1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198 
That was the year...
Page 13
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
CM was launched in 1905; for our centenary year we're bringing you stories from years gone by. This week we're back in 1909 and 1959.
1909
Shackleton's expeditions find the magnetic North Pole. Louis Bleriot becomes the first man to fly a plane across the Channel. The first game of rugby is played at Twickenham and Britain introduces laws on the minimum wage.
Show Commercial Motor was vexed by the fact that the CV Show — organised by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders looked unlikely to take place this year, and this would give the impression that the trade was "dying out".The SMMT was also slated by other correspondents, one of whom said it was a "curious body which often takes up an illogical attitude-.
Tractors The War-Office's Trial for Tractors was to be a vital issue for "our numerous readers in the Colonies".Thornycroft won the competition, taking the £750 first prize —the War Department bought the paraffin-engined truck for £975.
Advice In 1909 Commercial Motor was called on for advice on matters such as a district council taking action against a haulier for damaging roads with his eight-tonne loads, to an operator seeking advice on which char-a-bancs to buy.
Tax The Chancellor of the Exchequer was threatening to impose a petrol tax.The move, announced by Lloyd-George, led CM to conclude: "We do not wonder that both Customs and Excise are up in arms against [its] folly and shortsightedness."
1959
The first commercial Xerox copier arrives. Fidel Castro deposes General Batista's regime in Cuba. Buddy Holly dies in a plane crash. The Antarctic Treaty is signed. Alfred Hitchcock's classic lilm North by Northwest is released.
Image Even in 1959, the industry needed to improve its image. The Road Haulage Association spent £57,000 on six different adverts in newspapers and "trade and technical organs" under the slogan: "The Free Enterprise Haulier puts you first."
Recruitment Lack of new blood in road transport was also a concern, with CM reporting that "road transport men are an ageing community". British Road Services was setting up a cadet course for potential road transport managers, but CM felt there was too little to "help those who are looking for ladders to climb" Railways British Railways was indulging in "vicious rate-cutting", having been granted the power to adjust its rates. It was winning business from hauliers whose taxes were going towards massive railway subsidies.
Courts Bulk Liquid Transport was fined £20,000 and four of its staff were jailed for deliberate falsification. One driver had driven for 57 hours a week but been paid for 118 hours. Drivers were paid for an average of 16 hours a day. The company said men were refusing to drive at the new higher speed limits of 30mph.