B.T.C. Under. Fire in the House
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MATIONALIZED transport was I N the subject of a lively debate in the House of Commons, last .week, during the second 'reading of a Bill to widen a small section of . the District Railway in London.
Criticism of the British Transport Commission and of transport facilities generally throughout the country came from Members on both sides of the Rouse, •
Mr. Ernest Davies (Socialist) wanted to know what the British Transport Commission was doing to meet the gradual increase of road traffic and the decrease of rail traffic. As reasons for this swing, he instanced high rail charges and the increasing number of C licensees, Mr, Erroll (Conservative) gave him a much better reason. He told the House about the concern which was moving its plant from an old site near'
Liverpool to the north-east coast,' near Middlesbrough. The first batch_ of machinery was put on rail.at-LiverpOi51 and appeared at the sidings at Middlesbrough three. Weeks later. In reply to intensive ingnitieS during this time, the railway officials admitted that they did not know where the trucks had .gone. , It is.small wonder," Said Mr. Erroll. "that that particular' firm. sent the reSt of its machinery 'by road, although iLWas more expensive. They knew they could loadit on one day and it would be in Middlesbrough the'
following "day."' . •
Mr. Erroll thought the 'Motto Of the British :Railways .shOuld be "Nobody Cares." That was one of the reaSons why rail traffic was being transferred to the buses, where there was an element of courtesy and a desire to please.
Mr. Davies was particularly unhappy
about C-licensees. One could readily imagine, he said, that the traffic they were carrying might be more economically handled by the railways. It had been a Mistake not to include them' in the nationalization of other road .transport concerns. .
These sentiments were, however, not shared by the Minister of Transport, Mr. .Barnes.. The policy behind nationalization, he said, was eventually to co-ordinate the whole of the transPort services of certain kinds, but not C-licence transport and short-distance haulage.
The receipts front all 'forms of transport would be pooled, so that in the final result the B.T.C. could pay its way, irrespective Of whether or not any particular section was run at a Profit.
Mr. Barnes said he had received the report of the workingparty on the London Railway Plan.