Metric aids fuel taxation

a SMALL increase on a small amount appears insignificant. Consequently, dealing in the metric system as opposed to imperial is a boon to the Government when taxing fuel.

Currently we pay £1.40 per litre for petrol which is £6.36 a gallon and when the fuel escalator tax is added in August, the probability of the cost being £1.50 a litre or £6.84 per gallon will be the outcome, an approximate increase of 50p. Nearly £7 a gallon! And to think when I was a lad I remember petrol at four shillings and threepence a gallon (21p).

Was Christ the first Socialist?

From: John Watson, Silverdale Road, Guiseley, Leeds.

I REFER to the letter from Alan Chapman, headed “Williams has been disaster for Church” (Yorkshire Post, March 24).

Like Roger Dobson (in the same edition), I hope that our Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, follows in succession to Dr Rowan Williams as Archbishop of Canterbury.

Alan Chapman wrote that “the plot was to spout misguided Socialist theory from the highest pulpit in the land”. I would not disagree but a debating question from my long-ago schooldays came to mind – “Was Christ the first Socialist? Discuss”.

Donations frozen out

From: Mrs June Wolfe, Sutherland Road, Lightcliffe, Halifax.

AFTER reading Gary Verity’s heartbreaking story of his wife Helen’s death (Yorkshire Post Magazine, March 17) my instinct was to immediately send off a cheque to sponsor Gary who is running the London Marathon.

However, like so many older people I am not able to visit www to donate. I have wondered many times why a “proper” address is never given as so many appeals must miss out countless times.