THE WHEEL TAX.

Taranaki Daily News, 17 September 1920, Page 5

THE WHEEL TAX.

TARANAKI COUNTY'S PROPOSALS. NEW PLYMOUTH BOROUGH'S VIEWS. The recent- sitting at New Plymouth of a commission to hear objections to the Taranaki County Council's licensing by-laws is referred to by the town manager (Mr. F. T. Bellringer) in his monthly report, now issued. ■Mr. Bellringer says: "The Borough Council has been placed in tho position of having to incur a very heavy expense in order to object to those bylaws, and presumably will have to incur further expense in fighting the county's application for permission to establish toll gates 011 all the main roads leading into New Plymouth. "It is hoped that the Government will realise that this question of compelling motorists to contribute towards tho upkeep of main arterial roads can only be settled by means of a Dominion tax, and that it must not be left to individual councils to each adept differing and overlapping methods. The conference of Taranaki local bodies decided tiiat, in its opinion, the position could best be met by the Government increasing the subsidy on the general rates of local bodies, the necessary revenue being found by an increase of the Customs duty upon motor tyres. This decision was endorsed by tho Dominion Councils' Conference, liy the Municipal Conference, and by the New Zealand Automobile Conference, and may therefore be taken as "'.lie opinion of the majority of the local bodies of New Zealand, and of the owners of motor vehicles, "The Government seems favorably inclined towards this solution of the difficulty, and continuous pressure should , he brought to.bear to induce it to take the matter nil this session. This, in my opinion, would be the most effective way to defeat', the present applications lor toll-gates. • I anticipate that now the commissioner has completed the inquiry in regard! to the wheel tax the county will vigorously pursue its application for toll-gates. Such being the case, the Boro\igh Council and other bodies affected 'should be equally ener- . g*tio in their efforts in apposition,"