ROAD TRANSPORT MATTERS IN PARLIAMENT.
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The Threatened Ministries. The Darlington Bus Inquiry. Import Figures for Russian Motor Spirit. The Emission of Smoke and Steam.
By Our Special Parliamentary Correspondent.
MEMBERS of Parliament continue to display much curiosity as to the intentions of the Government with regard to the abolition of the three departmeets which Mr. Churchill marked for doom. It is taken for granted that the Mines Department will disappear. Less certainty exists regarding the fate of the Ministry of Transport, but the Overseas Trade Department is a sure survivor. No Government could ignore the protest that has been . made by its own supporters against shutting down the. last-mentioned department. Opposition to the Chancellor of the Exchequer's designs on the Transport Ministry is not so emphatic, but it is growing in dimensions, and before the Government bring forward their legislation in the autumn to deal with the subject some impression' may have been made on them. Everybody is at a loss to understand where the economy is te be achieved when the same staff and officers must be maintained, and a Parliamentary Secretary will have to succeed a Minister.
No statement is to be made as to the Government's definite intentions until the autumn session.
A new suggestion made by Sir J. Nall is that, owing to the functions of the Ministry of Transport and the Home Office overlapping in regard to the question of safety on the roads, all matters relating to the question should be consolidated under the Home Office. It would be very difficult to define the limits of functions so described, but undoubtedly this element of dual authority deserves close consideration.. There would of necessity remain points of contact and overlapping as between different departments, unless the whole of the functions relating to the administration of road traffic were transferred bodily. The questions involved require clearer thinking than they appear to have
received. •
So far as can be judged, the chief objections to the continuance of the Ministry of Transport as a separate administrative entity originated with Mre Churchill and the Treasury, who have a profound dislike to any department possessing independent spending powers and control of public funds, such as the Ministry of Transport have in respect of the Road Fund. To whatever department the functions of the Ministry are transferred—if they be transferred—it may be anticipated that some endeavour will be made to give the Treasury a tighter hold on the disbursements of the Road Fund, and this will deserve careful watching in view of what has happened during the last two years, and in spite of Mr. Churchill's soothing promises to his agricultural followers, who condemned the raids on the Road Fund.
. No Complaints Against Steam Tractors.
MR. W. BAKER has again raised the queetion of the emission of smoke, steam and sparks by steam tractors, and interrogated the Home Secretary as to the number of complaints that have been made as a result of the circular to chief constables and the Chief of the Metropolitan Police. He also suggested that, in view of the continuance of this danger on the main roads leading out of London the Chief Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police should be asked to give the matter his special attention.
Sir Wm. Joynson-Hicks stated that he had no information with regard to tire provinces, but he understood from the Commissioner that no specific complaints on the matter had been received by-the Metropolitan Police since the issue of the Home Office memo
randum on March .10th last. The Metropolitan Police were fully alive to their duties in the matter, and he did not think it necessary to issue any further instructions. He would gladly consider any information which Mr. Baker might furnish.
Mr. W. Baker said he had sent a complaint to the Horne Secretary of a flagrant breach of the regulations. It was a daily occurrence on the main roads leading out of London, for steam tractors to 'pollute the atmosphere in the way complained of.
Sir Wm. Joynson-Hicks replied that, with the exception of the possible complaint referred to, he had had no complaints, but he would communicate with the Commissioner of Police and ask him for a report as to what was taking place.
Sir Joseph Nall observed that, having regard to the -nuisance caused by the cut-out of the exhaust on petrol vehicles and other nuisances caused by petrol vehicles, the grievance was grossly exaggerated, and Colonel Howard-Bury insisted, that the smoke and steam let out by great steam tractors caused a regular fog on the road. .. •
Darlington Omnibus Dispute.
THE Minister of Transport states that no report will be issued regarding the inquiry recently held into the dispute between the borough of Darlington and a local" omnibus company, but in accordance with the order of the court he has settled and communicated to the parties the terms upon which licences are to be granted.
A Petrol Tax Danger.
A QUESTION by Col. Howard-Bury as to the feeling 11.. in favour of a tax on petrol instead of on horse= power, and the advisability of appointing a committee to go into the whole question, brought no new reply from the Government. Lieut.-Commander -Kenworthy remarked that if this latter were pressed it might end in both a horse-power tax and a petrol tax. Sir J. NaIl was of a similar opinion.
Russian Motor Spirit.
TE President of the Board of Trade state e that 101,000,000 gallons of motor spirit were imported into Great Britain and Ireland in 1913, of which 14,900,000 gallons v;ere consigned from Russia. In 1926 562,000,000 gallons were imported into Great Britain and Northern Ireland, of Which 55,200,000 gallons were consigned from the Union of Socialist Soviet Repuhlies. He has no statistical information as to the effect on the importation of Russiau motor spirit of recent propaganda against its use.
Cost of Army Tanks.
THE average cost of the present standard Tanks used by the Army (Mark I, Mark Ia and Mark II light Tanks), excluding the guns,, is approximately £7,700, The Secretary for War, in giving this figure, states that some one-man and two-men Tanks are being tried out. According to Lieut.-Commander Kenworthy, a tank of small size known as the Merlin-Morris Tank would cost £400.
Dangerous Cycling.
DTIRING the 12 months ended May 31st, 1927, there were 183 prosecutions in the 'Metropolitan. Police district for riding pedal-cycles furiously or to the cornett:in danger. Noise, Music and—the "Red Flag."
SIR ROBERT •THOMAS called the attention of the Minister of Transport to the increasing use of " discordant and penetrating motor _alarms," which he characterized as adding to the nervous strain of modern life and being a menace to public health. He suggested that some action ought to be taken. This matter has, however, been so frequently raised that the Minister could not add anything to his statement of May 31st, when be said it seemed to he more a question of education in the courtesies of the road than a matter of legislation, and it would be extremely difficult to lay down a definite and enforceable standard of noise. A Socialist member having suggested that motor horns might be required to play some inspiriting airs such as the "Rod Flag," Colonel Ashley promptly agreed that it might be useful to have the "Rod Flag" played in order to induce people to run away. The House
enjoyed the retort. .
• Balance of the Road Fund.
THE cash and investment balances of the Road Fund on March 31st, 1927, ainounted to £12,250,000, and the corresponding -figure at March 31st, 1926, was approximately £18,710,148—a diminution by nearly six and a half millions sterling, thanks to the ." raid."
Short-term Licences.
ON a request by Colonel Acland-Troyte that chars-iibanes, which at present are not used during the winter months, owing to the high licence fees, should be given short-term licences to allow them to be used
on special occasions, Colonel Ashley said the part-year licensing system and the payment of surrender values, taken in combination, in effect enabled a vehicle to be licensed for periods of a month, and he was not disposed to recommend the issue of licences for any shorter period.
Road Fund Payments on Account.
11-111E Minister of Transport has intimated that he
cannot see his way to accede to the request that payment on account from the Road Fund towards the expenditure on roads should be made at the beginning of each quarter instead of in arrear, as at present.
Imports of American Cars.
rilEIFI following .‘katement shows the number and declared value of motor vehicles and chassis imported into Great Britain and Northern Ireland and consigned from the United States during the first six months of the years 1926 and 1927:—