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• THE PUBLIC WORKS AND ROADS CONGRESS.

22nd November 1921
Page 22
Page 22, 22nd November 1921 — • THE PUBLIC WORKS AND ROADS CONGRESS.
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

Opened on -Thursday Last and Remaining Open Until Friday Next, the Congress in London is of Great Iinportance to All Concerned with Local Administration.

THE fourth Congress devoted to public works, roads and transport, was opened in auspicious circumstances on Thursday afternoon by Mr. Arthur Neal, M.P., Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Transport. The venue is the 'Royal Agricultural Hall, London, and it is significant of the growth of the importance of the function that, whereas in 1919 (when it was last organized—a twoyearly period being favoured by the Executive) the exhibitors numbered las and occupied a floor space of 60,000 sq.ft., the number of exhibitors at this Exhibition has grown to such an extent that 72,000 sq. ft. of the floor area has had to be requisitioned for their accommodation. And this, it must be remembered t in a time of industrial depression. At the inaugural luncheon held at the Holborn Restaurant, Sir Henry Maybury, K.O.M.4., C.B., occupying the chair, Sir Ryland 1.). Adkins, K.C., M.P., Chairman County Councils Association, proposed the only toast on the list following the loyal toasts, namely, "His Majesty's Government." With quiet humour, he both twitted Whitehall and praised it. -He asserted that local government in this country was standardized on a high standard, and that the attitude of the Government favoured the maintenance of this standard. Local self-government was the great English tradition, said he. Mr. Arthur Neal, who responded to the toast, dealt with the Government Plans for the relief of unemployment, and said that all these plans must be put into operation through the local authorities, and, moreover, whatever is done must be public work, for there could be no possibility of the Government einhatking in industry under uneconomical conditions. That 'would be fatal. He believed that the worst of the industrial crisis was past, but the process of restoration must he slow. It was to be hoped that the means adopted in the effort to tide over the crisis would not aggravate theevil which the Government was setting out to cure.

Sir Arthur W. Chapman, Chairman of the Surrey County Council,. proposed a toast to the chairman

(whose birthday, by the way, it was), and spoke of the excellent work Sir Henry Maybury had done to improve the roads of the country. He said that Sir Henry was. persona grata to all local authorities. He possessed the requisite technical knowledge and the. tact so essential when dealing with them. He understood them and appreciated their difficulties, and also realized the necessity for upholding their independence. Sir Henry, i reply to a toast that was most warmly received, said that it was true that he could appreciate the difficulties and troubles of the local authorities. He had himself been through the mill, having started very low down in the ranks, and he -asserted that there was. much to be learned from the local, authorities of this country and a great deal more to be admired.

At the Hall, Sir Henry introduced Mr. Arthur Neal, M.P., who amplified his remarks made at the luncheon, and declared the Congress and Exhibition open. We have already given the programme of the Congress, which includes days devoted to the different sections of municipal work, roughly, as follows :— The gas engineers (Friday last), the cleansing superintendents (Saturday last), the county land agents (yesterday, Monday), the municipal corporations and urban and rural district councils (to-day, Tuesday), municipal and county engineers (tomorrow, Wednesday), water engineers (Thursday next), and electrical engineers (Friday next).

The Exhibition is opened each day at 10 o'clock a.m. and closes at 7 o'clock p.m.

The only paper read at the. Congress, to which reference may (according to Congress etiquette) be made in this issue, is the one read on Friday last by Capt. E. de Normanville. It dealt with the utility of benzoic for transport purposes, and went over ground which is entirely familiar to every motor vehicle user. The author dealt with the constituents of benzole, covered the economic factors, the question of proper lubrication and the possibilities of production.


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