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News of the Week Progress of M. of W.T. Haulage Scheme

ACCEPTANCES have been received by the M. of W.T. from a considerable number of the first haulage conarms to which the Ministry sent invitations to become controlled establishments under the new Scheme. These are now subject only to the consolidation of their formal agree-ments, Some of these concerns cover several unit centres, Invitations to further concerns to become controlled undertakings will shortly be issued, and the anticipated date of commencement of the Scheme is March 1.

Progress has also been made in the forming of pre-a offices, and the original 17 in th,e Metropolitan Area have been increased to MS These were operating es from yesterday., The total will be 55. A schedule of rates and conditions for the hire of vehicles has been sent to the Finanoe Panel of the S.J.C., and will be discussed. The Ministry will eventually use every eligible vehicle which is on longdistance work, the hire not being limited by the amount of traffic available. This may involve the' Government in some loss, but it is willing to bear this in order to keepsufficient vehicles in reserve. Thus operators are given a form of iniurance against loss of traffic if the tyre situatcon becomes even more stringent and many vehicles have to be pensioned off.

The period of agreemenii for controlled concerns is a matter of consider

able' interest. Each will end six months after the cessation of hostilities with Germany, or, at the Minister's option, at the expiration of six months after any later cessation of hostilities with, any major power, provided that the Minister may in either. case, , extend the period of six cniinths for a further similar period. DEMAND FOR A.R.O. EXTRA. ORDINARY MEETING

LAST week we referred to the fact 1-ithat Mr. J. A. Kirby had been obtaining signatures to a requisition demanding an extraordinary meeting of A.R.O. We now learn that this, requisition, signed by 140members, was lodged at the office of the Association on February 13. It requires the National Council to convene a meeting not later, than one month from the

above ate, •

JOINT CONFERENCE TO ISSUE REPORT a J4EXT Monday there is to be issued the report of the Road Transport

Organization Joint Conference, of which Lord Perry is the chairman. The Conference proposes to set up three independent and antonomous associations to cover public carriers, ancillary users and p.s.v. operators, which will combine to form a Federation.

EXPORTS FOR LASt QUARTER OF 1942

'OFFICIAL figures show that the ‘.../value of new commercial vehicles

exported from the United Kingdom in the quarter ended December 31, 1942, was £108.126, whilst commercial chassis exported were valued at 4284. In the same period, the value of tractors (except those of the agricultural type) exported was 0,344.

• TRANSPORT ALL-ROUNDER • . AVAILABLE

AN -active transport manager and organizer, with long experience in the carriage of smalls and general -loads, as well aA p. good knowledge of :passenger traffic, requires a suitable

position. He is a member of the Institute of Transport and has important connections with other associations. Letters should be addressed " care of the Editor.

H.M.F . MEETS AT READING AND , BRISTOL

ST:CCESFUL meetings ihsupport of flauliers Mutual Federation were held last weak at Reading and Bristol. At Reading, Mr. F. Lucas, chair man of the Federation, presided, arid was supported by Mr. E. A. Strode, of Messrs. E. A. and K. Services, Oxford, a member of the Provisional Council of the Federation. The meeting was a small ()he, but its reaction was practicallY unanimously in favour of the Federation.

At Bristol, Mr. Lucas was again in

the chair, being supported by Mr. J. Arnold Kirby, of Leicester, and Mr. V. G. Mileham, of Bristol, both members of the Provisional-Council. The attendance was good and we are told that a considerable proportion of those present joined the Federation.

At both meetings Mr. Lucas referred

to 'recent developments which had made it clear that some such step as the formation of an association such as lIauliers 'Mutual Federation was inevitable. Mr. H. Scott Hall, secretary, then dealt with the objects and ideals of the Federation, pointing out that it was an associatien of road hauliers, established by road hauliers, for road hauliers.

THE WRONG SORT OF LOAD: . HAULIER ADMONISHED

THE Leven haulage concern of C. Adamson, Ltd., pleaded guilty at Cupar rese-tly to a charge of contravening a Food Transport Order by carrying apples from London to St. Andrew's rather than bringing a lorry back empty.

