MOTOR VEHICLES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19792, 12 November 1927, Page 12

MOTOR VEHICLES.

TRADE LORRY LICENCES.

REDUCTION IN CHARGES.

RELIEF INVOLVING £IO,OOO

NUMBER PLATES OF DEALERS,

[BY TELEGRAPH.— SPECIAL REPORTER. J WELLINGTON, Friday. Two amendments of consequence were made to the Motor Vehicles Bill by the House of Representatives to-day One reduces the licence fees for motor-lorries and the other removes the restriction it had been proposed to place on the use of number plates by motor dealers, A Labour attempt to abolish the payment of licence fees was heavily defeated.

When the bill was taken in Committee this afternoon the amendments introduced by Governor-General's message on Tuesday, including the reinstatement of the exemption of Government and local body vehicles from the necessity of being licensed, the exemption of trailers »nd tractors belonging to harbour boards, and the synchronisation of the period for tho issue of drivers' and vehicle licences were agreed to at the instance of the Minister of Public Works, Hon. K. S. Williams. The proposal to prohibit the use of dealers' plates on Sundays and at night on week days was abandoned and the original provision, enabling the use of the plate for any part of the dealers' business was adopted.

Sunday Trading Unlikely. It was explained by the Minister that ho had been assured there was not a chance of Sunday trading being engaged in. He had been informed that there were occasions when prospective clients had to be taken out after business hours. Also when a trip was being made on a Saturday to, say, Wanganui or Napier, a dealer might be on the road on ihe Sunday. Some time was devoted to the final clauses of the bill. Holding that the Main Highways Board should depend entirely upon the revenue to be derived from the petrol tax, Mr. P. Fraser (Well ington Central) moved in the direction of abolishing the payment of annual licences. Mr. Fraser said the amendment if carried would facilitate the smooth ness of the working of the new duty, although it would involve a considerable financial sacrifice by the board amounting to probably about £250,000. The Minister of Public orks said he could not accept the amendment. "1 do not think it would be prudent to abolish it at this stage," he said. "We do not know exactly how the new scheme will work out." • Details ol Keductions. The Ministei intimated that it was pro-, posed to further amend the schedule of annual licence fees with the object of reducing the flat rate charged for lorries. The large lorries which paid £5 heavy traffic fees would have the fee reduced to £3 The smaller lorries which paid £3 would be reduced to £2 and omnibus fees would be reduced from £5 to £3. " This is as far as I propose to go this year," added the Minister. "1 hope it will be of some assistance to the motor-lorry owners." The relief would amount to about £IO,OOO. "It pays the motorist to pay for a good road." said the Minister of Agriculture, Hon. O. J. Hawken. "In running over good roads a motorist probably saves one-sixth of his annual cli»rges. It would be a great mistake to cut down the revenue as proposed." Mr. T. M Wilford (Hutt) declared that if the petrol tax legislation reached the Statute Book the revenue the Gov ernment would receive from all sources of motor taxation would reach £2,340,000 Tf the amendment proposed by Mr. Fraser were carried, and the coming year was a normal one, there would be no reduction in the amount the Government would receive The increase in the customs would supply the Minister with the additional revenue to offset the remission involved in the amendment Defeat of Amendment.

In the opinion of the Minister of Indus tries and Commerce, Hon. A. D. McLeod, the whole programme of road construction would be upset and have to be over hauled if the amendment were carried. Mr. G. W. Forbes (Hurunui) consid ered that, in view of the necessity for economy, half a million would be suffi cient and reasonable for the requirements of the Main Highways Board. On a division the amendment was lost bv 41 votes to 22. Messrs. Potter and Harris voted with the Labour Party for the amendment. The proposal to reduce heavy trathe fees, as indicated by the Minister, was the subject of considerable debate. Mr. P. Fraser suggested that in effect the Government's policy was to substitute as soon as possible, the petrol tax for flat rate tax.

The Prime Minister said that was not the position. The Government, would watch the working out of things during the next 12- months, and if the position justified it thev would make adjustments wherever possible. He was not sure that !he reductions were justified. They certainly could not. make any further re missions at that stage. Traction engines, he added, would continue at the present rate of £5. The reductions in the flat rate for motor lorries, as outlined by the Minister, were put forward as an amendment and adopted. The bill was then reported with amendments.