Motorists and the Budget.

Progress, Volume IV, Issue 9, 1 July 1909, Page 296

Motorists and the Budget.

The Budget, we learn, caused extensive interest in motor circles throughout the United Kingdom. As illustrating its effects, there is a charming story from one of the law courts. Mr. Jessel, K.C., was very depressed when speaking to his brief, whereupon Mr. Justice Eve, who likes cheerful pleading, remarked abruptly, '' You need not be so lugubrious, sir.'' The K.C. replied dolefully that it was not that matter that depressed him, whereupon his learned friend on the other side broke in with, "My Lord, he has just bought a motor, and is thinking of the Budget." This seems to have been the effect all round among motorists at first. No wonder, for whereas the industry paid nothing but license fees, and these to the extent of between £150,000 and £185,000 a year, the new fees amount to £410,000, and the tax of 3d a gallon on petrol —with rebate to commercial motors of one-half, and to other tisers of the whole —is estimated as likely to bring in £375,000 for the year —an increase of about £635,000. Instead of £150,000, the industry will pay £785,000. The scale, as announced bv the Chancellor of the Exchequer, runs thus: —

Regarding the petrol tax, the Chancellor declared that, with the addition, the position of the motorist would still be better than that of the French owners of pleasure cars, the price of petrol in France being Is. Bd. per gallon, against the lid. of Britain, which the tax would bring up to not more than Is. 2d. But as the petrol companies promptly raised their price to 4d., charging a cool thirty-three per cent, for the collection, the total price to the pleasure motorist will be Is. 3d. He will still, however, be better off than his French comrade by sd. on every gallon he uses. This rather discounts the declaration freely made by the makers of cars that the increased tax will seriously interfere with business. Prominent motorists have for some time been urging some increase for the purpose of defraying the cost of the roads, and they have been taken at their word. It is noteworthy that a considerable body of motorists are now turning their attention to insisting that the extra money raised shall be devoted to the upkeep of the roads. That is the announced intention of the Chancellor, who explained such to be his pur-

pose in altering the license basis to horse power instead of weight, as it used to be, and in taxing the fuel. Sir Henry Norman, M.P., a noted motorist, discourses wisely for the benefit of his fellows. Pie says: "Those of us who take great interest in roads and motors are now reduced to making the best bargain we can with the view that prevails. From this standpoint I hold that Mr. Lloyd-George's proposals are about the best possible, and I think we can even go so far as to 'accept the inevitable with joy.' Every motorist will, and every citizen should rejoice that an annual sum of £600,000, rapidly increasing, is to be devoted to the improvement of our grotesque system of road development and control, though, of course, the benefits conferred will depend upon the wisdom with which the money is employed. Lord Russell's criticisms a\ ill not bear examination. 'People who now keep three motors will keep one; people who can just afford one motor-car will keep none.' People who can afford to keep three motors will not be deterred from doing so by an extra expenditure of a pound a week. In very few cases will an additional four or five pounds a year prevent anyone from buying a motor-car who would have otherwise done so. For Lord Russell is almost certainly wrong in saying that 'the tax upon petrol will represent cost varying from %d. to VocL on each mile run by the car." This latter contention he bases on two facts, (1) the very large margin of profit made by the wholesale men who, buying petrol at 6y 2 d. delivered in London in tins, retail at lid., (2) the new sources of excellent spirit constantly fighting their way into the market at cheaper rates. His reference to the £600,000 is explained by the fact that of the whole sum raised as above stated (£785,000), the amounts received by the local bodies for license fees Avill continue to be paid to them, amounting to between £150,000 and £185,000. A correspondent, writing to one of the trade journals, declares that he is going to take to paraffin, which is far cheaper, and not subject to taxation. In this connection he has something interesting to say. "There is, of course, much popular prejudice against the use of paraffin — why, one has never been able to satisfactorily discover. The writer has had considerable experience with paraffin, and, when once he had realised that a paraffin carburettor wants just a little different treatment and adjustment to a petrol carburettor, no trouble was experienced, but, on the contrary, invariably smooth working; none of that gumming up of the valves, which everybody promised, no foul exhaust, no paraffin trickling over the motor vehicle;

and, if anything, increased power, and price very much decreased, without any question of duty. The carburettor I used was the "Poland" paraffin carburettor. I was recently present at an experiment made with this apparatus, when the motor was connected up to a dynamo, and the instrument registered exactly the same output from the motor whether the carburettor was fed with petrol, paraffin, naphtha, or methylated spirit. ' ' It reads something like a revelation.

rnder 6%-h.p. rnder 12-h.p. 'nder 16-h.p. ruder 26-h.p. rnder 33-h.p. rnder 40-h.p. nder 60-h.p. .bove 60-h.p. 2 guineas 3 guineas 4 guineas 6 guineas 8 guineas 10 guineas 20 guineas 40 guineas