The Commercial Motor's Strong Position in Canada
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Illuminating Import, Export, Registration and Taxation Figures tha t Gibe a Good Insight into the Progress of Road Transport in the Dominion
THE preliminary report on the trade of Canada for the fiscal year -ended March 31, 1934, re.; cently issued by the Dominions Government, Ottawa, shows a marked increase in the trade returns relating to the motor industry, as compared with those of the previous year. During the period under review, the export trade in Canadian motors was valued at 11,114,088 dollars and in motor parts at 1,444,515 dollars, whilst the imports for the same year were valued at 13,760,242 dollars for motor parts and 3,395,619 dollars for motor vehicles.
During the fiscal year, 1934, Canada exported lorries to the value of 2,519,838 dollars, comprising 2,250 units weighing a ton and less, and 4,791 units above a ton. In the previous year 977 lorries, weighing a ton and under, and 1,270 units of over a ton were exported. In addition to these machines; this year Canada exported tractors and parts to the value of 4,994 dollars, as compared with 5,700 dollars in 1933.
Owing to the fact that many American manufacturers have assembly and finishing plants in Canada, the value of imported parts exceeds that of exported vehicles, and in 1934 motorvehicle parts rank as the sixth most important commodity imported into the Dominion. In 1934 it imported 9,186 petrol and steam engines for road vehicles, valued at 598,075 dollars ; 208 agricultural tractors (140,988 dollars) ; agricultural-tractor parts (632,273 dol*lars) ; 848 lorries and 11 buses (618,752 dollars) ; and motor components to the B40
value of 13,760,242 dollars. • The corresponding import figures for the 1933 fiscal year were 2,426 petrol and steam engines (199,499 dollars) ; 148 agricultural tractors (326,370 dollars) ; 703,482 -dollars' worth of agricultural-tractor parts ; 266 lorries (246,244 dollars) and 10,022,832 dollars' worth of motor comPonents.
The report also reveals that, in 1934 (fiscal year), the United Kingdom exported 150 commercial-vehicle engines, one agricultural tractor, 162 lorries and nine buses, against 272 engines, six agricultural tractors, 41 lorries, and no buses in 1933. In addition, in 1934, we also exported agricultural-tractor 'parts to the value of 10,578 dollars and
motor parts to the value of 69,122 dollars, as compared with 3,830 dollars and 64,788 dollars respectively in 1933.
In 1934 we imported into the United Kingdom from Canada only six lorries, valued at 1,921 dollars, motor parts to the value of 21,828 dollars, and tractors and parts computed at 641 dollars. Thirteen lorries (9,944 dollars) and 360,537 dollars' worth of motor parts were the total imports of commercial vehicles and equipment from Canada in the fiscal year 1933.
The annual report of the Transportation branch of the Canadian Department of Trade and Commerce, dealing with highways and motors in the Dominion, shows that, although the total number of motor-vehicle registrations in the year ended December 31, 1933, represented a continued decline in the number of vehicles registered, being 2.8 per cent. lower than in 1932, the number of commercial vehicles was substantially higher than in 1932.
The total number of registrations last year was 1,082,957, as compared with 1,114,503 in 1932. There were 159,502 lorries, etc., and 2,056 buses registered last year, as against 157,990 and 1,739 respectively in 1932. Last year 911,627 private cars, 5,326 taxicabs, 153,829 lorries, 2,056 buses, 10,000 motorcycles, 22 road tractors, 188 hearses and ambulances, 59 fireengines, 87 road machines, 61 break down-crane and service vehicles, and 26,293 trailers were registered.
These figures give a good indication of the extent of the road-transport industry in Canada. Moreover, the fact that there was an all-round increase in the number of commercial vehicles, last year, in spite of the considerable drop in total registrations, emphasizes the rapid development of road transport within the Dominion.
At the end of last year the total length of the highways system was 409,124 miles, comprising 94,721 miles of surfaced roads and 314,403 .miles of unsurfaced roads. This represents an increase of 4,110 miles of surfaced roads, as compared with the 1932 figure. The total capital expenditure on the road system, including federal subsidies, amounted to 23,854,579 dollars, as compared with 50,031,509 dollars in 1932. _Maintenance expenses were reduced from 21,461,357 dollars in 1932 to 16,650,475 dollars, including 15,381,175 dollars for roads and 1,269,300 dollars for bridges and ferries in 1933.
The aggregate revenue raised by the provinces from the registration of motor vehicles, operators, etc., and taxes on buses and lorries operated as public-service vehicles, amounted to 20,576,392 dollars, or 549,879 dollars less than in 1932. It is estimated that last year about 50,500,000 dollars were paid in registration fees and taxes.
It should be noted that in Canada all bus operators and hauliers, in addition to the ordinary registration fee and road-tax payments for their vehicles, are required to pay to the provincial authorities a special load-mileage tax and, in practically all provinces, a trailer tax and registration fee. In all provinces, except Alberta and Yukon, trailers have to be registered.
In 1933 the authorities collected 4,666,198 dollars from lorry taxation, 154,642 dollars froth buses, 135,688 dollars from taxicabs, 220 dollars from road tractors, 188,789 dollars from trailers, and 208,127 dollars in mileage tax on hauliers' lorries and 154,616 dollars in mileage tax on buses.
Operators of public vehicles used for the transport of passengers or merchandise for reward are now required to secure a special permit in each province, and the fees for such permits are chargeable in addition to the registration fees.
It is interesting to note the latitude given to commercial-vehicle drivers with regard to speed in Canada. In practically every province the maximum speed allowed to fully laden lorries is between 25 m.p.h. and 30 m.p.h. In the province of Manitoba all fully laden lorries are permitted a speed of 35 m.p.h., and a similar limit is applied to unladen lorries in both Ontario. and Saskatchewan. In Nova Scotia, moreover, there is no specified speed limit for lorries under 4 tons gross weight.
The total gross sales of motor spirit in 1933 amounted to 484,324,000 gallons. All the provinces refund, or exempt from, the tax, spirit used by farm tractors and fishing boats, whilst some provinces make other exemptions. The net sales amounted to 427;858,000 gallons.
It is estimated that last year motor vehicles consumed. 99.6 per cent, of the total net sales, and, although the figure for the year 1933 is not yet available, it is unlikely that there will be any alteration in the percentage consumed by motor vehicles. The average rate of motor-spirit taxation for the whole country last year was 6.5 cents per gallon, which figure was practically the same as that for 1932. The total revenue collected in the different provinces from motor-spirit taxation amounted to 26,467,765 dollars last year, as compared with 27,083,316 dollars in 1932,