LONDON LETTER BRITISH MOTORISTS ARE HEAVILY TAXED

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27670, 28 May 1955, Page 6

LONDON LETTER BRITISH MOTORISTS ARE HEAVILY TAXED

[From KEITH EUNSON Lonaon Correspondent of "The Prese")

London, May 20.—Owning a motor vehicle in Britain is a privilege that has to be paid for dearly. In buying a medium-priced vehicle P r in Britain at a basic price of £535, tne motorist has to pay £224 purchase tex, his registration fees are considerably higher than in New Zealand, his petrol costs 4s 8d a gallon and he has to suffer one of the worst road systems in the world. Successive British governments have shelved, sidestepped and spurned the demands of motorists for better roads for more than 30 years. Yet the motorist in Britain is the highest taxed in the world. Since 1924 road users have contributed £3,079,000,000 to the British Exchequer; but only £561,000,000 has been spent on roads. Though the figures are staggering, the British Road Federation, a non-political organisation which .lobbies for a better deal for road users, says that they were checked by both the Conservative Party and Labour Party before publication. While the Labour Government of 1945-51 was in power roadusers paid an average .yearly tax of £146,000,000; and £22,000,000 a year was spent on roads. The Conservative Government from 1951 to 1955 collected £382,000,000 a year in taxes and spent £35,000.000 on roads. Britain has 190,000 miles of highways i and 31.1 motor vehicles to the mile, ■ giving this country the highest density of traffic in the world, as well as the slowest moving. In 10 years 1,250,000 more vehicles have been registered in the United Kingdom and road accidents kill or injure more than 200,000 people every year—-one casualty every 2J minutes! These figures show the speed at which more problems are growing every year; but no bold policy has yet been formulated to combat them. The cost of motoring in Britain is so high, in fact, that the percentage of private motor vehicles on the roads is considerably lower than a comparative estimate in New Zealand. Figures recently published showed that 85 per cent, of all motor fuel is used for industrial, commercial or ’ professional purposes. It, is common practice here for the private motorist to use his car only during the summer months. For the rest of the year it is put on blocks. Canny buyers always wait until the winter before buying used cars, because prices are then considerably lower. Since the tax on fuel is 2s 6d a gallon, it is not difficult to see why the Englishman cannot afford to run his car the year round.

Shot Tower to Go One of London’s most prominent landmarks, the 177-year-old shot tower on the South Bank, is to be demolished. It will make way for a public underground car park, to accommodate 250 vehicles. The tower stands at the end of Waterloo Bridge, a dignified example of 18th century functional . building. During the Festival of Britain on the South Bank, the tower was incorporated in the general, design and became a wellknown landmark to the thousands of overseas and Commonwealth visitors who thronged to Britain in 1951. As far back as 1821 the tower was the subject of aesthetic controversy. In its demolition notice the London County Council said that the tower had “no aesthetic value.’’ The London County Council took it over in 1949, when the manufacturers moved premises to the Midlands.

Survey Operations A former New Zealander, Captain W. R. Fell, C.8.E., D.S.C., R.N. (retired) has been appointed to command a naval operation to survey the wreck 2L the Port Na Pier in Loch Alsh. Of 9600 tons, the Port Napier was a familiar sight at New Zealand ports before the war; and a new ship now carries her name on the Dominion run. She was requisitioned by the Admiralty at the beginning of the Second World War as a mine-layer, but caught fire and sank at her moorings in Loch Alsh in 1940, with 500 mines aboard. On Captain Fell’s report will depend whether further salvage operations are worth while. Captain Fell had a distinguished career during the war and was responsible for training divers and crews for midget and two-men submarines. His part in work is praised in the bobk, Above Us the Waves.” which was recently filmed.

