Small Traders in Petrol Protected

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 200, 12 November 1927, Page 12

Small Traders in Petrol Protected

TAXATION DELAYED EXEMPTION OF SHIPMENTS (THE SUN'S Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, Friday. The operation of the petrol-tax has been postponed in order to exclude from the levy motor spirits which were shipped for New Zealand before November 8. MOTOR SPIRIT TAXATION Amendments to the Bill, inserted by the Minister of Public Works, the Hon. K. S. Williams, exempt from duty motor-spirt that had left the. country of export for New Zealand before November 8, and that had, at the time of exportation, been destined for New Zealand. Where the duty has been paid on spirit exempt from duty, the Collector of Customs is empowered to allow a refund. Motor spirit destined for the Chatham Islands is exempt from the tax. The Minister explained that the exemptions of shipments now on the sea would protect small importers who had no stocks on hand, and he thought the public would get the benefit. Air. Coates said that by this amendment the small importer would be able to keep his customers who might otherwise leave him if he had to put up his prices before the present stocks of the bigger concerns, now being sold at the old price, were exhausted. So far as bulk holders were concerned, all were trying to do the fair thing, and he thought that the public could depend that they would be given service. This would carry the small importers well on into the New Year and then everybody would pay the fourpence, and it would be what might be called “an even break.” The Bill was read a third time and passed.