The Commercial Motor Users' Association.
Page 5
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Meeting of the Traffic Committee.
A meeting of the Traffic Committee of the C.M.U.A. was held at I, Albemarle Street, Piccadilly, W., on Thursday, the 8th instant, at 3 o'clock p.m., when there were present : —Colonel R. E. Crompton (in the Chair), Messrs. W. M. Hodges, R. R. Robins, W. G. Lobjoit, J. C. Mitchell, Douglas Mackenzie, E. Shrapnel! Smith, H. Thomson Lyon, W. Rees Jeffreys (Secretary), and T. W. Staplee Firth (Solicitor).
APOLOGIES FOR NON-ATTENDANCE.—Apologies for non-attendance were read from Messrs. S. D. Gilbert, A. A. Campbell-Swinton, and Dr. H. S. Hele-Shaw, F.R.S.
MINUTES.—The minutes of the previous meeting were read, approved, and signed.
ACTION BY KENSINGTON BOROUGH COUNCIL. —The following letter, which had been received by Mr. Staplee Firth from the solicitors acting for the Kensington Borough Council, was read :— "i6, St. Andrew Street, E.C., July 12th, 1907. " Dear Sir, Kensington Borough Council v. Wild and Robbins.
"We duly reported to the Council the offer you made on behalf of the defendants at our interview on the 6th May, to give an undertaking not to use the three traction engines (sic) they at present have, along any of the purely residential streets in Kensington ; but we have been unable to write you before pending the consideration of the whole question. " in view of the fact that your clients are not prepared to discontinue the use of the three engines in question in Kensington, we are instructed to proceed with the action and must ask you to forthwith enter an appearance.
"We are, dear Sirs, Yours faithfully, (Signed) Pontifex, Hewitt and Pitt, " Messrs. Firth and Co."
The matter was discussed at length, and directions given as to the action to be taken.
CAMBRIDGESHIRE BRIDGES.—A letter was read from Mr. Howard Humphreys, who enclosed a copy of a letter he had addressed to the solicitors of the National Traction Engine Owners' and Users' Association. This stated that, although the case would have been a good one to fight, he hesitated to advise legal proceedings in view of the reasonable attitude which the G.E. Railway took up.
It was agreed that a reply should be sent, to the effect that the Association considered that a guarantee should be forthcoming that the repairs would be executed at the earliest date, and that the date should be specified.
REDUCTION OF SEATING CAPACITY FOR MOTORBUSES.—The Secretary reported that he had addressed a letter to the Commissioner of Police asking whether it was intended to proceed any further with the suggestion of reducing the axle-weight of double-deck stage
carriages in London by reducing the seating capacity, and that the following replied had been received :— "New Scotland Yard, S.W., 6th August, 1907.
" Sir,—With reference to your letter of the r3th ultimo, I am directed by the Commissioner of Police tor the Metropolis to acquaint you that the experience gained during the last two years has led the Licensing Authority to form the opinion that the existing type of motor omnibus is, in respect of its weight and size, unsuitable. Owing to its great weight it necessarily, whenever the road surface is uneven, causes an amount of vibration which inflicts grave inconvenience on the residents along the lines of routes through which it passes. Its size makes it less manageable in traffic than is desirable.
"You are no doubt aware of the fact that the possibility of creating a Traffic Board, or some form of Traffic Authority, may come under the consideration of Parliament, and, should such a Board be created, and come to the conclusion that the existing motor omnibuses are on account of their weight and size unsuitable, and cause grave inconvenience to residents and users of the streets generally, they might give instructions which would compel the Public Carriage Authority to require vehicles presented for licensing to be of smaller carrying capacity and of less weight.
"I am, Sir, Your obedient servant,
Chief Clerk.
"The Secretary, Commercial Motor Users' Association."
LICENSING.—The Seer:tarv reported that, at the monthly meeting of the Colwyn Bay Urban District Council, the application for a licence to run a motor char4-bancs was refused on the ground that such licencingwould be detrimental to the best interests of Colwyn Bay.
Mr. Shrapnell Smith reported that the Atich Woolton Urban District Council had similarly refused to rant rootorbus licenses on a recent occasion.
LONDON MOTOR TRAFFIC.—The Secretary reported that a deputation from the Borough Councils had v.aited upon the Chief Commissioner of Police, in order to lay before him the evils of motor traffic, with a view to effecting some amelioration. The Commissioner stated that be feared they could not get away from noise where there was mechanical traction and that therefore it would be unreasonable to hold out any hope that anything he would do would do away with noise. He thought they must trust more to the evolution of the machine than to police measures, but when a car became noisy it was dealt with at once.
The Committee were informed that the delegates had not been officially appointed by their respective Councils.
[The proceedings of the deputation were reported in our issue of the 25th ultimo, and we comment, on page 560, upon the last-named statement.—ED. I
(Signed) G. Bathurst,