MOTORS AND HIGHWAYS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVIII, Issue 17956, 5 December 1921, Page 9

MOTORS AND HIGHWAYS.

PROPOSED LEGISLATION. RESOLUTIONS BY CONFERENCE. Consideration of the proposals contained in the Main Highways and Motor Vehicles Bills, with a view to a settlement of the divergence of opinion on the measures to enable definite proposals tc be placed before Parliament, was the object of a conference between representatives of county councils and the Good Roads Association, called by the latter body, held b the Chamber of Commerce last week. The president ol the association, Mr. M. Hi Wynyard, presided- over a good attendance. Mr. Wynyard explained tie points on which the Counties' Association and the Good Roads Association agreed and those on which they differed. The following resolutions were passed:— That this conference favours the principle of providing for the construction and maintenance of arterial roads by a fund contributed to by motor transport and by the Government, the fund to be administered by a board free from political or parochial control. That taxation on motor vehicles be by way of a tariff duty of 10 per cent, on British, and 20 per cent, on foreign tyres imported, and an excise duty of 10 per cent, on Dominion manufactured tyres. That the board have full control of arterial roads. That provision be made for representation of at least one nominee of the motor organisations, and one nominee of the Counties' Association. That while the board's fund be in principle for construction and maintenance of arterial roads outside boroughs, power be given to make grants to borough councils unable adequately to maintain arterial roads within their boundaries. That the conference approves the roads suggested by i the Minister a s the first to be dealt with, upon the distinct understanding that provision is made for extending the system to other arterial roads declared by the board. That tho Motor Vehicles Bill be altered to provide for an annual registration fee of £1 to be paid to the local body in which the owner of such motor vehicle is resident, or, in case of commercial vehicles, has his place of busine?s, and that license fees be eliminated. That if taxation as above be placed on motor users, local bodies should not have power to charge license fees or other perpetual or recurring charges on motor vehicles except licenses for heavy traffic or for vehicles plying for hire, without prejudice lo their powers to limit weights on roads and bridges or payment for extraordinay traffic or any of their powers under the Publio Works Act, except as above. That provision be made for local bodies, when they have the plant for economical road work available, to do the work on the arterial road in their district under the supervision of the board's engineer. That toli gates on arterial roads be eliminated in the proposed legislation.