Swedish Operators Welcomed by Britain
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AT the invitation of the Institute of Road Transport Engineers, a party of over 40 road operators from Sweden, members of that country's road haulage organization, Svenska LasttrafikbilagarefOrbundet (S.L.F.), has just spent a week in this country. It was led by Mr. Ceve BystrOm, and Mr. Sten Mellgren, Editor of " Lastbillen," the official organ of that body.
Arriving in the luxury motor ship " Saga," they were greeted by a motor cruiser flying the I.R.T.E. pennant, whilst a fleet of cars met them at St. Pancras. Each member received a note of welcome in Swedish from the President of the I.R.T.E., Mr. G Mackenzie Junner, on behalf of all its members. In this he said that the members who visited Sweden last October had vivid recollections of the overwhelming hospitality accorded to them by the S.L.F. and other hosts; but here the warmth of the welcome would have to prove a substitute for the sparsity of our meals and the low gravity of our alcohol. He hoped_that the visit, apart from being enjoyable and instructive, would prove that Britain is fighting through its difficulties and will soon achieve success.
Gentle Initiation!
As the day of .arrival was a Saturday, the first wish expressed was to go to a football match, and many went to Tottenham. In the evening the party saw the "Crazy Gang" at the Victoria Palace.
All day Sunday was occupied by a tour of beauty spots around Surrey, I.R.T.E. members providing cars.
The first " working " visit was on September 29, to the fine factory at Southall of the Associated Equipment Co., Ltd. Here, at "elevenses," they were welcomed by Mr. J. H. Jones, works manager, Mr. J. M. E. Fell, overseas sales manager, and Mr. S. W. Goodey, publicity manager. Mr. Jones pointed out that the A.E.C. was not a mass-production organization; it made a large number of differing products in reasonable quantities, covering goods and-passenger vehicles, including trolley A34 buses, railcars, marine engines and industrial generating sets, many for export throughout the world. All work was carried out under a bonus incentive scheme, with rising payment for increased output.
In a tour of the works, one process which aroused much interest was the " bumping-up " of valves from rods, only the forming head being heated; the finish of the phosphor-bronze worm wheels was especially admired. Mr. J. M. E. Fell was in the chair at a useful conference, when the guests were asked to put questions. As one result, he announced that the company would open a campaign in Sweden as early as possible next year.
The next day's visit was to the L.P.T.B. coach and bus repair shops at Chiswick. Commencing the tour of the works from the body lift, the party was in time to witness a complete vehicle being driven over the pit. Within a short time the body had been disconnected from the chassis and each went its separate way to the chassis and body repair lines. Those professing good eyesight attempted to find a fracture in a steering ball which, although not visible to the naked eye was easily shown by the magnetic crack detector. A routine check of front-axle beams, steering parts and brake levers is carried out under current regulations, and the party was particularly interested in the stringency of this test.
Ample proof of the shortage of spares was available in the chassis repair shops. Crankcases welded and machined on every face, heavy "muffle" welding repairs to cylinder rblocks, and major repairs to differential cases, involving many more man-hours than the original castings, were sufficient to prove that many man-hours are being spent on the make-do-and-mend principle.
The manner in which bodies, mounted on conveyers, are stripped down to the pillar stage and then rebuilt in the period of two days impressed the bodybuilding members of the party.
I.R.T.E. Dinner
On the Tuesday evening the I.R.T.E. held its annual dinner and dance at the Paramount Dance Salon, there being nearly 50 Swedish guests. The toast of the ladies was proposed by Mr. J. H. Vincent, honorary secretary I.R.T.E., and responded to by Mrs. H. T. Dutfield, who showed exceptional ability as a speaker.
The president, Mr. G. Mackenzie Junner, proposing the toast of "The Visitors," said that when he looked around he felt a proud man. That evening was the culmination of much endeavour on the part of a devoted band of enthusiastic helpers. They had sacrificed much time in putting the Institute on to its feet, as many tangles had had to be unravelled. He thanked particularly the members of the Council and the honorary secretaries of the centres. For months there had been no permanent secretary, but in Mr. Cyril D. Morgan he was sure that it had found the right man. Calm waters ahead would permit the expansion of the Institute's activities to cover the basic ideas upon which it had been founded.
