INVESTIGATION OF MOTOR PROBLEMS

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 157, 23 September 1927, Page 13

INVESTIGATION OF MOTOR PROBLEMS

TRADERS’ CONFERENCE GOVERNMENT URGED TO TAKE ACTION (From Our Own Correspondent) ROTORUA, To-day. The suggestion that the Government should set up a commission to make a complete investigation into the transport question, was made at the Motor Traders’ Conference to-day. The conference, which is completely representative of all branches of motor-trade interests, is united in the necessity for such investigation. Mr. George Dash, the president, said that the tendency of the Government was to place the whole burden of road upkeep on the shoulders of motor traffic. There were taxes on importing cars and taxes to maintain them. Local bodies and farmers now pay less for roads relatively than they used, to pay, and yet the Farmers’ Union was urging a petrol tax. “Unless we are going to sit down and permit the motor user and the trade to be further imposed upon, it is time that wo insisted that the Government educate itself in taxation in its relation to roading,” continued Mr. Dash. “If a commission were set up the motor trade could bring the weight of evidence to bear to remove the injustices, and the further injustices hanging over it.” Mr. Cousins, general secretary, said that there must be a limit which, if gone beyond, would seriously affect motor transport. Duties had been increased time and time again, and now, he considered, the time had come to pause and consider what motor transport should reasonably be asked to bear. No increased duties should be added until the Government had satisfied itself that it was not already overburdening motor transport. COMMISSION ASKED FOR A commission should investigate the competition between rail and motor, the reading programme, how taxes should be spent, and from whom they should be collected, the possibility of selling up, and a transport control board. Legislation for the past few years was not part of a general scheme, but piece-meal. The Heavy Traffic Act, Public Works Act and Motor Vehicles Act all added to the burden and increased the cost of transport. In many places the laws overlap, he said, and quoted as an example the recent ruling concerning service cars which must pay for a licence in each district through which they pass, although when the Act was brought down the Minister gave his promise that the Association Act would cover every licence and tax.. Motor transport was too important a question to be confined to petty restrictions. All regulations should be Dominion-wide. The development of the country should be assisted forward and not hindered. Other speakers pointed out that motors were taxed heavily and yet they -\yere not the only users of the roads. Horse-drawn vehicles often did more damage to roads than motors, but were not taxed.

The conference unanimously passed a resolution urging the Government to set up a commission to investigate the whole transport question. A representative deputation is being formed to wait on the Cabinet. It was decided that the next conference would be held at Nelson.