THE TAXATION OF MOTOR VEHICLES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21300, 2 April 1931, Page 7

THE TAXATION OF MOTOR VEHICLES

TO THE EDITOE Sir, —Allow me space to express my opinion with regard to the taxation of motor vehicles according to their horsepower rating, concerning which “Old Timer ” wrote in your issue of March 26. The Government is at the present time faced with the difficulty of balancing the Budget, and is therefore seeking to tax everything that can reasonably be taxed. I do not for a moment wish to criticise the further taxation of motor vehicles, as, to a certain section of the public, at least, they are little eke than a luxury, but I do consider this suggested manner of doing so would be extremely unfair. To get to the root of the matter it simply means that the person who uses his motor car once a week or a fortnight is to be taxed equally with him who is on the road every day. If the motor is to be further taxed, why not increase the petrol tax? In this way the person doing the greatest amount of running will be playing most toward the upkeep of the highways. “ Old Timer ” seems to approve of a horse-power tax as a further way of kicking the farmer, who is down at the present time, down more in relation to the present depression than any other section of the community. When he asserts that the farmer makes every sale, dog trial, and show an excuse for cranking up his car I wish to say that he must have a very poor knowledge of the farming class in general. There are farmers who make a practice of attending the majority of the local sales, but these are men engaged in stock dealing to such an extent that it is necessary for them to keep in touch with market fluctuations. Let “ Old Timer ” take up his stand on any of the main highways any day, or number of days, he chooses, and I am prepared to say without fear of contradiction! that he will find that 06 per cent, at least of the motorists are engaged in some form of livelihood other tlian farming. The average farmer works on his farm 10 to _l2 hours a day, and it is, I consider, adding insult to injury to state that_ “ the average farmer is absent from his farm for one or one day and a-half a week, leaving the farm to take care of itself.” Compare a farmer’s weekly hours with that of his brother in the town! The farmer has no half-holiday on Saturday, and scarcely more than half of even Sunday, while the workmen in town has half-holiday on Saturday, and on Sunday has nothing to do other than prepare his toilet and attend church if he is so inclined. Your correspondent compares presentday prices with those of 30 years ago, but he seems to forget that, in accordance with the rise of wages, the cost of living has increased to such an extent that it is necessary for the price of primary products to be relatively high if the producer is to be able to make both ends meet. I have not written this as an attempt to bewail the farmer’s lot, but merely to state a few facts which I, together with hundreds of farmers, have learned in the school of experience.—l am, etc., Glenomaru, April 1. Experience.