Why Goods Go By Road
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DREFERENCE by the cotton in
dustry for road transport was again emphasized during the hearing, in Manchester, last week, of an application by Messrs. Hall and Rawson, carriers, of Failsworth, Manchester, for authority to acquire a trailer and to add to their fleet a 5-ton motor bought with the business of Mr. E. Marsden, of Longsight, Manchester.
Mr. Henry Backhouse, for the applicants, produced figures to justify the extra vehicles, and described the position as unique, because actual figures of the use of the motor were available, and the surplus carryings warranted the trailer. With regard to the cotton haulage, the facts that not more than a quarter of the raw cotton for the Lancashire mills was transported by rail, and that the ,proportion going by road was increasing, were clear and acceptable evidence that the traders found road transport the more suitable.
Mr. Thomas E. McLaren, a witness from Littleborough, giving evidence of the greater suitability of road transport for his work, chiefly in oils and similar commodities, said that his business, which was young and steadily growing, could not have survived if only rail transport had been available. The low level of road rates was a big factor in competitive trade, and the risk of damage and loss was too high on the railways_ Whilst he preferred road transport for all his goods, he utilized the railways for small lots and for goods to " awkward " destinations. Over a given period, he had payments from the railway companies for damage or loss in 1 per cent. of the consignments. These negotiations took five months to complete, and a complaint about goods lost in November had not yet been so much as acknowledged. The 1 per cent. referred to the actual cases proved.
The witness called to prove railway facilities admitted the damage, but claimed that the proportion was not high, considering the nature of the rail consignments, Mr. P. Kershaw, for the L.M.S. Railway Co., submitted that it could not be in the public interest that traders should give the big loads to the road operators and only the small lots to inaccessible places to the railways.
Mr. Backhouse, in his final submission, urged the value of the personal touch " possible through road transport.
Sir William Hart, Deputy Licensing Authority, deferred his decision in order to analyse certain statistics. PERSONAL PARS.
ConarcmLoa T. CLAYTON (Altrinchain), a member of Cheshire County Council, has been appointed to the panel of Deputy Traffic Commissioners for the North-Western Area.
MR. ir. A. STAGG, resident director of the Northern General Transport Co., Ltd., Gateshead and District Tramways Co., Ltd., and associated concerns, who has been ill for three months, is now making a rapid recovery..
Looking fit, MR. E. V. STAB:DERwick, general manager for the combine services at Blackpool, and Mum:. H. E. HicKMOTT, managing director of Ribble Motor Services, Ltd., are now back at Work after enjoying an extended sea cruise.
MR. B. LUCY', railcar engineer of Leyland Motors, Ltd., has returned to the company's headquarters after spending four months in New Zealand. He has been working, in collaboration with the New Zealand Government Railways, on the design of new 75 m.p.h. double-bogie railcars, incorporating Leyland oil engines.
Baritntar's New Department.
Barimar, Ltd., 14-18, Lamb's Conduit Street, London, W.C.1, the wellknown concern of welding engineers, has opened a new department for dealing with electrical repairs. It can now undertake work on electric motors, magnetos, dynamos, switch gear., etc.
S.M.T.A. Support for Empire Exhibition.
The Scottish Motor Trade Association has agreed to act as guarantor for the sum of £2,000 towards the guarantee fund for the Empire Exhibition in Scotland in 1938.
Fined for Not Having Mirror on Chassis.
Perth magistrates have fined Messrs. Gray Bros., CIepington Road, Dundee, 30s. for permitting the use of a chassis without a rear-view mirror. Earlier proceedings, during which it was argued that the charge was ultra vires, were reported last week.
Road•accident Data in a New Form.
The weekly return of road casualties, which has been issued by the Ministry of Transport, in co-operation with the police, for nearly three years, has been supplanted by a monthly return, it being felt that the publication week by week of bare figures may tend, by its very regularity, to fail to achieve the desired object. For this reason, and in order to give fuller information, the 1937 road-accident figures for Great Britain will be issued at monthly intervals. The first will appear in February.
It will show the number of persons killed, seriously injured and slightly injured during the previous month, and separate figures will be given for each class of road user.