The Depute-fiscal said that a vehicle belonging to the company undertook a journey from Leven to London, and rather than returning light, and to save petrol, it was decided to bring back apples to St. Andrew's. While the lorry was in Covent Garden, an enforcement officer of the Ministry of Food walked up to the driver and asked him what he had in the lorry and where it was going; when told the inspector made no remark and allowed the driver to leave. When the apples arrived at St. Andrew's the charge was brought against the company.

In admonishing the operator the sheriff said that, in a letter the company had pointed out that it was not right for the enforcement 'officer to permit a wrong without attempting to right it, and that if the driver had known it was an offence to carry apples some other goods could have been transported.

THE WAY OF SALVATION FOR "THE LITTLE MAN" THE Transport Section of the Brad1 ford and District Chamber of Trade has decided ka call a meeting of local hauliers for the purpose of forming an operational _group. This Move was agreed upon in the light of advice from Mr. Harry Clark, manager and secretary of the Federation of Yorkshire Road Transport Employers, in an address which he gave at last week's meeting of the Section.

Mr. Clark stressed that in view of the possibility of the Government's new haulage scheme being extended to short-distance transport, operators in this category should take steps at' once to prepare plans for' grouping among themselves. After quoting examples of how grouping could help small operators, Mr. Clark suggested that the only way of salvation for " the little man " lay in co-operative organization.

LIVERPOOL ASSOCIATION'S CRITICISM OF H.M.F.

BITLLETIN of the Liverpool Cart and Motor Owners Association makes this rather caustic coniment on the launching of Hauliers' Mutual Federa1 ion:—

" In coniidering whether any advantage is to be gained by creating another association in the road-transport industry, members would do well to reckon withapparent facts rather than hopeful fancies. The defects—rear or invented—in organization that prompted Mr. Scott Hall to ally himself with two operators who wanted to start a ftew organization, existed in a centre far removed from Liverpool. Remembering, therefore, that he has passed encomiums on local associations since he started his campaign and has decried any suggestion of wishing to whittle away the membership, we HORSES A BAD SECOND AT LOWESTOFT

THE borough engineer of Lowestoft has been investigating the question 01 the relative costs of motor and horsedrawn vehicles for refuse collection. For the year 1941-42 the cost per ton, so far as can be ascertained, is as follows: Motor vehicles, 14s. 6d.; horsedrawn vehicles, Al 13s. 4d.

From this investigation he thinks that the health committee Must face the necessity of mechanizing this department sooner or later. He is not prepared at this juncture to make any specific recommendation as to the type of refuse vehicle that will best serve the needs of the borough, as operating conditions after the war cannot yet be foreseen, but the condition of the existing horse-drawn vehicles renders it an immediate necessity to augment the mechanical vehicles available for this work. The committee is to make application to the 'Ministry ofWar Transport for a licence to purchase a new lorry at an estimated cost of E500.

THE number of retail delivery rationalization schemes in Scotland, which operate in towns with populations of 5,000 or more, was the subject of a Parliamentary question by Mr. Henderson Stewart, last week.

There were 72 towns with populations of 5,000 or more, of which six had, as yet, no rationalization scheme in force; 44 had rationalization schemes which covered certain commodities only ; 16 had. schemes providing at least one weekly delivery of provisions without limit of weight ; and six had approved schemes for at least one weekly delivery with weight restriction Many of these schemes incorporated pooling arrangements, but the pools were in some cases restricted to particular commodities, such as drapery. There were about 40 complete pooling schemes in operation in Scotland at the present time, but most of them related to commodities other than food.

• In no town was there a complete ban on the retail delivery of all articles of food, but in several towns deliveries of certain commoditiesawere prohibited within a defined radius of the main shopping centre, except in cases of hardship.

