WHANGAREI COUNTY.

Northern Advocate, 15 September 1914, Page 1

WHANGAREI COUNTY.

LICENSING OF VEHICLES

The following report was submitted to the County Council, in meeting last Friday, by the county clerk (Mr H. C. Hemphill) :—-

Owing to what might be termed discontent on the part of vehicle owners who are required to pay licenses to both county and borough, I .have carefully looked into the position and grounds for complaint, and, as a result, have to report as follows:—,

The ground for complaint on the part of vehicle owners is that they are required to pay, in some instances, as many as three separate license fees in respect of one vehicle, the aggregate of such fees being out of proportion to the profits secured. In a great many cases throughout the Dominion, where similar conditions prevail, vehicle licenses are issued either by the borough or county according to the place and residence of the applicant, and a license so issued, by the county holds good within,tlie borough and vice versa. The license fees so derived are retained , by ■ the council issuing same. A carter, for instance, living within the borougb, takes out his license in the borough , and the county allows ' him tp cart into the county to any distance, without further license, and vice versa. ,

With regard, however, to 'bus proprietors, the position is somewhat, different, inasmuch as all 'buses to or from Whangarei borough ply most \n the county, on a mileage basis. In. these cases, therefore, it should be arranged that Clause C of Section 347 of "The Municipal Corporations Act,' 1908," should apply, and this would mean that the two local bodies may agree that one of them shall collect, these fees, and the one decided vvpon.. after deducting 10 per cent, of the amount so collected to cove? , the cost

of collection and supervision, shall divide the residue rateably between the two districts In ihe proportion that the population of each bears to the total population of all.

In the case where a vehicle plies within the boundaries of other counties, arrangements should be made for the issue of a license by the county in which the applicant resides, and the fees so derived be divided equally between the two counties, and one license suffice for both counties. There, may, however, be slight anomalies, inasmuch as the fees may not be uniform in both counties. This matter, however, is one for adjustment.