The Problem of Private Bridges : Their Weakness a National Danger.
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The position of road transport, in relation to the existence of weak privately-owned bridges over canals and railways, has been definitely settled against heavy-traffic interests in the course of litigation which has occurred during the past-:two years. We may particularly refer to the decisions in the cases of t'ickfords, Ltd. (at the relation of the AttorneyGeneral) v. the Great Northern Railway Co., and the Corporation of Worcester v. the Sharpness Canal Co. The House of Lords (Lord Haldane dissenting) finally disposed of the vital matter of requisite strength, in its decision, duly reported by us, against Pickfords, Ltd., when it was held that the strength of the structure at the time of its construction was sufficient, and not the later requirements of the traffic, from time to time, across. the bridge. The element of national danger arises when the movement of guns and military lorries is barred or hindered.
The legal outlook in regard to future developments of both commercial and military road transport is now so impeded that it cannot be left unaltered. Something must be done in the way of definite action, It is true that hundreds Of briages over canals and railways are in fact strong enough to carry any traffic, including the heaviest traction-engine traffic, but many hundreds are found at the other end of the scale —much too weak for even moderate loads, as loads go under present conditions of industry. Few if any of the canal companies have now got the money to do anything ; most of the railway companies have the money, but not the inclination. There must be a revision of the law, in order that the best interests of the country shall not be permanently harmed, and to the end that urgent developments •of internal communication shall not be 'indefinitely deferred.
The United Kingdom, emerging as it later will from a war to the finish with Germany. and her Allies, cannot afford to witness the perpetuation by the railway companies of weak links in the chain of road communication. We must not allow our unique and wonderful system of highways to be made nearly nonexistent by segregation into disconnected groups of roads, each of which in whatever direction one seeks to go, is made to end in a ma de sac—in an impassable bridge over a piece of private property! The men in the Army, who know the value of motor transport, will certainly vote against any such handicap; the vote of democracy. if it be properly informed and invoked, will lend its ,powerful aid. We contend that the matter must be.made a political one—that democracy must be informed, and we urge our supporters in all parts of the country to make the theme of the curse of weak bridges one concerning which they will at all times speak, as opportunity offers. They will be giving powerful help to hasten the day when the anomalies of Bridge Law will cease.
Broad views on the matter of Bridge Law will undoubtedly have to prevail. The whole expense of strengthening every • weak bridge cannot be thrown
upon the Failway companies ; there is much in their plea that every pound which they spend on strengthening a weak bridge will have the effect of strengthening a competitive means of conveyance. It is not in conformity with their immediate interests to help. That view is essentially a selfish one, but it is not one that can be overlooked with advantage by heavy-traffic interests. .
There is a choice between bringing the railway companies into line by agreement, or by force ; we are not hopeful that quick results will follow from the former, if heavy-traffic interests approach the subpet unaided. They must, in our judgment, be influenced by the combined action of the traffic interests which are represented in national bodies, acting in conjunction with the County Councils of the country, and this we gather is also the view of the National Traction Engine Owners and UsersAssociation and of the Commercial Motor Users Association. The sooner steps are taken in this direction the better shall we be satisfied. There haye been efforts, in past years, but at that time the law yias not definitely settled against heavy traffic, as it now is. The weak bridge has of late been forged by Case Law into a legalized manacle of repression upon the highway arm of the nation's wealth. It can remain weak, no matter how much greater the strength of the c.on,..tigirous length on each side of the bridge, and its continuing weakness will sap independent road transport, if allowed. There is. therefore, both necessity and scope for .a renewal oi negotiations between the motoring bodies and the County Councils. We trust that the matter is one which will before long receive the attention which it deserves at the hands of the Joint Committee of Mechanical Road Transport Associations, or of a specially-chosen and speciallynominated new committee.
The problem of private bridges is one of transcending importance for the United Kingdom, seeing that there are two miles of highway in it per square mile of area. The significance of that incidence of highway length is a national asset, the value of which must not be depreciated for the benefit of any holders of private property. That is the position in which the country stands. The United Kingdom; and its tax-laden inhabitants, are threatened with a, gigantic extension of monopoly. by the deliberate weakening and neglect of privately-owned bridges, which possibility is one that, if it be allowed to beeome an accomplished and stereotyped fact., simply means tha.t it may take us several extra decades to pay the cost of the war.
There must be free and uninterrupted, yet reasonably-controlled, use of the highways, to and from every farm, and to and from every factory, which freedom of access and movement by road cannot take place so long as standards of strength for bridges dating back to 1830 and 1840 are held in law to be good enough. We are well satisfied that the nation will not allow it, once the facts are known. Let the several associations which are concerned prepare-ter• utilize those facts without further delay, and to see to it that they get the voters with them.
