FARMERS7 LORRIES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 27 April 1939, Page 7

FARMERS 7 LORRIES

O. LIABILITY FOR HEAVY TRAFFIC FEES. MOVE FOR ABOLITION. New light was thrown on the liability of farmers with regard to the payment of heavy traffic fees by the following letter from the Dominion Secretary of the Farmers’ Union, which was read at yesterday's meeting of the Masterton Branch of the Union. "I have to advise that after the last conference a deputation waited on the Minister of Finance to ask for the abolition of the heavy traffic licence fees for farmers’ lorries. The Minister of Transport, wno was also present, expressed himself as being strongly in favour of the abolition of the fee. but the Minister of Finance said that he could not agree with it as all motor interests would then require a revision of motor taxation, and he was not prepared to do that before the elections. The matter would be considered when the revision of motor taxation was made this year. "No revision has yet taken place. As the law stands at present the position is that farmers are required to pay heavy traffic licence fees on their lorries, but the Government has instructed county councils that the matter of enforcing heavy traffic fees is to be left at their discretion, and the Government will not interfere in it. So that the initiative and responsibility in the matter lies with the local bodies which in the case of farmers is mostly county councils.So far as the liability of farmers’ lorries to pay licence fees is concerned under the law as it stands at present, lorries are responsible for the fee if they travel along the road. However, a lorry may cross a road from one side of a property to another and not be liable.