THE YEAR'S WORK OF THE C.M.U.A.
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Important Activities on Behalf of the Hauling and Carrying Industry.
Tannual general meeting of the Commercial Motor 1 Users Association, held in London on Thursday last, was well attended, and the National Council was able to reaort that its activities during the past year had been useful and valuable to the transport industry.
Pressure has been continuedupon the Government to prepuce and proceed with legislation, or the issue of necessary Orders, to legalize the higher axle weights and speeds recommended in the Departmental Committee's report.
The Association will actively watch the interests of its members when the proposed Bill dealing with the Control of Road Vehicles is introduced into the House of Commons.
Representations have been, and will be, made to the Government in connection with legislation concerning derelict or weak bridges over canals or railways.
During the year, legal assistance has been given to members on a large number of subjects, including :—(1) The powers of corporations to run omnibuses ; (2) lift vans in relation to motor taxation ; (3). extraordinary traffic claims ; (4) appeals to the Minister of Transport against refusal to grant licences to ply for hire ; (5), brakes on. steam wagons ; (6) overloading of omnibuses.' No fewer than 689 summonses have been dealt with under the legal defence scheme.
'The Association has been active in its opm-sition to any attempt to apply the Road Fund to purposes other than roads and bridges, 'and it continues to take all necessary steps to combat the threatened increases in taxation against heavier types of commercial motor, because increased take tion of commercial motors would react on the whole of the community. It was reported that the scheme for providing roadside water facilities for steam wagons had been operating successfully. Tokens which, purchasable at 8d, each, enable the driver of a steam wagon to obtain water from a roadside standard, are now issued at the rate of more than 2,000 per week.
The report dealt with the useful programme of the Road Traffic Conference organized by the C.M.U.A. at Olympia during the course of the last Commercial Vehicle Show, also with the demonstrations of municipal vehicles.
The Association has taken an active interest in encouraging any steps that would give promise of curing or improving dazzle from headlamps in a simple manner and at a low cost.
The National Council reiterates in its report its recommendation that the heavy vehicle should, where necessary, be provided with a suitable reflecting mirror or a sound receiver and transmitter, in order to facilitate the passing of such vehicles by other traffic.
It was reported that the excess of income over expenditure for the year 1925 was £95 8s., and that cash at the bank and in hand at the end of the year amounted to £895 7s. 8d.
Members are being remindedthat arrangements have been made whereby subscriptions to the Association will be allowed as a charge in their accounts before arriving at assessment for income tax.