Concerning Motor-vehicle Repairs.
The driver difficulty, to which we referred a week ago, is in some cases at least equalled by the repair difficulty. The Director of the Priority Branch of the Ministry of Munitions Mr. Edgar R. Jones, M.P., has recently communicated an interesting decision to Mr. Joynson-Hicks, M.P., Chairman of the Automobile Association, in the course of which be states that it has been decided that repairs may be executed and spare parts supplied, to the total value of not more than i10 at any one time for any one vehicle, without application to the Ministry of Munitions, so long as Priority Classification " B " applies, and the order is accompanied by a, declaration that the motor vehicle falls in one or other of the following classes : — • 1. Cars or motorcycles used by doctors, dentists and veterinary surgeons exclusively for professional purposes.
.2. Cars or motorcycles used by officers of His 'Majesty's Forces exclusively for carrying out their naval or military duties.
3. Motor vehicles of all kinds used exclusively for the collection and delivery of goods or for agricultural purposes. 4. Taxicabs and public-service vehicles. Other motor vehicles, except those in respect of which he owners are entitled to claim a class " A" certificate by reason of their being employed on war wotk, automatically fall, as heretofore, in class "C." The chances of repair facilities for class" C" are known to be small, in the absence of ability on the part of the owner to substantiate a claim, on the grounds of urgency, that his repairs should be placed in a higher category. Such prior classification. if desired, is sometimes granted after a full disclosure of the grounds for it, and the extent of the work to be done. The particulars have to be addressed to the Ministry of Munitions, Priority Branch, 1, Caxton Street, London, S-W.
Labour, Materials and Supplies for Mechanical Aids to Agriculture.
The Steam Cultivation Association, of which Mr. John Allen, of Oxford, is president, is to be congratulated upon its successes, during the latter half of 1916, in securing adequate help and backing froie the Board of Agriculture, to the end that its members should receive consideration, in respect of labour, materials and supplies, with full regard to the national importance of their work. Various happenings under the Military Service Acts threatened, at various dates and in many parts of the country, to deplete the ranks of essential labour in this vital branch of food production : its degree of importance, we fear, is only properly apprehended by those who are acquainted with the high proportion of ploughing and cultivating which is done by steam-ploughing sets. Definite instructions were issued by the War Office, on the consequent repre sentations of the Board of Agriculture, to recruiting offieers and Military representatives throughout the country, with the result that, after a particular critical date, no more steam-ploughing men were taken. They have since then been exempt in fact to follow their productive occupation. The next trouble was with the Petrol Control Committee, the allowance of petrol to farmers who had to use cars in order to supervise ploughing and cultivating being in some cases even less than the allocation to private owners. This difficulty was overcome, after detailed representations had been made to the Petrol Control Committee, and 60 per cent. of declared requirements was sanctioned. Last in order of the difficulties which the Steam Cultivation Association,had to surmount came that of steel for repair purpoe4....s. Sufficient issues are now assured, although at one time there were unforeseen d.fficulties with the M. of M. Priority Branch. The case for the independent agrimotor, with which type of machine, both as regards makes and applications, we dealt at considerable length in our Royal Show issue of 29th June last, remains to be finally adjusted. There are growing indications that the strong claims which can be substantiated on its behalf are bearing fruit. It was our pleasure to reprint and circulate the complete descriptive section from our Royal Show issue, accompanied by the interviews with Mr. John Allen and Mr. R. G. Patterson, which " missionary work." added to earlier efforts of the kind by us, has undoubtedly helped to stir up not a few British farmers who had hitherto not decided to take action. The importation of agrimotors has been proceeding apace, and it shows no signs of slackening. New labour will be required here, but its sources are not clearly indicated.
Useful Names for Users.
An extension of one of our usual weekly features on the business side will be found incorporated with our advertisement pages this week. We refer to the reference list for purchasers of vehicles, supplies, accessories and other requirements. It has been our practice hitherto to confine a list of this kind to a -brief statement in the form of an " Index to Advertisers" (including their telephone numbers), but we now supplement (pp. 20 to 22) that permanent feature.
The growth of the commercial-motor and allied industries is assuming remarkable proportions : the three new pages to which we refer furnish the latest testimony to that fact, and do so in a graphic manner. So numerous, indeed, are the names which we feel called upon to publish, that there is not suffic;ent space at our disposal, especially under war conditions and having regard to the abnormal price of paper, for us to include the addresses. A postcard or other written _inquiry addressed to the Manager, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR, 7-15, Rosebery Avenue, London, E.G., will at all times bring, by return of post, the desired reply.