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WHEELS of INDUSTRY

The wheels of wealth will be slowed by all difficulties of transport, at whatever points arising, as a carriage is by the roughness of the roads over which it runs."--John Beattie Crozier.

ROAD TRANSPORT WAGE CONDITIONS.

It appears that there has been some misunderstanding regarding the effect of the recommendations of the sub-committee which have been adopted by the National Joint Conciliation Board for the goods Side of the mad-transport industry. After October 1, when all persons who carry goods for payment will have to hold either a Class A or Class B carrier's licence, it will be a condition of these licences that the provisions of Section 93 of the Road Traffic Act, 1930, as amended and applied by Section 32 of the Act of 1933, are observed.

They are to the effect that the wages and Oanditions of employment shall be not less favourable than threse commonly recognized by employers and trade unions, or, in their absence, those observed by good local employers.

Any road-transport organization may represent to the licensing authorities that the wages or conditions of employment in the case of any particular licence holder are unsatisfactory. Then, if the matter be not settled by agreement, the Minister of Labour will refer it to the Industrial Court.

Consolidated Licence Application for Newspaper Transport.

W.H.S. Transport, Ltd., London, the newspaper-carrying subsidiary of W. H. Smith and Son, Ltd., intends to make Bradford its maintenance base for Yorkshire, it was stated when the company applied to the Yorkshire Licensing Authority, at Leeds, last Friday, for a consolidated licence for vehicles at Bradford, Leeds, and Doncaster.

Sir William Acland, a director of W. H. Smith and Son, Ltd., said that because of the necessity of handling newspapers speedily the company should be able to move vehicles from one base to another.

The Licensing Authority (Mr. Joseph Ferndale) granted A licences for discretionary tonnage in respect of 13 vans in possession and one to be acquired at Bradford, one in possession and one to be acquired at Leeds, and one in possession and one to be acquired at Doncaster. Mr, Ferndale added that he would . consider the application for a consolidated licence.

Accounts Submitted to Licensing Authority,

Following a denial of under-cutting railway rates, the account books of the applicant were submitted at the resumed hearing, at Leeda, last Friday, of an application by Mr: P. Kelly, of Malton, for a licence for a horsebox to carry horses to and from race meetings. The hearing. had previously been adjourned in order that Mr. Kelly

1320 might furnish the Licensing Authority (Mr. Joseph Farndale) with details of his charges.

In:submitting the account books, Mr, Frank G. Bibbings, general secretary of the Yorkshire Stage Carriage Operators Association, who represented Mr. Kelly, said they did not substantiate the railway company's allegation of undercutting, but showed that Mr. Kelly's general charge for carrying one or two horses to race meetings was is. per mile,

Opposing the application, Mr. B. le IL Pereira, for the London and NorthEastern Railway Co., said that the company attached the utmost importance to the case.

Mr. Bibbings, replying, said that however adequate the railway facilities were in the minds of the L.N.E.R., they were inadequate in the views of those who had to use them. The Authority reserved his decision. . THE PROPOSED TEST FOR DRIVERS.

Under the title of the Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) Regulations, 1934, the Minister of Transport, on Tuesday last, issued the draft scheme concerning the test which it is proposed to institute in the case of new applicants for driving licences, or where licences have been obtained since April 1 last. It is not yet law, but has been submitted for criticism to the various associations concerned. Consequently, the final form may contain slight modifications. Applications may. be received and dealt with at any time within one month before the date on which the licence is to take effect.

The Regulations include a list of diseases and disabilities which will void any claim by an applicant to be subjected to a test as to his fitness or ability to drive.

An applicant must satisfy the examiner that he is conversant with the highway code, can start, drive and stop his vehicle in a satisfactory manner, and give and obey signals.

The test may be conducted by such Government Departments, organizations or persons as the Minister may appoint. If the applicant fails to pass a test he is ineligible for another until two months have elapsed.

