The Daily News. WEDNESDAY, JULY 22, 1914. THE PROPOSED MOTOR TAX.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 52, 22 July 1914, Page 4

The Daily News. WEDNESDAY, JULY 22, 1914. THE PROPOSED MOTOR TAX.

The Oover.nmi lit lias not yet made it clear what its real object is in proposing t > levy a tax upon motors. Certainly it is stated in the Bill that the proceeds of the tax are to be utilised in special repairing of roads generally used for motor traffic within the provincial district in which the fees are received. But the proceeds of the proposed tax will go nowhere. Tt lias been estimated that the tax, upon the schedule proposed, will produce between £30,000 ana £35,000. How far- will this amount go in road maintenance? Why, it would scarcely suffice for the maintenance of

the main roads of Taranaki. Motorists would no doubt gladly pay an annual tax if in return they were given better roads and an exemption from the payment of toll-gate charges. It is only in Taranaki that the latter antideluvian system of taxation exists, and it is probable the Minister overlooked its existence in framing the Bill. It would be inequitable to levy a direct tax as well as a toll-gate tax. This is a point Taranaki motorists could advantageously place before the Members for the district. At present the toll-gate is very popular with many of our local bodies, and if the Stratford County Council has its way. it will soon be impossible for a motorist to go very far in any part of the province without being "held up" by these barriers. If, however, the Government tax gives a motorist immunity from the payment of toll charges, then the doom of the toll-gate is sealed, for the chief object in erecting toll-gates nowadays is to "get at" the motorist. Their removal from the landscape will not be a disadvantage, or cause verydeep regret. This leads us to the question of the maintenance of the arterial roadK. Before assuming office, the Government was keen in its advocacy, of State maintenance of main roads. But

now very little is heard of it. Unquestionably it would be in the interests of the country for the Government to maintain the arterial roads, and it would be more statesmanlike on its part if, instead of bringing down a Motor Tax Bill that achieves nothing, except the raising of a small amount of money, useless for the alleged purpose for which it is raised, and causing a food deal of irritation, it brought down a comprehensive measure providing for the construction and maintenance of the main arterial roads, and imposing a tax upon motors, not, however, as is now proposed, but at the Customs end, or by levying a charge

on tyres, and devoting subsidies now paid to local bodies to the purpose. The Bill is capable of a good deal of improvement. For instance, public vehicles, 'buses and trade vehicles are very lightly taxed compared with private motors. It cannot be argued that the latter do tile harm to the roads the heavier machines do, nor do anyway near the work of the others. Owners of cars plying for hire and used for trade purposes are also let off lightly, yet they are responsible for a big proportion of the wear and tear of the roads. Doctors' cars only pay half the tax of private cars, yet they cause five times the. wear on the roads that private cars do, simply

because they arc constantly in use. The horse-power standard has been accepted by the Government in levying the charges, but most authorities agree tliat this is quite a wrong and unfair basis, the rating of the various makes of cars being so different. A 12-16 horse-power English ear, which under the proposed, schedule will pay £3, might develop more power than the American car of 30 h.p.. which is assessed at £G. The Prime Minister intimated he was making allowance for this, but he was not cleaf as to whether he proposej to reduce the higher rating or increase' the lower rating. There are some good provisions in the Bill, such as those providing for the licensing of drivers and the endorsement of licenses in case of conviction, a necessary safeguard against reckless driving. The proposed tax on motor cycles seems like placing quite an unnecessary burden upon a class of traffic that cannot do the roads any real harm. The Bill, speaking generally, bristles with inconsistencies and inequalities, is unsound in principle, and in its present form is no credit to the Government that brought it down.