MOTOR VEHICLES

New Zealand Times, Volume LI, Issue 11932, 12 September 1924, Page 8

MOTOR VEHICLES

FUNDS FOR MAIN HIGHWAYS SECOND READING OF THE BILL. The House of Representatives met at 2.30 p.m. yesterday. The afternoon sitting was devoted to the presentation of departmental reports, etc., dealt with elsewhere. At 7.30 p.m. the Hon. R. F. Bollard (Minister for Internal Affairs) moved the second reading of the Motor Vehicles Bill, the main object of which was, he stated, to provide funds ter the main highways of the Dominion. Copies of the hill had been sent to all the local bodies throughout the Dominion and to the motor unions, etc., and had been very well received, on the whole, especially in the South Island. The local bodies had been very anxious as to the amount of revenue they would get under the bill; and it was found that most of them would get more than they did now. The licenses for motors ana ter drivers would bo issued annually, and ter this purpose a complete register of all the motor vehicles in New Zealand would be compiled. There was no such register at present. The hill also gave powers to control motor traffic, and to put an end to roadracing and record-breaking such as that between Wellington and Auckland. There was need for such control, though the number of accidents here did not compare with those in America, where there had been no less than 15,700 killed last year, 5000 of whom were children. Mr T. M. Wilford: Out of 112 millions of people. What is the percentage? The Minister explained the bill, already summarised in the “Times ” clause by clause. The farm-tractors, he stated, would hare to pay no liconse fees so long os they were kept on the farms; but would have to pay licenses if they used the roads. He asked tho House to pass the bill and give it a

