THE RAILWAY PROBLEM [To the Editor of THE SPECTATOR.] SIR.—I
must express my regret for having incorrectly imputed to Mr. Wood the intention of estimating the " annual cost of the roads,".which, I quite agree, is not measurable by the expenditure of a single- year.
The gist of my objection to Mr. Wood's letter was, however, that he included in the'expenditure of 1936-31, £9,900,900 of loan charges, representing interest on and repayment of money expended in earlier years, and, further, that by citing the expenditure of a single year, and that a year of excep- tionally high road expenditure, he was giving an ineorrect im- pression of normal road expenditure. That this is on a very much lower level than the figures for 1930-31 would suggest is due not only to the fact that much less work is being performed, but also tO the fact that the _ . work coats less.
I think' it will be conceded that the Railways would be very little use if they were not served by an 'adequate road system. We have such a system, and the use of it is free to all in theory, although one class of user has, in fact, to pay special taxes equal to the total cost of maintaining and im- proving the roads. Assuming this to be the case, is it truer to say that this class of user—mechanical transport in fact—is subsidized by the State or that the Railways are subsidized by Mechanical Transport ?—I am, Sir, &c.,
T. C. OWTRAM.
87 Kinnerlon Street, Wilton Place, S. W.1.
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