132 LOCAL TAXATION 



as motor traffic was beginning to monopolise the roads, and 

 the new regulations necessitated increased expenditure, the 

 main roads should be nationalised and maintained by the 

 Government, and that at least one-third of the cost of district 

 roads should be defrayed by an Exchequer contribution. 



1906. 



At the General Election in January the country returned 

 a Radical Government. The Chamber passed two resolutions 

 during the year urging the Government to introduce legis- 

 lation to readjust the incidence of local taxation on the lines 

 recommended by the Royal Commission, but no attempt was 

 made by the Government in this direction. 



Notwithstanding the extra grants obtained towards the 

 cost of elementary education in 1902, the additional expendi- 

 ture involved by the Act of that year was now being felt, 

 and the Chamber passed a resolution again urging that, as 

 education was a national question, its cost should be borne 

 by the Imperial Exchequer. 



1907. 



At the close of 1906 the Prime Minister (Sir H. Camp bell - 

 Bannerman) was asked to receive a deputation to urge the 

 necessity of dealing with local taxation in the next session. 

 The Prime Minister refused to meet the deputation, and his 

 manner of declining somewhat annoyed a section of his 

 followers. A further communication from him asked for a 

 statement in writing, and this was sent to him after it had been 

 approved by the Council on 26th February. As the King's 

 Speech referred to a Valuation Bill, this statement only 

 dealt with that part of the subject. 



Your Committee are decidedly of opinion that a Valuation 

 Bill will not be satisfactory unless effect be given to the following 

 recommendations of the Chambers of Agriculture : 



(a) Expense. The burden of taxation is continually 

 increasing, and we urge the Government to frame the machi- 

 nery of the Bill so as to cause as small an addition to the 

 rates as possible ; and that the greater portion of the expense 

 should be drawn from Imperial rather than local sources 

 if the new basis is used for taxes as well as rates. 



