BAD ROADS RESPONSIBLE FOR BLACK SMOKE.
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The extent to which bad roads are responsible for the emission" of black smoke from heavy steam vehicles was referred to at Wigan County Police Court a few days ago when Richard Bennett, an employee of Norman E. Box, Ltd., specialists in heavy haulage, of Manchester, was summoned for being in charge of a steam roller engaged in road repairing which emitted black smoke in the public street, thereby causing a nuisance.
Defendant admitted that the locomotive was constructed to consume its own smoke, but that when he shut off steam the smoke was emitted, and in the witness box said he had to shut oil .steam several times owing to the rough state of the road, and that caused a certain amount of smoke to escape, but the smoke was not dense.
Expert evidence as to the construction of the locomotive was given by Mr. aames Robinson, a representative of a company who manufactured locomo tives. The locomotive, he said, was constructed on the same principle as railway engines, and there were thousands in use all over the country. The locomotive was constructed according to the requirements of the Act, and there wa-r no evidence that there had been any neglect on the part either of the owners or the driver.
Mr. Fox Andrews, instructed by Messrs. Joynson Hicks and Co., said a perfectly reasonable explanation had been offered that the road was in such a state that the driver had constantly to shut off steam, and he asked the Bench to look at the matter reasonably from a commercial point of view. The employers considered a great principle was involved, and they made it their business to see that their workmen did everything that was compatible with the comfort and convenience of the public. The Bench decided to dismiss the case.