TAXES ON MOTORISTS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 17 December 1938, Page 6

TAXES ON MOTORISTS

RUMOURS OF INCREASES DEARER PETROL AND IMPOST ON HORSE-POWER. STRONG PROTESTS MADE. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) AUCKLAND, December 16. ' A statement that there was a very persistent rumour of an effort to obtain authority for an increase in the price of petrol before Christmas was made toaay by Mr A. Grayson, actingpresident of the North Island Motor Union, who also mentioned in his report that a proposal was being considered for the imposition of a horsepower tax, in place of or additional to, the petrol tax.

A statement that the Automobile Association was giving its strangest support to the action of the motor union in resisting further taxation by increased petrol prices, a horse-power tax or other additional charges or taxes was made by the president of the association, Mr F. G. Fat fell. The association, he saiu, had telegraphed to ihe Minister of Finance, Mr Nash, and the Minister of Industries and Commerce, Mr Sullivan, asking for a definite assurance that the rumour was without foundation.

Mr Farrell said that, particularly in view of the approaching holiday season which annually drew thousands of people on to the roads, any increase in motor taxation would be most uncharitable. It would, moreover, hit hardest those who could least afford to pay. If the people’s method of deriving pleasure from (he holiday season was to be seized as cn opportunity for tax-gathering, he was sure that thousands of citizens would voice very strong disapproval.