TRANSPORT AS A SCIENCE.
Page 17
Page 18
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
The Institute of Transport is Inaugurated Under Auspicious Circumstances. Road Transport Must Exert its Power.
IN OUR LAST issue we referred briefly to the proposal to create,an Institute of Trinspcirt. This proposal was mooted in its present form by Mr. H. H. Gordon, of the London County Council, a wanwho has given a large amount of study to transport problems, and who will be remembered as a keen controversialist of Mr. Rees Jeffreys m the columns of the daily Press.
One or two informal meetings have been held, and the Rt. Hon. Sir Albert II. Stanley, M.P., who is at the head of the passenger-traffic undertakings of the Metropolis, controlling the underground railways, the omnibus system and some of the tramway services, offered to act, as host at a. luncheon and meeting where the Institute could be formally inaugurated. This meeting was held at the Savoy Hotel on Monday of last week, with 4ir Albert Stanley in the chair, the guests included the following:- Representing the Ministry. of Transport:—Sir ,/ohn. Aspinall, Sir Chas. Bartolome, Sir Geo. •Beharrell, Sir Francis Dunnell, Sir Alexander Gibb Sir Philip, Nash, Sir Wm. Marwood and Sir Henry Wraylaury. Representing Railivags:—Mr. C. • Aldington (G.W.R.), Mr. H. E. Blain (Undergronnd), Sir Sam Fay (G.C.R.), Mr. L. W. Horne (L. and N.W.R.), Mr. H. H. Selbie (Met. Illy.), Sir Herbert Walker (L. and 8.W.R.), and Sir I. T, Williams (L. and N.W.R.). Representing Tramways: (a) Municipal.-Sir J. Courtis (Cardiff), Mr, A. R. Fearniey (Sheffield). Mr. A. L. C. Fell (L.C.C.), Mr. H. H. Gordon (L.C.C.), Mr. T. B. Gaodyer (Croydon), and Mr. J. M. McElroy (Manchester).
() Conzpany.-The Hon. Sir Arthur ' Stanley; G.B.E., Chairman of Tramways and Light Railways, Association, Mr. J. Devonshire (London and Suburban), Mr. E. IL Edwardes (South Lancashire), Mr. IL England (Wakefield), and Mr. R. J. Howley (B.E.F.). .. For the _Road Board:—Sir George Giblo.
For Inland Water ?rays:—Sir Maurice Fitzin a ur ice. For the Port of London, Authority:—Sir J. Brood bank. . • Representing Motor, etc., Passenger and Goods Transport:—Mr. H. Dutfield, Sir W. JoynSon-Hicks, Bt., ALP., Mr. S. E. Garcke, Mr. E, S. ShrapnellSmith, Mr. C. H. B. Underdown and Mr. IV. Wolsey, Juor.
And for Illis.cellaneous Interests:—Sir Evan Jones, M.P., Sir Lyndon IVfacassey, K.C.,. Mr. W. M. Acworth, K.O. Mr. R. Burton Chadwick, M.P. and Col. T:II. Minshall.
Sir Albert Stanley said that he was glad to see present, fully represented, the Ministry of Transport, which was a great Department of State, to which great Department of State in the future we have to look for guidance. He paid fl■ tribute to Mr. Gordon for.having initiated the discussion which had led to that meeting of men identified with transport. , There ' had been many organizations . and associations of men on technical matters, mechanical, civil, electrical, etc, but there had never been one formed to discuss so highly important a subject as transport, although it was a very curious thing that it was rare to find that a man who went into transport dropped out. of it: there was a great fascination about it, and transport itself was a great profession.