The applicant must provide, at his own expense, a vehicle of suitable type and the fee for the test will be 7s. 6d. Persons not resident in Great Britain will not be required to undergo the test.

Provisional licences will be issued to be used only under the supervision of a competent driver, who, except in the case of a motorcycle, must be in the vehicle. The latter,, while being driven by the holder of a provisional licence, must display special signs.

It will be noted that no reference is Made in these Draft Regulations to :the special and additional licence which will, later, be required by the driver of a heavy motor vehicle.

The New Road Safety et-Attica Set ,Up by the IVIiniter: The i'vlinister of Transport is setting tip. a Standing Road -Safety Council, over. which he will preside. Ile,has been in, touch with the principal officers of the Commercial Motor Users A.ssiaeiation, the British Road Federation, the Automobile Association and other organizations, which have undertaken to help to the utmost in the Minister's campaign to effect a reduction in road accidents and have, it :is learned, acceded -to his wish that the problem should be visualized from a national

rather than a sectional angle. .

The Councilis representative of all classea of road user, and it is troPeiTwill hold its first meeting in October, after which it will meet at least once a week.

HALLEY'S REPORT.

The report of Halley Motors, Ltd., for the year ended March 31, 1934, shows a loss, after making allowance for depreciation, of £10,941. In view of changes in design necessitated by recent legislation, a portion of the stock in trade has been rendered obsolete, and the board has written off this obsolescence by a transference from the reserve, leaving a balance of £5,924 standing to the credit of this account.

Mr. H. G. Gilchrist, managing director since the incorporation of the company, has resigned this position. Although a successor has not been appointed, Mr. R. A. Mackenzie, lately of the London branch, has been appointed interim general manager.

Road-accident Returns.

The Ministry of Transport returns of persons killed or injured in road accidents during the week ended September 1, 1934, show that, in England, 103 persons were killed and 4,963 injured, whilst 26 died as a result of

previous accidents. The figures for Scotland were four killed and 460 injured, whilst in Wales eight were killed and 272 injured.

I.T.A. Examinations for 1935.

The Industrial Transport Association has issued details of its 1935 examinations, which will be held on May 3 and 4, in London and at certain provincial centres, commencing each day at 10 a.m. We note that there are two sections to the associateship examinations, the minimum age for entry in part 1 being 18 years and for the other section 20 years.

The compulsory subjects in the former are principles of accounts, commerce, and elements of industrial-transport management (a) land, (b) water and air, and in the latter, economics, law of transport, and industrial-trans

port management (advanced). In addition, certain optional subjects have to be taken.

Applications to sit for the examinations should be made by March 4, 1935, to the honorary general secretary of the Association, at Dudley House, Southampton Street, London, W.C.2.

Conciliation Agreement in the West. A representative meeting was recently held in Bristol of the Area Joint Conciliation Board, when Mr. J. Dono

van, area secretary of the Transport and General Workers Union presided. The Board dealt with the question of fixed mileage, defining local and trunk services. Joint recommendations are to be made to the National Board as to the basis of an agreement for southwest England.

. A sub-committee consisting of representatives of employers and workpeople was appointed to deal with a pro visional agreement. The National Board will meet on September 19.

PERSONAL PARS.

Mr. Tim Riley has joined the rolling. stock sales organization of the Brush Electrical Engineering Co., Ltd., of Loughborough, and will operate from London.

Mr. R. A. Bishop, late of the publicity department of Singer and Co., Ltd., has joined Morris Motors, Ltd., at Cowley, Oxford, as assistant to Mr. F. H. S. Rasch.

The Minister of Transport, Mr. L. Hore-Belisha, is shortly to be presented, by his Devonport constituents, with a book containing the autographs of over 18,090 of his local supporters. The volume contains the signatures of nearly half the total electorate of Devonport.

We are informed that Mr. W. G. Rimrner has been made a director of Vulcan Motor Services, Ltd., and of Vulcan Supplies, Ltd., which is a subsidiary concern. The latter has been formed in connection with a new filling station which has been erected adjacent to the London depot of the first-named concern.