An Odd Ally The Labour Party must be finding the mass-circulation “Daily Mirror’’ an odd ally this week. Thougfl it professes tb an independent line in politics, the "Mirror” customarily supports the Socialists. It has recently been conducting a campaign against age m high places. Before his retiredirected many attacks against Sir Winston- Churchill. Now Mr Clement Attlee is in the firing line

Not that the “Mirror” Attlee to retire, but it does nrel more youth in the higher rank. 5 Labour Party. It says that tfftlj* age of the last Conservative CaS® was 55, compared with an aver... a 6(1 for Mr Attlee's 1951 Others hold similar views. The anti-Bevanites under M r Gaitskell say that a younger tn,?.? 11 “Shadow Cabinet” would have e? 1 ® the Bevan wrangle and given the a more vigorous and constructive Ifc' Danny Kaye Since bis sensational deh>„ London in 1948, Danny Kaye ha. ? ways been friendly to this co™,"' He arrived again this week tn season at the Palladium and rer.i.J one of the largest press rereS. given to a visiting celebrity hundreds of questions were' a.w many personal, some stupid and insolent—he handled them with i? aplomb he displays on the staee u thought Jolson, Lauder and Cheu’ar' the three greatest entertainers hoped to make film biographies ntT last two. He would not like a'«> story to be made of his own Hhd. dull. He would not television. He made only one film™ year because that was all he £2 give his time to if he wanted to J a good job. ; Public Readings Charles Laughton is giving ■»,«. readings in the United States- Vmi Williams is doing the same thing hnk 1 United Kingdom. Both are ously successful. Williams began X a single reading from Dickens, laS less than 10 minutes, at the Lane Theatre four years ago and£j he had built himself a new cmw? the impersonator of Charles Dickm! giving his celebrated readings his own works, Williams toured £ country and packed the halls wherewr he went. Now he has decided to int£ duce to the public in the theatre ft. highly individual talent at D v l»« Thomas in readings from his comk stories, sketches and poems. Th. presentation will be simple Th.,, will be no props, the stage will be except for a chair, and he will art impersonate the late Dylan Thomii The idea came to him when he ™ asked to read some of the Welsh poet's work in a special Sunday meintog service in Thomas’s honour. i Academy Best Seller Unquestionably, the portrait ot ft. Queen by Annigoni is the “plcture re the year.” The Royal Academr h probably wishing that it could extend its brief possession of the picturn be yond August, for it has given the summer show of Royal Academy weft a fillip. Attendances at Burlington House have already surpassed all records since 1914; and the viaHm have left a record number ot "Sold” notices on the pictures. The Boyal Academy's blue catalogue has become a “best seller.” Within 11 days ot the opening the first edition of 3om catalogues was sold and 40,006 more were hastily ordered. Everyone wanta to see the portrait of the Queen and Annigoni has attracted a whole new class of visitors to the galleries. Popular Subject Three books about Sir Anthony Eden are on their way through London’s publishing houses. The Art! to be published is by Alan CampbellJohnson, who wrote a book about Sir Anthony Eden 17 years ago, after bit historic resignation from the Chamberlain Government. Mr Crmpbe'lJohnson has rewritten this and included many new chapters, enrryin. his subject up to the decision to l -'d the election on May 26. It is not gmerally known that Sir contributed widely to newspapers before the war. He wrote criticisms and book reviews, and a column in the “Yorkshire Post” under the pseudonym "Back Bencher.” In 1925 he represented that newspaper at the fin-ire Press Union Conference in Me'bourre His impressions were subsequent’.'published in book form under f” title “Places in the Sun."- ’. ’ Private Election It appears that Mr Aneurin Bevar.il having his own private General Election. His name has not appeared on any lists of important speakers issued by Transport House and his election tour seems to be taking him only to the constituencies of his know supporters. Mr Bevan is always good value as a speaker; and it seems unusual that his talents have not boon used moee widely by his party. In the quietest election that Fleet street can recall in recent years, Mr Bevan is one of the few firebrands who is given black type. He has been carrying on I running fight with Sir Winston Churchill during the last week and has I earned publicity with his remark that ! anyone believing in Tory principles Icould not be a Christian.