It was one full of responsibility because, although no particifIar form of transport constituted a mono-. poly, it comes very close to it, and. in Sir Albert's opinion, a monopoly or an approximate monopoly can give really better service than two or more institutions runnmg in competition with each other. He asserted that there was no room for secrecy in
connection with transport undertakings. It is desir able to give the fullest publicity to all that is dom., whilst it is necessary to have a full knowledge of the needs of the district served by any undertaking, in order that the best form of transport required by the district could be given. Our experiences should be employed to give benefit to others, and our faults.. should also be equaliy thrown open to the world.. If any. transport undertaking tried a scheme, it should throw open the benefit of its knowledge-not only to
the country but to the whole world. .
He said that there was plenty of information on questions vital to transport and its success, but that it is extremely difficult to get hold of it. '.f he passenger-transport services of London had just sent out to -America four men, qualified under the various branches of passenger traffic, who were going to see all that-was to be seen and learn all that was to be learnt ; moreover, an agency was being established in America to secure for the Underground system any information -the -moment it had become available.
One of the functions of the new Institute would be to discover latent talent. There is plenty of it-, but, again, it is difficult to find. The most difficult man to get is. the man Who is"worth g10,000 a year, but he said that there are plenty of jobs open for men-at-as .high a salary as that. The Institute would provide the opportunity for talent to come forward and show its quality and, by benefiting others, talent would benefit itself.
There was far more to be aecomplished in the future than had been accomplished in the past, and every one of our transport undertakings must be made and kept efficient.
Mr. Gordon, who next spoke said the great difficulty in securing the best in traffic and transport was the absence of comparable statistics. We, in this country, were the inventors of railways, steamships, and of roads, but we have neglected more than: arty one the icientifie side of these problems. There were any amount of statistics available in the world, but the difficulty was to get at them and compare -them. There Was ample need for scientific study and traifl' ing in order to secure the best results from experience in management and control. Sir Arthur Stanley supported the proposal, and Sir -Philip Nash, speaking for the Ministry of Transport., said that the Ministry looked on the proposal most favourably. There were great advantages in bringing together engineers of widely divergent experience, as he discovered When acting, as DirectorGeneral of Transportation to the British Army in France. Many a time they were faced withproblems,
.fhe solution to. which would be given by some officer under him who, perhaps, had had experience in the Argentine or in China which showed how the partierdar problem could be overcome.. •
• Sir Herbert Walker, Sir Stan Fay and Sir George Gibb also spoke 41 favour of the aoheMe, whilst Sir William joyrison-Hicks' Bt.', spoke for the talclfashioned highways. He said that the King's Highway had more -to gain than any other medium for locornotion from a Ministry of Transport. The dissemination of knowledge and experience was all important. The reason why Kent. had such good roads was that in the early days it had more traction engines Using its roads than any other county, so it had to. get a..good engineer to meet the difficulty, ; that the difficulty was overcome showed that no problem was really insurmountable. He thought that the In. stitute would render a,service by-including in its programme such matters as the improvement, development and cheapening of the road engine, whilst the
law of transport, which was the most confused law of the country, would profit by attention being paid to it. The law of Extraordinary Traffic, for instance, was ono of the most extraordinary of our laws sadly requiring codifying, and he urged that we were ripe for a new motorcar law. • It was decided: (1) that it was desirable that an Institute be formed for the scientific study of questions relating to traffic and transport (2) that an invitation be extended to the Rt. Hon. Sir Eric Geddes, M.P., Minister of Transport, to become the first President of the Institute ; (3) that two representatives from the Ministry of Transport, Sir Sam -Fay,
Sir Arthur Stanley, Sir Albert Stanley, Sir Francis Dent., .Sir M. Fitzrnaurice, Sir Joseph Broodbank, Sir William Joynson-Hicks, Bt., M.P., Mr. 'H. H. Gordon and Mr. Ti. Dutfield should form a provisional committee which should appoint the first Council of the Institute ; should consider. the Memorandum and Articles of Association ; take the necessary steps to secure the registration and incorporation of the Institute ;.should appoint vice-presidents and ,officers of the council, executive and other committees, together with a paid secretary and staff; should secure suitable offices and accommodation for meetings, arid should invite application for membership.in the various grades of. the Institute.