FARMERS’ LORRIES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 10 May 1939, Page 4

FARMERS’ LORRIES

PAYMENT OF HEAVY TRAFFIC FEES. POWERS OF COUNTY COUNCILS. Reference was made at yesterday's meeting of the Masterton County Council to statements made at a recent Farmers’ Union meeting in Masterton regarding the liability of farmers’ lorries for the payment of heavy traffic fees. In reply to a question, the Clerk, Mr J. C. D. Mackley, said: “As far as this council is concerned we have received no notification from the Transport Department regarding either a reduction in or the abolition of heavy traffic fees for farmers’ lorries. As the law stands they have to pay the same as other lorry owners. If we allowed farmeis to operate in the county without paying the fees and they travelled into a borough there would be nothing to stop the Borough Inspectors taking action.” It was decided to write and ask the department exactly what the position amounted to. The letter received at the Farmers' Union meeting from the Dominion Secretary. of the Union, stated in pait. “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.”