362 SECTIONAL TRANSACTIONS.— G. 



put in hand — surface conditions have been rapidly improved, and road transport 

 both for passenger and industrial requirements is becoming more clearly defined and 

 established. 



Legislation of an important nature relating to roads and traffic has recently been 

 passed. The railway companies have now secured powers enabling them to provide 

 road transport services in conjunction with their railways — thus increasing their 

 efficiency as common carriers. The Local Government Act or ' Derating Bill,' 

 introduced last year, contains important sections afiecting road administration, the 

 tendency of which is to dispossess the smaller district Councils of highway control, 

 placing the responsibiUty upon the larger Local Government Units, i.e. the County 

 Councils and the County Borough Councils. 



There is a gradual abandonment of the smaller tramway undertakings, and their 

 replacement by motor omnibus services. Passenger transport systems have now 

 penetrated into the most remote parts, linking up the small villages with the nearest 

 market and shopping towns. These services are generally efficient and even luxurious. 



The principles of Town and Regional Planning are now being appUed, so as to 

 provide for future road requirements by the sterihsation of the necessary land. 



Attention is drawn to changes in social and housing conditions, and the part 

 played by road traffic in relation to this, and emphasis is given to the popularity of 

 the cheap and mobile small motor-car of 7 to 12 h.p. 



A table is appended showing the drop in the average horse-power of the private 

 motor-car from 16-8 in 1921 to 12-9 in 1927, thus indicating the popularity of this 

 small type. A table is also given showing the comparative annual taxation of three 

 distinctive types of motor vehicles in various countries of the world. 



A Royal Commission on road transport now sitting has been considering the 

 co-ordination of transport facilities in well-defined areas of the country, and im- 

 portant developments are expected along these lines. 



The Paper concludes with some notes on the volume of road traffic, and factors 

 bearing on road accidents, and their reduction. 



Mr. D. E. Lloyd Davies. — The Road Transport Problem in South Africa. 



Sir Heney Fowler, K.B.E. — The Problem of Motor Transport in Un- 

 developed Country. 



As a result of the recommendation of the Colonial Office Conference in 1927, and 

 the Special Conference subsequently appointed by the Empire Marketing Board in 

 December last, a small Directing Committee was appointed by the Secretary of State 

 for Dominion affairs, and for the Colonies. This committee has been set up to study 

 the assistance which mechanical transport can give to the economical development 

 of the oversea Empire. 



There are at present large tracts of country throughout the Empire which cannot 

 be properly developed until its products, existing and potential, can be economically 

 transported to points at which they can be consumed or used. 



It will be reaUsed that in spite of the great advance made in recent years in 

 mechanical transport, the problem set out above is one of great magnitude and 

 difficulty. At the very beginning the question of the roads available or which could 

 be economically constructed has to be considered. This is a difficult matter in spite 

 of the recent development of multi-wheeled and track vehicles. One of the problems 

 is the question of a large unit, as it is probable that only by these means that loads 

 which would not ' carry ' heavy transport costs could be dealt with. Beyond this 

 the fuel suitable and available, the class of labour which can be employed, and 

 numerous other problems have to be considered. The committee have to collect 

 information on the conditions to be met with in various parts of the Empire, and it is 

 hoped that the discussion on the Paper itself will lead to some of this being given. 



Thursday, July 25. 



Mr. J. D. White. — Road Transport in South Africa. 



Lt.-Col. Philip Johnson. — Transport Costs in Roadless Countries and the 

 Possibilities of Mechanization. 

 The finding of a means of movement over land intermediate between the minor 

 means of all kinds with small load capacities, and the arterial railway train with a 



