Passing reference has been made the correspondence columns of late to the recent increases in the charge for motor car licences in the International Settlement. Inquiries show that, though there is a_slight increase all round, this arises out-of the necessity for abolishing the old fuel method of computing payments and expressing them in terms of the national dollar. As a result of the elimination of fractions by fixing the new fees in multiples of a doll the new scale undoubtedly show an Imereasé which is slight in the case of private and public motor vehicles, if compared with the exact dollar equivalents of the old tael charges. The licence fees for trade cars have been increased by $6 a quarter, from $27.97 to $24, while in the case of private cars the increase ranges from @2 cents in the case of vehicles weighing under 1,0001b. to $3.06 for cars weighing over 5,000Ib, The scale of the "new charges shows that medium weight cars have small Imereases which are almost neglisible; thus for cars weighing between 2,7511b, and 3,0001b, the increase but 22 cents a quarter, between 3501 and 4.00016, only four cents, while for those between 3,0011b. and 3500Ib. there is actually a decrease of 97 cents. It is pointed out. that when these adjustments were made, increased revenue was not aimed at, but besides being designed to, reserve a correctly "proportioned Increase in fee between' the various weights, {¢ was thought preferable follow the course adopted rather than Ieeue the aubstantiel los which these considerations in mind it Woes not" appear thatthe Council ait inegulsby with. the motorcar owners, but has' evolved a "convenient system without the Toss feet which me oer metricd would have ental
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.