TAX ON PETROL

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 1, Issue 72, 9 October 1939, Page 7

TAX ON PETROL

exemption for farmers

URGED BY MEMBER FOR TAURANGA Spenkinti in the House of Representatives on tile War Emeruency Bill, Mr F. W. IDoid, said the most interesting statement that emanated from the Minister o? Finanee that afternoon was that the petrol tax of 4'J—four black pennies -■■-wns not to apply to petrol tor machinery used upon farms. "That will be good r.ews for the farmers/' said Mr Doidgo. "and my only regret is that the Minister has not seen fit to go a stage further and allow the exemption to apply to farmers' cars as well. A very good case could be made out for that. Tile farmer has to use his car for all sorts of purposes in connection with his farming business. Mr Coleman: So do other people have to use theirs,

MR F. W. DOIDGE, M.P, Mr Doidge: An honourable member interjects that other people have to do the same. I submit, that the town dweller could very well, now that war has come, lay his ear up and he would not be submitting to any great inconvenience. On the other hand, many farmers arc utterly dependent upon motor cars. For instance, there arc farmers who might live miles away from the near est store, miles from the- nearest doctor, and miles from the nearest chem ist. They have to go to stock sales. ■ ind generaljy tlicv have to travel miles in all diieetions in connection

with their business life.. The sam ? does not apply to a town dweller. He can catch a bus or a tram and is not vastly inconvenienced. Therefore, I should, like the Minister, even at the eleventh hour, to agree that exemption from the 4d tax be -given to the farmer. DOUBLE ALLOWANCE. Certainly I would suggest that the allowance of petrol to the farmei be made at least twice as much as the allowance to the town dweller. I hope that the Minister and .his colleagues will give that some thought.

The Minister has toid us that the great problem todav is to bring about more primary production. That is the imperative need. In that connection, I would point out that one of the Minister's great troubles in the immediate future will be that O'H keeping costs dow". Recently T

rcccived a letter from a farmer at Tauranga telling me that he had to buy parts for his tractor, and that he found that the cost of the parts had gone up from £3 5s to £9. These parts cannot be imported now, but have to be made locally, and the tegulations applying to local manufacturing make lor a tremendous increase in the cost.

Another matter mentioned this afternoon was that of the use of power kerosene for tractors, and that also is a matter which I should like to refer to briefly. Tt is only a small matter, but it is important, Those responsible for the issue oil permits have been issuing authority for fractional quantities. One farmer received an authority for nine gallons, and kerosene is not handled in such quantities. DETAILS OF LONDON VISIT There is just one other matter T should like to bring under the notice of the Minister. I think that, under the coverage of; this Bill, since it deals so widely with Customs duties and imported goods, it might be possible for the Minister to give, us some details of his reccnt visit to London. We have had nothing on this subject so far, except the White Paper. The matter has been discussed in this House, but I .have heard nothing from the Minister.

During the Minister's absence, he was attacked in connection Avitli the matters that lie had in hand. He Avas attacked even by members of hi* own party, one of Avhom declared in connection Avith the arrangements made by the Minister, that nobody but a fool or a knave would have ap-

proved of those arrangements. The Minister made those arrangements, and there were those who in his absence defended him. We know liow difficult was his task. We knew thrt h e went Home to explain the conditions here, which were very difficult conditions, He went Home at a time when the Prime Minister had declared the country to be in a state of emergency. Many of us think that the Minister did extremely well in, the circumstances. However the Min i.ster should tell us something of the actual position. In Ave would like to know Avhether the outbreak of Avar annuls or interferes Avitli the pledges j Avhich he gave. Is it going to affect his pledge to relax restrictions on trade with the United Kingdom; his ! pledge, not to employ import restrictions to protect Ncav Zenlnnd industries against reasonable British com--1 Petition; and hi.% pledge that United Kingdom representatiA'es Avould be invited to assist in determiningAvhat -an be-economically produced in NeAV Zealand. If the under the wide coA'erage of his Bill, could giA T e us some information, the House would be grateful.