1926-10-09 — Page 9

MOTORING

SUPPLEMENT

OF

THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH.

SATURDAY, 9th ́ OCTOBER, 1926.

f Boing the Official Organ of the Hongkong Automobile Associarlon),

The Petrol. Tax.

- CURRENT

COMMENT

import duty on most foreign cars There are indications: to prove The much discussed question that the American manufacturers of motor vehicle taxation is again are fully alive to this fact and to the front in England, apparent are experimenting with small ly so, as a result of agitation by high efficiency ongines; but leading firms, associations and Britain has a substantial load individuale connected. with which should be fairly easily

jotoring, who are strongly in maintained.

favour of the cancellation of the

present horso power tax in favour Speedometers.

of an impost on petrol. There is mach to be said for the claim that)

ቲነ

In a place like Hongkong,

It is

a motor vehicle should be taxed where the traffic regulations are according to the use it makes of of a necessity strictly onforced, the roads, the tax really being a the spoedometer is practically in- licence or pormit for the vehicle dispensable, both on car, lorry, to make use of the public high-or motor cycle alike. way, and contribute its share of noticable that, the majority of road costs. If this principle be local machines are so fitted, but admitted, in order to be fair, the it would appear that in many amount of the tax must vary in cases the owners merely regard relation to the use of the road, the speedometer as a means of Petrol consumption therefore be telling by how many miles an comes an automatic register of hour they raced the other fellow. road use.

However, it always gives a sense of confidence in the case of a' prosecution, if such an action be It is claimed (with a certain actly what speed the vehicle was

mistakenly brought, to know ex logic that the payment of a heavy initial tax travelling at the time, but it regardless of the extent to which would be of interest, to know how the vehicle uses the road is bound many such instruments are ac-

Other Aspects.

amount of

curato. A speedometer like

to operate unfairly. Further that everything else, is "apt to get out the large number of Owner of order and it is false security drivers who, by force of cir- to use a speedometer which is not cumstances, are, throughout the whole year, only able to use their Accurate. Every care should be takon to treat this appliance, cars occasionally, or at week with the same consideration as ends, are unfairly burdened.

the thoughtful motorist treats his Also, that persons owning two or three cars, only one of which is engine, and an occasional testing will probably on the road at a time, are also as to accuracy

rovcal inaccuracies which pan harshly dealt with. These argu be remedied. ments are unquestionably sound

as far as they go, but we rather Accuracy Essential. imagine that the present system is responsible for the leadership which England enjoys in the

small car market. The Other Side.

In connection with speed- ometers and taximeters useful work is carried on by the traffic department, and public taxi- metors are as accurate as it is pos- The other side of the questionsible for them to be. If pulled up for speeding it is of no use to assert

is capably handled by a writer in that your spoedometer registered the Morris Owner, from which the 越 low speed if the police

BOULOGNE MOTOR RACING ACCIDENT.

During the speed trials at the Boulongne Motor Meeting a car driven by Captain R. B. Howey crashed at one of the corners. Captain Howay was thrown against a tree and instantly killed. The wrecked car.

One of the competitors in the Boulogne speed trials rounding the corner where Captain R. B. Howey's car awerved into the crowd. One of the spec- tators was killed and several severely injured.

RECKLESS DRIVING.

following extract is taken: any sergeant's registered a dangerous tax-collecting system is neces-speed, as invariably the private sarily difficult to change, and the driver's instrument is wrong ties would take steps to guarantee Governmental expenses entailedį From a white line in the com- the safety of visitors in the in- in altering the present to pound at the Central police terests of the prosperity of local MOTORIST WHO WANTED Car and the cars belonging to would be very great indeed and station to another merk in morchants. The present moment it would obviously have to be Bonham road is à distance of one may not be opportune for the recovered in some form or other and a half miles measured by a consideration of the question, but from the pockets of the motorist. Setting up a new organisation to spedometer. All, police speed as soon as opportunity does offer, deal with the tax on petrol would meters are measured over this both Governments would be well

known distance, and they are ac-employed in the development of also not be simple; perhaps ono curate to within a twentieth part scheme which had such a desir have to be faced would be finding of a mile. In Kowloon a disable end in view.

