MOTOR TAXATION

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19666, 25 June 1938, Page 5

MOTOR TAXATION

DISTRIBUTION OF MONEY £3,370,048 FROM PETROL STATE TAKES £1,524,459 LOCAL BODIES’ CLAIM (Per Press Association.) ASHBURTON, this day. At a conference of bodies interested in road-paving, held yesterday, an advance copy of a report by Professor A. H. Tocker, on motor taxation, to be presented at a conference in Christchurch on July 6, was distributed. Professor Tocker showed the distribution of taxation on motor spirit in 1936-37 as follows: —

Consolidated Fund (4Jd a gallon) 1,524,459 Local authorities 147,547 Main Highways Fund 1,697,942 Total for highway purposes (6d a gallon) 1,845,489 Total motor spirits tax yield (net) 3,370,048

The grand total of all motor taxation in 1936-37 was £5,384,019, as follows: —

Customs duties on motor vehicles and parts 985,992 Tyre tax 134,894 Motor spirits tax (net) 3,370,048 Registration fees, etc 493,626 Heavy traffic fees 268,000 Drivers’ licenses 7,200 Mileage, etc 4 ’ 159

Of this, only £2,756,375 was spent for highway purposes, £2,581,644 going to the Consolidated Fund and being spent on the Government s general purposes.

The proceeds of the total motor taxation were spent as follows:

Main Highways Act 2,333,750 Boroughs 154,625 Local bodies (heavy traffic fee) 268,000

Total for highway purposes £2,756,375

Consolidated Fund, for general purposes £2,581,644

It is suggested that the Christchurch conference should urge that the whole of the net proceeds of motor spirit taxation, including the 4jd a gallon now devoted to the general purposes of the Government, be transferred to the Main Highways Account and expended for highway purposes.