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Road Plans and Oil Industry Attacked

24th June 1955, Page 43
24th June 1955
Page 43
Page 43, 24th June 1955 — Road Plans and Oil Industry Attacked
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

THE Government's proposals for capital investment in transport were quite inadequate, declared Sir Robert Booth by (Cons.) when he spoke in the economic section of the debate on the Address in the House of Commons last week.

The nation had invested practically nothing in its transport system since the war; and it was far behind that of many other countries, The roads were grossly inadequate for the traffic. Sir Robert quoted in particular the cases of the LondonDover and Great North roads, and conditions at Maidstone, Ashford and Staines.

Unclassified roads, as well as trunk

highways, were inadequate. If these were put into proper order, said Sir Robert, and were well maintained by the county council, the efficiency of farming would be greatly increased.

Mr. Richard Stokes (Lab.) launched a heavy attack on the oil industry, which, he said, required investigation. One of the ways of reducing the cost of production would be to lower the price of oil.

It cost I a ton to put oil into a tanker in the Persian Gulf, but the price in England was 14 10s. a ton. The reason was that it cost £3 10s. a ton or more to put Texas oil into a tanker in the Gulf of Mexico, which made the price. in Britain £4 10s. a ton.

"Why should we be held up to ransom by an international ring?" Mr. Stokes asked. "There is no reason why . we should not get the price of ordinary furnace oil down to £6 a ton, instead of £12 a ton as it is at present. That would save our having to buy American coal at £7 a ton and wasting valuable dollars."


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