Mr. Butler Ignores Fuel Tax
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IN his Budget speech on Tuesday, 'Mr. R. A. Butler, Chancellor of the Exchequer, did not even mention the fuel tax. He said, however, that a reduction of 6d. in the standard rate of income tax would relieve industry of a burden of £40m. a year, and 2.4m, persons would be removed from the tax class.
When the concessions had been given, a surplus of £148m. would remain. It would be for the next Government to consider whether fiscal changes should be made later in the year. This is a hint of an autumn Budget, in which the question of fuel tax might again be raised.
"CROSSING REMOVAL NOT RAILWAY CONCERN"
THE removal of level-crossings was a 1 matter for the local authority and the Government, stated Mr. T. H. Stunmerson, chairman of the North Eastern Board of Management, British Railways, last week. He spent a day with members of the board, touring railway installations in Hull.
"We saw that it was undoubtedly a Fact that the continued existence of levelcrossings is occasioning a good deal of inconvenience to people living and working in Hull," said Mr. Summerson. "So far as we are concerned, while we are anxious to offer all the help that is reasonable and appropriate, the overwhelming responsibilky and the inevitable cost of removing this source of irritation and delay is not the railways."
Reporting on an accident at an unattended level crossing at Formby. the Ministry of Transport inspector of railways said on Tuesday that Government action was needed to deal with problems arising from level crossings. Neither the railways nor the local authorities involved seemed to think that the matter was their concern, or were prepared to contribute substantially towards the alleviation of the difficulties. These should be solved by a compromise.
UNION OPPOSE ONE-MAN BUSES
PLANS by Sunderland Transport Department to introduce one-manoperated buses on the service between Southwick and Grangetown have been upset by opposition from the corporation transport workers' branch of the National Union of General. and Municipal Workers,
A union official said that the men were not against the principle of oneman buses on certain routes, but they objected to such vehicles on parts of routes already served by buses worked by drivers and conductors.
A mile of the proposed route is covered by an existing service. The union have proposed that the new buses should travel non-stop over this section. A30