ATTRACTIVE ENGINE-REPLACEMENT SCHEME ' •

UNDER the engine-replacement plan operated by Hilton Motors (London), Ltd., (66-496, Edgware Road, London, W.2, Bedford power' units which are due for overhaul May. be exchanged for guaranteed . rebuilt engines at a' standardized cost of g,30. This scheme has been ■vorking for considerable time, butreceutly • the department concerned has . been enlarged to meet the. growing demand. Considerable interest attaches to the quipine,nt and methods:. employed in this connection', and we hope to deal it greater, length with these in -the near future;

FORTHCOMING A.R.O. SUB-AREA MEETINGS

. THE -following annual general meets ngs of Metropolitan Sub-Areas Of A.R.O. 'have been arranged:"—Southern: Pynes 'Restaurant, LeWisham . Way, S.E.14, on February 22, at 2.30 p.m. Western: Red Cow Hotel, Hammersmith 'Road, Hammersmith, W.6., on February' 23, at 7 p.m, Northern: Beech 'Hill Club; Leag,raVe Road,. Luton, Beds, on February 24, at 3 p.m. Eastern: King's Mins (corner of Shorediteh High Street and Old Street, E.C.), on February 25, at 3 p.m.

. OBITUARY •

We much regret to learn that MR. S. E. SMITH, for 10 years -service manager of Coaches and Components, Ltd., 465, Holloway Road, London, N.7, and previously with the Gifford Motor Co., Ltd., and Associated Equipment Co„ Ltd., died suddenly on Tuesday last after an operation.

•

We record with regret the death, last week.; of MR. ARTHUR ERNEST LAKE, -who had been associated with the motor trade since its earliest days. He served his apprenticeship to:engineering and, later, was with Messrs. Lake and Elliott, of Braintree. He began business on his own account in 1920, forming the company known as Ernest

• Lake, Ltd., of which he was managing director up to the time of his death. This company made steady progress and became one of the leading Makers of garage equipment: COMPULSORY WAR RISKS . INSURANCE •

THE number of prosecutions of traders and firmswho have not complied with the statutory obligations in respect of war risks insurance is increasing. Either they are not insuring at all, or for sums contderably short of. the value . which the law . requires them to cover under Part IIof the War Risks Insurance Act, 1939,

• oe Part II of the War Damage Act, 1941.

Incidentally, for the period commencing March 3 and ending June 2, the premium payable under any policy issued under the Commodity Insurance Scheme will be at the rate of 2s. 6d. Per cent. ..per month. This new rate represents a reduction _of 50 per cent.

.. on that for the current period. The.

monthly or three-monthly policies for a fixed sum, and three-monthly adjust'able' policies hitherto issued will be continued.

PERSONAL PARS

A c

InR. H. A A 'LA . okUNDERS, the general

manager of the electricity and transport Undertaking of Lowestoft Corporation, is to remain in office for another year.

' •

-Ma: W. H. TAIT has been appointed general manager anda director of the Glacier Metal Co., Ltd., of Alperton, replacing Mx. E. Tams', who has retired.

V. KENWARD has resigned his position as director of the Rubber Products Group of the Dunlop 'Rubber Co., Ltd., after 35 years'.

vice With the.company. , • •

, SiR. FREDERICK HEATON has recently been , elected ,chairman and a director of Short Bros. (Rochester and Bedford), Ltd., .following the resignation-of Mr. H. 0. Short, chairman and managing director. As is well known, Sir Frederick is chairman and. managing director of Thomas Tilling, Ltd.

= •

CAPTAIN C. R. CLUTSOM, who, after the war of 1914-18, served his time with Leyland Motors, Ltd., and, with the exception Of a short break, has' been with that company ever since, representing it in Greece, India and SouthWales, is a prisoner in Germany, but his many friends "will be glad to know that he is well and cheerful. flitring the evacuation of France he saved a number of wounded by overloading an 8 h.p. car and driving it under heavy fire into Cassel, although the vehicle was repeatedly hit. EXPRESS CARRIERS MEET AT LEEDS THE Executive Council of the National_ Conference of EXpress Carriers met recently at Leeds, where the members were the guests of Mr. C. Holdsworth; The Yorkshire Area Committee, with its chairman, Mr. W. W. Wood,' and Secretary, Mr. .W. Singer, was 'present, and the Council sat with Mr. C. S. Dunbar in the chair. A number of new members was elected. ' The Council agreed to recommend all members to 'give notice that, as from March 1, they will discontinue handling carriage-forward traffic.

As regards the Government Haulage Scheme, this expressly excludes " smalls," but it is recognized that it will have many repercussions on the " smalls " and service carrier, so a subcommittee, consisting of Messrs. J. W. Beresford, C. S. Dunbar, R.H. Farmer, J. B, Green, and W. J. A. Peek, was appointed to took into the matter.

