New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-07-09
PARIS MOTOR CAB STRIKES
Unpopular Tax on French Benzol
Nav Have Disastrous Results.
Paris. June ~

Paris. June -
Tho recent strikes Of the Paris motor
cab drivers may affect the automobile
Industry abroad as well as in Paris
They were the only popular strikes in
Paris for many year. They opened the
question Of competition between the TWO
principal motor fuels now USED III
France. the petrol essence. which comes
mostly from the United States and Rus
STA. and the benzol, a mixture OF hydro
carbons of the benzinc series obtained III
tho refinement of coal tar and produced
in France.
Owing 10 the exorbitant price I'm Par>s
of petrol essence from the United states.
which within the city limits is subject
ed to IL tax municipal octroi and Gus
toms duties) which amounts to 10 per
cent ad valorem, tho use OF essence
is out Of the question for motor cabs
and motor buses, which must run at
cheap fares The American petroleum
essence costs in Paris 81 a hectolitrc.
owing to this prohbitive price. French
chemists set to work TO find cheap mo-
tor fuel. They succeeded in manufact-
uring a benzol from French coal tar,
an excellent substitute OF petrol essence.
and which was obtained at total cost
Of only 81 hectolitrc, and after being
subjected 20 the national and municipal
tax duties was sold in Paris f1r s. %
a hectolltrc.
Suddenly, and without the slightest
explanation II. Selves. the Prefect OF the
Paris issued a decree increasing the city
cCtroi dues on bcIzo! By 81 o., which At
once brought up the price within the
city limits to IS -. This was terrible
blow 10 the taxcab drivers. because by
lhe terms OF their contracts with the
motor companies they are allowed q
per cent OF tho fares received, puu mus,
supply ;htir own fuel The new city
tax thus takes 81 l. day out Of the earn
ings Of the cab driver.
Tho natural solution would be for the
cab compaaits 10 increase their fares
accordingly. But this Is impos sible. be-
cause tho companies are by law limited
70 ? maximum tariff per kilometre.
Three years Of experience have resulted
n cheap tariff that suits the public
demand md is based on the present
model OF motor CAB. which Is constructed
especially TO meet the conditions % the
most economical horsepowe and ca
pacity calculated upon the average daily
consu-r ption of oenzol at a given price.
Al sorts of vague and mysterious rea-
sons are given fer the unpopular in
creased taxaticn Of the native benzol
fuel. Cheap motor cab fares in Paris
must come 10 an emo unless this tax is
diminished
Automobiles IN Paris are already taxed
more heavily than in any other city IN
Europe or the United States. II Is inter-
esting To note that the taxes IN Paris on
motor car OF l6 horsepower, doing on An
average thirty kilometres d day, amount
10 SlS2 20 4 year. According To calcula-
tons made at the Automobile Club OF
France. an automobile OF the same power
and accomplishing the same average
daily distance is taxed FOR fuel expenses
only 81 20 in New York, $40 40 in Lon
don and SCI in Brussels. Moreover. the
present condition OF the streets in Paris
Is SO bad that the popular red taxicabs
in London use up the same quantity OF
pneumatic tires I'm a hundred miles that
only a hundred kilometres, or a little
over sixty-two statute miles That Is 10
say. the wear and tear on pneumatic
tires is over so per cent greater in Paris
than in London.
Considere from still another point OF
view. it is calculated that the same
motor car, owing 10 the greater amount
oil obstacles 20 traffic IN the French cap
ital, needs in Paris 80 per cent more fuel
a kiometr than in London The French
benzol, so popular with the Paris motor.
men, is extracted by means OF dstila-
ton from coal tar at comparatively
low temperature. and contains quantities
OF touene, xylene and other hydro
carbons, in proportions ascertaned by
careful experiments, oil based on the
cheap price of the product, now sud
denly turned topsy-turvy by the un-
popular tax imposed by the city Of Paris
The French benzol is said By motormen
who use it to be almost as good for prac.
teal purposes as the American petrol
essence. except that IFS consumption is
slightly more rapid. {. l. =.