ROAD TRANSPORT MATTERS IN PARLIAMENT.
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Wanted, a Cheap Non-splintering Glass. The Redemption of Tolls Over Roads and Bridges.
By Our Special Parliamentary Correspondent.
TTIE attention of the Minister of Transport has once wore beelt called to the accidents to public-service vehicles in which passengers are injured by splintered glass and the possibility of obtaining a non-splinterable glass for use in such vehicles. Colonel Ashley, whilst not in possession of information as to the number of such accidents, is alive to the importance of the subject anti confesses himself anxious to encourage the use of some form of unsplinterable glass. He does not go farther, however, than he did some time ago and repeats his statement that, for reasons of cost, it would not for the present be practicable to make its use compulsory. There is so much glass used in buses and taxicabs that a fortune awaits anybody who will produce a glass free from the defect of splintering and costing no more than sheet glass.
The Redemption of Tolls.
Statutory Powers in the Matter of Tolls.
THE existence of toll gates and toll bridges in England is repeatedly made the subject of complaint in the House of Commons. The matter is, of course, as was recently made clear by the Minister, entirely one for the action of local road authorities. Mr. Penny has made a new propOsal—that the Minister of Transport should convene a Meeting of 'local authorities from all areas in which toll gates and toll bridges are situated and discuss the desirability of freeing them, in view of the burden of the charges, especially in agricultural districts. He also suggested that this was a national question rather than a local one and that greater financial assistance should, therefore, be given from the Road Fund in order to place England in the same position as Scotland, where tolls were abolished in 1878. Colonel Ashley cannot agree to summon a conference of local authorities. He recalled that, in September last, he issued a circular to all local authorities calling attention to the provisions of the Roads Improvement Act, 1925, regarding toll roads and toll bridges. He had reason to know that, in many districts, the matter was engaging the close attention of the local authorities with whom the initiative must rest. In the circumstances, he did not think a conference would serve any useful purpose. With regard to financial assistance from the Road Fund, no decisiorr had yet been reached as to the amount of money to be made available for the purpose during the present year, or the terms upon which it could be given.
THE Roads Improvement Act of last year, it may be recalled, added to the matters specified in subsection 5 of Section 8 of the Development of Road Improvement Funds Act of 1909, under the expression "improvement of roads," the planting, laying out, Maintenance and protection of trees, shrubs and grass margins in and beside roads, the placing on or near roads of notices, milestones, and signposts, the freeing of roads from tolls and the prescription of building lines along roads. Thus under the 1909 Act, so amended last year, the Road Board's powers, which were then transferred to the Ministry of Transport, include the power to make loans or grants in respect of the freeing of roads and bridges from tolls. Though Colonel Ashley is convinced that the matter is receiving close attention from local authorities, the opinion of most road users is that the local authorities are extremely slow in deciding to undertake their part of the expense of redeeming tolls, which are, by common consent, an antiquated and exasperating relic that ought to have been swept away, long ago.
The Petroleum Bill.
THE Petroleum Bill, which deals with the carriage of petrol spirit dud other petroleum products, has been put down for the second reading in the House of Lords on April 22nd.
Conditions of Service in Commercial Motor Trade.
COLONEL DAY, the Labour member for Central Southwark, fills the role of critic of the commercial motor trade and guardian of the public. His questions addressed to the Government are certainly useful, if only because they evoke repeated assurances from the --Minister of Transport which go to show that the commercial motor trade has a much better reputation than some people would seem to believe. The other day the Colonel tried to convince the House that drivers of commercial vehicles and chars-a-laancs are compelled to take excessively long journeys, "which have been the cause of accidents happening as the result of the drivers being exhausted and thus becoming a menace to other road users," He wanted the Minister to take the necessary steps to make effective regulations or to introduce legislation to control this .traffic. Colonel Ashley stated that he was not aware that the conditions under which drivers of -commercial motor vehicles had been working had been proved to be the cause of accidents, but if Colonel Day furnished him with any specific instances he would be obliged. It is now up to Colonel Day, therefore, to supply the Minister with the specific instances upon which, doubtless, he based his Statement. The Minister, in further reply, said that, whilst not yet able to say when it would be possible to introduce proposed legislation with regard to motor vehicles, he did not anticipate that he would be able to include in the Bill provisions relating to conditions of service.
Road Grants to Leicestershire.
GRANTS made from the Road Fund during 1925-26 to rural district councils in Leicestershire were Classification grants, £809; unemployment grants, £706; other grants, 119,872; total, £21,387.
Legislation by Departmental Orders. TN the course of a debate on the organization of the Civil Service, some striking remarks were made by Sir John Simon regarding the modern system of Departmental Orders and Regulations which have the force of a statute. He said there was a tendency to increase to a dangerous extent legislation by Departmental Orders. This dated from the Defence of the Realm Act of 1914, and the method could only be justified in the pinch of war, but the Rouse of Commons had never sufficiently retrieved the position. The period of 40 days during which Orders had to lie on the table of the House had even been reduced to 21 days. They were moving along lines which, he said, really imposed on the community at large dn immense body of law which had not been passed by the House of Commons. Rules were being drawn almost without the knowledge of the heads of the departments. The tendency was for the Civil Service in this respect to overstep its' proper bounds, and he hoped it would be checked and that the final control of these matters would be in the hands of Ministers responsible to Parliament and the King. There were indications of common agreement with Sir John Simon, who, of course, is a great legal authority. The motor trade and many other trades, as well as the lawyers, should be interested in this well-timed protest. e25