ffiE AUTOCAR ·s 3ourrtal publtsbeb tn tbe interests of tbe mecbantcall\? propeUet > roat > carriage.
EDITED BY H. WALTER STANER.
No. 69r. VoL. XXII.J SATURDAY, JANUARY I 6TH, 1909. [PRICE 3D.
The Autocar.
(Published Weekly.)
Registered a s a newspaper for transmission in the United Kingdom. Entered a s second-class matter in the New York (N.Y.) Post Office.
Three Editions every Friday .
The THREEPENNY EDITION, printed on Art paper. The PENNY EDITION, pr inted upon thinner paper. 'The FOREIGN EDITION, price 3d., printed on special!y light bank paper for circulation abroad.
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CONTENTS. NOTES
HINTS AND T I PS (ILLUSTRATED) • •
54,2 4 5 M IL!:S IN FOUR YEARS (ILLUSTRATED\..
MOTOR U NION N OTES
THE BRITISH ARMY A EROPLANE ON T EST ( ] LLUSTRATION) • ,
A REVIEW OF THE R ACES1 R ECORD<;, H ILL-CLIMBS AND RELIA
BILITY T RIALS OF !90S ..
TABLES OF RAf'ES, R ECORDS, H ILL-CLIM BS, AND TR!AL5
P RESIDENT-ELECT TAFT AND HIS VVH ITE STEA~! CAR ( I LLUSTRATED)
PAGE
71 72 73-74
75 76
77·79 80-86
-LIABILITY FOR DAMAGES
CORRESPONDENCE (ILLUSTRATED)
A E RONAUTICS {ILLUSTRATED) . .
A EROPLANE J OTTINGS (ILLUSTRATED) . .
A R UN ON A 12 H.P. TALBOT
FLASHES {ILLUSTRATED) • .
THE.SOAR S PEEDOMETE R AND A t.:101.0G ( I LLUSTRATED)
88 93·97 98-99
99 JOO
101 - 102
H OWARD WRIGHT'S A E ROPLANES
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British I sles-Home Edition, 16s.; penny (thin paper) edition, 6s. 6d
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/ / Notes. Motors, Roads, and Taxes. The question of taxation is one ,rhich concerns the motor industry probably more than any other at the present time. The industry is young and vigorous. Motor cars are not diminishing in numbers, · but increasing steadily. Self-appointed advisers of tire Chancellor of the Exchequer are clamorous in their suggestions for further taxation of motor cars. Some would tax motor cars out of existence on the principle of taxing their pet . aversion. The attitude of these people is intelligible, but it is not so easy at first sight to understand the attitude of those few motorists who profess to be willing to pay increased taxation on their motor cars . . Some plausibility, however, is given to their position by the appended · condition · that the money so raised should be devoted to the repair and upkeep of the roads. This is apparently a self-
denying ordinance. The spectacle is so un~s1;1al, as has been pointed out, that it is open to susp1c10n ; ~here must be some motive underlying it. No enthusias~ on this score is exhibited by those actual I y engaged m the industry; they do not acquiesce in the propo_sal. On the contrary, they protest most vehemently aga1?st any further tax being placed upon an industry which already pays more than its fair share of the taxes of the country. Although motor cars are legally. cla?sed as " carriages," and have the status and. obligations of carriages on the highway, they are sub3ect not ~n~y to the ordinary carriage license fees, but to an add1t1onal tax of a very substantial character levied specially upon them for no other apparent reason than that they are motor cars.
The industry takes up the position that any further taxes will have a tendency to prevent people of moderate means from purchasing motor cars. It often happens that even the present comparatively heavy tax is the determining factor between possessing a motor ~ar and doing without one on the part of a man who w1~hes to use it in connection with his business, profession, or recreation. Cases of this kind have a hampering effect upon tne industry, even under present circumstances, but if the taxes, whether placed on- motor cars or petrol, should be materially raised the number of such persons who are on the border line between possession and non-possession of moto_r cars will be greatly increased, and as a necessary consequence the industry will suffe r. All those who are engaged in the industry should band themselves together to oppose increased t axation of motor cars.
\Ve repeat what we have maintained all along, that the case for taxing motorists for road maintenance is not made out. On the other hand, we maintain that there is a good case against such a proposal. In this ire are supported by the thousands of people who signed The .Aufiocar anti-taxation petitions some time ago-people connected with the industry and those who make use of motor cars either for business or pleasure. ·with the advance of the motor car an era of prosperity is dawning not only upon those industrial centres associated with its manufacture, but upon the country at large on account of the increased facilities it affords for intercommunication between districts hitherto inaccessible to each other. To levy further· taxation upon these vehicles would be to apply the extinguisher to an industry which is destined to become the country's best friend-a somewhat uncharitable way of treating a benefactor. The assertion that motorists themselves would consent to further taxation of their cars, provided the money went to improve the roads, has very slender justification in fact . I t arises, we should imagine, from ignorance; the people who make it are chiefly those misguided ones who think that if they pay higher tai.es for their cars, they will be allowed certain rights and privileges which they do not now enjoy. This is about as wise as believing that an increase of the income tax would absolve the taxpayer from paying his district rates or his tradesmen'~ bills.
