Newcastle Ch anges its Mind
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A T the meeting at which Newcastle 1—kCity Council decided by 33 votes to 32 to refer back the parliamentary and transport committee's recommendations in favour of nationalization, Colin. I-. W. Lawrence said it was not in the interests of the city to hand over the transport undertaking, without compensation, to tile British Transport Commission.
Aid. E. G. King contended that the members of the council who had recently interviewed the working party had exceeded their powers, by giving certain pledges for which they had no mandate.
Conn. R. M. Graham contended that if undertakings now operating in the area were taken over, fares would rise. Coon. W. McKeag urged Labour members to put their duty to the citizens before that of the Labour Party.
The parliamentary committee of Northumberland County Council has issued a report on a meeting lgeld between a'sub-committee and the working party, which .states that whilst agreeing that the proposed area scheme would be in the general interests, the sub-committee suggested certain safeguards. The area board, it was recommended, should have sufficient powers to operate its . own services without constant reference to the' Road Transport Executive, but the sub-committee doubted whether a board of which Only the chairman was a full-time member, would be adequate for this purpose. Detailed proposals were made with regard to consultative machinery down to district level, to ensure that every local authority had a direct voice in affairs.
At a recent meeting of the Northern Area of the Municipal Passenger Transport Association it was stated-that municipal transport owners seemed to be approaching the matter of nationalization from different angles. Most apparently accepted the position that the absorption of their undertakings was' inevitable and that it was useless to put up a fight.
West Hartlepool and Darlington Corporations, however, did not take that view. Darlington had suggested that in any scheme, it should be made a sub-area and a majority of the members of the sub-area board should be nominated by the corporation. This was regarded as essential.