ROAD TRANSPORT MATTERS IN PARLIAMENT.
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The Road Transport Lighting Bill in the Committee Stage of the House of Lords. The Labour Party and the Railway Proposals. Lights in Fog.
By Our Special Parliamentary Correspondent
rrIHE. Road Transport Lighting Bill was considered in Committee by the House of Lords on the 20th inst. It had been anticipated that a compromise would be reached with regard to the exemption of agricultural horsed vehicles from the general provision requiring vehicles to carry two lights in front, but the new sub-section substituted for the old one, on the motion of Viscount Peel, seems to leave Clause 6 very little different from what it was when it left the House of Commons Committee. The new sub-section moved by Viscount Peel was in the follewing terms :—
" In the case Kif an agricultural implement and in the case of any vehicle used for the time being by a person engaged in agriculture for the conveyanco of his agricultural produce or articles required by him for use in agriculture, otherwise than as aforesaid :—
" (a) Only one lamp showing a light to the front shall be required, to be carried, which lamp shall be attached to the off or right-hand side of the vehicle; and.
" (6) A separate lamp showing a red light to the rear shall not be required to be carried if an Tinobscured and efficient red reflector is carried, or if the lamp showing a light to the front shows also a red light to the rear visible from a reasonable distance and the vehicle‘or any lead carried thereby does not extend more than 6 ft. behind such lamp."
Lord Montagu of Beaulieu moved that this modification should apply only to vehicles employed in the "course of the internal operations of the farm." He pointed ont that, under the clause, farm vehicles going from the farm to the railway station, or from one farm to another, and using the high roads on the journey, would be exempt from the ordinary law and. would be a danger to other road users. Lord Clinton declared that the interests of farmers were being subordinated to those of motorists, and Lord Danesfort said that this and other recent legislation was designed for motorists who wanted to go 60 miles an hour to the detriment of agriculturists and other people who wanted to use the roads in a reasonable planner.
Lord Bledisloe an Viscount Novar also came down on the side of the farmers. In addition to Lord Montagu, Earl Beauchamp and Earl Russell voiced the dangers which would arise if effect were given to the Government proposals. Lord Beauchamp drew a picture of the perils accruing from a fleet of partially lighted farmers' carts taking their produce along the. high roads to London or other of the great cities. Lord Russell's point of view was that the farmers, like everybody else, should be made to conform to the lighting regulations, and that what was granted to them by way of exemption could not be logically refused to any' other class of road users.
Viscount Peel said motorists objected to the concession on the ground that one front lamp would not indicate the width of the vehicle, which would consequently he a serious danger to other road users. As between the motorists on the one hand and the farmers On the other, the Government desired to maintain an even balance, and they had decided that the decision should be left to a free vote of the House. When the vote was taken, Lord Montagu's amendment was negatived by 26 to 23, and the Government's new sub-section was agreed to.
An 'amendment was made in Clause 8 which makes special provisions as to vehicles to.).ving and being towed. The following proviso was inserted :—
"If a vehicle being drawn, or any load carried thereon, projects laterally on either side more than 12 ins. beyond the outermost of the lamps showing a white light to the front on that side carried by the vehicle by which it is being drawn, or by any preceding vehicle which is also being drawn by the same vehicle, a lamp showing to the front a white light visible from a reasonable distance shall be carried on the side or each side on which the vehicle or its load so projects, and shall be so placed that no part of the vehicle or its load shall project outwards more than 12 ins. beyond a vertical line through the centre of such lamp."
A new -clause was inserted giving the Minister of Transport power to make regulations as to reflectors as follows :— ". .• . The Minister may if he thinks fit by 'regulations prescribe the conditions with which reflectors carried on vehicles in accordance with the provisions of this Act or of any regulations made thereunder must comply and the position and manner in which they are to be attached."
Another Government amendment which was agreed to was that the Act shall come into operation on April 22nd next instead of January 1st next.
At the time of writing the Lords' amendments had not been considered by the House of Commons.
Labour Party and Railway Proposals., AT a meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party it was announced that as the issue,as between rail. and road transport was becoming very perplexing, especially in view of the imminence of certain railway Bills seeking power for road transport, the " executive had arranged to confer with the various trade unions in the transport industry preparatory to the formulation of the Party's policy on the question. The conferences will be presided over by Mr. Ramsay MacDonald, with whom will be associated Mr. W. Graham, Mr. W. Adamson and Mr, Barnes.
Lights in Fog.
C()L. DAY'S suggestions to the Minister of TranskJ port are numerous, constant and varied. His most recent proposal was that regulations should be framed compelling all vehicles to carry front and rear lights in fog and at all times when weather conditions made it necessary. Col. Ashley observed that he had no power to make such regulations. A simple "No, sir," by the Minister greeted an inquiry from the same source as to whether in any future legislation dealing with Metropolitan and Home Counties' traffic provision would be made for the total or partial abolition of tramcars on the highways.
Men Employed on Roads.
NO returns are kept showing the number of men engaged on the construction of arterial roads, but according to official returns received 11,469 men were employed on November 26th last on major schemes of road improvement and construction approved for grants from the Road Fund.