THE DUTY ON PETROL

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2556, 2 September 1915, Page 3

THE DUTY ON PETROL

IS THE MOTOR-CAR A LUXURY? | - The. motor-car trade' is indirectly af- . .fected. very materially .by/the increase of 4d. . per. gallon on motor: spirits,; mas- i : much as the, price of petrol is a factor ~ .in tho salo of cars. Ono gentleman 4 %tercsted;;in''the {trade, fancies - that' in placing such' a'-stiff • duty'on- ■ petrol as 4d./per gallon the National ■ , Government has regarded the explosive ~- spiritsVused -for propelling motor -vehicles as a luuxry. Judged oil the present -j price ' of such spirits 'it certainly - comes within; that"category. ' To-day, ;■ if a: motorist ■ wishes : to. replenish' his ■ tanks in a .Wellington garago* he, has to pay 'Bs.') Sd. for motor spirit, per four-- ' gallon tin, and _Bs. 4d. for a tin of .benzine (which' is not iquite so highly : .clarified),' ■: so that the 'cost works; out'. ,;at 2s. ,2d,- per gallon' for motor, spirit," and 2s. Id. for -benzme: ;-, There may 'be places; where it would, bo. obtainable • 'for,ld 1 . per ; gallon less, jbut-the-figures^ ■ showvhow oxpensive. motor spirits aro ■compared with the quotation five'or sis: ,■ j yqars .tago, ■ whejCtheSpriceiwnsf 'as*']bw' ■ !as. : ls.-4d.; peFvgallon. In'-'those days i . {motoring was much more a luxury than it is to-day, -as during 'the ipast five - -•years vmanyfirms, min:L.Wellington and; .i ■ - '.probahly in every ■: other~city in- the civi-!' 1 Ijjiscd I world have abandoned horse trac-' i Stiori fdr'jin<tor#ractioii^ >T.ess,-. and motor,spirit isijust as much ' fa.' commercial necessity. in'the commuii-: lity asi chaff was twenty years ago. , j Without' , the - extra duty --the price of '.petrol;; spirits had ,been< gradually-' as- ' pending for Isome,years, and..now with the precious fluid at^2s..'2d: -■■ per .gallon many business people will find that tho - -.economy they hoped ;to: 'effect by .sub-■:■■■■■■^ptitutjhg'.mptor-driy.en;i-for horse-drawn ' vehicles is not a.very-real one. : It is ■y)nlyVa/]fiwi:ye'ars^ ; since .'that the. motorcar could have been fairly; classed as a luxury.pure and simple, 'but the.evolution of motor: traction had transferred it from the -piano of a luxury ,to a very : urgent'necessity for which there is . no, ; -alternative, J a's;a'! firm' with a..fleet of motor-wagons -had, to keep them going :to make them pay..-v With-the-soaring 1 . price now set it is doubtful if he will be able-to do that much:-. The'troublo ,1 .was,'almost as, the' pleasure; ■; car could not bo separated from tho grocer's wagon wben''it came to purchasing spirits. i .. ■■■ ■ ■■.