21 MARCH 1931, Page 3

Mr. Morrison's scheme has, of course, been denounced as Socialistic

and defended on the ground that the new Board is akin to the Central Electricity Board, the British Broadcasting Corporation and the Port of London Authority. It is also criticized as an encroachment on the sphere of the London County Council, not un- naturally expected to be the traffic authority for the London area. We think, however, that the stupendous Problems of London traffic can best be tackled by a single board of control, call it what we will. The main questions are whether the Ministry of Transport can be trusted to nominate five efficient directors to the new Board, and whether such a Board will be as enterprising and as receptive of new ideas as the Underground Railway directors and the L.C.C. Tramway Committee have shown themselves to be. On the whole, we see no reason to answer these questions in the negative. The London Passenger Transport Board is happily not to be exempt from criticism in Parliament.

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