ROAD TRANSPORT MATTERS IN PARLIAMENT.
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The New Scale for Agricultural Vehicles. The Year's Revenue from Road Taxes. Preservation of Trees in Road Improvements.
By Our Special Parliamentary Correspondent.
THE National Farmers' Union of Scotland is making representations, through Scottish members, to the Chancellor of the Exchequer with regard to the new scale of duties for agricultural vehicles contained in the Fourth Schedule of the Finance Bill. The removal of an injustice as between England and Scotland in respect of the differing legal interpretations of "commercial vehicle" and " locomotive " is heartily welcomed, but it is pointed out that under the -schedule the previous term "used for haulage solely in connection with agriculture" has been replaced by a narrower description requiring that the vehicle getting the benefit of the new scale should be registered in the name of a person engaged in agriculture and "used solely by that person for the haulage of the produce of, or of articles required for the purposes of, the agricultural land which he occupies, and for no other purposes."
• The Farmers' Union fears that the effect of this narrower expression will he to inflict a hardship on the farmer who gratuitously and casually lends his lorry at harvesting or other busy seasons to another farmer or uses it to assist the latter. This mutual exchange of services is common among farmers and it Is contended that the schedule should be amended so that such operations should not be interfered with or the owner of the vehicle made liable to a higher tax. An amendment is being drafted by the Union which Sir Harry Hope, M.P., the well-known Scottish agriculturist, will ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer to consider.
Another point urged by the Union is that as at present Scottish agriculturists are paying the commercial vehicle rate on their lorries and vans, the new concession should date not from January 1st, 1928, as proposed, but from the date of the passing of the Finance Act or even retrospectively. There appears to be little hope of this request being acceded to.
Revenue from Road Taxes.
IT is officially stated that the total amount collected in respect of licences for mechanically propelled road vehicles, horse-drawn carriages and motor drivers, together with other miscellaneous receipts under the Roads Act, 1920, amounted in the year 1926-27 approximately to £21,810,000. The exact figures are not yet available. Mr. Shrapnell-Smith, in his article on the Road Fund in our issue for June 7th, gave the net figure of £21,393,000. From the gross receipts certain deductions have to be made to meet the prior statutory, charges under Section 3 (4) of the Roads Act and Section 42 of thae Finance Act, 1926. Grants for, Rural Roads.
T TNDER the scheme inaugurated last year for assist ing highway authorities of rural areas in the maintenance of selected unclassified roads, 35,859 miles of rural roads in England and Wales became eligible for the first time for a maintenance grant. It is not possible to state the exact mileage of roads for which grants were actually made.
Co-ordinating Street Works. A S an example of the efforts made by the Minister L-12of Transport to co-ordinate, so far as possible, street works in the London area, it is stated that Piccadilly is to be repaved in the near future and it has been arranged that it should take place in August and September, the water company, the gas company, the electricity company and the Post Office doing their work at the same time.
White Gauntlets for London Police.
THE Home Secretary states that an extended trial is being given to a type of white gauntlet for police on point duty in London. This gauntlet, which costs 2s. 8d. a pair, has proved the most satisfactory of the types already tried and seems likely. to prove entirely suitable.
Vehicles Passing on Blind Side.
T'practice of motor vehicles passing other vehicles on the blind side at places where refuges are in the centre of the roadway for the use of pedestrians is being considered by the Minister of Transport, who has special powers of regulation in regard to the London traffic area. It is pointed out that, in general, the driver lays himself opento proceedings if his actien Is dangerous in the particular circumstances of the case. Destruction of Trees.
COLONEL ASHLEY has given an assurance to VisV./count Samlon, who expressed some apprehension as to the cutting down of trees to make room for new roads or road alterations, that local authorities usually take great care to avoid or minimize the destruction of timber: In various cases where he has considered that a modification of the scheme would enable still further trees to be saved he has successfully intervened.
Horsed Traffic on Tarred Roads.
ACOMPLAINT has been made that certain county councils are tar-spraying steep and dangerous hills without giving sufficient track space on the sides for horse-drawn vehicles, with the result that farmers are deprived of the use of the roads owing to their horses Slipping and receiving injury. The Minister of Transport stated that very few complaints of this sort had reached him. It was his desire that adequate provision should be made for every form of traffic and if particulars of any specific cases were brought to his notice in which this was not being done he would have inquiries made.
R.A.C. and Road Fund Raids.
T" Secretary to the Treasury (Mr. R. M`Neill), while admitting that the Chancellor of the Exchequer had received a resolution from the General Council of the Royal Automobile Club protesting against the diversion of further sums from the Road Fund, having regard to the need for increased expenditure on the roads, stated that the Chancellor had also received a number of letters from motorists, members of the Royal Automobile Club, expressing approval of the course taken by the Government and expressly dissociating themselves from the action taken by the Club. He added that opportunity for further discussion would arise on the Finance till.