MAIN HIGHWAYS BILL.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XII, Issue 233, 14 September 1922, Page 5

MAIN HIGHWAYS BILL.

MOTOR TRADE’S APPROVAL. Dunedin, Sept. 13. At the annual conference of the New Zealand Motor Trade Association amongst the matters dealt with was the proposed Main Highways Bill, and the memorandum drawn by the Minister of Public Works outlining the new bill was discussed. General satisfaction was expressed with the efforts of the Minister to reconcile the conflicting interests and to bring down a satisfactory measure. Th© association appro veil of the method of control suggested by the Minister—viz., one board whole of the Dominion, conditionally on an understanding that the revenue provided by motorists in the South Island should he speilj there and the revenue provided hy NorthTsTand motorists should be spent in that island. LICENSE TAX OPPOSED. Strong exception was taken to the proposed license tax and a resolution was passed protesting against the injustice of any additional taxation on motor vehicles. It' was pointed out that motor vehicles are now very heavily taxed through the Customs and tyre tax. The average annua! taxation under these heads is about £l5 per car per annum. The experience of other countries proved heavy taxation was a serious drawback to the development of motor transport and had proved a setback in England and Continental countries. The taxation per car in America averaged only about £5 per annum. . The executive of the Otago Motor j Union waited on the conference and the viewpoints of both organisations . were found to be sufficiently alike to warrant the. hope that unanimity between the motorist and the motor traders would he possible in presenting the news of motoring interests to the M, Hie t< proposed Motor Vehicles Bill was dealt with and a large number of amendments to the bill ?™d last session were adopted and <*&ered U be sent on to the Government for consideration when the new ) <,r will eontinn* it, liberation, to-nwrro» j 1 intprcs \j llß will he «hown «otue interest n R of Dunedin on Friday..