H.—4o

the past few years, been consumed in aircraft. Certain types of vehicles used for agricultural purposes have been exempted from the payment of annual license fees, and this has resulted in -larger amounts being refunded to certain claimants.

The particulars of the claims paid during each of the quarterly periods in 1937 are as follows : —

During the calendar year 1937, 3,270 claims were lodged during the second month following the close of the respective quarterly periods and they were reduced by 10 per cent, in accordance with the. provisions of section 7 of the Finance Act, 1933 (No. 2). Refunds are made at the rate of 6d. per gallon on all motor-spirits consumed for purposes other than as fuel for motor-vehicles in respect of which annual license fees are payable. Section 13 of the Customs Acts Amendment Act, 1934, authorizes an additional refund of 2d. per gallon to be made oil motor-spirits consumed in aircraft and in vessels used exclusively in the fishing industry for commercial purposes. Special Mileage-taxation. Mileage-tax is payable by owners of most vehicles which are not propelled exclusively by means of motor-spirits. The tax is also payable by owners of self-propelled well-boring, aircompressor, saw-bench, and crane plants, the owners of which are, in effect, exempted by the provisions of the Motor-vehicles (Special Types) Regulations, 1935, from the payment of all other forms of motor-vehicle taxation. The owners of the last-mentioned vehicles are entitled to claim refunds of duty on all of the motor-spirits consumed in operating their contrivances. As the result of the amending legislation the number of vehicles subject to the tax has increased from 198 to 276. The figures for the last five years are as follows

4. ROAD SAFETY. A. GENERAL. With the development of the motor-vehicle, especially in its speed capabilities, and its increasing use in skilled and unskilled hands, there has grown up an almost world-wide accident problem of a magnitude comparable in its effect upon the physical safety of people with the effects produced by modern warfare on a large scale. Forty years ago there were no more than four thousand petroldriven vehicles on the road ; to-day there are nearly forty million. The casualties in 1935 were not far short of two million, while the estimate for 1937 is nearly two and a quarter millions, including approximately eighty thousand killed. New Zealand's road traffic casualties, serious as they are in a country of small population, represent but a very small fraction (0-25 per cent.) of the huge world total.

3—H. 40.

17

Year. Number of Claims. Amount refunded. £ 1928 .. .. .. .. .. 11,101 34,299 1929 .. .. .. .. .. 19,814 60,834 1930 .. .. .. .. .. 25,797 83,741 1931 .. .. .. .. .. 37,116 132,150 1932 .. .. .. .. .. 45,986 137,387 1933 .. .. .. .. .. 49,265 138,194 1934 .. .. .. .. .. 52,718 155,714 1935 .. .. .. .. .. 55,447 163,884 1936 .. .. .. .. .. 52,342 176,390 1937 .. .. .. .. .. 50,965 188,446

Quarter. Number of Claims. Amount refunded. £ s. d. March .. .. .. .. .. 13,564 51,238 9 6 June .. .. .. .. .. 13,543 50,885 5 2 September .. .. .. .. 11,783 41,675 1 8 December.. .. .. .. .. 12,075 44,646 19 9

Year ended 31st March, j Revenue. £ 1934 .. .. .. .. 269 ' 1,597 1935 .. .. .. .. 96 1,629 1936 .. .. .. .. 142 1,813 1937 .. .. .. .. 198 4,159 1938 .. .. .. .. 276 10,591 Total .. .. .. 19,789