BIG GROUP OF LONDON ARBITRATION CASES BEGINS.
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ON Monday last the London Passenger Transport Arbitration Tribunal commenced to hear a group of claims by independent operators against London Transport for the transfer of their undertakings. Over 40 concerns are involved, and their claims are largely on the same basis as that of Thomas Tilling, Ltd., seeking capitalization of average annual profits.
Mr. Craig Henderson, KC., for the Board, said that some of the operators had already indicated whether they desired cash or stock, and the Renown Traction Co. (the claim of which was the first to be heard) had received £17,000 on account. Now, however, the company required stock.
Mr. Henderson asked the Tribunal to fix an early date, after which all operators who had not intimated their requirements should be deemed to have decided in favour of cash, and that those who bad decided on cash payment should not be permitted to change their ,minds. Several of the operators re; ,quested that the matter should be left open. A decision will be given in a few days.
Mr. J. H."-Sparrow applied, on behalf of the Premier Omnibus Co., for delay in the Tribunal's award on the Tilling case, until the claim of the Premier concern had been heard. This application was opposed by Tilling's and the Board
On Tuesday the claim of the Renown concern was taken. The company's annual profits for 1930-1932 averaged £3,476 and the company sought stock to produce that income, less 3 per cent.
In connection with the appointment of Mr. G. W. King, as secretary and manager of the company for 14 years from October, 1930, at £1,040 a year, the Board had decided that this amount was excessive by £540 a year, and had given Mr. King a temporary position at £500 a year. The company contended that, if the Board's submission was correct, the £540 a year should be added to the annual profits to be capitalized. The hearing continued on Wednesday.
INDEPENDENT OPERATORS SUE MR. F. PICK FOR LIBEL
CONSOLIDATED libel actions brought by a number of independent bus companies against Mr. Frank Pick, vice-chairman of the London Passenger Transport Board, and the Board were mentioned to the Lord Chief Justice, in the King's Bench Division, a few days ago. The Cardinal, Paraeque Transport, Pickup, United, Robert Hawkins, Empress Motors, Reliance, Ryan, Westminster, Chocolate Express, Renown Traction and Ambassador concerns were referred to in the cause list.
Mr. Comyns Carr, K.C. (for the plaintiffs) said that Mr. Pick lectured on the work and prospects of London • Transport at the London School of Economics, and referred to the independent concerns in a way which they c48 resented, in view of the fact that their claims were pending before the Arbitration Tribunal. The plaintiffs considered that the observations imputed to them dishonesty and selfishness in the conduct of their businesses, for the purpose of staking out an exaggerated claim to put before the Tribunal.
The plaintiffs had no desire to use the actions to obtain damages, and, following discussions, Mr. Pick had written a letter in which he said that, although he used the expression " selfish," that did not connote in his mind anything dishonourable on the part of the companies. Mr. Pick added that he could not conceive that the phrase to which objection had been taken would create prejudice in the arbitration proceedings.
Mr. Carr said that the companies were pleased to acquiesce in the termination of ' the dispute. Mr. G. 0. Slade (for the defendants) agreed to the withdrawal of the record.
FILM SHOWN AT SITTING.
AT a sitting of the Southern Scotland Traffic Commissioners, on Monday, a cinematograph film was shown in support of an objection by Glasgow Corporation to applications by certain bus companies to alter their routes, so that services could be operated to two new bus stations instead of to existing street stands. The corporation opposed the application on the ground of traffic congestion, and Mr. A. Henderson, chairman, commented that a third of the congestion problem appeared to be caused by the parking of cars. '
LICENCE TRANSFER TO FOLLOW DISPUTE?
FOR many months a dispute proceeded between Crosville Motor Services, Ltd., and Maxways Motor Services concerning routes from Birkenhead to North Wales. Now the former concern has applied to the North Western Traffic Commissioners for the transfer of tour licences in respect of services from Birkenhead to Caernarvon, Bangor and Llandudno, and excursions and tours from Birkenhead.
The Maxways concern has 10 coaches and the capital expenditure on services is £25,000.
,Blackpool Watch Committee is to consider an application by the North Shore Traders Association for the provision of a coach station at North Shore. CO-ORDINATED SERVICES: NEW NORTH-WESTERN PROCEDURE.
IN sanctioning eight further routes for St. Helens Corporation, the Chairman of the North-Western Traffic Commissioners announced, at a sitting, in Manchester, last week, that in all cases of co-ordination schemes, the operators would be asked to indicate precisely the area that they regarded as theirs. The details would be specified on the licences and immediately the co-ordination ceased the licences concerned would fall in. The Commissioners, he said previously, realized that co-ordination was for the benefit of the general public, but if there was a break in the agreement each party thereto might argue that it should hold the licence.
During the hearing it was stated on behalf of St. Helens Corporation that the routes for which application was made were outside the St. Helens area, but would enable the corporation to link services in its own district and make possible the running of its share of mileage in the co-ordination schemes.
REVIEW OF YORKSHIREBLACKPOOL SERVICES.
AN indication that the Yorkshire Traffic Commissioners are to review the whole position with regard to express and stage-carriage services between Yorkshire and Blackpool was afforded at a sitting of the Commissioners at Leeds on Monday. When Mr. Arthur Turner, of Chesterfield, applied for the renewal of the licence for his seasonal express service between Cheste*field and Blackpool, the chairman, Mr. J. Famdale, intimated that the Commissioners intend to defer all decisions on express and stage services to Blackpool until they have considered all the applications for the next licensing year.
200 BUSES REPLACE TRAMS.
ACELEBRATION at a tramways depot, late on Wednesday of last week, marked the arrival of the last tram to run in the Heavy Woollen District of Yorkshire. Over a period of 21 years the trams serving Dewsbury, Batley, Spenborough and Heckmondwike have gradually been replaced by buses, and a fleet of over 200 vehicles is now in operation.
BUS OWNERS LIABLE FOR OVERLOADING.
AN interesting overloading case was heard at Haverfordwest, when two bus conductors employed by Green's Motors, Ltd., were summoned for carrying excess passengers. The cases were both dismissed by the magistrates, who held that the men's employers should have been charged with the offences.
The defence denied overloading. It was said that the officer counted the passengers from outside the buses and thus was likely to make a mistake. Furthermore, it was contended that the conductors could not in law be charged with " carrying " a number of passengers in excess of the proper load capacity. The passengers carried were the passengers of the owner of the buses.