MOTOR VEHICLES

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 7 February 1925, Page 5

MOTOR VEHICLES

FORMS OF TAXATION.' MINISTER’S PERSONAL OPINION. PREFERS PETROL TAX. • ,{BY TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASbQCIATIONCHRISTCHURCH, Feb. 6. Objections to certain provisions of th© Motor Vehicles Abt, and a proposal to drop the newly-imposed tax of £2 a year on oars in favour or an .amended tyre tax, were subjects brought under the notice of the Hon. J. G. Coates by a deputation re,presenting the South Island Motor Union, whidh. waited upon him to-day. In the course of his: reply, the Hon. Coate,s said: “You appear to bo pinning your faith, upon, the tyre tax. I am not the Minister responsible tor this legislation, and anything 1 say i« only my personal opinion,. I cannot ro mm it anybody. I wish, to make that perfectly clear." , f have one definite idea as to the best method of motor taxation, and that is tlie petrol tax. Yon -will object to that on the grounds that exemptions will be sought, but experience shows* that it is the only way of getting a.t die motor car. In. my opinion it is the only way to correctly record the actual us© of the machine.’’ Mr. J. A. Hawke (president of the Union): I have read that- in countries where they have the petrol tax they ai*e now. discussing a proposal to ado,rat the tyre tax. The Hon. Coates: They will discuss anything to get, out of paying. Tlie incidence, of the flat tax was unfair. He did not uphold that.