Further to the recent announcement of the acquisition of Karrier Motors, Ltd., by the Humber-Hillman-Commer group, we are now informed that Mr. H. W. Hattersley, who was sales director of the former concern, has been retained by the new company, which is known as Karrier Motors Successors, Ltd., in the capacity of sales manager.

Absent Applicants Refused Licences.

Mr. Joseph Farndaie, the Licensing Authority for the Yorkshire area, has given many warnings to hauliers who do not attend public inquiries or send representatives in their place in connection with their applications for licences. A few days ago several applications were refused, because applicants did not appear or were not represented. Mr. Farndale pointed out that, in the absence of evidence that the licences were required, they would be refused, the Authority being vested with the necessary power to adopt this procedure.

Reo Plans: A Rumour Denied,

In view of the fact that rumours of mergers in America, which affect the . Reo Motor Car Co. have obtained certain publicity, we are asked to point out that Mr. W. G. Cairns, the managing director of Reo Motors (Britain), Ltd., has received a communication from Mr. Donald E. Bates, the president of the Reo Motor Car Co., stating that there is no foundation for the statements that have appeared concerning the proposed amalgamation between the Reo company and certain other manufacturing concerns. From the plans which the company has made . for 1935, it is clear that the Reo Motor Car Co. intends to continue its own merchandising and manufacturing programme. SCOTTISH CONCILIATION BOARD • FORMED.

A Scottish Road Conciliation Board was set up, in Glasgow, last week, at a conference of representatives of the Scottish Carriers and Haulage Contractors Association, the Scottish Transport Contractors Federation. the Scottish Commercial Motor Users Association, the Transport and General Workers Union, and the Scottish Horse and Motormen's Association.

A sub-committee of five members from each side was appointed to consider the questions of hours, wages, and conditions of employment in all their aspects.

The sub-committee met in Glasgow, on September 7, under the chairmanship of Mr. Hugh Lyon, general secretary of the Scottish Horse and Motormen's Association. An agreement was reached regarding the proposed constitution of the Board. The questions of wages, hours and conditions were also rtiscussed, and further consideration of the matter was adjourned until October 2.

Higher Triplex Profit.

The trading profit made by the Triplex Safety Glass Co., Ltd., in the year ended June 30, was £130,787, the net profit, after deducting depreciation, etc., being £106,170, the comparable figures for the previous year being 497,225 and £78,131 respectively. After allowing for income tax, there is a balance of 275,170. The dividend being paid on the capital of £200,000 is 25 per cent. The amount carried forward is £13,33L A New Road to the London Docks.

The new road to the London docks, which was opened yesterday by the Minister of Transport, will effect a great saving in time on the road transport of goods to and from this important area. The old road was a constant source. of delay to the heavy traffic which was fenced to make use

n22 of it, and in one portion the approach road possessed a carriage-way only 21 ft. in width for a distance of nearly half a mile.

The building of the new road has necessitated the construction of a new bridge over the River Lea, the demolition of a large number of dwellings and the construction of a viaduct which includes two bridges.

The final section of the scheme is the construction of a bridge and approaches in order to avoid delays at the levelcrossing at Silvertown (L.N.E.R_) Station. This work is to be completed by the end of the year. FAMOUS PANELS TRANSPORTED BY ROAD.

An interesting road-transport task has just been undertaken by Andrews Transport, Ltd., Swansea. This comprised the transference of the famous Brangwyn panels from the premises of Messrs. A. Stiles, of London, to Swansea, for the opening of the Civic Centre by Prince George, on October 18.

The vehicle used was a Leyland Hippo 12-ton boxvan. A condition of the transport contract was that the panels should travel by day, and Mr. Stiles himself accompanied -them. They were insured by the senders for approximately £20,000, and a police guard was on duty at the Andrews Swansea depot, where the panels remained for a night.