The resignation of Mr. .WT. Donaldson

Wright from the Executive Council, on his appointment as Divisional _Road Haulage .0ffieer for the North Midland Region, was accepted with regret. Mr. C. Holdsweith was elekted to fill the vacancy.

S.M.M. AND T. RED CROSS AftPEAL

TMM.: has been 'an excellent response to the Red Cross appeal issued to members of the S.M.M. and T. by its President, eolonel Arthur C. R. Waite, M.C., the total to , January 91 being £8,222.

TN a paragraph, published last 'week. lrelating to the late Mr. 'Raymond W. , Lea, we should have said that he was' employed by Specialloid,, Ltd., before going to the Ministry of Supply.

"NEW ASSOCIATION UNNECESSARY AND HARMFUL"

raR1T1C1SA1 of the new association,

Hauliers' Mutual Federation, was put fonvard by Mr. Harry Clark, manager and secretary of the Federation of Yorkshire Road Transport Employers, in an address which• he gave to the Transport Section of the Bradford and District Chamber of Trade, last week.

Mr. Clark declared that the industry had now achieved a position whereby it could speak with one voice through the Standing Joint Committee, and he suggested that the launching of the new association was both unnecessary and harmful. The Ministry of War Transport had stated that it would negotiate with only the S.J.C. He contended that the basis of subscription to the new association was totally inadequate for the high degree of service required by operators.

The outstanding feature of the present position in the industry, said Mr. Clark, was that in the negotiations with the Ministry of War Transport concerning the Government's new haulage scheme the industry had spoken with one voice through the S.J.C, Referring to what he described as unjust criticisms of leaders of the industry, Mr. Clark said the fact remained that these leaders had by dint of 'grit and determination succeeded in their great task of creating unity in the industry. After pointing out that six national associations had their elected representatives on the national S.J.C., Mr. Clark alluded to the establishment of area S.J.C.s in each Traffic Area, and added: " In Yorkshire we have already held eight meetings of the area S.J.C., which is clear proof of the genuine desire to work as a team."

BUS PICK-UP CONCESSION GRANTED. BY COMMISSIONER I T is announced by Sir John Maxwell, Northern Regional Transport Commissioner, that, as a war-time measure, buses owned by O.K. Motor Services, operating between Bishop Aucklaird and Newcastle-on-Tyne, will be allowed to pick up passengers between Pramwellgate Moor, Durham and Newcastle. The fares will be the same as those charged on the vehicles of the Northern General Transport Co., Ltd.

TRANSPORT POOLING SCHEME FOR FUNERALS

IN the Accrington district of Lancashire, funeral directors have agreed upon a pooling scheme to economize in

the use of vehicles. From March 1, they will operate a pooling scheme whereby four out of nine hearses and 11 out of '..t5 cars will be available for funerals. The public will be able to choose the individual funeral director, who will notify the carriage pool. The scheme applies to Accrington, Church, Oswaldtwistle, Clayton le Moors, Rishton and Great Harwood,. • NEW REGULATIONS ALLOW BETTER LIGHTING FOR BUSES

BUSES and trolleybuses will benefit 11 a new regulation. The amendments are as follow:—(a) Lamps must be shaded so that no part of the bulb from which any light passes can be seen from any point outside the vehicle; (b) the illumination at the level of any seat must not exceed 0.7 ft. candle; (c) light at any point at ground level outside the vehicle must not exceed 0.002 ft. candle; (d) all lights except three on each deck must be extinguished during an air-raid warning, after which the maximum external light must not exceed 0.0002 ft. candle.

The amendments will not apply within 12 miles of the East or Sonth Coast, the West Coast of Cornwall and Devonshire, or those of Somersetshire. the Bristol Channel and Severn Estuary up to Redwick on the east and Chepstow en the west shore, and of the South Coast of Wstles up to St. David's Head. In the case of estuaries within this belt, the 12 miles should be measured from the point at which the estuary is a mile broad at high water.

If a service be operating mainly outside such areas and enters them only for a short distance, special arrangements may be ,rnade after investigation. The higher standard permitted May be achieved by modification of existing fittings, but, in some cases, higherpowered bulbs will be necessary.