"Don't Insult Customers"—Mr. Nelson
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1—V A SHARP rebuke was given to a solicitor representing British Railways by Mr. S. W. Nelson, Western Licensing Authority, at Bristol last week, when he asked the court not to accept the evidence of a witness. The witness, Mr. D. H. lisp, Coalpit Heath, Glos, was applying for a vehicle of 4 tons 10 cwt. for the carriage of coal from the Midlands to coal merchants in the Bristol area.
Mr. Bisp said that three or four years ago he had given up a coal depot at Coalpit Heath because the stationmaster there had told him the station was to be closed. Consequently he had acquired a private yard at Winterbourne, where he was able to store 1,000 tons of coal.
Representing British Railways, Mr. George Mercer was closely questioning the witness about the " advice " he had received from the stationmaster, when Mr. Nelson remarked: Whatever you say I shall not cease to believe him. I cannot imagine this man making up a story of this kind. You are asking me not to believe him. You have no right to do that and I want to hear nothing further on the point." Later, when Mr. Mercer said to the applicant: "You say you will use the_railways as a matter of convenience," Mr. Nelson interjected: "Don't insult your customers, Mr. Mercer."
B48 Mr. lisp said that he used the railways when it was convenient, but on one occasion a truck of coal consigned to him from the Midlands had been " lost " and was not delivered for six weeks. Another time, a truck of anthracite took nine days to travel from Cardiff to Bristol, a distance of only 43 miles.
Representing Messrs. Thrutchley, Manchester, Mr. C. J. Dangerfield said that his company did not encourage coal transport by road but used it only "under duress." Nevertheless, he supported the application.
Granting the application, Mr. Nelson said that there was no evidence of any desire or intention to take • traffic from the railways. The requirements of customers had to be considered and he was satisfied that road transport was necessary.
SKID-RESISTANCE INSTRUCTIONS
OPERATING instructions for aparatus which provides highway engineers with a routine method of checking the skid-resistance of wet road surfaces have been published by the Department of Scientific Industrial Research. "Instructions for Using the Portable Skid-resistance Tester" is available from the Stationery Office, is. 9d., or by post at Is. 11d.