NEWS of the WEEK
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THE following recommendations to drivers of both goods and passenger vehicles have been circulated by Mr. John Hopkins, secretary, NorthWestern Area, A.R.O.
If non-persistent gas be used, respirators should, of course, be worn, but it will not be necessary, generally speaking, for vehicles to be subject to any control other than that applicable in a
raid in which gas is not used.
If persistent gas be used, however, the movement of vehicles may spread contamination. If a vehicle be splashed by the bursting of a liquid-gas bomb,. or if it be subjected to spray, sufficiently gross to be visible, the driver should stop at once, park his vehicle and go immediately (with his passengers in the case of a public-service vehicle) to the nearest place where he may cleanse himself. The area will be roped off, and the vehicle will not be permitted to be taken away until it has been decontaminated.
If the vehicle has passed through fine spray, as may be detected by spray detectors on the vehicle, or by wardens or others who have observed, from stationary spray detectors, that spray has fallen, it will not, in general, be necessary for the vehicles to stop; it will be an advantage if the vehicle, in pursuing its journey, can make its way out of the more congested areas, in order to diminish the risk of any concentration of gas arising from contaminated vehicles, and to accelerate weathering, Haulage Rates for Cotton
AA GREEMENT has been reached in the East Lancashire Area of A.R.O. on the subject of minimum rates for the haulage of raw cotton between Liverpool, Manchester and the surrounding districts. Meetings have been held on a number of occasions jointly by members of the East Lancashire Area, A.R.O. and the South-east Lancashire and Manchester C.M.U.A.
At the outcome it was decided that all operators known to be interested in this traffic should be asked to sign an undertaking to the., effect that .they would not quote or carry at rates lower than those put forward by this joint committee.
The response was excellent and the Master Cotton Spinners Federation then advised its district secretaries that it was in favour of the rates suggested, and recognized the machinery which had been set up to deal with this matter.
On July 31 all cotton spinners and all interested haulage contractors were advised that the rates came into force on August 1, and each operator who signed the undertaking received a list of all other operators who had signed.
The agreed minimum rates are as follow :—
District 1. To and from Liverpool and Manchester, Salford, Stretford, Eccles, Newton Beath, Swinton. Patricroit. Manton. Rote10s. per ton, with minimum of 2-ton loads. • 'District 2. To and from Liverpool anti Bury, Rochdale, Oldham, Royton. Hyde, Aeohion, Mossley, Failsworth. Hollinwood. Shaw, Middleton and Stalybridge. Rate-10s. 6d. per ton, with minimum of 2-Ira loads.
District 3. From Manchester Docks to No. 1 and No. 2 districts as above. Rate-5s. 6d. per Ion, with minimum of 2-ton loads. District 4. To and from Liverpool and Bacup. Rate-12s. per ton, with minimum of 2-ton loads.
New A.E.C. Distributor in South Africa
ANEW distributor has been appointed in South Africa by the Associated Equipment Co., Ltd., for all its products. The name of -the concern is Dowson and Dobson, Ltd., 29, Webber Street, Selby, Johannesburg. IMPRESSED VEHICLES: MILITARY'S RAW DEAL G',RAVE concern is felt throughout the country that the military authorities are taking hauliers' vehicles and, as is consonant with the provisions of the Compensation (Defence) Act, making no allowance, in the price paid, for enhanced value of those vehicles due to war conditions. It is felt that it is no fault of the haulage industry because these values are inflated. It is not as though such vehicles are something in which hauliers deal, as a matter of trade and industry; they are the implements of their trade. When the time comes to replace. them an enhanced price has to be paid.
Therefore, so long as the impressment of vehicles is carried on under the preSent scheme, making no allowance for such increased prices, the industry will continue to suffer considerable loss.
In the south-eastern area in particular, resentment is growing at this injustice, and the area committee of A.R.O., according to Mr. P. S. Woodhouse, area secretary, is giving the subject its active attention. Any member who is in difficulties with impressment should communicate with him at 95, High Street, Chatham, Kent.
Misunderstanding on Wages Problems
THE secretary of the North-Western Area of A.R.O . Mr. John Hopkins, finds that there is still considerable misunderstanding amongst hauliers in his area concerning payment of overtime. He draws attention to Paragraph 12 (a) of RH4, which provides that overtime is payable to any regular worker who works more than 10 hours on any day other than Sunday.
