News of the Week
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HAULIERS GROUPING CO-OPERATIVELY
CONSIDERABLE interest has been .....aroused by the publication of the articles by Mr. E. B Howes on the advantages of co-operative grouping of hauliers. Correspondence concerning the subject has poured in from all parts of the country. In consequence: definite steps have been taken in the direction of the formation of a new organization, having objects similar to those outlined in the articles. Professional hauliers desiring information as to the progress which is being made, and who are wishful of being kept in touch with developments, are invited to communicate. with one of the temporary honorary secretaries, Mr. E. B. Howes, A. Saunders and Son, Harpenden.
ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES OF ROAD HAULAGE SCHEME
A CORRECTION in a statistical tt detail regarding the Road Haulage Scheme was made by the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of War Transport when challenged, as to a previous reply, by Major Lyons in the House of Commons last week. This member asked the administrative expenses per ton-mile on vehicles directly hired by the Department, in connection with the Road Haulage Scheme, and how this cost compared with the figure of 0.137d. per ton-mile, which he recently gave as the administrative charges for the traffic carried in chartered vehicles.
Mr. Noel-Baker explained that the figure of 0.137d. per ton-mile given in the reply referred to represented the estimated administrative charges of his Department in respect of traffic other than meat and livestock, carried in all vehicles under the Road Haulage Scheme, whether chartered or hired direct by his Department or through the Hauliers' National Traffic Pool.
.He regretted that in his previous answer he limited the application of this figure to chartered vehicles. The figure did not include the expenses of the pool, for which an estimated addition of 0.061d. per ton-mile must be made.
INSURANCE OF PRIVATE CHATTELS IVE have been asked to point out W that those .persons who have not insured under the Private Chattels Scheme. War Damage Act, 1941 (Part II) and rely on free compensation' will not be able to receive more than £25 for war damage to any single article, including motorcars. If more cover be required a policy should be taken out, when the maximum sum will be that insured, plus the above £25.
S.J.C. LONG-TERM PROPOSALS
Oax November 17 a conference of all sections of the seven constituent members of the S.J.C. was held to consider the long-term proposals for the organization of the road-transport irsi.lustry. It was decided that an independent person should be invited to act as chairman, but in the meantime Major R. A. B. Smith was elected, whilst Mr. G. W. Quick Smith, convener of the conference, is acting aS secretary pro tern.
It was agreed that the permanent officials who were signatories to the report on the proposals should constitute a sub-committee of the conference to deal with details, and it was agreed that the title should be: " Road Transport Organization Joint Conference." URGENT NEED FOR TYRE ECONOMY EMPHASIZED
LAST Monday Mr. P. Noel-Baker,
• Parliamentary Secretary to the M. of W.T., and Sir Kenneth Lee, Controller of Raw Materials, Ministry of Supply, met representatives of roadhaulage and passenger-transport services. The purpose was to discuss the best means for bringing home to drivers and operatorsthe urgent need for tyre economy.
EXPORT TOTALS FOR SEPTEMBER QUARTER I N the quarter ended September 30, 1942, new commercial vehicles exported from the United Kingdom had avalue of £67,862, whilst the value of commercial chassis amounted to £9,844. In the same period tractors (except those of the agricultural types) were. exported to the value of £3,671.
"PAPER IN BATTLEDRESS " OPEN TO PUBLIC
SO successful was the recent " Paper in Battledress.': Exhibition organ: ized by the Waste Paper Recovery Association, and held at the Savoy for three days, where it was to be seen only by business executives, that it has been decided to open it to the
public. The new venue will be the London showritoms of the Ford Motor Co., Ltd., 88, Regent Street, W.I, and the times, 930 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, except Saturdays, when the hours are 9.30 a.m. to 1 p.m. The show will open on December 3 for a limited period.