trial; and then they would be able to see what amendments, if any, were needed. “A LEACH FOR A LITTLE BLOOD. LETTING.” Mr Wilford described the bill as a leach for a little blood-letting on behalf of the Highways Board, which at the present time had no real method of blood-letting from the motorists, ex. cept from the tyre tax. But the revenue from that tax was only £75,000 a year, which was not nearly enough for the purgose. The Hon. J. G. Coates (Minister for Public Works): That was the revenue ter the first year. Now it is up to about £125,000 a year. Mr Wilford l said that that was nothing like enough. There was certainly a necessity for the bill so far as the regulating of motor traffic in the public streets was concerned. The motor accident mortality in America, mentioned by the Minister, amounted' to one death for every 8166 people. That was fairly heavy, but outside the main centres there they went at an extraordinary paoe. Ten dollars a year was the annual license fee in California for •motor-cars, and in 1921 it brought in a revenue of 4,888,000 dollars, which showed how many motors there must be there. The Government Statistician’s figures showed! that in New Zealand! there was a motor vehicle for every 36 people. He, personally, did ■not know whether v that was correct or Hot, but ho did know that the money invested in them was sixteen million pounds, and! that a vessel Which arrived from New York recently brought to the Dominion a thousand cars—mostly Buicks and Fords. One objection he had to the Ibill was the fact that ordinary motorists who used their cars only at week-ends had 1 to pay as much in license as the taxi proprietors who used them every day or the week, and on all sorts of roads. A member: He pays in tyre tax. PRIVATE AND PUBLIC OARS. Mr Wilford urged that there should be some discrimination between the private car owner and the public ear owner. He made a plea for a proper examination of motor-drivera to ensure efficiency, and urged that., fifteen years...was too young- for a girl or hoy to be licensed as a driver. The motor drivers’ fees went to the local authorities, and the whole of the motor registration fees went into the revenue fund of the Main Highways account. The Minister might have told the House—but he was singularly silent on the point—what revenue he expected to get under the scale of fees in the ■bill. But that was the sort of fault they always had to find with .the Reform Government. It never told them What revenue it expected to get from a tax, or what it expected to lose by a remission of taxation. Mr Bollard thought it would crime to £IOO,OOO a year. Mr Wilford: More than that, surely. ' The Minister: No, I think not. Mr Wilford: Well, I am surprised, but I cannot cheek it. As to reckless driving, he might be old-fashioned, but he thougjht that there was no more effective form of legislation against it than the old clause of the Motor Regulation Bill. It was difficult to fix the speed or time the rate of a car; hut if they re-enacted that clause ■and provided that nobody should drive a motor-car at a speed dangerous to the public under the conditions then obtaining. A man drunk in charge of a motor vehicle was a most serious menace to. the public, and no one would object to any penalty on such a man who caused injury or loss of life to the public. Motorists were prepared to pay for good roads, hut the user should pay in proportion to his use of the roads. In Wellington motorists paid 80s a year to cover the cost of the bitumen road to tho Hutt, and they didn’t grudge it,' for they Saved it in cost of tyres, etc. THE NUMBER OF OARS. The Hon. J. G. Ooates (Minister for Public Works) said that he was very pleased with the friendly reception given to the hill by the Leader of the Opposition. Various authorities on the subject estimated ■ the number of cars in New Zealand at from 50,000 to 80,000. While 60,000 was a safe figure to Work upon, he did not know whether that was correct or not; but it was expected that the license registration fee would bring in anything from £IOO,OOO to £150,000 a year. Mr E. A. Ransom (Pahiatua) sug gested that if the Minister took the number of cars imported in the last ten years, he would get near the number in the Dominion. Mr Ooates said that that was no indication, as many “tin Lizzies” were scrapped after five years or so. < Some Fords—be would not Bay “tin Lizzies” ■—the Government bad had ran from 30,000 to 100,000 miles; but after doing 30,000 miles it paid to scrap them and get another. Wellington received upwards of £SOO a year in fees; and they knew that there were 7000 to 8000 cars in the city, and about as many motor-drivers, so that, with the drivers’ annual license fee of ss, it stood to gain, while losing nothing under the bill. It was also intended that all fines ter breaches of the by laws should go to the local authorities. Mr W. B. Lysnar (Gisborne): The bill says they go to the Highways Board. Mr Ooates: Yes, hut it is intended to amend that later. Ho must admit that he cid not consider tho registration tax a fair tax at all, he added, but he was willing to sink that to get legislation under which they could control motor traffic and get a proper register of motor vehicles. Ho believed that payment should be marto in proportion to the use made of the roads. The bill was the qutoome of a number of conferences between local bodies and motor unions, and it was the nearest that they could get to satisfying them. Mr J. R. Corrigan (Pntoa)s And it doesn’t satisfy them now.

