COUNTY WHEEL TAX.

Taranaki Daily News, 20 December 1920, Page 4

COUNTY WHEEL TAX.

BOROUGH COUNCIL'S SATISFACTION Reports the General Manager to tonight's meeting of the New Plymouth Borough Council;

The decision of the Government has now been given in regard to this muchdebated subject. The report of the Commissioner appointed by the Government was to the effect that the County Council was not justified in making ,'such a 'by-daw, and the Commissioner recommended the revocation of the Order-in-Council granting the Council authority to make such by-laws* and that no such Order-iii-Couneil should be wade in future. The Government adopted the recommendations, and intimated that no further Order-in-Council giving such authority would be made pending the passing of the proposed Main Roads Bill, and also the Motor Bill. i This decision will be received with the [greatest satisfaction throughout the Taranakl district, and particularly in New Plymouth. There is no question but that the collection of the license fees imposed by the by-law would have had a great detrimental effect upon the town, and have diverted to other towns a very large portion of the motor traffic now operating between the town and other parts of the district. This would have meant an enormous loss of trade to the business people of the town. The Borough Council took the leading part in the opposition to the by-law, and the enormous saving effected to the tradespeople by the Council's efforts will never be assessed, there being no means of arriving at a' reliable estimate. That the saving will .amount to many thousands of pounds, however, is beyond doubt. Incidentally, from the report of the Commissioner it app; -s that as it will probably be another \ ,r or eighteen months at least before' uie proposed Main Roads Bill and Motor Bill can come into operation, the direct saving to motorists in the Taranaki district wul not be less than £lO 000 and will probably be nearer £2O 000 Although we took every opportunity o opposmg the bringing into operation of the County by-law, we freely acknowedge and recognise that the action of the County has had the effect of brin*mg prominently before the Government arteiia! roads The making of the bvlaw had the effect of rousing the onpomion of the whole of the local ;S Zl T • aml hl their ■ effort » t0 e" cape from an intolerable by-law the weal bodes exerted even- ~,., the Goverrnnen ( „*£ ?T U P on of upkeep of S; r JS: and made valuable suctions f„, ! . ' ing tli« difficulty, ft 'I V " Mi;. - t ■ '' Al '*<i it not bepn fnr