THE RAILWAY PROBLEM
[To the Editor of Tun Seam-Arm.] SIR,—The method of estimating the annual cost of the roads which is employed by Mr. W. Ir. Woods in his letter last week is open to objection, in that he includes in the expenditure of a given year all the capital expenditure undertaken in that year, as well as an allowance in respect of the amortization of past capital expenditures.
In any 'case, the figures for the year 1080.31, on which he relies, must convey a very false impression of the amount of money which is actually being spent on the roads now. No allowance whatever appears to have been made for the huge economies in road expenditure which have already taken effect during the past two years, or for the further economies which two Parliamentary Committees have recommended.
Mr. Woods says that the fact that motor transport as a whole is sufficiently taxed is no reason 'why one section Of it should pay less than its fair share. It may with juitiliCation be replied that the fact that motor transport as a whole is overtaxed already is no valid reason why the over-taxation should be extended to every section of it.—I am, Sir, &c.,
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