PETROL TAX. Mr Coates frankly admitted that they could not satisfy everybody. The tax did not satisfy him; he believed that a petrol tax was the only fair way to make motorists pay in proportion to their use of the roads. But the flat tax was what all these authorities agreed to, or as nearly as possible; but he believed that the day would come when .New Zealand would follow America and adopt the petrol tax. Mr J. A. Young (Hamilton): How ; would you levy a petrol tax on motor vehicles ? Mr T. W. Rhodes (Thames): Through the Customs. Mr Coates said that in America practically all the States had gone over to the petrol tax. Mr Young: How would you exempt the farmer ? Mr Coates: In America he makes a declaration at the end of the year; but usually it is only 10s or so, and he says, “Keep it, and let it go to the roads.” Mr Wilford 1 : Petrol is cheaper there, though. 1 The -Minister: That is true. He added that the State was borrowing large sums annually for roads; and large sums, totalling four millions a year, were borrowed by local bodies on roads. They built roads to carry vehicles weighing five tons, hut allowed vehicles up to fifteen tons to run over them, with the result that the roads were all broken up in two or three years, and there was nothing to show for the borrowed money. But under the bill, they could control that. The rates in the country districts were now getting so high that they almost amounted to a rent. They ran to 15s an acre in some districts. Mr Corrigan; Thirty shillings an acre in some parts. Mr Coates added that the Government. which paid a subsidy of some £82,000 a year for the maintenance of roads, had under consideration that it should he part of the condition of the subsidy that the roads must be maintained as an asset against the borrowed money spent. He thought it would be better to spend £600,000 in roadl construction, and vote £200.000 to maintenance. It had been suggested! that the police should register the motor vehicles: but they wanted £20,000 for doing so. A member: What will the Post Office get?, The Minister: About £30,000. He believed, however, he added, that the police would ultimately take over the work, which would mean about another 100 officers. “PATCHWORK LAWS FOR PATCHWORK AGE. 1 * Mr Holland (Leader of the Labour Party) said that they were living in a patchwork age, and had to oevote themselves to , patchwork legislation. He thought it would have been better if the hill had been read a second time pro forma, and referred to committee, and then have the diehate on it as it came from the committee. He feared that the smaller local authorities would lose revenue under the bill; and urged that the Government should either divide the tax between the Main Highways Board and the local bodies, or give a guarantee to the authorities in the sparsely spttled districts that they would not suffer anv loss of revenue under the hill. To levy the same tax on the Tnflit with a cheap low-power car as on the man with a big high-power car, was the same as levying the same income tax on the man with an income of £3OO a year, os on the man with £30,000 a year. Mr O. J. Hawken (Egmont) supportled the suggestion of a petrol tax. Some would prefer a higher tyre tax; Shut he understood that they could not 1 obtain any more revenue through a tyre tax, because a higher tax would mean that a local tyre industry would he started, and they would not get the revenue. I SMALL MAN AND BIG MAN. Mr E. A. Ransom (Pahiatua) readily 'agreed that there was much in the hill that was desirable. It seemed strange that almost every hill put forward in this House taxed the small man out of all proportion to the big man. Some provision should be made m tne bill whereby a person applying for a license and being turned down should be compelled to notify that fact to any other registering body* <_• CITIES AND RURAL DISTRICTS. Mr W. D. LysnaV (Gisborne) said the weakness of the scheme was that it left a want of funds. No boy or gm of fifteen years should be allowed to drive in a borough. Mr Corrigan: Should not he allowed to drive on a main highway. ' Mr Lysn»a*r said he would like to see the age raised to eighteen. He said also he did not think anyone under twenty-three should be licensed. as a taxi-driver. A v , Mr J. A. Maapherson. (Oatmaru) hoped the tax would be applied for use only. That would eliminate inequity and injustice. He thought there was a great deal to be said m favour of a petrol tax. ■ . Mr T. W. Rhodes {Thames) thought it would ho found most workable to hare the licensing done by the police. •He objected! to youthful drivers, and did not think anyone under twentyone should be licensed to drive a public vehicle. Unless something was done to provide a greater amount of revenue for local bodies better roads would not be obtained, and the scheme would break down. Mr J. A. Lee (Auckland East) described as absurd the suggestion that people under 21 should not he allowed to drive a car. The test should not ho one of age, but of efficiency. Mr F. Lye (Waikato) said it was questionable whether a petrol tax would not provide more reyenue than the present proposals. It seemed extraordinary that there was a flat rate for cars. „ , Mr R. A. Wright (Wellington Suburbs) observed that it had been said that local bodies were losing something and gaining nothing. The country representatives should, be the last to : suggest anything like that. As far as he could see, the country districts were going to benefit immensely by this bill. There were said to , be 50,000 oars in New Zealand, and about 25,000 of them would be found in the five biggest ©entree. These centres would have nothing done for them by the Highways Boards. They would be finding much of the money for making roads im the country, but they did not object. After further discussion the bill was read a second time, and referred 5o a special oonunittee (Messrs Bitchener, Coates, de la ‘Perrelle, Hawkenl, Munro, Murdoch,, Savage, Williams, Witty, Wright, and Bollard). The Prevention of Crimes Bill, was read a seoond time, and* at 1,13 a.tn. 2080 Tthtil