HEAVY TRAFFIC TAXATION

Taranaki Daily News, 5 July 1929, Page 14

HEAVY TRAFFIC TAXATION

- CARRIERS RELAX EFFORTS

PREMIER COMMENDS SPIRIT.

IMMEDIATE RELIEF NOT SOUGHT.

“I desire to express tho thanks of the Government tor your very fine action,” said the Prime Minister on Wednesday when commending the spirit of the New Zealand Master Carriers’ Federation in voluntarily agreeing to refrain from pressing its case for taxation relief this year. A deputation headed by the president of the federation, Mr. M. Stevenson, waited on the Prime Minister to acquaint him of the carriers' views on the subject of heavy traffic license lees. Mr. Stevenson said the federation

fully realised the most difficult position the Government had been placed in as , a result of unforeseen circumstances, particularly the earthquake calamity To press claims for taxation relief at the present juncture, therefore, would be to embarrass the Government unduly. In the circumstances, the federation had decided to relax its efforts to obtain relief in respect of the current financial year, and to wait until the financial position of the Dominion had improved

before renewing tho-se elforts. Expressing thanks for tho federa'tion’s action, the Prime Minister said that undoubtedly the earthquake would involve the Government in considerable expenditure, and accordingly he appreciated the suggested postponement, of relief of taxation. He added that, he was at present engaged, on and off, in investigating the whole financial position, and had not contemplated any relief of taxation as far as carriers were ' concerned.

Speaking to another deputation earlier, the Minister of Transport, the Hon. W. A. Veitch, stated he had come to the conclusion that those who had asked for the abolition of heavy traffic tees were wrong, and those who said the fees as charged at present should be continued were equally wrong. The whole system was inequitable, end even an all-round reduction in fees would not meet the position, for the residue of the taxation would still be inequitable. ; On the other hand, the Minister said, he was possessed of sufficient statistical information to enable him to say he could make no change in the system except that made already in the dir- . ection of collecting the fees quarterly instead of annually. - A thorough investigation was being made by the transport department into the incidence of motor taxation, and m a 'few months the Minister would be able to say what charges were right and what wrong. Possibly later in the year he might be able to announce that sufficient money had been collected in heavy traffic fees to enable a remission to be made for the remainder of the year. The Transport Bill was well under •way, and he was sure that its provisions would be so acceptable to the people that he would have no trouble in getting it through the House.