COUNTY WHEEL TAX.

Taranaki Daily News, 25 November 1920, Page 8

COUNTY WHEEL TAX.

(REPORT OF COMMISSION. AUTHORITY REVOKED. The report of the commission of inquiry into tiie matter of the Taranaki County Council's vehicles licensing bylaw has been received, and is to the effect that the council was not justiiied in making such a by-law, and the commission recommended the revocation of the Order-in-Council giving the authority to make such a by-law, and that no more. such Orders-in-Council should be made. The order of reference required tbe commissioner (Mr. L. 13. Campbell) to aaiVrtaiii: (1) Whether the /tost oi' maintaining and repairing roads within the county of Taranaki was greater per mile than in adjoining counties; (2) whether such cost, if met wholly out of the general rates, would leave tbe council with insufficient funds to carry out such other functions as are a charge upon the general rate: (3) whether through vehicular traffic was greater in Taranaki than in the surrounding counties; (4) whether any substantial part of the repair and maintenance of roads in the county is rendered necessary by through traffic from the adjoining connties, or the borough of New Plymouth; (5) whether, if the answers to the two previous questions were in the affirmative, the estimated revenue from the vehicles licensing by-law would be more or less than reasonably necessary for repairing damage to roads in the county caused by such traffic; (C) whether the enforcement of the by-law would be unjust to or indict hardship on owners of vehicles throughout the province of Taranaki, or the license fees imposed were unduly high or in any way oppressive, and whether any portions of the by-law were calculated to operateunfairly; (7) what would be the effect of other councils in Taranaki making and enforcing similar by-laws; and (8) whether generally there was any good reason why the Taranaki County Council should have powers with respect to the licensing of vehicles and the imposing of license fees therefor not possessed by other counties in Taranaki. The answers made to the several questions on the evidence submitted were as follow: (1) No. (2) The Taranaki County Council will have no difficulty in carrying out its functions when the rates are based on present-day values. (3) Allowing for weight of traffic and distance travelled, the through traffic in Taranaki is heavier than in the adjoining counties. (4) From tables of tolls taken it was shown that of the through traffic 40 per cent, had its point of origin in the county of Taranaki and 40 per cent, in the borough of Now Plymouth, and also that 44 per cent, had its destination in the county and 4R per cent, in the New Plymouth borough. (5) Returns showed that the amount that would be collected - under the by-law would be per annum, to cover damage to the roads estimated at dOGIi per annum: it was also to be noted that the cost of maintenance would decrease when the tar-sealing programme was completed, (ti) The by-law would be particularly hard against the Inglcwood anil E-gmnnf counties, and the difference between the estimated revenue from the "foreign'' traffic and the estimated amount of damage done by that traffic indicated that the feps, as far as vehicles outside the county were concerned, were too high. (7) The effect if similar by-laws were applied by adjoining counties would be that traffic would he driven off the roads. (S) The only reason given that the Taranaki County Council should hare powers with respect to the licensing of >,Miicular traffic was that the county carried a greater ton mileage of foreign traffic than any other county in the vicinity. While that was proved, it still remained a fact that other counties and boroughs also carried heavy foreign traffic, and it.was equitable that they should receive some assistance on that account. fn the general conclusion.to the report the commissioner said: "It is plain that the Taranaki County Council became fully aware that their by-law was inequitable, but they persisted in trying to bring it into operation for the twofold purpose of getting their road improvement loan carried and of keeping before the Government the necessity for granting assistance to local bodies in the upkeep of main roads." In a covering letter from the Internal Affairs Department it was stated that the Minister proposed to revoke the Order-in-Council under which the bylaw was made, and also that no further Orders-in-Council giving such authority would be made pending the passing of the proposed Main Roads Bill and also the Motor Bill. . . . "It is hoped that these two measures will get over, at all events to a very large extent, the difficulty experienced' by local bodies in regard to the upeep of their roads."