News •of Municipal Activities
Page 37
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County Road Lighting: Question of Powers.
The Association of Municipal Corporations recently arranged a deputation to the Minister of Transport in connection with a clause of the Road Traffic Bill, 1934, concerning the lighting of county roads. Included in the deputation were members of the Noncounty Boroughs Association, the Urban District Councils Association, the Rural District Councils Association and the County Councils Association.
The deputation was informed that the provision in the Bill was intended solely to enable county councils to illuminate roundabouts at cross-roads and certain tunnels.
On behalf of the Association of Municipal Corporations, it was pointed out that the powers contained in the Bill were not limited in this way. It was urged that, as a matter of principle, it was not right that county and urban authorities should have concurrent powers of lighting in any area, or that non-county boroughs and urban
districts should be required to contribute to the cost of lighting outside their areas.
It was agreed that a county council should have no power to illuminate streets in a non-county borough or urban district, if the local council carried out its duties satisfactorily. It was also decided that the cost of lighting by a county council in a county area should rank as a general county charge, but that a refund of the amount raised in any district which already provided its own lighting should be made by the county authority to the local municipality.
New Engineer for Bradford.
The appointment of Mr. Wilfred Pratt, of Preston, as city engineer and surveyor to Bradford Corporation has been recommended by a special subcommittee, and this recommendation has been approved by the finance and general purposes committee for submission to the city council. Stockton-Middlesbrough Merger Negotiations.
Negotiations are still proceeding for the merger of the transport undertaking of Stockton and Middlesbrough Corporations. The latest information is that accountants are being engaged to report on the financial standing of both undertakings.
A.E.C. Oilers for South Africa.
The East London (South Africa) Municipality has placed an order with the Associated Equipment Co., Ltd., for 20 A.E.C. Ranger chassis for use on its urban services. These chassis will be fitted with the maker's standard 130 b.h.p. six-cylindered oil engine. The order is claimed to be the largest placed in South Africa for oil-engined vehicles. Having a wheelbase of 19 ft. and right-hand steering, the chassis are to be equipped with 30-seater bodies built overseas. The order was placed through the Griffin Engineering Co., Ltd., A.E.C. agent in Johannesburg.