PUNISHING TAXATION

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 3, Issue 612, 17 August 1933, Page 7

PUNISHING TAXATION

MOTORISTS CHOPPING BLOCK OF INSUFFICIENT REVENUE. PRESIDENT'S REMARKS. "Motor taxation in this country is so punishing in its nature and extent that I find it diffieult to speak with restraint on the subject," says Mr. W. A. O'Callaghan, in his presidential report to be presented to the annual conference of the North Island17 (N.Z.) Motor Union to-day. "Every time the gentlemen we send to Parliament find the revenues insufficient to meet commitments made by themselves or their predeeessors they make fresh onslaughts on the motorist. The ad valorem tax on petrol, to give one example of the way in which the motorist is

singled out for taxation, is now nearly 400 per cent., or more than double the ad valorem tax on any other commodity, essential or otherwise. Motor taxation has progressively increased i since 1924 to such an extent that today we are paying 700 per cent. more tax than in 1924. Nor is the taxgatherer content with heavy levies upon motorists by way of registration ! fees, annual license fees, heavy traffic fees, petrol tax, etc., but the Customs Department in the last ten years collected on motor vehicles, tyres, parts and accessories, no less a sum than j £9,363,843. There being no equitable j reason why the petrol tax should be I increased last year it is perfeetly ob- i vious even to the most ingenuous i motorist that the tax was increased ! merely because it is easy to collect." j