MAY 16TH, 1908.

THE AUTOCAR B Journal pubhsbeb tn tbe interests of the mecbanicall\? propelleb roab carriage.

EDITED BY H. WALTER STANEq.

o. 656. VoL. XX .] SATURDAY, MAY 16TH, 1908.

[PRICE 3D.

The Autocar.

,, Published Weekly.)

Registered as a newspaper for tnns:nission in the United Kingdom.

Entered as second-class matter in the New York (N.Y.) Post Office

Ec!i!orial Office :

COVENTRY.

Pabbshing Offices :

20, TUDOR STREET, LONDON, E.C., England.

CONTENTS. XOTLS ..

1N THE HOUSE OF CO'.\O.I0:-1S USEFUL HINTS A:-JD TIPS .. THE FIRST R.A.C. PROVIXCJA.L )lEETING (lLI.V:HR-\TED) THE DE LUCA DAIMLER (ILLUSTRATED) DRIVING THE 20 H .P. Stx-CYL,INDER STANDAlrn THE .I GRAPHIC" CHALLENGE TROPHY RAC! .

THE 2,000 MILES TRIAL . . RACING AT BHOOKLANDS (ILLUSTRATED) 0:-. TIIC ROAD THE :\IOTOR U:-110:,; 01~ \\7E51"ERN lXDIA

A STEPN"EY \VHEEL btPROVEMEXT THE El• 'FECT OF )foTORS OS ROADS THE NOTTINGJIA;\I A.C. . . CONTINENTAL );'QTES

MOTOR TAXATION 11-1;: ROYAL A .C. AXD TIIE i\LU .. CORRESPONDENCE • •

THE DA DILER MERCEDES PATENTS

THE BLIGHT OF PERSECUTION AT BRIGHTON . TuxERS AXD Tt:srNG BOGUS CLADI AGAINST A MOTORIST

Ax ANTl- RUS:' PROCESS .. A '=cw SusPENstos :\IOTOR UNIO:-;- TOUR 1:-i FRANCE fLASHrs

CLUB Vmxr.,

FAGE 705 706 707 . . 708-712

]I:?-]LJ.

7 15 7 1 5 7 15 7r6-720 721-722

722

723 723 724 725- 727

728 729-732

733 733 734-735

735 736 737 ;3S 739- 740 ·, 74r-74z

Subscription Rates :

Brit.ish fsles J6c:. Abroad (thin paper Petition). 22s. 8d. per ann11m.

f Notes. Taxation. There i.:; 110 doubt that the motor 11·orlcl 11·as greatly re\ ie,·ecl 11·hcn it 11"as found that the Budget included no refrren<'e to an increase of tbe taxes upon mntor cars. For some time past this threatened increase· has had a hurl pffert upon the spread of automohilism. as comparati1·eh· small things 11·i\l pre,·ent people from buying a car. 11 hile 01·er and ahm·e that there has Ii en the {'On,ideration all the time in the minds of 111,iny that po~sihh· a ne11· system of taxation 11·ould be dP1·i , ed 11·h ic'1 1rnu ld hear hard h· on the n :n · tYpe of rar theY pn• fprrr- l. Tn short. the thrPatened imposition hrought :1hout a state of unc rt::iintY as to the immrdiate future. 1d1ich 1ras onh tr rminated last 11·rr >k. :\.t th r same > t imr . it rlors· not do to assumr that no more 11·ill be beard of the subject. For another year ire are safe, and that is as much as we can say.

The proposition to tax motor cars still more hea,·i!y ha, a\1ra1·s \J e,·n popular ll'ith a large number of people. and it 1rill not be allml"ed to remain in abll'ance. more pa rticularh· as the loca l authorities throughout the c·ou11tr) ha,·,, lwen induced to take such a great interest in the matter. ::ind ba,·e received nothing fo r their trouble. At the moment. it is idle for us to enquire into the reasons which caused the Chancellor of the Exche(1uer to lea,·e the present motor taxes alone. Personally. 11·e prefer to belie1·e. in the absence of an) e1·ick11ce to the contrary. that the arguments 11·hich ha1\ ' b:-- >en brought before him both by the Royal A.C. in prirnte and the Motor lnion in public corn·inced him that to inrrease the motor tax 11·ould be to inflict an injustice upon a class of the community 1rbo arc alr<tlh 01·ntaxed. We ha1·e maintained from the commt·ncl'ment that the correct policy was to firmly and courteoush· oppose increase of taxation. and to \Jack: up this opposition 11·ith sound and com·incing argument. \\'e still think that the Union policy was mo. t dangerous, though it 11"il1 be perfectly natur,d for the lnion to claim by the results that it 1ras the correct one. This is a claim: hmre,·er. 11·hich cannot be pro,·ed. nor. for the matter of that. can our belief that the R..-\.C. polic,· has \Jepn nr-,,·rcl the sounder. We sa: thi ,; 11·ith -no sort of ill -f'tel i11g against t ither body. but rather as an evidence of the neces ity for one policy fo1· both in a ,·ital matter of thi kind. Surell' tbcr-: could lie no better argument in f'a1·our of uninimity.

Here 1,·e have the Club and the Union carrying out entire ly different p0licies upon the ,·ital matter of the threatened increase of taxation . and as taxation ha ., nut been inrreased both of them can claim to have! ~ucct'edecl. The Ro,·al .-\ .C. has a grPater influenc;~ than th Cnion. hut the L." nion might argue that it 11·as assisted hy the loca1 authorities. though whethe,· one or both of them influenced the Chancellor of the Exchequer 11"ill probably never be knmrn. On the other h:1 1Hl. if both hodiPs had had a common policy ,re should at least ha,·e had somee,·iclence to 11·ork upon , a:; ire should ha1·e knmrn tlut this one polic >· was the right n;· 11-rong one. As it is, 11·e have t11·0 different policies. both of 11·bich may be said to ha,·e been successful. Before the taxation question romE'S up again. as it unrlouhtprlly 11·ill. 11·e earnestl:- hopP that, 1d1atever the re lations bet11"E:en the Club and the Union mav i.Je, at that cb~c· there ,rill at least be absolute agreement ::is to th policy 11·bich shall he adopted in the endeavour to influrnrc the authoritie~ to dt'crease rather than lo innease the burden of taxation upon the automohilist. For once dissension in the face of a common dn nger has not resulted in disaster. but it is a risk 11·h iC'h shoulcl not be inrurred a second time. Last, but not least . the harm of the :-[otor Union action remain , a. it has imoressed the authorities and others with the ,nonrr he\ip(that motorists know they damage the marh anrl are not unwilling to pa.y for such damage, a-id the loc::i l authorities, at any rate, will . till continue to rlamour for the motorists' money.