MOTOR TAX AND UPKEEP OF ROADS.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 7, Issue 214, 26 May 1915, Page 2

MOTOR TAX AND UPKEEP OF ROADS.

DISCUSSION BY BARM LUIS’ UNION The old question of taxing motorcars was introduced at the Wellington Farmers’ Union Conference, when Id>. James Allison (Wanganui) inoveCr;That there Tio a tax put 01 tyres of all motor-driven vehicles, the funds so collected to be applied solely to the upkeep of the main roads of the Dominion. Mr. FT, D. M'Leod (Martinborough) in seconding the remit, said that the motor-car was just as essential to Hhc farmer at the present day as his horse and vehicle were ten years ago. The question as to whether the tax was to be devoted to the upkeep of main roads was a big one, owing to the difficulty of defining main roads. The point was whether the tax should be on tyres or horse-power, M. T. Moss (president) thought the matter was such a debatable one that it should be left to their members on the county councils. Mr, C, D, Dickie (Waverley): The number of motor-cars running over main roads on a race day is enormous. It is just like a funeral procession for miles. (Laughter). j The varoius speakers agreed that some tax should be imposed. But the method of taxation was the stumblingblock.

Mr. H. A. Ncvins (Tinui) said that motor traffic had come to stay, and would soon be so great that it would do away with the small railways. If they had decent roads then mails coulor be carried quicker by motor-car than was sometimes the case bj r train. A delegate: We want light railway* for sheep. Mr. Nevins: I drive my sheep many miles, and it is cheaper than sending them by rail. Another opinion expressed was that the Government should give local bodies bigger subsidies, so that they could put the roads in better order. Mr. W. B. Matheson (Eketahunay thought the fairest way would be to raise the tax from the landowners fronting the roads. i Mr. T, Hodgins (Pahiatua) submitted that unless such a tax was levied as would be prohibitive to the use of motor-ears very little, revenue would accrue. Mr. H. Morrison (Mastcrton) was in favour of a tax on motor-tyres. . After other views had been ventilated, but no now ground; broken, the remit was adopted, with the omission of the word ‘ ‘ main. ”

Patea is, as a rule, a quiet, peaceful little town, and beyond' the “gentle zephyrs” that blow occasionally, there is never much occurring beyond normal. The town, however, should “boom some” this winter, as there is likely to be an expenditure of fully £IOO,OOO. Apart from the money,to be spent in advancing the harbour works scheme, the Freezing .Works Company is going to increase the freezing chambers at a cost of about £14,000. , The expenditure of such a large sum as £IOO,000 naturally means much additional employment, and as a result of this, At the annual meeting of the New Zealand Paper Mills, Limited, held at Dunedin, the chairman stated tho gross profits increased from £37,604 in 1914 to £42,498 in 1915.