On the death of Mr. Alfred Turner in 1896, I was made president of the Seamen's Orphanage. The detail work of the institution is carried on by the chairman of the committee. The first chairman was Mr. Robert Allan, whose devotion to the interests of the institution was beyond all praise. On his retirement his place was filled by Mr. J. H. Beazley, one of the sons of the founder, the late James Beazley. No institution in the city of Liverpool is doing a better or a nobler work. We can all realise how much our safety, and how greatly our prosperity as a nation, depend upon our sailors, yet we scarcely appreciate how little chance a sailor has of saving money for a rainy day, and how entirely dependent his widow and family generally are upon public support.
The institution is worked upon right lines; a high moral and religious tone is inculcated, and the children are brought up to be good Christian boys and girls and to take a pride in their school. I do not know anything more refreshing than to visit the school, with its hundreds of bright, joyous children, all so glad to make you welcome with their cheery "Good morning, sir!"
Our anniversary Sunday is a red-letter day in the institution, the sermon being preached by a bishop. After the service an inspection of the institution is made. It has been my privilege to entertain the bishops during their visit, and we have had staying with us the Bishops of Carlisle, Hereford, Bangor, Sodor and Man, Manchester, and the Archbishop of York.
The Royal Commission on Motors.
The advent of the motor vehicle, driven by an internal combustion engine, was remarkable for its suddenness and its rapid development.
The motor was only in the experimental stage in 1896, yet four years later several thousand were on the roads, and this number increased in another five years to 60,000. That vehicles should be driven along the public highways at thirty and forty, and even fifty miles an hour, was subversive of all ideas of what was prudent and safe, and when these vehicles set up clouds of dust in their progress, there was a public outcry. This was fully justified, for the speed at which motors were driven was undoubtedly excessive. On the other hand, the public did not realise the complete control which the drivers could exercise, even at high speeds.
The Government, in response to the popular demand in 1905, appointed a Royal Commission on Motors, of which I was nominated a member. Viscount Selby was appointed the chairman, and the other members were the Marquis of Winchester, Sir Edward Henry, Chief of the Metropolitan Police, Sir David Harrel, K.C.B., and Mr. Munroe, C.B., of the Local Government Board.
We held about fifty sittings, extending over a year, and examined over sixty witnesses, representing the Highway Authorities, the various motor clubs and manufacturers, and a large number of persons who were opposed to the use of motors on the high roads, unless limited to a low rate of speed.
The enquiry was interesting and instructive. It brought out the fact that much as many people object to motors, they one and all agreed that they had come to stay. It was also proved that since railways had withdrawn the heavy traffic from the highways, the roads had been allowed to fall into poor condition, and to this could be attributed some part of the complaints as to dust. I was personally in favour of limiting the speed to twenty-five miles an hour in the open and ten miles through towns and villages; but as all the other members of the Commission felt that in the open country we should rely upon the powers of the present Highway Act, which makes it a serious offence to drive at a speed causing danger to the public, and were in favour of a no-speed limit, except through villages, I gave way so that our report might be a unanimous report. We made a long list of recommendations for the better regulation of motor traffic. I am glad to say our report was well received, and although no bill has been introduced to give legal force to its recommendations, they are being very generally acted upon.