H.-40.

The undermentioned figures show the number and total amount of claims paid each year since the inception of the tax :—

The increase of 44 per cent, in the number of claims made during the year 1931, as compared with the previous year, is probably due partly to the financial stringency, and partly to the fact that the duty on motor-spirits was increased in July, 1930, from 4d. to 6d. per gallon. This tendency is again evident in the year 1932. The particulars of the claims paid during each of the quarterly periods in 1932, are as follows : —

4. ROAD FINANCE. (a) Dominion's Road Bill, 1931-32. In view of the growing importance to the Dominion of the question of road finance, the Department has investigated the numerous statistical data available from official sources and has analysed and classified them in order to show approximately, firstly, what the roads, streets, and bridges are costing, and, secondly, the broad incidence of the taxes and fees which yield the revenue from which the expenditure is made. The figures which have been analysed relate to the year ended 31st March, 1932, and represent the latest available. Attention is directed to the fact that the figures include an estimated expenditure on traffic policing and control. The classification of the roads into main highways, urban roads, and streets, and other roads has been carried out, as each class of road or street has differing problems attached to it. This classification has involved a certain amount of estimation, as also have certain aspects of the figures for the whole road bill. Any estimations have been made on a conservative basis, and it is felt that the figures are sufficiently close to actual fact to form a basis for reliable broad conclusions. The figures serve the purpose of presenting a mass of data scattered throughout various Official sources, in a sufficiently objective whole to enable some measure of practical reasoning to be applied to them. All Roads, Streets, and Bridges. The following table shows an analysis of the road bill for the year ended 31st March, 1932 :—

8

Year. Number of Claims. Amount refunded. I i ~T~~ £ 1928 .. .. .. . .. 11,101 34,299 1929 .. .. .. . .. 19,814 60,834 1930 .. .. .. .. .. 25,797 83,741 1931 . .. .. .. .. 37,116 132,150 1932 .. .. .. .. .. 45,896 137,387

Quarter. Number of Claims. Amount refunded. £ March .. .. .. .. .. 12,984 41,274 June .. .. .. .. .. 11,899 37,815 September .. .. .. .. 10,474 28,830 December .. .. .. .. 10,625 29,468

Source of Money. Nature of Expenditure. Loan. Loea. Rates. «%£, Totol . £ £ £ £ £ Construction .. .. .. 1,930,077 701,960 13,903 69,989 2,716,829 Maintenance .. .. .. .. I..'578,433 1,603,3(14 2,981,797 Interest and loan charges .. .. .. ,1,005,756 1,363,375 262,079 2,631,210 Totals .. .. .1,930,977 3,086,149 j 1,377,278 1,935,432 8,329,836 Totals, maintenance, in- .. 2,384,189 1,363,375 1,865,443 5,613,007 terest and loans charges