FARM DERATING

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXVIII, Issue 4607, 9 October 1934, Page 4

FARM DERATING

OPPOSITION OF MOTORISTS.

WHO BENEFITS MOST

A challenge to advocates of farmland derating formed a considerable part of the evidence submitted to the Transport Co-ordination Board at its inquiry into motor taxation last Thursday. This evidence was given by Mr. W. G. Walkley on behalf of the North Island and the South Island Motor Unions.

"The majority of fair-minded and thoughtful farmers do not favour derating, knowing as they do that the agitation in favour of it lies based to a large extent on incomplete and misleading data and upon an imperfect understanding of the facts," said Mr. Walkley. "The principal arguments advanced in favour of derating seem to be: (a) That the user (not defined) must pay for the roads; (b) that county councils are suffering continual increases in cost of maintenance and construction of highways; (c) that in any event the farming community cannot afford to continue paying county rates; (d) that at the present time the motorvehicle owner is escaping from paying his just quota of the cost of the roads. The primitive idea still seems to survive in some quarters that the person who travels in a motor car is a plutoci'at and should pay anyway."

A careful examination of the facts, continued Mr. Walkley, led to the conclusion that while derating might be an excellent semi-political catchcry it had nothing more tangible to commend it.

Roads for the Farmers.

Dei-aters seemed to forget that most of the roads were built not for the benefit of motorists, but to open up the country, facilitate the transport of stock and produce to rail or port, and generally to improve the lot of the landowner. Thousands of farmers admitted this, and agreed that the country dweller must bear his share of local taxation.

It should be observed, said Mr. Walkley, that the trend of county rates was definitely downward, and it might be mentioned that the trend of motor taxation was still more definitely upward. He presented statistics' showing this downward movement, and quoted from newspaper reports to the effect that many counties formerly in financial straits were now showing budget surpluses. "It is no fault of the motorist that more money is not available from the Main Highways Board for road construction and maintenance, and it is submitted that the facts establish beyond any room for doubt that the motorist is paying more than his fair share in road taxation," said Mr. Walkley. "Whether the road tax is being properly applied is another matter."

Many vociferous advocates of derating overlooked the fact that the Main Highways Board had increased the mileage of main highways upon which subsidies were paid, until today the local bodies had been very largely relieved of the cost of maintaining and constructing approximately 11,000 miles of primary and secondary highways.