tánce hae been similarly

of the chief difficulties that would

Taxi Cab Co..to another point by

a

a strict definition of what is measured from a mark by the In Ceylon, rightly or wrongly known

petrol." Then again, if the tax the China Bus Company. This of last year 1,444

It is estimated that at the end were placed on petrol. (which)

motor means that the price per gallon is also a mile and a half. The omnibuses were plying, on the would be raised to a figure which meters on taxi cabs are tested roads of Ceylon.. Of that num- would result in the collection of there, and for the return journey..ber 90 per cent. were of American

comparatively the same amount

three miles, the meter should re-

manufacture, representing 1

of money as is now obtained from Bister $1.20. If it does not re-ospital value of oror three lakhs) the sale and purchase ofgister correctly then the fault or

faults have to be found and

To Canton,

of rupees. The most popular Chevrolet, and the Ford. By the were the Brockway, Stewart, 31st of March of this year the total Bad been raised by an ad-j ditional 370 omhibuses.

At the end of last year some 1,203 passenger hire cars were registered.

Yet such developments in pas- senger road traffic, have by no manner of means met the fast- growing demand.

licences) the expenses entailed rectified, and the meters are not by petrol companies in handling allowed to be used until they are the large sums of money con correct. earned (ie., interest on capital! involved, atc.). would have to be made up by the motorist.

The suggestion has often been Apart from this, however, the made that a motor road be built argument that a tax on use is the linking Hongkong to Canton, but only fair means of taxing aunfortunately no real effort has motorist is rather discounted by been made to take the matter the fact that there has been no beyond the "suggestion" stage. groat outcry against the present There can be no doubt but what aystom of insurance under which a motor road would prove of the an owner is expected to pay the greatest assistance in developing samo insurance premium for a trade and bringing about a botter NEW LIGHTING SYSTEM. yearly polley whether he uses understanding between the two his car for one day or 365 days cities. Canton would assuredly in the year.

benefit inasmuch that

Dr. H. C. Dickinson, chief of many "Perhaps the most important people who have never visited the heat and power divison of the argument in favour of the reten- the City of Rams would be in United States Bureau of Stand- tion of the taxation on a horse-clined to do so if it were possible ards, has devoloped a lighting power basis is that the British to make a motor journey of it. system using four headlights. motor trade is very considerably The provision of adequate safe-Two of the lights throw the light benefited thereby, for the simple guards from brigandage, would, for ahead of the car and the reason that harao-power taxation of course, be necessary, but we others give diffused light at the is the equivalent of a heavy extra imagine that the Canton Authori- side of the car."

nothing short of a miracle that averted a collision between his

Mr. Campbell of the Rangoon TO SAY HIS PRAYERS. · Magistrato has suspended the was in a hurry to go to the University and Major Morrison." The Western." Subdivisional Accused's defonce was that he' driving licence of Asodali, a mosque to say his prayere. for trial on a charge of reckless considered that a man who was Mahomodan, who was sent up His Worship remarked that he driving. Accused was alleged to willing to risk the lives of se have driven a Willys-Knight Car many people simply to meet bis in such a manner that it was, ac-own ends was a source of very cording to the Magistrate, great danger to the public.

NOT HONGKONG THIS TIME!

Mr. E. H. Hodlund, driving with, his wife and two ohildren, abandoned his car and fled to a nearby residence whon a cloudburst struck St. Paul, Minn. Two hours later, the storm over, he went out to drive away and found his ear burried two feet deep in solid mud, washed down from

a nearby hill. ...

THE GASCON MOTOR CO.,

2, Kwong Wah Road (Opposite The Steam Laundry) Telephone K.1242.

Wo take pleasure. in announcing that the 1927 HARLEY-DAVIDSON CYCLES are now here.

Drop in and see the new features on the big twin. A new sidecar body for the 1927. Model (very roomy) See the NEW SINGLES two models in stock. Over-head-valve Motors (New Improvements) and the Side-by-Side Valve Motors.

Book your orders early, only a few left from our" first consignment, next lot will be due here about Jan. Genuine H.D. Spare parts in stock,

Repairs on all makes of Machines undertaken by

factory trained Mechanic.

All Work Guaranteed,"

GARGOYLE

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