DEATH OF A.A. SECRETARY WJE regret to record the death. W which occurred on November 19, at the age of 68, of Sir Stenson Cooke, secretary of the Automobile Association since its inception in 1905. Only a.few days before we had been chatting with him at the R.A.C., when he appeared to be in perfect health. MEASURES TO LESSEN ROAD ACCIDENTS IN the House of Commons, last week. I Sir F. Sanderson asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of War Transport whether, in view of the number of road accidents, present speed limits were too high, or were being disregarded. Mr. Noel-Baker replied that he had no evidence to show that they were either. • In collaboration with the Home Office, his Department gave constant attention to the problem of road accidents. ' Wartime shortage of labour and materials limited the safety measures which could now be taken, but at his Department's request, and with its financial assistance, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents was extending its work.
It was hoped to facilitate the provision of road-safety instruction in . schools, and to set up local safety organizations in the areas of the larger local authorities. National propaganda would also be carried on with the help of the Ministry of Information and the B.B.C.
Sir F. Sanderson wanted the Ministry to classify the traffic—private cars, motorcycles, commercial vehicles or Army transport—primarily responsible for the number of deaths, especially of young children.
AN ADVANCED WORK ON HEAT ENGINES
rkA NEW edition of Inchley's Theory of Heat Engines has just been published by Longmans, Green and Co., Ltd., 43, Albert Drive, London, S.W.19, price 16s. The work has been edited and revised by H. Wright Baker, D.Sc.
First published in 1913, this book is an advanced study of the subject forming its title, and in the author's words gives, in complete and concise form, the thermodynamical principles of heat engines. It was revised in 1938 by Dr. Baker, but because stocks of this edition were destroyed, an opportunity for further revision, including certain additions, was afforded: hence the appearance of this fifth edition.
Among its 18 chapters are Laws ot Expansion and Compression, The Properties of Steam, The Reciprocating Steam Engine, The Steam Turbine, The Internal Combustion Engine, and Combustion. There are 455 pages.
PLEA FOR BETTER PARCELLING OF GOODS
BETTER parcelling and addressing of packages of goods despatched by manufacturers and merchants was a plea made at a recent meeting of the Industrial Transport Association's Leeds branch by Mr. E. Stacey, a member engaged in the road haulage industry. Day after day, he stated, not just hundreds, but in some cases thousands, of parcels were being despatched by road without adequate packing and without individual labels, and often they were not even properly
consigned. He appreciated that the paper shortage. presented a great difficulty, but in many instances there was no possible excuse for the lack of packing. Often such consignments comprised priority traffic.
Speaking generally, the manufacturer did not seem to consider that there was not only a shortage of vehicles but also a shortage of efficient staff to handle goods at transport depots. To a large extent the people now doing this work were comparatively untrained.
Mr. J. A. Dunnage, national secretary of the I.T.A., said it should not be overlooked that the traders consigning goods were 'also suffering from a shortage of staff, as well as a shortage of materials in their despatch departments.
PERSONAL PARS MR. DAVID PATERSON, secretary of the Aberdeen branch of the Transport and General Workers' Union, has been honoured by his colleagues on completing 40 years' service. He was presented with a gold badge to mark this fine achievement at a gathering held in the city and attended by Mr. Harold Clay, acting assistant secretary of the Union.
MR, HAROLD ELLIOTT, SOD Of MR. W. J. Ewan', general manager, Pickfords, Ltd., has been appointed Director of Transport, Middle East Supply Centre, with headquarters at Cairo. Since the war Mr. Elliott has occupied important positions concerned with the war effort, and his great experience in transport will be of considerable value in his new post.
MR, E. S. H. EALES, A.C.A., A.M.INsT.T., has been appointed commercial manager of the transport department of Nottingham Corporation, arising from a recent staff reorganization. He is now in control of purchasing, in addition to certain other head office administration, and is one of the four chief assistants to the general manager, Mr. Ben England. MR. W. KING, deputy to Mr. Eales, becomes statistician of the department. PASSENGERS MUST NOT GIVE SIGNALS TO DRIVERS TRAVELLERS on motorbuses in I Scotland must not, in the absence of definite authority, ring the bell on buses. A warning to this effect was given in Hamilton Sheriff Court last 'week when a prosecution took place in which a woman admitted that, while travelling as a passenger on a bus, she rang the bell, which was interpreted by the driver as a signal to proceed.
The fiscal stated the accused was, in point of fact, a conductress, but on the date in question she was off duty. She was a passenger and she gave a signal which started the bus, with the result that a passenger fell from the step and was injured.
