ROAD TRANSPORT MATTERS IN PARLIAMENT.
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Legislative Delays. London Traffic Bills. The Government and Increased Petrol Prices. Government Monopolies in Petrol.
By Our Special Parliamentary Correspondent.
ACURIOUS situation has arisen in regard to private Bills, now before Parliament, which deal with proposals for the control of :road traffic: The Ministry of Transport put down a motion on the paper at the request, as I afterWards learned, of the Chairman of the Royal Comthission on Transport. It was in these terms :—" That it be aninstruction to committees to which Bills, containing provisions restricting competition with road transport services provided or to be provided by the .promoters or prejudicing the impartial exercise by the licensing authority of its functions with regard to the issue of licences to ply for hire with buses, have been or may be referred during the Present session,. that they leave out such provisions as aforesaid,"
As there are some 12 English private Bills and seven Scottish provisional Orders and Bills dealing with road transport now before Parliament, and as many of the promoters are persuaded that the motion, if passed, would prevent any provisions relating to the subject being dealt with, they,are somewhat concerned.
A number of Members of Parliament also objects to the motion on the ground that it is an interference With the freedom of the House and its committees.
The Speaker required a day to consider Col. Ashley's motion, and then he ruled that it raised questions dealing With general policy, which ought not to come up at the time of private business.
This Means that, as the Government would have to provide special time for the discussion of the motion, it is very doubtful, at the time of writing, whether the motion will be pursued.
If facilities be given for it there will be strenuous opposition from the promoters of the Bills and those members who object to restricting the discretion of select committees.
Promoters' Contentions.
rrillE attitude Of the promoters generally is that they have been forced, by the delay in bringing in the Government" Road Traffic Bill, to promote their own legislation in order to overcome the chaos that exists in their areas. Powers were given last year to Nottingham and Greenock; and it is contended that cities like Glasgow should not be debarred from obtaining powers urgently needed.
Probably the difficulty of having separate codes of road traffic control and licensing in different areas, before general legislation is passed for the whole country, will be met by. promoters offering to accept clauses which would supersede the local arrangements, when equally efficacious provisions are provided by the Government in a public Act.
I understand that the Royal Commission, in anticipa don of the recommendations of which the Government Road Traffic pill is now being held tip indefinitely, will issue an interim report in July. This will enable the new Government in the next Parliament to proceed to re-draft the Road Traffic Bill and continue with it.
London Traffic Bills.
fIlHE two London CO-ordination of Traffic Bills will, I. after all, be considered by a Select Committee of the House of Commons and, afterwards, by a Select Committee of the House of Lords, if they go through to the Upper House.
The House of Lords disagreed with the decision of the Commons that they should be committed to a joint committee of both Houses. It was . stated by Lord
Donoughmore, chairman of committees, that, although the promoters desired a joint committee, none Of the opponents was in favour of it, and there was no reason to deny the opponents their usual right to two committee hearings.
He thought there was a chance that the Bills might be finished by the Commons Committee by ;Whitsuntide and be carried over into the new Parliament.
The Government and Increased Petrol Prices.
ANUMBER of. questions was addressed to the Prime Minister' with reference to, the rise. in the price of petrol, and the following 'is the text of his reply :— " The Government is fully alive to the significance to industry and the private consumer of the recent increase in the retail price of petrol; and it has carefully considered the position that arises. I should, however, say at once that, in the opinion of the Government, this question must be dealt with on general grounds, and not by reference to the relations between the Government and the Anglo-Persian Oil Co.
"As has been stated on many occasions, the Government is under obligation not to interfere in the commercial management of the compa.ny. The statement of that obligation is contained in Command Paper No. 7,419, of 1914. In pursuance of this policy, no instructions have been, on any occasion, sought by the Government directors, in connection with price movements, nor have any instructions been given. His Majesty's Government -was, therefore, not informed that the recent increase in price would be made."
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Domination of Supply and Distribution.
"As regards the general question, the Government considers that ordinarily the public is best served by an efficient industry • operating freely. Special considerations arise, however, where a single undertaking or an associated group of undertakings dominates the supply and the general distribution of an article of common use. liere,'too, large and efficient businesses acting together may give the public the best service. They have a duty to. supply on reasonable terms.; s..nd the public has a right to be satisfied that those terms are reasonable. The Government .considers that the marketing of oil precincts under present conditions falls within this category, and"that the comPaffies Should be prepared to explain the reasons for any 'considerable
increase in price. .
"In these circumstances, it is the intention of the Government to invite the oil companies concerned to submit a statement explaining the reasons for the recent increase. I wish, however,•to• make it clear that by taking this action the GoVernment in no way 'prejudges the question whether the recent increase he justified or not."
I understand that the petrol companies have signified their entire readiness to comply with the Government'S request.
Government Monopolies in Petrol.
MITE Secretary of Mines stated that the oil industry J. in Russia is completely under Government control and that there is a Government monopoly in petrol in Spain. He knows of no other country in which petrol prices are controlled. The Governments of Egypt and the Argentine &gage, to a limited extent, in he refining of crude oil,