The House of Commons began the discussion of the Bill
promoted by the L.M.S. Railway Co. The Prime Minister had earlier stated the intention of the Government to pass the Road Traffic Bill and to investigate the whole subject of internal transport. The Bill under discussion is promoted by one railway company to obtain powers mainly for instituting a road service for the transport of goods. Against the Bill it was urged that the railways already run at heavy loss their legitimate road transport, and that these. big organizations would cruelly crush small businesses Mr. Grenfell pointed out that where railways had enlarged their operations as in steamships and hotels, they had created no monopoly and he did not believe they would in road transport. The Socialist view that the bigger the organization the nearer to nationalization was not fully supported by Mr. Graham who, as usual, went a little deeper into the matter and realized that the con- venience of the public should be the first consideration, but he naturally regarded municipal enterprise with favour. The motion for the second reading was carried by a majority of 857 on Wednesday. * * * *
Previous page