This interesting contract was secured by means of a circular sent by the Andrews concern to Mr. Stiles, who called and inspected the fleet of vehicles while arranging for the hanging of the panels in Swansea.

The railway company, approached in the first case by the senders, had no containers large enough to take the panels. Moreover, conveyance by rail would have involved more handling and, therefore, greater risk of damage.

Legal Address to Welsh Operators.

An opportunity will be given to West Wales road-transport operators to-night (Friday) of hearing Mr. R. C. Evans, clerk to the South Wales Traffic Commissioners, deliver an address on the Road and Rail Traffic Act, 1933, with particular reference to those sections which come into operation on October 1 next. These deal with the keeping of records, hours of employees, wages, rates, etc.

The meeting is to be public, although arranged by the Carmarthen and Joint Counties Road Transport Association, and will be held at the Boar's Head Hotel, Carmarthen, at 7 p.m. Mr. P. F. Carter, manager of Retail Dairymen's Mutual, Ltd., Carmarthen, will preside.

Dunlop's New South African Factory.

Mr. Malcolm Irving, the general manager for the Dunlop concern in South Africa, has recently arrived in England in connection with the new Dunlop factory, which is in course of erection at Durban, for the manufacture of tyres and other products.

The new works will be equipped with up-to-date machinery and will be run on lines shown by experience in other factories of the company to be the most efficient. Although key men will be sent out from England, most of the workers will be South Africans. It is expected that the new factory will be in operation within three months.

Sales Business in the Market.

We are advised that Messrs. Goddard and Smith, The Motor Auction Mart, 70, Seymour Place, London, W.1, have been instructed to sell a good commercial-vehicle sales business, with valuable concessions, -situated in the South of England. Interested inquirers should write to the address given. YORKSHIRE CONCILIATION BOARD ESTABLISHED.

An Area Conciliation Board for the Yorkshire Traffic Area was set up at a meeting of employers' and trade union representatives at Leeds on Monday, September 10, in accordance with the findings of the National Joint Conciliation Board.

The first chairman is an employers' representative, Mr. A. H. Butterwick, the. well-known Leeds haulage contractor, who is also chairman of the Yorkshire Regional Area Committee of the Road Haulage Association and the Yorkshire representative on the National Council of the R.H.A. He has been elected to hold office for a year; as also has the vice-chairman, Mr. C. Fitzgerald, who is general secretary of the Yorkshire No. 9 Area of the Road Transport and General Workers Union. Also on the board is Mr. James France, of Huddersfield, president of the National Council of the Commercial Motor Users Association.

Sixteen representatives of the emliloyers and 16 trade unior representatives have been appointed to the Board.

In view of the size of the Board, it is possible that a sub-committee will be established to facilitate its operations.

Lectures for Transport Students.

Courses on transport and cognate subjects have been arranged for the 1934-35 session by the North-Western Polytechnic, Prince of Wales Road, London, N.W.5. So far as road-transport subjects are concerned, the lecturer is Mr. H. Scott Hall, M.I.A.E., who will deal with the economics of toad transport on Tuesday evenings and road-transport operation on Thursday evenings. The prospectus and syllabus for the new session may he obtained by communicating with the Principal.

The Polytechnic has formed a transport club, with the object of studying and discussing matters relating to all forms of transport, and to visit transport undertakings. Lectures and discussions are usually held on the first Friday in each month, at 7.30 p.m.

Lath l Chairman Criticizes French Report.

M. Charles Blum, chairman of the Latil concern, resigned his appointment as French delegate to the recent International Road Congress at Munich because of disagreement with the terms of an official report, prepared by the French Government, which he and two other delegates were asked to present to the Congress.

This report deals with the length, width, height and weight of commercial vehicles, as permitted in France, and contains a critical survey of the advantages, or otherwise, of existing regulations. By a French Government order published on June 20 last, the rules with regard to length and width, especially in the case of articulated outfits, were stiffened up materially.

