THE HUNTLY PRESS PUBLISHED WEEKLY AT 1 P.M. FRIDAY, JULY 2, 1915. The Main Roads.

Huntly Press and District Gazette, Volume 4, 9 July 1915, Page 2

THE HUNTLY PRESS PUBLISHED WEEKLY AT 1 P.M. FRIDAY, JULY 2, 1915. The Main Roads.

The newly elected President of the Auckland Automobile Association waxed very indignant at the supposed utterances of Mr W. H. Bailey re the share that motorists should take in the upkeep of the Great South road. Our readers will have guessed that the delinquent is not Mr Bailey, of Green and Colebrook’s but Mr J. P. Bailey, Chairman of most of the important Local Bodies hereabouts. The tirade of Mr Hemingway falls rather flat when the identity of Mr Bailey is . known, and probably he is rather sorry now that lie spoke without making a few enquiries. He threw out a kind of challenge to Mr Bailey to meet him at a conference at Taumaranui and we have reason to believe that his challenge will be accepted. The question of the upkeep of the main road is indeed a serious one, and one that must be faced in Hit? near future, but if the motorists are under the impression that they can persuade the settlors in the Waikato to raise a loan to make a road for motors, we are afraid they are doomed to deep disappointment.

As a matter of fact, not ten percent of the settlors ever use the road, and to many it would not matter if the road were closed to-morrow. Their only trouble is to get to the railway line, to get their produce away and to get fresh supplies. As, in most cases the railway lies between the Great South Road and the settled districts, it is obvious that settlers have no need to use the road at all. Reading the utterances of motorists as reported in the papers one cannot help but be struck by their egotism and selfishness. While (here are bright exceptions, it would appear that the majority think that they are doing tlio country a great service by driving their cars about the roads. While wo re-

cognise the fact that the motor has played and is playing a great part in the expansion of the business of the country, we dare to say, that, for every car pass ing through Huntly carrying men on business intent, there are five carrying people in search of pleasure. These of course, put a certain amount of money

into circulation and provide a certain amount of work but they surely cannot claim that they are entitled to any special attention in the matter of road making. It may not be generally known, that the tax on motors is one of ten shillings, irrespective of the size of the car.

In England, motorists are taxed on the horse power of llie carengine, the amounts running up as high as £35 for a oar of high power. This means of taxing seems to be rather unfair, because the motorist is taxed for owning a car, whether he runs it or not. In France they put the tax on the fuel used, and this seems to be more equitable, because the motorist is taxed really on the miles he runs, and on the lengt ■. of road he runs over. The Petrol Tax brings in about £3,000,000 a year in France, and as this is all spent on the roads their condition is excellent. We believe that some such tax should be imposed in New Zealand, and the income from the tax used to maintain the main arterial roads. As a loan for road-making means taxation, and as the motorists are keenly in favour of the settlers taxing themselves to make the roads, let them show their sincerity-, by advocating a tax on themselves. They could then go to the settlers with a good conscience, and with a good chance of success, for we are sure the settler is willing to meet the motorist, but it is quite useless for the motorist to go to the settler demanding that to which they have not the shadow of a title, for they will meet with nothing but derision.