The .Nkidcllesex Bill.— An Equitable Point of View.
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We refer editorially, on the first page of the issue, to the positien of the Middlesex County Council Bill by which, it is sought to establish the right to levy local tolls. The matter also received very full attention at our hands .a week ago. It is .giving rise to considerable discussion in the Press, and we observe that our contemporary " The Surveyor,' which is oat-ti rally more on the side of the road simeyor than of the road user, makes the following refeeence, amongst others, to the situation:—
" It is to be hoped thatParliament will not accept this clause, the principle of which is opposed. to the equalizing tendencies of other proposals for the redistribution of the burdens of road tuaintenance. . • It seems most undesivable to superimpose another method of reducing the cost to the ratepayers, unless this method be adopted generally, in the form, for instance, of an additional fuel tax, a wheel tax, or what might be quite as effective, regulations for wheel diameters and tyre widths. We hold no brief for the motor vehicle, but feel bound to point out that the impoeition.of.differential taxes can be carried too far, The extent to which a vehicle wears the road cannot be the only criterion of liability to tax or toll —else why should those ratepayers who own no vehicles pay road rates'? The roads have to be maintained for the public at large, and itis not equitable to raise funds for road maintenance without regard to this broad fact."
Clause 23 in the original draft of the Bill has now become Clause-25 in the. Bill, as it has been sent to the _Rouse of Commons for third reading. We quote this e:ans.o., which is identified in the margin by the words " As to traffic services on Work No. I," in :— " For the purposes of this section—The expression the company ' shall mean any authority, company or person working or running atiy service of mechanically propelled omnibuses on any pact -of the. new roadway (Work No. I) by this Act authorized.
" (2) The company. shall pay to the couacila 51111t equal to three-eighths of a penny per car mile run by any such omnibus over the new roadway (Work No. 1) by this Act authorized towards the cost of the inaintenance of such roadway. Al! sums of' money payable to the .council under the provisions of this section shah be paid quarterly, and shall be deemed to be a debt due to the rimmed and recoverable from the .company accordingly_ " (3) The coinpany shall keep daily records for the purposes of this section showing in proper detail the number of journeys and the mileage run by each such omnibus of the company on the new roadway, and shall furoish statements of such journeys and mileages quarterly to the council and the company shall allow any person duly authorized by the council in that behalf at all reasonable times to iespeet and take copies of all such records and any accounts kept by the company relating to the running of any omnibus of the company. " (4) All sums received by the council under the provisions of this seetion shall be carried to the general county fund."