TAXATION OF MOTORISTS

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 190, 28 August 1937, Page 3

TAXATION OF MOTORISTS

£5,500,000 Was CoIIected in Fast Year HOW. SHOULD IT BE \USED? TI10 following , roference to motor taxation is contained in the annual rcporfc of the North Island Motor Union: — ' ' ".The problems of motor tasation and highways policy have been very.impoxtant matters in the nnion's activities. A sub-conimittee, consisting of Messrs. GW." Hutchison, W. A. Siitherland and the Sccretaiy, -was appo-inted ' at the . halfyearly meeting to bring down a feport on the mhtter, : and . after a great deal of • work -by them -it has been made available for consideration. It is understood that the revenue from motor taxation reached a new record levcl in excess of £5,500,000 during the past finaneial year. Although the .aggregate number of motor vehicles showrs very considerable increase the yield of taxation per vehicle cohtinues to increase, as is shown im the following . table. That Ihe main advantage of such - taxation. increase is enjoyed by the Consolidated Fund is apparent from the statement of tho allo'eation of such yield expressed on a percentage basis, -as follows:— Percenta.?e of Taxation . Yield allocated to —

f'When it is considercd that motorista , us Oi i.-Liiu ry , L.iiXg^wijf.u.o U1.0 cu.iod upun to meet their obligations in 8tate taxation, it is apparent how inequitablo it is to tax motorists'as- such-' for- general revenue' purposes. Sorue re'lief- has been given in that -tho praelice, oi retafning £500,000 per auii'um of highways i'unds in .the Consolidated Fund has been discontinued, and in adilitioii an announcenient has been made to the efEect that ■ the financing of reba'tes to conhty rate- ' payers is not to be- a charge against the highways fund - this year. Even though these provisions are in accordance with our requesls, they fall very far short of what is considere'd necessary fairly to distribute the tax burden. The recoinmendations iu the report of the sub-committee are designed to effect improvehient in the manner desired.

- . ' .• O -J • • * . o w , ' o ^ ill ...... b £■ o ' ■ ' 2 o W ■ . . " *h . V' * *" Zi d -b ' •- cj *0 o g >> ' 5o S ■' feiJ.- .i? ".p. . . .; 1 . K, rt ; rn a rt > . • J- "rtr-g -x - s 3 V O ° • 3 Q 1 . : . - -H • |5 ! ' £ ,'s. d. 1927 .. 14 9 4 ' 5S 29 - 13 1928 ..18 6 11 51 37 12 1929- .'. 16 19' 10 - 44 44 12 3930. .. 20,10 6 48 *42 10 1931 . . 17 13 9 33 56 11 1932 .. 15 0 2 45 43 12 19*33 .. 35 10 11 59 29. 12. 1934 . . 18 4' 1 63' 27 ' 10 1935 .. 21 7.5 65 26 9 "1936 ... 22 12 0 , 57 34 9