THE WHEEL TAX.

Taranaki Daily News, 30 September 1919, Page 4

THE WHEEL TAX.

The Taranaki County Council's by-law relating to vehicles, which was to come into operation to-morrow, was the subject of a deputation to the Minister of Internal Affairs (Hon. J. B. Hine) at Eltham yesterday. There is no need to reiterate the facta connected with the action of the Taranaki County in putting the obnoxious by-law into force. The Minister and the public are alike fully possessed of all the features of the question. Mr, Hine received the deputation fit the express wish of the Premier in order to ascertain at first, hand the real feelings which existed throughout Taranaki concerning the by.law, so that the Government might be guided as to its action in relation thereto and towards Mr. Wilkinson's Bill to repeal the statutory powers under which the by-law operates. The various representative speakers made it quite clear that opposition to the by-law was solid throughout Taranaki, and even the chairman of the Taranaki County admitted that the by-law was not the most fair and equitable means of collecting revenue. The Minister is to be congratulated on his reply, wherein lie suggested to Mr. Connett the propriety of holding up the by-law for a few months, as drastic action would have to be taken in the near future. He admitted that the Government should not take away the power to levy the tax without providing a substitute, and he intimated that he would do his best to induce the Government to adopt a motor tyre tax. At the same time, in view of the persistencey of the Taranaki County to put the by-law into force, Mr. Hine said straight out that either the county must stay its hand or the Government must revoke the order under which the county was acting. Plain words these that cannot be misconstrued. If the county will not yield to the Minister s appeal to do the beneficient thing and stay its hand for a few months then the Minister will ask the Government for power to revoke the order. The county chairman coufld give no undertaking, but, in view of the alternative defined by the Minister, the County Council will be well advised to hold its hand. It would have been better still if the County Council had deferred enforcing the by-law until after the Counties Conference, when the matter is to come up as a remit, and, under the circumstances, no action should be taken on the by-law until after the next meeting of the County Council. Possibly then a more conciliatory spirit will be in evidence. Meantime, the resolution passed by the delegation yesterday in favor of the Government taking up Mr. Wilkinson's Bill will be laid before the Premier and his colleagues. The Taranaki Council can ride for a fall or make a tardy retreat through an open gate. The Minister has given them the choice. Either way the public will be protected by the Minister, who will earn thereby the thanks of the whole community.