A Condemnation of Railway Influence COME striking comments upon the
Page 32
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
influence of the railways upon Parliament, and the achievements of road transport, were made in the House of Commons last month by Mr. Macquisten. He could not understand why the essential importance of the road system of this country seems never to have been grasped by any Government until now, since the motor vehicle was invented. This was an event of far greater importance than the evolution of the steam engine. More money is sunk in the road-transport industry, and more men employed in it, than is the case with the railways. Nevertheless, the railways succeed in exercising a tremendous influence in Parliament and an enormous power in the country, whilst the capital invested in them has been used, to a large extent, in strangling road transport. It was sad to see all the Transport Acts on the Statute Book, and the many different Regulations. He wished the Minister of Transport could gather sufficient strength to throw off railway influence.
Railways were responsible for the congested populations gathering into such huge masses. If steam transport had been allowed to develop properly in the beginning of the last century we should probably, by now, have had beautiful roads and no congestion of the populace. Our main roads should be broad and straight highways, not the twisted, rolling routes which we have to-day. Much of the money which should have been used for this purpose by the Minister of Transport had been taken from him.
It is not often that such candid views as these are stated in Parliament, but there is little doubt that the constant blows aimed at road transport are having a repercussive effect—the public wants to know more about the fight and why the railways and other anti-road interests have been pampered and upheld for so long.