The Motorist Always Pays

Judging by the letters which are already coming into MOTOR SPORT’s offices, motorists, although well aware that they represent the most heavily-taxed members of a savagely-taxed community, are aghast that in his Budget speech the Chancellor of the Exchequer should have increased the cost of car licences by 20%.

The excuse that the additional taxation will be spent on new roads will only be accepted by the very gullible, in view of the fact that motorists have in the past paid well over four times Exchequer expenditure on roads—last year £645-million against road expenditure of £137-million. This is a Budget not only extremely unpalatable to millions of motorists but to business people and housewives who know full well that commodity costs always rise with an increase in the cost of road transport. Let the Chancellor think deeply—especially before introducing the threatened 10% increase in the tax on petrol!

Turning to happier things—there will be a Traction Engine Rally at Elham, near Canterbury, on Whit-Monday.