OVER-TAXED LORRY OWNERS SEEK RELIEF

Manawatu Times, Volume LIV, Issue 6868, 25 March 1929, Page 8

OVER-TAXED LORRY OWNERS SEEK RELIEF

Premier Cautious DEPENDS ON COUNTRY’S FINANCES Per Press Association. INVERCARGILL, Murch 23. This morning tiro Prime Minister received a large deputation from the lorry owners ox Boutnland asking what relief lorry owners might expect to receive irom taxation. • Sir Joseph Ward said that the Government was working towards the end of relieving this taxation, but he could not give an indication of how much relief would be given or what shape it would take until he had gone into the financial position of the country, and in any case the matter would have to go before Parliament. In connection with the National Transport Advisory Board, ne would like to stress the fact that this board had nothing whatever to do with administration. Its functions were purely advisory. The administration would have to be carried out by tho minister * in charge of the permanent head of the department. The advisory board which had been set up was expected merely to give advice on technical matters to the permanent transport board. He would like to say further that he had no intention to so increase the personnel of the advisory board that it would be unwieldly as would be the case if he yielded to the suggestions of many who desired that every section of industry should be represented. To make the board too large would be to defeat the purpose for which it was formed and with, a large membership it would take too long to reach de.•cisions which would in any case bo majority decisions. The Government was anxious to give effect to what it had indicated publicly as a matter of policy in connection with motor taxation, but no decision could be afrived at by him as Finance Minister until he had examined the position of the country and thi3 decision must then go before Parliament. They could, however, rest assured that whatever alterations were made would be retrospective, dating back to the commencement of the new financial year on April 1.