Trams v. Motor Omnibuses.
Page 12
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Interview with Mr. J. Allen Baker, M.P.
The tramways department of the London County Council is managed by the highways committee, of which Mr. J. Allen Baker, M.P., is chairman. Mr. Baker is a busy man, for, in addition to his legislative and London County Council duties, he is the head of the well-known engineering works of Messrs. Joseph Baker and Sons, Limited, of ‘Villesden Junction. In spite, however, of the business and other demands upon his time, which are particularly heavy just now, immediately after the General Election, Mr. Baker agreed to see a representative of " THE COMNIERCIAT. Mama," and the interview took place, according to appointment, one day last week at Spring Gardens. Asked as to the relative merits, in his opinion, of electric traction and motor omnibuses, the Chairman of the high
ways commi■-• .d—" I hold that motor omnibuses and electric tramways do not really come into competition. They serve different purposes. In main thoroughfares, or between pLices where there is much traffic, tramways are essential, as they are more economical, more convenient, and more popular. On routes of this kind it is impossible, I believe, for motorbuses to compete with electric tramways; but motorbuses have their uses in serving cross-country routes, or in acting as feeders to tramways. For both these purposes they are very useful."
It being suggested by the interviewer that motorbuses seemed to be doing well in South London in -competition with the trains, Mr. Baker replied—" It is said that the motor omnibuses are doing very well there, but our answer to this is that the tramway receipts over routes along which the motorbuses run are continually increasing."
Replying to a question whether the L.C.C. would seek powers to run motor omnibuses AS FEEDERS TO THE TRAMWAYS,
Mr. Baker made the following interesting statement : " Personally I think it might be a good thing, hut I do not wish it to appear in print that the County Council or the highways committee have any such project in view. As a matter of fact the question has not been even discussed. The tramways at present are in a very circumscribed area, but when we get the North side linked up with the South, and the northern tramways electrified, it is anticipated that the profits, which go to the relief of the rates, will be much augmented. The amount so paid by the London Camay Council, in respect of its tramway -leasing and working, since 1897-0, is 4293,000. When the whole of the lines are electrified and run from the Council's own station, the anneal net earnings will doubtless be greatly increased. The reference to the linking up of the northern and southern systems brought up the question of the Kingsway sub-way, and Mr. Baker was asked whether the rumour was correct that a mistake had been made in making the tunnel so small that double-decked tramcars could not pass through. Mr. Baker's reply was short and emphatic. " Rubbish !" he said. " Single-deck cars are to go through the tunnel, and we never intended anything else. There will be two cars running together, a motor and a trailer, and the two combined will carry more passengers and will be able to be loaded and unloaded faster than double-deck cars. The report you refer to is utterly absurd. We never intended that there should be anything in the tunnel but single-deck cars. Single-deck cars were ordered in the first instance from the contractor, and they will soon be delivered. The cars would have been running in December, as the road had been inspected and passed by the Board of Trade officials, only the contractor disappointed us in the delivery of the cars. However, the will be running, I expect, about the middle of Februarv.'3
" Is it a fact," the interviewer asked, " that the London County Council favours tramway construction to the exclusion of motor omnibuses, because the capital expenditure allows a very big payment in wages to be made, and this would probably have a beneficial effect upon the unemployed problem?"
" Again I say -rubbish." replied Mr. Baker. " The cornenittee works the tramways on business lines, and 1 am sure Ithat members of the London County Council allow nothing of that nature to influence their judgment when they are discussing and considering business propositions."
" It is feared by some omnibus proprietors," continued the representative of " THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR," " that an effort will be made to charge them in some way for the use of the roads, and so assist the London County Council's tramway undertaking." Mr. Baker paused before answering. " I ask you," he said, " as a reasonable man, is the present position quite fair? The tramway undertaking paves and maintains the space between the lines and iS inches on each side. We tnerefore pay for what we do not use, and for what is used by the motor omnibuses and other street traffic, which PAY NOTHING TOWARDS THE UPKEEP
of the roads. Although I say this, and although I feel somewhat strongly upon the matter, the question has not definitely come before the committee or the council. It was suggested by the interviewer that the omnibus companies at present pay heavy rates, and they also, as ratepayers, finance the tramways. " The amount the omnibus companies pay to the rates," retorted Mr. Baker, " is very small indeed, as compared with what we do for the rates. We pay rates on our lines, and on our generating stations, car sheds, and sub-stations; we have also given large sums from our profits in relief of the rates. The less the omnibus companies say in this connection about what they do for the rates the better for themselves. But I must repeat that I wish it to be distinctly understood that in this matter of the omnibus companies paying for the up-keep of the roads I am now only voicing my own personal opinion. At this stage a messenger hurried into the committee room in which the interview was taking place, and handed a note to Mr. Baker. The chairman of the highways committee, upon reading this, hastily jumped up and, saying " Excuse me, I must go into the council to defend a report," rushed away. The interview thus abruptly terminated.
[The arguments and statements which are advanced by Mr. J. Allen Baker, M.P., will be answered in our next issue, as n is desirable that the other side of the question should he considered. We might point out, incidentally, that any profit made by the L.C.C. in respect of tramways is, Fo far, principally derived from the !cosineof the northern lines and not from the electrified southern lines.—ED.]