M. Blum holds the view that this is • a retrograde measure and points out that many other European countries, including Germany, where road transport has been developed to a vastly greater extent than in France, are moving in exactly the opposite direction. Regulations governing the size and weight of commercial vehicles are, in fact, being relaxed at the moment.

Railway Objection Fails.

A recent application for a carrier's licence to the Litensing Authority for the Southern Scotland Area was objected to by the. London and North Eastern Railway Co., on the ground that the company was entitled to receive information to satisfy it that the business was being rim fairly.

For the applicant it was stated that the rates charged had been sufficient to enable him to carry on and to repay instalments, and he contemplated ex tending his activities.

The chairman was satisfied that the applicant was conducting his business on sound lines, and therefore approved the application..

Liverpool's Illuminating Cleansing Figures.

Figures have been published by Mr. W. H. Legh-Smith, LiVerpool city treasurer, showing that the cost of cleansing 1,600 sq. yds. of streets works out at an average of 10s. 104d., and the cost of cleansing 1,000 gullies at £36. These figures relate to the cleansing of 2,065,000,000 sq yds. of streets and 193,303 gullies during the past year.

He has also drawn up a comparative statement showing the extent to which three leading authorities rely upon the container system, the horse and mechanical transport for refuse collection. Liverpool's refuse amounts to about 375 tons per 1,000 population per annum; Glasgow, 272 tons, and Manchester 261 tons.

In Liverpool, 26 per cent, of the refuse is collected by motors, 14 per cent, by horses and 60 per cent, by containers; in Manchester 35 per cent. by motors and 65 per cent, by horses; and in Glasgow 72 per cent. by motors and 28 per cent, by horses.

PROHIBITION ORDER: THE FIRST PROSECUTION.

The first prosecution under the section of the Road and Rail Traffic Act, 1933, empowering the Licensing Authority to prohibit the use o' a goods vehiele until defects oiscoverecl by a vehicle examiner were rectified was heard at Kuutsford, Cheshire. a few days ago. The owner of the vehicle was summoned for using a lorry in respect of which a prohibition artier was in force. His defence was that, as the defects were only of a minor character, he was not aware that, after the repairs had been completed, it was necessary for the vehicle to be reexamined before the prohibition order was cancelled. A fine of £5 was imposed. .

The Position of B Licence Holders.

A question concerning the issue of A and B licences was answered by Sir • Henry Piggott at a recent sitting of the South Easterni Area Traffic Commissioners. The question arose from a remark made by Mr. A. G. Guilmant, of the Road Haulage Association, when he said that applicants were under the impression that there was something sacrosanct about A licences, whilst those who had received B .licences thought that they would find conditions next year more restricted.

Sir Henry Piggott said he believed it would be advantageous to bold a B licence in that it limited the field of opposition. He added that as a result of his experience it is clear that there will be a larger number of B licences granted than was anticipated and that he could see no likelihood of such holders being further restricted.

Vulcan Chassis Price Reductions.

As from the beginning of the month, new prices have been in force for the range of chassis made by Vulcan Motor Services, Ltd., Crossens, Southport. The reduced prices are as follow:'30-35-cwt. chassis, £285; 2-tonner, £312 ifls. ; 2i-tonner, £340: 3-tonner, £360; 4-tonner, £560; 5-tonne-I-, £605.

Eagle Representation in the Metropolis.

Wilsons (Kingston), Ltd., 20, High Street, Kingston-on-Thames, advises us that the Eagle Engineering Co., Ltd., of Warwick, has appointed the company to be its authorized London dealer. for Eagle tipping gears, trailers, etc., applicable to the Dodge chassis, for which the company is a main agent In connection with this development the company has established a fitting depot. The territory covered for the Eagle products is the whole of the greater Metropolitan area.

Incidentally, it may be mentioned that Wilsons (Kingston), Ltd., is making arrangements to market a special forward-control 3-ton tipper, using the Dodge chassis, which, it is claimed, gives far better weight distribution and is safer to operate at the edge of a chute than the ordinary type of vehicle with its long overhang.