SALVAGE OF SORTS
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—And Particularly of the
Gracefully-named "Agra." Inspector." By "The WHATEVER MAY BE said or written as to the exact degree of readiness in which the Armistice discovered the manufacturing and industrial elements of this country, it cannot be denied that, in more recent weeks, there has been no lack of suggestive and reconstructive ideas. There has been no hesitation to seek publicity for schemes which, it must be admitted, show little regard for the public purse and for which the sponsors evidently rely upon the continuance of war-time pecuniary expansiveness. Noticeable, too, have these recent weeks been for the numbers of expositions which have found their way on to the printed page' all designed-to explain convincingly that individuals—more or less distinguished, according to the point of view— have been affording the nation such outstanding displays of enterprise and application, that it would be nothing short of a crime if these services were not retained in perpetuity or, at any rate, "for the duration of the peace" on behalf of the nation.
• * * * There is no need for me to quote definite instances. Many will occur to my readers to illustrate the strenuous and widespread efforts that are being made to maintain; to as large an extent as possible, the Government's war-bred Colossus of investigation, organization, inspection, statistical compilation, and other similar forms of bureaucratic activity, much of which could have been very well dispensed with even in war-time, not having justified its existence. It is certainly desirable to see the last of most of it at the earliest possible moment.
One scheme, which has much of this personal and material characteristic about it, and to which my notice has been attracted particularly, is being put forward as a plausible effort at reconstruction—that all-impressing and much-misunderstood word; it is for utilizing the hundreds of miles of light railway track employed in the various theatres of war, by establishing a network of subsidiary railway facilities in each and every district in the home country where the main rail does not reach. It is suggested., in explanation, that this is one of the more-important methods foreshadowed -by Mr. Lloyd George, in one of his speeches since the Armistice, for developing the agricultural importance of the country. It will be recalled that he emphasized the necessity of improving the transport facilities throughout the land, he holding, quite rightly, that transport was one of the moat important key industries in respect of the renewed activities of the nation. It now appears that those whoare interested in railway nationalization, in league, no doubt, for the present purpose with those who are concerned with light railway installation and maintenance, suggest that the real solution is this network of light lines laid alongside the high roads and, where necessary, across fields, hedges and ditches, in order to reach the farmer.
Such a scheme would undoubtedly salvage a great deal of expensive plant. (Great quantities of it were lost during the March retreat particularly.) It would also presumably salvage quite a nnmber of people who are not exactly certain as to their future activities ; bet that it will in any way prove to be mori beneficial to the country as a, whole than would the much sounder suggestion of improved roads to aceommo date greater intensity of mechanically-hauled traffic, is, at any rate to the writer, quite unapparent. It is certainly up 'to the road user, whether his vehicles be horse drawn or mechanically propelled, to fight this suggestion in its entirety, and only to admit the necessity for further light railway extension in cases whore it is conclusively proved that the motor vehicle is not a, fax better remedy all round. And if the light railway proves to have no better case now than it has had in the past, the scheme must be dropped in its entirety.
Transport, of course, must be improved all round in the light of war-time experience, Rune apart from the ordinary common-sense point of view. Adequate reconstruction and renewed industrial activity depend as much upon improved facilities for transport as they do upon sufficient supplies of raw material, the fostering of greater markets and the cheapening of power. If in the end. the " agrail," to give this Dew light-railway scheme its new-found horrible name, be pressed upon the nation by the new Minister 'of Transport as a heaven-sent peace-time necessity, we run the risk of bartering away the liberty of the open road, which will most certainly, as is the case in many parts of Ireland, for instance, become mere adjuncts to this new bewildering and far-reaching 'tramway system. There is no argument in this country, in any but very few eases, for further extension of 'any railbound traffic other than that necessary for full-gauge railway development. The independent motor vehicle—and with it must be toupled the new tYpe road —are assets of common value to everyone. • •
In the writer's opinion, it will be found as impossible to nationalize motor traffic as it has been to organize it in top for war-time service. That, the railways will be pationalized appears to be a feregone conclusion; although exactly to what extent nationalization will take effect does not appear to be yet apparent. The " agrail," if it were adopted, would, of course, become part and parcel of the nationalized railway control, and, as such, would be subject ,to all, the departmental restrictions and shortcomings inseparable from nationalization. The independent motor vehicle as the railway's coining great rival will receivea very severe setback if this particular form of post-war activity be permitted. There is no advantage in it that cannot be claimed for the independent motor vehicle. The disadvantages arising from the scheme, so far as the user of the common -highway is concerned, are enormous. It will be time enough, if and when more be heard of these proposals, to attempt to analyse the comparisons between the two contending systems for the further development of rural transport on the bases of finance, rates and freights, capacity, speed, elasticity and freedom from harassing restrictions. At first glance there appears to be no question 'whatever of the overwhelming superiority of the motor lorry, and its claims as a means of improvement, in the Lloyd George sense, must not be allowed to be jeopardized by this attempt on the part of those who are interested in railways to proscribe the great future that lies immediately before it as the result of its momentous achievements in the service of the country at home and on the field of action. The motor lorry has a natural future ; this " agra,i1" proposal is an attempt 'to create an artificial one for the light railway and tramway. The internalcombustion locomotive has a great future of its own —but not on the highways or as a competitor with road-borne traffic.