport is simply clogging progress and 1 Tendering prosperity. We have if.rca.dy challenged the figures quoted by Mr Coates in support of his contention that a major portion of motor taxation is passed on by the motor owner Air Coates ignores our challenge, and wo now state definitely that the figures quoted! by him are pure assump tion. “Even if they were capable of substantiation they still would prove nothing. Just the same sort of’ illogical reasoning misled the Government. into first of all raiding the roa c ] fund to the .tune of hundreds of thousands, and then experiencing death-bed repentance and handing the same money back to the road fund, but as a loan. The automobile associations are justified in objecting to this sort! of budgetary manipulation. “Air Coates claims that an analysis of the figures we quote as the sum of the burden the Government has inflicted on the motorist indicates that we have included thirdparty insurance. This analysis is more guess worh and the guosser has again guessed wrong. In attempting to prove that the motorist is not unfairly taxed Air Coates has set himself a.n impossible task.”