REMISSION OF TAX?

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 706, 4 July 1929, Page 10

REMISSION OF TAX?

MINISTER’S HINT ABOUT TRAFFIC FEES REPLY TO DEPUTATION (THE SUN’S Parliamentary Reporter) WELLINGTON, Wednesday. In answering sympathetically a deputation from the Dominion Council of the Tomato, Soft Fruit and ProduceGrowers’ Association, which asked for relief from heavy traffic fees for Hutt Valley growers, the Minister of Transport, the Hon. W. A. Veitch, dropped mysterious hints about reorganisation of the traffic fees and the possibility of a remission later in the year. The Minister said that although he had received a large number of deputations on the subject, no strongei case had been put up than that of the fruitgrowers. The question would have to be gone into. He was convinced that some special consideration would have to be given the growers.

He had come to the conclusion that those who asked for the abolition of heavy-traffic fees were wrong, and those who said that the fees as charged at present should be continued were equally wrong. The whole system was inequitable, and even an all-round reduction in fees would not meet the position, for the residue of the taxation would still be inequitable.

On the other hand, the Minister said that he was possessed of sufficient statistical information to enable him to say that he could make no change in the system except that made already in the direction of collecting the fees quarterly instead of anually. A thorough investigation was being mad© by the Transport Department into the question of the incidence of motor-taxation, and in a few months the Minister would be able to say what charges were right and what wrong. Possibly, later in the year he might be able to announce that sufficient money had been collected in heavy traffic fees to enable a. remission to be made for the remainder of the year. The Transport Bill was well under way, and lie was sure that its provisions would be so acceptable to the people that he would have no trouble in getting it through the House.

MASTER CARRIERS’ OFFER

REFRAINING FROM CASE FOR TAX RELIEF (THE SUN’S Parliamentary Reporter) WELLINGTON. Wednesday. The hearty thanks of the Government for a very fine action were expressed by the Prime Minister, the Right Hon. Sir Joseph Ward, today in answer to a deputation from the New Zealand Master Carriers’ Federation, which informed him that it had voluntarily agreed to refrain from pressing its case for relief from taxation. A deputation headed by the president of the federation, Mr. M. Stevenson, waited on the Prime Minister to acquaint him of the carriers’ views on the subject of heavy traffic licence fees. Mr. Stevenson said the federation fully realised the most difficult position the Government had been placed in as a result of unforeseen circumstances, particularly the earthquake calamity. To press claims for taxation relief at the present juncture, therefore, would be to embarrass the Government unduly. In the circumstances, the federation had decided to relax its efforts to obtain relief in respect of the current financial year, and to await such time as the financial position of the Dominion had improved before renew’ing those efforts. Expressing thanks for the federation’s action, the Prime Minister said undoubtedly the earthquake would involve the Government in considerable expenditure, and accordingly he appreciated the suggested postponement of relief of taxation as far as heavy vehicles were concerned. Sir Joseph said he was at present engaged, on and off,, in investigating the whole financial position, and, smiling, he added that Vie had not contemplated any relief of taxation as far as carriers were concerned. In those circumstances, he was pleased to inform the deputation that their representations would have the fullest consideration.