FAIR PLAY

Waipukurau Press, Volume XXVIII, Issue 32, 30 January 1933, Page 8

FAIR PLAY

FOR THE RAILWAYS

STOPPING WASTEFUL COMPETITION

Commercial road users should pay a fairer share of the cost of the roads they use as a raw material. That, is the recommendation of the Conference, representing both railways and road services, which was set up by' the British Ministry of Transport to report on the subject. There is little doubt the Government will carry out the reform, for British railways are now placed in a position which is distinctly unjust.

Railways made their own roads at enormous cost and wholly maintain them. The railway roads actually cost the companies 800 million pounds.

A Unanimous Decision

Yet they are subjected to the competition of motor-lorry transport which uses and wears out the public roads, and kills many people. Our safe railways rarely kill. The case was clear that the Conference was unanimous. Its decision is that tire road-users should pay 60 million pounds a year, the present cost of road upkeep, in these p roportions: — Commercial goods vehicles £23,500,000 Other Motor vehicles . £36,500,000 As this means that commercial vehicles will pay only £2,500,000 more than at present, it cannot be said that, they are to be taxed unduly. At present there is no yearly licence duty of more than £6O, the amount charged for commercial vehicles of live tons or more that are fitted with solid tyres. What They Wil! Pay Tt is now proposed that really heeavy lorries shall pay more. Small increases are proposed for petroldriven vehicles between two tons and five tons, but beyond five tons the increases become heavier. For instance. a five -ton lorry is to pay £135 instead of £6O, while a vehicle between nine and ten tons will pay £282. For each additional ton unladen weight £4O will be charged. These vehicles already pay fairly heavy duties on the petrol which (heir engines consume, but there are an increasing number of commercial vehicles having internal-combustion engines which do not use petrol. This class is to pay still more heavily in yearly licence duty. The vehicle between nine and ten tons will pay £3BB and £6O will be charged for each ton beyond ten. Vehicles fitted with pneumatic tyres will, of course, be charged less than those having solid tyres. Ou»’ Roads a Source of Profit The roads of the nation are becoming more and more used as a source of profit and pleasure by a limited number of the population, and all who use them should be prepared to pay their full share for the privilege. Tt must be remembered that the 60 millions takes no account of the capital value of the roads, which have been built from the resources of the whole of the people. The Conference recommends the collaboration of road and rail services in the public interest, and there is little doubt that the time is rapidly approaching when such joint action will be enforced by the State. The waste of the present road and rail competition is enormous. The nation needs drastic organisation if it is to recover and grow in wealth. Tranport should be organised as a whole! an easy task in our tiny island. —C.N.

purchase "cortiff'd seed. The marked superiority for all swaids. except tomporarv ones, of true perennial ryojjrass over other types whirh luive nt times been confused with it lias boon so widolv and completely domoiwtrafo 1 that farmers generally do not now question its intrinsic merit. Put u;> to the present time the use of certified rve-grass seed necessarily lias boon rostricted. The position lias boon that of a meritorious practice in its infancy a limited production of certified seed has been readily marketed at a comparatively high price, and put into use with results so satisfactory that the demand for certified seed has increased continuously from tho outset. The infancy stage of the use of certified

rve-grass in our farming seems to bo approaching its end. Tho crop of certified seed which is now being harvested and which will bo available for autumn sowing so greatly exceeds anv previous crop that a substantial fall in price of all grades of certified seed i.u assured.