PETROL TAX

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 16865, 31 January 1929, Page 2

PETROL TAX

TRAMWAYS DESIRE SHARE MINISTER’S ATTITUDE FAVORABLE The Minister of -Public Works, Hon. Jv A. Ransom, admitted in Christchurch. that a just claim had been made when the Christchurch Tramway Board placed before him its ease for receiving a portion of the. petrol tax. Ihe boaul also asked that it should he relieved from the liability of maintaining the load wav between the sets of double

tracks. . . ... Mr J A. Flesher, chairman of the board, said that the Tramway Board was at present losing about £IO,OW a vear. It had 53 route miles of tramways to maintain, and under the Tramwavs Vet there was provision that where there were double tracks the- tramway authority should maintain the surface occupied bv the tracks and lSin. outside the rails. In Christchurch, however, the Tramway Board had to maintain not only that area but .also the space between the tracks an extra amount of oft. that was imposed bv Order-in -Council and the board was seeking to have, that order repealed and its liability confined to what was imposed by the Act. The board was being penalised beyond all reason. In view of the tad that the city received considerable benefit from the petrol lax the board considered it bad a claim for consideration m regard to that tax. The board’s churn was a very strong one. It was running buses and was paying petrol tax and its case Was absolutely unanswerable It- was costing the board £20,000 a yea* to maintain its tracks and its work was Rone so much better than that of the local body that the traffic used the hoard’s portion. The motorists preferred the tracks of the Tramway board, and surely when the revenue was comum from'that source, there was a good case for consideration. The board was hit by the motors more than anything else and the motors were robbing them of legitimate revenue, It the board could get the assistance it sought it would result in an improvement of its position. , _ ~ Messrs. E. J. Howard and J. McCombs, M.P.’s, also spoke in support, of the boards claim. . Tlie Minister said that, lie had given consideration to the matter and had. as a matter of fact, already drafted a letter to the City Council regarding it. He had deferred signing the letter, however, until he had had ail opportunity of meeting the deputation. The board had a particularly just claim, although, perhaps, not a legal claim. It might be necessary for the matter to be treated as one of urgency and dealt with by Order-in-Council. 'The claim seemed to be so fair that he doubted if there would he any need for a commission. He hoped tlie matter would soon be finalised.