NOTES FROM NORTHERN IRELAND.
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Administration of Belfast's Municipal Affairs, A New "Safety First" Branch. Minimum Fines for Bus Overcrowding.
By Ulsterman.
One Bright Spot.
IN the desolating report issued by a special committee upon the administration of Belfast's municipal affairs, one luminous spot relieves the gloom. This spot is composed of the following most significant words:—
" In addition to the 25 inspectors referred to above, there is a so-called 'motor inspector.' The closest examination of the responsible official could not elicit any duties which suggested the necessity of this man's services." From these words it is perfectly clear that the commercial as well as the private motors in use in the capital of Northern Ireland are as far above the need for inspection as Mrs. Julius exesar was above suspicion.
A Second Ray.
One had almost forgotten to mention that a second ray, or bright spot, appeared amid the sombre hues u38 of the special committee's report. This ray ran as follows "The committee refers to the conditions on which street sweepers carry out their work and to the method of dumping street and house refuse, and says that the existing contract for horses and carts, under which 20s. 6d. per day is paid for horse and man, is extravagant. The electricity department is getting the same service, and the use of a cart in addition, for 16s. a day. But, apart from the cost of this service, it is from many points of view inefficient. In the case of the carts taking the bin contents to the tipping sheds, for instance, the official bad to admit to the committee, under examination, that in the case of a gang of men handling house-cleansing they had frequently to wait idly during the time the cart was away tipping the load—perhaps a couple of hours. The committee considers the horse and cart as a means of conveyance antiquated and expensive to work, and says that there should be some cheap type of motor tractor, drawing three lightly built trailers, each capable of carrying more than the cart at present in use. In each district one of these tractors could go out with a couple of men—not five or six as at present. As each trailer was filled the tractor could, with much greater speed, go off laden and return empty to deal with the one which would be filled during its absence. Much labour and time could be saved in this manner."
A Puntful of Pedestrians.
Addressing a Belfast meeting, at which the Northern Ireland Branch of the National "Safety First" Association was inaugurated, Sir Dawson Bates, Minister for Home-Affairs, observed that he had been recently speaking to a London inspector of police who was spending a holiday in Belfast. "The inspector was absolutely amazed," said Sir Dawson, "at the carelessness of the average pedestrian. He said if you were to bring a steamer-load full of ordinary Belfast pedestrians and plant them down in London, you could bring the survivors home in a punt."
This is all very fine, but the inspector seems to have overlooked the fact that the conveyance of any pedestrians across the North Channel in a punt would be a more reckless proceeding than any of which Belfast pedestrians could possibly be convicted.
Minimum Fines.
• Magisterial benches at Limavady and elsewhere in County Derry have been protesting vigorously against the compulsory imposition of minimum fines for busovercrowding offences. Formerly extenuating &cum stances could be taken into account, and the magistrates had "discretion." Under the recent Act extenuating circumstances are taboo, and our "right, trusty and well-beloved" magistrates are no longer credited with any discretion. Accordingly, the chairman of the Derry rural magistrates, announcing minimum fines in certain overcrowding cases, made use of these remarkable words :—" We are here simply as the tools of that parochial parliament in Belfast, which has made these laws and laid down these tenets"; and sentiments of this kind were expressed when a similar case was recently decided. at Limavady.
The B.B.O.
These letters, which must not be confounded with " B.B.C.," are the initials of a new bus organization (Belfast Bus Owners) which has been formed, to consolidate about a dozen firms and to extend and reorganize their operations on a more efficient and economic basis.