The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1907-07-24
LONDON TRAFFIC TIDE.
John Burns on the Future Of Great
City Streets.

| lily Sb'GGt1.
The fact IL that London lacks adj
illustrative unity in matters OF traf-
nc, roads and streets, says ne Pail
Mall Gazette III parliament sSto take
hand in its Observation-Disclosures TINS
Is unnecessary there should be a
minister ior London, who knows It's
moods, its difficulties its river, iti
SubterraneSn movements, traffic, NE
and work It's labyrathine drainage
syrten Is excellent, and admittedly
the hest in the world, because there u
no local veto police control or govern
ment meiGlinS Greatest Of all a5gur-
dities is a lord chancellor assuming
the role eli arbitcr on subjects without
his legal pary.ew and beyond his civic
! knowledge. Sec what Caaring Cross
station stands icl parliamentary is-
nclaaco d London utility and beauty;
ard ita exemption, through the past
naHeaco Ok railway directors in par
.iasaeAt. flam the geaeral building act
! noW leeea-3 al cost OF lac and prop
ery the danger 1t favored and privi-
| lessd treatleAt.
/ What IS Ike good Of having wide,
! aelWilg street like Recent street il
It's approaches and thoroughfares arc
70 te made a dumping ground for rail-
way delivery vans? MGat is the bene-
fit to London tiafiic OF widening the
Strand If it Is TO be filled up with
publicans gigs. actors motors and
newspaper vans, or. as Kingsley is
rapidly becoming, rendezvous Tor
CCyent Garden wagons. or else a pest
by reason Of gangs Of betting men,
who seem to prosper in the sunshine
OF police tolerance in the purlieus Of
Ola DGry?
Bur for the admirable police work at
coagestal points and the inexhaustblc
good temper Of the London driver
and his Annoying rkill London would
lie Impossible, Dut what London
needs IS imagination. initiative, ie-
source, inyeatiycaCss and experiment I
in It's too numerous g5fe.a4a5, ald
the abolition OF it5 ur.e2taaleI police /
bureaucracy, who find rasient aad
persunetofy diversion on TIRE read to |
approximation in looking upon Ion
Hon as ii It were a province Of Bengal |
or yilayet Of Bulgaria, instead 81
being. as it is more truly. suburb OF |
Battersea and, Incidentally, OF course,
the greatest city in the world
The chief necessity, pressing and in |
exorable, Is the rapid extinction Of tAe
Lopdon omnibus. shan be sorry 70 I
miss The patient horse and given its
uses. the good vehicle. Above all, I
shall be sorry to see the disappearance
of the cheerful, If chserlious and
therefore oyerworked diver But he
has to go. His horses, their INSOFAR
able dirt and insanitation, their ugly
pest Aeuse stables, thoeT rivalry in OBJ
strdction all these aad his 1900 mo
bite distractions to The other veliclea
ha9e to 10.
In their place London needs. and IN
the next ten years should get, 500
Eli.ss of electric coaauit tramways.
similar to and improyeflents upcn. the
London County Council tramways,
lh-t last year carried l700eO000 "
- ne and are as pleasant to passen
gets and beneficial TO star az they are
Jll iitable 10 ratepayer,
AS for the motor omEibuses, their
,ost, noise maintenance, ublquity OF
movement and mobility OF obstruction
discount them for London use. except
Is feeders for branch lines OF Council
ramways. The tube railway is al
.eady at its ineomparatiye maximum
md will not be seriously extended, be-
ause Of cost, smell and potentin risk
ind probable danger.
All who are responsible for the
movement of London's 100000 horses.
Is 10000 public vehicles and the an
lual conveyance of its 1900, 900 OF
each 200 times per annum.
lave a serious. responsible and press
ne duty east upon them. That duty
S TO see that wise public expendl-
ure in the widening and better plan
ing Of streets shall be fcllcwe1 up by
ONE sort Of public instruction. so that :
very class Of vehicle and person, !
'hile moving about freely. shall not I
hereby impede or ccncest the great :
ow OF traffic that Is London's greatest |
,ature, the foreigners wonder and, IN 7
5 never ending length, strength and
he the marvel pf all u-bo 500 II