The point was that bus companies, in the event of someone being seriously injured, might adopt the attitude that they were not responsible legally for the actions of the people who were not' in tie& employment, or for the conduct of employees off duty.
Sheriff Brown imposed a fine of £2.
WALSH GAS CONTAINER AVAILABLE (AWING to the time lag in obtaining kla final decision on the use of town gas for essential transport, Neil and Mostyn, Ltd., as we announced last September. discontinued its activities in Means for utilizing this alternative fuel. We are informed, however, that the manufacture and supply of the Walsh allosteel collapsible container has been taken over by the Walsh Gas Container Co., Buchanan Buildings, 24, Holborn, London, E.C.1, which Will deal with all inquiries for replace-, ments, repairs, spares, etc.
In dealing with the registration of G.W. Transport Co., Ltd., in our feature "Financial News of the Industry," in last week's issue, the address of the managing director, Mr. David J. Rees, Senr., was incorrectly given. It should be 123, Danson Road, Bexley, Kent. USED OIL FROM ARMY VEHICLES NOT WASTED
DOUBT was expressed in the House, .1../last week, by Mr. Parker to the Secretary of State for War, as to whether there were proper arrangements for the disposal for reclamation of used sump oil from Army vehicles. Sir James Grigg explained that much of this oil was used as fuel for cooking and incinerators, and that the rest was sold to concerns with The equipment needed to reclaim it for use as lubricating oil.
FINED FOR CARRYING ONIONS TOO FAR first case of its kind in the district of transporting onions more than the minimum distance without authority was heard at Spalding last week, when Whatton Transport, Ltd., a haulage concern, of Meadowgate, Bourne, pleaded guilty to transporting onions more than 40 miles, namely, from Moulton (Spalding) to Barnsley, a distance of 70 miles, and' Fred Beeson, smallholder, of Bell ' Lane, Moulton, pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting the offence'. Defendants were fined £4 and £2 12s, 6d. costs each.
5,623 SPEED OFFENCES IN THREE MONTHS IN LONDON
REPLYENG to Mr. Sorensen, Mr. Peake, Parliamentary Secretary to the Home Office, stated in Parliament last week that, in the three months ended October 31, 5,672 persons were summoned for speed offences in the Metropolitan area, and • 5,623 were found guilty. The figures for the corresponding period in 1941 were 10,710 and 10,628.
FERRY FARES TO BE RAISED AT SOUTH SHIELDS?
rrHE possibility of increased fares on 1 the vehicular ferrits at South Shields was referred to by Sir Arthur M. Sutherland, when speaking on the occasion of his re-election as chairman of the Tyne Improvement Commission. He said the cross-river ferries had lost £10,000 during the past year and £21,000 since the war started.
Tynernouth and South Shields Corporations had been asked to agree to the direct ferry (it lost £5,900 last year) being closed, but they had refused. He hoped the corporations would reconsider their decision, but if not the fares would have to be raised.
SPARE PARTS LIST FOR DAVID BROWN TRACTOR OWNERS
ELVERY part in the David Brown tractor is named, numbered, and illustrated in a list that has just been brought out in loose-leaf book form by David Brown Tractors, Ltd., Meltham, Huddersfield. Although prided at 10s. 6d., the book will be issued free to all owners of this make of tractor, who must quote the serial numbers of their machines and the names of their distributors in applying for copies.
The maker is adopting this generous course with the object of preventing any tractor from being held up, while working on the war effort, on account of delay in obtaining spares due to lack of information.
Obviously, a methodical and analytical mind has been applied to the preparation of this work. It is cornprehensive and dear. The fu-st 60 pages contain the names of all parts, arranged in groups with their distinguishing and illustration numbers. The following 41 pages are devoted to pictures of the groups.
MUNICIPAL RATES FOR BUSES WITH SNOW-PLOUGHS
AN agreement has been made between Northumberland County Council and United Automobile Services, Ltd., for the company's buses to operate snow-ploughs on certain roads, when needed. The, company will be paid at the rate of 7s. 6d. per vehicle hour when a bus is engaged specially with a snow-plough. Where the bus is on a fare-paying journey no charge will be made.