Royal Commission on the Motor Car Acts.
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The following few selections of sections in Mr. Rice Jeffrey's' most extensive list of headings will enable our readers to appreciate the immense amount of work that is accomplished by this most energetic officer of the Automobile Club, Motor Union, and Motor Van and Wagon Users' Association :—
Dust
The chief cause of the feeling that exists against the motorcar is due to the dust raised in the suburban and rural districts.
Dust is not a new problem, as reference to the literature of the coaching period shows. It has, however, been revived in an acute manner by the motorcar.
The prime cause of the dust is the lack of scientific methods employed in the construction and maintenance of roads.
Roads, for various reasons, are the most neglected department of local administration They are the only public service Of importance which the local authorities are left to carry on unadvised and uncontrolled by any Central State Department, The first step towards the final solution of the dust problem is the creation of a small expert and highly-trained staff at the Local Government Board to bring together the results of the various experiments of the Local Authorities in the matter of dustless road construction, co-ordinate the results, make additional experiments if necessary, and keep the Local Authorities advised as to the latest experience on this important matter. For every other service—Poor Law, Police, lunacy, Educethen—the State has not only assigned money, but has created a highly expert central staff, whose constant duty it is to guide and advise, and assist the local authorities.
All this is lacking in highway administration, although more urgently required,
A certain standard of qualification is insisted upon for Teachers, Poor Law Medical Officers, and Inspectors of Nuisances. Absolutely no standard is insisted upon for the men who are entrusted with the highly technical duty of maintaining the roads.
It is a matter of common knowledge that surveyors are frequently appointed without any previous knowledge of road maintenance and construction.
Ireland is art exception to this rule. County surveyors have to pass an examination in this subject, and the Irish system could with the greatest possible advantage be extended to England, and cannot be properly studied apart from it.
Scotland and Ireland have both a further advantage—that the maintenance of the district roads is in the hands of the County Councils, and not in the hands of email. District Councils with inadequate resources, as in England.
The whole question of the dust problem, and the removal of the dust nuisance, is bound up with the question of the administration of the highways.
Our systems of road maintenance are costly and wasteful by reason of : — (a) Use of inferior or unsuitable. materials (b Lack of. organisation.
(et Absence of expert direction and guidance. Main reads under a proper system of organisation can be made practically dustless at no increased annual cost.
For example, a typical road maw made with macadam and rolled with loose binding material will last three years ; when waterproofed with distilled tar annually, will last five years. Lire prime cost cf construction will be somewhat greater, but including the additional annual cost of waterproofing, the net annual charge against the road will be reduced.
Tar appears to be the best dust preventive. When it has been tried and failed its failure appears to be due to incorrect methods of application, viz. :— (i) Moisture not out of stone.
(2) Use of undistilled tar.
(3) Tar applied in too great quantities.
141 Applied cold instead of hot.
(51 Not removing dust before application.
It is, however, possible to make a practically dustless read by using proper material and chippings of the same material only for binding.
The Road Question.
The final salution of the motor Problem is only to be found in the general adaptation of the roads for modern requirements, quite apart from motorcar traffic.
The roads of this country are not sufficient for the requirements of the general traffic.
Our system of road maintenance is absolutely unscientific.
No system of trunk road construction exists;, i.e,, it is nowadays impossible to build a trunk road through, connecting two cities,
A National Road Fund should be established, administered by a Central Highway Department attached to the Local Government Board, in aid of road maintenance. There should be an intelligence department, ascertaining the best methods of road improvement, and advising the local authorities accordingly.
A National Road Fund.
The following considerations will have to be taken into account in dealing with the final remit to the Commission:—
It is, ot course, a belief commonly held by District Councils, when they pass anti-motor resolutions, that the ratepayers in the district are bearing entirely the cost of the main roads. Such is, however, not the case. In 1888 one-half of the total, cost of the main roads; was borne directly by the State. A very much larger grant is still paid to the counties far the upkeep of the main roads, but it is no longer ear-marked. It is suggested by the witness that this is one of the great defects of that very great Act, the Act of 1888.
Because the grant was not ear-marked two results followed :— er) Rural ratepayers are no longer conscious of the fact that thv.! taxpayer is paying a very large propottion of the cost of the upkeep of the roads ; and
(e) The local authorities no longer feel that they are trustees for the State for maintaining the roads in a condition suitable for the through traffic. It is now suggested that it is absolutely necessary, in the interests of efficient administration, and the removal of what appears to he a grievance, that the State grant to the roads should be ear-marked.
The folloWing definite proposal is made: —
(a) That a considerable portion of the unallocated balance of the Exchequer contribution accounts should now be ear-marked for road purposes, say i4 or 2 millions;
(b) That a recommendation should be made to the Treasury that if, having regard to the general financial position, it can be arranged, an additional grant of half-a-million, a million, or more, should be voted by Parliament towards the upkeep of the main roads ;
That into this fund all fines, fees moneys, etc., levied under the Motor Car Act shall be paid ;
That the adininiearation of this fund shall be in the hands of three Highway Commissioners appointed by the Local Government Board; (e) That the conditions of the payment of this grant shall be similar to those which govern the payment of the police grant, air., that it can be withheld unless the commissioners certify that the roads arc maintained up to a prescribed condition of efficiency in the same way as the police grant can he withheld if the Home Secretary does not certify on the report of his inspectors that a police force is maintained efficiently.
Relations of Motor Traffic with General Traffic.
It is obviously impossible to consider the regulation of motorcar traffic without reference to the other traffic upon the highways. The motorcar has had, and will have for many years to come, to adjust itself to the conditions set up by the existence of that other traffic, in order that they may both use the public highway to its fullest capacity.
It is obvious that it is desirable, in order to secure the best results, and to ensure the safety of the public, that the regulations governing the various classes of traffic should be considered one with another.
A judicious code of traffic regulations, covering all classes, would go a long war to secure increased safety. One of the most important elements to be considered with regard to the roads is the existence of tramways, and one of the chief sources of danger in connection with tramways is the erection of central poles. At one time these were encouraged by the authorities. They are now universally condemned by traffic experts, including the Royal Commission on Loudon Traffic, The Board of Trade, as a result, have recently informed the Roads Improvement Association that they will not sanction the erection of any further central poles except under very exceptional circumstances. Unfortunately, this does not secure the removal of those already erected, and they remain a standing menace and a source of grave danger to all traffic using the highways. It also does not deal with the electric light standards and other obstructions erected by local authorities upon the highways. The Local Government Board stave that they are unable to use their influence to discourage the erection of central lighting standards, and as far as these are concerned the public will enritinue to be endangered.