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THE MOMENTUM OF INERTIA.

1st July 1919, Page 2
1st July 1919
Page 2
Page 3
Page 2, 1st July 1919 — THE MOMENTUM OF INERTIA.
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

IN THE FIRST of an interesting series of articles contributed to The Times by Sir Lyndon Macaey, formerly Secretary of the Royal Commission on London Traffic which reported-in 1906, the fact is emphasized that the roads of London have been inadequate for the traffic upon them continuously since the reign of Edward I. The roads have been evolved on no plan or system and in accordance with no uniform or comprehensive scheme. Parliament has been thoroughly apathetic throughout, and Sir Lyn,clen Macassey sums up his historical review with the remark that what we want is to "overcome the momentum of inertia"

This is a somewhat curious phrase, the terms of which are really contradictory. Inertia is, of course, that which has to be overcome before we can get -.124 movement started at all. Momentum cannot exist unless there is movement; therefore, inertia, or for that matter any body the inertia of which must be overcome, cannot be possessed of momentum. Nevertheless, the phrase is a striking and to my mind a strong one. In the case under consideration we may regard inertia as a habit—the habit of doing nothing. To my mind, any habit may be properly described as possessing momentum. The longer we possess it, the more effort is needed beforeit can even be checked, much less reversed. We all, know how difficult it is to get a new movement started in London. We have to overcome the inertia of the biggest city? in the world. London is slow to move, but when once a movement has been started it is almost equally difficult to stop it. The movement has gathered montentuni, and the momen tum, once gatheved, is enormous. Supposing the movement outlives its utility. The expenditure of further energy upon it thus becomes wasteful. Nevertheless, it goes on, because it seems to be more trouble to stop it than to continue it. The movement, in fact, becomes a habit, and as such possesses in omen tam.

We may perhaps construe Sir Lynden Macassey.'e phrase as meaning that at present we have not merely to overcome inertia in order.to get movement in the right direction started, but we have first to cheek the tendency many centuries old to move in the wrong direction by refusing to consider all forms of coordination when dealing with the traffic problem. We have to overcome not merely the passive resistance of a body at rest, but the active resistance of a large number of bodies pushing against us, each determined to preserve its own little sphere of influence, and, therefore, to resist co-ordination at all costs. When, after a, long struggle, some individual step is taken to improve London traffic conditions at some particular spot, the movement has not definitely resulted from any coherent scheme. It does not represent a victory of co-ordination over the opposing forces, but coneists rather of a voluntary and temporary movement of one or two of these forces along a line which happens to be in the right direction, but which is chosen Dot in support of, but in opposition to, the principle of general co-ordination. There are still 170 road arid traffic authorities in the London area.

The greatest opportunity-that London ever had and lost followed upon the Great Fire, when Wren's plans

were laid and pigeon-holed. If the Germans had succeeded in their avowed intention of burning London by means of incendiary bombs, then therekwould have, been a second chance for generations to come. As it is, we realize the enormous cost of any properly thought out and complete scheme, and the fact that, at the best, we can only hope to tinker up a poor system of roads, not to evolve a good one. To make our thoroneelifares adequate for the traffic of the future would involve an enormous amount of destruction before reconstruction could get to work. The difficulty of the whole situation and the fact that it results from gradual-growth lead us to hesitate to make any attempt to ,prevent the growth from beeoniing even more serious. The history of the past hundred yearsor so is thehistory of a long. succession of commissions and select committees. Many of these have had the right ideas : not one of them has had the power of getting these ideas carried out. Burnand, the editor of Punch, when informed that the papeiewas 'nothing like as good as it used to be," replied that " it never was." It certainly seems that, when we take the trouble to look into the history of the matter, much the same applies to London traffic. Our troubles are not recent, but the germs of them were cultivated hundreds of fears ago and since then we have merely allowed things to slide, with an -occasional effort not to cure a thoroughly bad condition, but merely to alleviate it by temporary remedies. I wish I could share Sir Lynden 'IVEacassey's view that the present Select Committee possesses and intendsto use the necessary driving power to obtain what has been needed so long, namely, action. V EM.S.


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