MOTOR TAX

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 21 October 1924, Page 5

MOTOR TAX

BILL PASSED BY HOUSE. A YEAR’S EXPERIMENT. THE SCHEDULE UNALTERED. (By Telegraph—Special to the Star.) WELLINGTON, Oct. 21. When the Motor Aphides Bill was put through the Committee of the House last week the schedule of license tees was held over, the Minister-of-In-ternal . Affaii'3 undertaking to. reconsider it in view of -the general criticism of its unfairness. . The Bill..was again considered, to-night, when Mr Bollard confessed that he had been unable to see a way of altering the schedule. Every public car had to pay a license foe to the local body as well as au annual tax. Some members had suggested taking weight into ! consideration, but the more he went into it the more complicated it appeared, because there were a number of ears weighing loewt. having 40 . horse power, while others weighed 22cwt. and had 20 horse power. Consequently, he had come to the conclusion that the schedule in the Bill was the best wav out of the difficulty. “ The schedule is abominable and unjust,” declared Mr Wilford, in'announcing his intention of dividing the committee on its adoption. ' He would not debate the matter because the House had already spent hours over it, every member suggesting either' a petrol or a tyre tax so- that the motorist would pay according to road use. The discussion then seemed to be taking the same course as on a previous committee, debate, when the Premier interposed, declaring: “We might go on till mu','ight without- getting any further. Let us agree to this experiment, and if it is not working well-.by the time Parliament meets again let us knock it out and endeavour to provide something to take its place. I don’t think it is worth wasting more time.” Mr Wilford remarked that, in view of the Premier ’s undertaking, he would not pressi his opposition! The discussion died down and the schedule was adopted without a division.