Licensing Topics : The Ministry Receives a Deputation.
Page 50
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ADEPUTATION from the Surrey County Council has recently had an interview with the Ministry M Transport with regard to the present system of licensing motor vehicles and the facilities which exist for the evasion of licence duties. They were received by Mr. H. IT Pigott, assistant secretary, and Mr. P. C. Franklin, an officer of the Roads Department of the Ministry. The deputation submitted that, apart from the general question as to whether the present-method is preferable to the petrol duty, the system is not effective for the purpose of detection of evasion of licence duty, for the following reasons :—
(1) The colour scheme of the licence cards is a failure.
(2) The majority of detections of revenue offences are not effected by means of the licence card system, but when the vehicle has been stationary or is being stopped for some statutory offence under the Motor Car Acts.
(3) It is impossible to detect a vehicle, while moving, which is either : (a) Being used for a purpose requiring a higher duty than that shown on its licence : (b) being used, with a trader's plate, for .a purpose rendering it liable to the appropriate licence duty.
(4) Organized inspection of road traffic cannot be carried out by the county police unless reinforced in numbers, send should be undertaken by county licence inspectors, authorized to hold up the traffic.
Quarterly Licences: A Maw.
It was also contended that the issue of quarterly licences in monthly periods makes it possible for an offender, detected in the second or third month of a quarter, to run an unlicensed vehicle for one or two months of that quarter without penalty or payment of duty. .
c28 The deputation submitted certain facts and figures derived from experi-. ence in the enforcement of the licence duties during the past two years in support of its submissions, and contended that any improvement in the system rendering it more effective for the purpose of detection would result in a large increase in the Road Fund. It suggested that the issue of an annual licence to date from the day of issue would simplify the whole system and greatly ease the pressure on the county licensing departments during the first weeks of each licensing period.
The officers of the Ministry appreciated end, to a certain extent, sympathized with the views expressed, but they satisfied the deputation that every expedient had been tried to remedy or minimize the defects in the system to which attention had been drawn. They quoted some interesting figures of the results of two organized " pogroms " an
clertaken by the borough police in .certain Midland towns and, in answer to a direct question on the point, promised to consider whether in his next official circular the Minister should suggest that the county licensing authorities might arrange with the county police to adopt, on suitable occasions, a system of road pogroms.
It was made clear, however, that Parliament would not pass legislation giving this power to civil inspectors, or allowing the licensing authorities to retain the penalties resulting from the detection of offences as a fund from which to .reimburst themselves the expense,s of detection and enforcement.
Objections to Annual Licences.
With regard to the issue of annual licences, whether to date from day of issue or to terminate at one fixed date in the year, it was explained that the objection, coming with much force from large concerns as well as from the small van owner, of having to find the whole of the annual duty at the commencement of the licence period, is .insurmountable. This hardship is not remedied by the optima now given to a licensee to surrender his licence and obtain a refund of licence duty • at any time during its currency, and the alternative of payment of the annual duty by instalments is not a feasible proposition.
The alternative system of the imposition of a petrol duty in addition to a registration fee was referred to. It appears that the practical difficulty lies in the fact that there can be so many substitutes for petrol derived as residuals from other manufactures which, if subject to duty, would necessitate the creation of bonded Customs warehouses wherever such residuals are so treated.