The description of the work, that is to say, whether it be long-distance haulage or local, is not to be considered in this matter. Overtime must be paid at time and one eighth for any hours worked over 10 in one day, even if the total number of hours worked per week be less than 48.
APPROVED RATES FOR BEET TO ALLSCOTT
FOLLOWING conversations with the local representatives of the National Farmers Union, Great Western Railway, London, Midland and Scottish Railway and Associated Road Operators, the following schedule of rates for the road haulage of sugar beet from farm to railhead or from farm to factory have been recommended, by the District Transport Officers concerned, to the Regional Transport Commissioner for the West Midland Area.
These are the rates which will apply to any transport which is found, by district or sub-district offices, for the cartage of beet to Allscott sugar factory of to railhead. For a lead not exceeding 1 mile, as. 6d. per ton; exceeding 1 mile but not exceeding 2 miles, Sc. 9d.; 3 miles, 35. 9d.; 4 miles, 4s.; 5 miles, 4s. 3d.; and thereafter increasing by 3d. per ton for each additional mile lead up to 15 miles, for which the rate is 6.s. 9d.
Rates above 15 miles are not scheduled because, as has previously been reported in these columns, there is an arrangement whereby. apart from exceptional cases, all sugar beet outside a radius of 15 miles from the factory is to be conveyed by rail.
New Officers of M.P.T.A.
THE next annual general meeting of the Municipal Passenger Transport Association will be held in London on September 13. So that there should he no departure from the normal practice in electing officers for the year, the Association decided that those nominated should be elected by postal vote, and the following were appointed in this way:—President, Mr. C. Jackson; vice-president, Ald. A. Rudd, J.P.; hon. treasurer, Mr. R. Stuart Pilcher; hon. solicitor, Sir Frank Wiltshire; auditor, Mr. H. Moxon.
A Clean Bill on Overloading
ACCORD1NG to the annual report 1-1.. of the chief constable of Oldham, none of the 313 heavy motor vehicles weighed in accordance with Section 27 of the Road Traffic Act, 1930, was so overloaded as to warrant the prosecution of the owners. Five persons in charge of such vehicles, however, were cautioned.
Salvage in the Services CIOVERNMENT armaments depart ments have always made a strong point of conserving scrap material, particularly metal. In normal times, this is disposed of to outside bidders, but nowadays it is conserved for re-use by concerns authorized by the various con trol Boards. A study of the scrap recovery, organization at Woolwich is revealing, and indicates the perfection which has been attained. Recently, however, what might he described as a new department of this office has come into being.
• Under the directorship of Captain W. F. Geffers, R.A., Garrishn Salvage Officer, Woolwich, a definite campaign has been launched to recover from all available sources, scrap of that type which, by the exercise of much hard work and no little ingenuity, can be economically converted into such useful equipment as automobiles, motorcycles and bicycles.
We were recently permitted to see some of the results of this new scheme. By skilful interchange of spare parts, sound vehicles had been produced from what was, before useless junk. An efficient organization has been created, too, for acquiring the " raw materials " for carrying out this plan of resurrection.
Used Fire-engine Wanted I N connection with A.R.P. arrange ments at an important works at Coventry, a used fire-engine of Dennis, Leyland or Thornycroft make is required at a reasonable price. Offers should be addressed " Fire-engine," care of the Editor. DELAYS IN A.R.P. PAYMFNTS TO OPERATORS
COMPLAINTS of delay in payments 1.-dto operators for the use of their vehicles on A.R.P. work have been considered by the general committee of the Liverpool District and North Wales Division of the C.M.U.A., which has instructed the secretary to write to the general secretary of the Association asking him to continue his efforts to secure an early settlement of the matter. Token payments had been made, it was stated, but there was no final basis of settlement. It was agreed that C.M.U.A. ,headquarters had been active in endeavouring to secure a solution of the problem.
WILL C-LICENCE HOLDERS BE ATTACKED?
IN a letter which he has addressed to the secretaries of all chambers of commerce in Great Britain, Mr. Fred. Chadwick, of Joseph Chadwick and Sons, Ltd., Honey Paper Works, Warrington, states:—" There exists, in many quarters, a strong feeling that all transport ought to be co-ordinated and made into a Government or semi Government monopoly. As monopolies tend to abuse and often great abuse, manufacturers need some safeguard against this possibility.
