NEWS of the WEEK
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"The wheels of wealth will be stowed 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.
LICENSING COMMERCIAL TRAVELLERS' CARS. trailers behind private cars ; (3) the anomaly of the position whereby a vehicle carrying horses can run at 30 m.p.h., whilst the limit for the conveyance of other livestock (where the vehicle weighs over 24. tons unladen) is 20 m.p.h. Efforts are being made to obtain, an all-round figure of 30 mph. as the limit for goods vehicles.
A considerable measure of agreement was obtained, and it is believed that the interests of both organizations are largely identical in respect of these questions. The N.F.U. fully realizes the importance of the existing abuses which, whilst not appearing very numerous now, may multiply.
Taxation of Cattle Carriers: Important Appeal.
Does the use of floats at infrequent intervals for carrying livestock render a vehicle liable to higher taxation? This important issue was decided at Glasgow, last Saturday, when Wordie and Co., Ltd., 125, Buchanan Street, Glasgow, appealed to the First Division of the Court of Session at Edinburgh against a decision of the Sheriff Court.
The respondent, Glasgow Corporation, maintained that the floats should be regarded as part of the vehicles and it sued for additional duty in respect of the two vehicles concerned.
It was submitted for the appellant that before a float could be included in the unladen weight, it was necessary to show that it was a part that was "necessary to, or ordinarily used with the vehicle when working on the road."
The appeal was sustained by the Division, and it was stated that on the facts the evidence that the floats were ordinarily used with the vehicle was untenable. As the result of a recent deputation from the United Commercial Travellers' Association Great Britain and Ireland (Incorporated) and other bodies, on the matter of the law by which travellers' cars which are slightly adapted to carry samples have to be operated under a C licence and observe the various conditions attached to such licence, the Minister has brought out the Road and Rail Traffic Act (Exemption) (Amendment) Provisional Regulations, which came into force on June 30.
They exempt from the licensing provisions of the 1933 Act the use of such vehicles for carrying samples solely for the purpose of soliciting orders and not for sale or delivery, provided that the vehicle is not adapted for the carriage of goods other than samples.
Straussler and Alvis Join Forces.
A new private company—to be known as Alvis Straussler, Ltd.—has been formed to manufacture armoured cars, tanks, tractors and other specialized vehicles. Technical development and the commercial side of the business, which have, up to the present, been carried out by Straussler Mechanisation, Ltd., will in future be handled by Alvis Straussler, Ltd. The manufacture of the concern's products will be undertaken by the Alvis concern, presumably at its Coventry works.
The chairman of the new company will be Mr. T. G. John, chairman of the Alvis Car and Engineering Co., Ltd.. whilst the board will include Mr. IL Meredith, Mr. Nicholas Straussler, Mr. J. V. Rank and Mr. Mowbray Atkinson.