The lecture meetings had been well attended. Visits to works, etc., had been instructive, and the members most cordially received, indicating that the Institute had gained prestige. He thanked the manufacturers and others who had so generously responded.
Of all the visits, the most enterprising was the trip to Sweden, made last October by some 50 I.R.T.E. members. They went under the auspices of the Ministry of Transport and were received as honoured friends.
This was the first large social affair organized by the I.R.T.E., and bracketed with it was the immensely appreciated presence of many friends. fromSweden's S.L.F.
Response was made by Mr. Sten Mellgren, who alluded to the value of the visit in promoting friendship between Britain and Sweden, and con
gratulated the on the programme that had been arranged.
Warm Appreciation
The toast of the chairman (Mr. Junnen) was proposed by Mr. It T. Dutfield, who said that no man had done more to help the road transport industry.
Then Mr. Ceve Bystrom, on behalf of S.L.F., handed to the president, for the I.R.T.E., a handsome Swedish crystal vase engraved with the S.L.F. badge and appropriate wording.
The next visit was to the works of the Champion Sparking Plug Co., Ltd., following a coach tour of Windsor and neighbourhood and a luncheon given by the company. Here they were received by Mr. A. W. Wright, the managing director, and Mr. T. Gorst, director of production. The Swedish_ guests were much impressed by the extreme efficiency in the factory and the tremendous care exercised in perfecting even such a small item of equipment as a sparking plug. That night the party went to the Palladium.
Next morning there was a tour to some of the main depots of the Hay's Wharf Cartage Co., Ltd., the members being greatly impressed by the efficient arrangements for loading and unload
ing the large fleet of goods vehicles.
Luncheon was given at Grosvenor House by the R.H.A., the Minister of Transport and his Parliamentary Secretary, also the Chairman of the British Transport Commission being present. The chair was taken by Mr. H. T. Duffield. He said the haulage industry was young and virile, and had never failed to do a good job of work. It had played a great part in the war.
Mr. Barnes said that the British people were the natural friends of Sweden. There had been two large British delegations to Sweden—from the B.R.F. to study road construction, and from the I.R.T.E. to study road traffic. He was interested to learn that before the war Swedish road transport carried more goods than the railways. In Britain during the war, road transport carried a million tons a week and performed tasks that no other type of transport could tackle. Long-distance services to be nationalized covered 2,500 concerns and about 30,000
vehicles, nearly 10,000 owned by the railways. He added that it was not because the concerns were inefficient. Road transport gave great service to industry and he had a high admiration for its business administration.
Mr. Ceve Bystrorn and Mr. Sten Mellgren replied, giving their view that there was much to be said for a sound system embodying free enterprise such as that which had been organized in Sweden.
In the afternoon some of the party visited the Radio Exhibition, and in the evening the memberswere the guests of Sir Arthur Elvin at the Wembley Speedway, where they also enjoyed a free buffet. The leaders joined Sir Arthur in the Royal Box, and later at supper.
Dagenham Tour Visiting the Ford Motor Works at Dagenham last Friday, the party was welcomed by Mr. M. T. Buckmaster, manager of the Ford European Department. A tour of the power house and foundry installations elicited admiring comments from the visitors, as to the magnitude of such equipment to be connected solely with the manufacture of motor vehicles and tractors.
The party was also conducted through the assembly shops, where the members studied the simplicity of the Ford chassis, also the mass-production method which reduces each operative's task to a simple procedure.
In the evening there was a real Swedish party, when the visitors produced many delicacies brought from their country. The opportunity was taken to present to the I.R.T.E. President another beautiful Swedish vase inscribed with his name.
On Saturday coaches took the party and • members of the I.R.T.E. to Tilbury.
Thanks are due to the concerns visited for the excellent arrangements made, and particularly to Mr. J. S. Rigg for providing two fine 1947 Maudslay coaches for conveying the party on many occasions.