" An attack may be made on C-licence holders and an effort be made to prevent manufacturers from carrying their own products. Manufacturers are passive in the face of the agitation to abolish the right which farmers, manufacturers and traders have always possessed, the right to carry their own products without hindrance.
" The creation of C licences was an invasion of this ancient right and ought to have been met with stern opposition. The next move may be to grant C licences only for local delivery and the manufacturers would then be compelled to hand their goods to the transport monopoly. There may even be courts instituted for traders to ask for permission to carry their own goods. One sure preventive against this or any form of abuse is the retention of the right of manufacturers to carry their Own products, either inwards or outwards.
" The various associations in road transport have varied interests to serve, 'but a Chamber of Commerce.represents the general body of manufacturers and its conclusions are too representative to be ignored.
" On transport bodies advising the Government, railway and haulage people are well represented, but C-licence holders-are not," Mr. Chadwick urges action by the Associated Chambers of Commerce.
Better Rates for Newburn-on-Tyne
MEWBURN ON TYNE Urban 'N District Council has decided to increase the haulage rates for light vehicles from 5s. per hour to 5s. 9d. This is the outcome of representations by Mr. Frank Milton, general secretary, Northern Area, A.R.O. He informs us that in putting his arguments before the Council he used figures supplied to him by S.T.R., The Commercial Motor Costs Expert.
Changes in South-eastern Area A.R.O. Personnel %WE learn that Mr. L. NV. Stevens, IN who represented the Eastbourne Sub-area on the South-Eastern Area Committee, A.R.O., and was the reprosehtative of the Association on the South-eastern Wages Board, has resigned to take up farming in Huntingdon. He has been a great worker for the Association right back to the earliest days of the old Road Haulage Association. The loss of his services is genuinely regretted by fellow members.
Mr. B. C. Floyd is nominated by the A.R.O. to replace Mr. Stevens on the Area Wages Board. Mr. Floyd is well known in haulage circles in West Sussex, where he operates from Little hampton. He is a B-licence holder and is nominated on the Wages Board to represent B licensees in particular.
The term of office of the remaining members of the Wages Board is now draw* to a close and new nominations for the next term of office have already been decided upon by the area committee. There are no changes in the remaining representatives and Messrs. D. Richardson, 0. ,S, Moore and G. A. Streeter will continue to represent the South-eastern Area.
Omnibus Society Visit Postponed
THE Omnibus Societry, 45, Crest Road, Hayes, Bromley, Kent, announces •that the projected tour and outer-circle bus trip arranged for September 15 will be postponed until a more suitable occasion.
A.E.C.'s Birtningham Depot Moved
THE Government having taken over Prudential Buildings, Colmore Row, Birmingham, the Associated Equipment Co., Ltd., has removed its sales depot from that address to 9, Dyott Road, Moseley, Birmingham, 13, telephone, South 3264.
Personal Pars
MR. D. N. McHaany, well known as an agricultural contributor to our columns, is to act as honorary adviser to the Petroleum Department on agricultural problems.
Ma. G. R. T. TAYLOR has resigned his seat on the boards of Vickers, Ltd., and English Steel Corporation, Ltd., in view of his many other interests. He retains his directorship of Taylor Bros. and Co., Ltd., which is a subsidiary of English Steel Corporation, Ltd. "ASTONISHING ORDER" , APPLIED TO GOODS TRANSPORT
THERE have been many astonishing Orders issued since the outbreak of war by the people who have been put in control -of the Nation's business, but this Order is surely the most astonishing of all." Mr. M. H. Williamson, president of Aberdeen Chamber of Commerce, used these words when protesting, at a meting of the Council of the Chamber, against a Ministry of Transport Order permitting, when necessary, the despatch of goods from ports in uncovered wagons.
The Council agreed to enter a strong protest against the Order, to ask the Association of Chambers of Commerce to take similar action, and to send a copy of the protest to the local M.P.s.
The Order will become operative only when the Port Emergency Committee considers it necessary in order to prevent congestion.
" Our merchant shipping and our merchant seamen are asked to traverse the oceans of the world, to run the whole gamut of enemy action by mine, torpedo and bomb, in order to bring the world's merchandise safely to our ports," said Mr. Williamson. " Thereupon the harbour authorities are empowered, in event of congestion at the ports, to load and dispatch this merchandise to its destination in open wagons..
" To salve the consciences of the • railway companies and to•iraluce their co-operation in this act of supreme folly, the Minister of Transport absolves them from ,liability in respect . of damage to goods so transported.