FARMERS’ LORRIES

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 60, Issue 4232, 17 January 1940, Page 6

FARMERS’ LORRIES

SHOULD THEY BE EXEMPT FROM FEES 1 BOROUGH COUNCIL VIEWIS. Te Awamutu Borough Council, at last Monday evening’s meeting, briefly ' discussed! the subject of collecting heavy traffic fees from farmer-own-ers of lorries, as required by law. The Hamilton town clerk wrote re heavy traffic license fees on farmers’ lorries, and their allocation, forwarding the following Jettefr from the Matamata County Council:— “My Council* has learnt that all rural local auuiorities are not collecting heavy traffic license fees in respect of lorries owned by farmers. “The action of those local authorities which do not collect all available fees has a serious effect on the equity of the existing basis of dis tribution of pool moneys, and I am directed to suggest, that your Council, as the distributing authority for this area, circularise all other contributing bodies, to ascertain their answers to the following questions: “1. Is your Council (or Board) collecting all available Heavy Traffic License Fees in your district including those payable in respect of farmers’ lorries ? “2. Some contributing local authorities are not collecting all available fees properly payable by farmers under the Regulations. Does your Council (or Board) agree to any such authority paying diminished amounts into the Pool, and then participating in full in the distribution of Pool moneys ? “3. If your Council’s (or Board’s) answer to question 2 is in the negative, is it in favour of pressure being brought to bear on the Transport Department, to urge that its Inspectors prosecuted all operators of heavy motor vehicles who have not obtained appropriate licenses? “4. In addition to the above, has your Council (or Board) any further comments to make on this matter?

“In conclusion I am instructed to advise that my Council has constantly opposed any proposal to totally exempt the farmer’s lorry from payment of Heavy Traffic Fees, on the ground that this would weaken the claim of the County Councils for an increased subsidy by the Government from motor taxation toward the cost of the secondary loading system of the country.” The Hamilton Town Clerk adds:— “The Waipa County Council in dealing with the matter of allocation says that it is prepared to accept the arrangement previously in operation for the distribution of the money for the year ended 31st May last, provided some adjustment is made with those local bodies who do not collect fees from farmers operating their own vehicles.

“The -Hamilton Borough Council will appreciate your replies to the questions raised by Matamata and Waipa. “On receipt of these it will probably be necessary to call a conference of the local authorities interested.' I will advise you at a later date of the time set down for this meeting.” The local town clerk (Mr D. Bockett) said there were no farmers’ lorries registered in Te Awamutu. He added .that the basis of the pool had been fixed several years ago by Mr Wyvern Wilson, S.Mi, atid it had proved satisfactory as administered by the town clerk at Hamilton for the pool.

The opinion was expressed that local bodies which did not collect the fees from farmers should not participate to the full in the distribution of the pool moneys. The Mayor thought the Council could support the attitude of the Waipa County Council in favour of a 50 per cent reduction in the existing heavy traffic fees for farmers’ lorries.