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News of the Week

HOME GUARD MOVES TOWARDS GREATER MOBILITY

A LTHOUGH the fact may not have L'Abeen very evident at last Sunday's big parades, held to celebrate the third birthday of the Home Guard, mobility has been further developed in -this branch during the past year. Several thousand vehicles have been allocated to the Home Guard, we learn. Whilst most of these are of lighter types, certain M.T. Companies have for some time been manned by Home Guard personnel.

It is satisfactory to note that the H.G. is evidently paying more attention to mobility, which eppeared somewhat neglected neglected in its earlier stages.

LATEST MUNICIPAL YEAR BOOK

FROM the Municipal Journal, Ltd., 3 and 4, Clement's Inn, London, W.C., comes the 1943 edition of the Municipal Year Book. We always look upon this veritable tome as one of the most useful occupants of our library. Its 1,302 pages are crammed with information of the greatest value to all those concerned with the work of local atithorities. The latter are classified. There is a review of Local Government in 1942, details of legislation affecting Local Government and passed in that year, with a digest of leading law cases, numerous statistics —financial and otherwise—surveys of public cleansing and developments in salvage, a chapter on transport (including roads), and many other features. The price is 92s. net.

PERKINS ACHIEVES GREAT "WINGS FOR VICTORY "SUCCESS

FOR its recent " Wings for Victory" week, F. Perkins (Diesels), Ltd., of Peterborough, set a target figure of

3,000, and so successful were the events which were run in connection with it that a total of over £30,000 was reached. To exceed by more than 10 times the original target is said to be a works' record, and the achievement reflects the greatest credit not only upon those who organized the proceedings but oti the team spirit and enthusiasm of the company's employees. Not a little praise must be extended to Mr. L. W. J. Hancock for the diligent thought and painstaking effort of conceiving and planning the many entertainments which, in variety and scope, stimulated so much interest in the objective.

SCHEME FOR TYNE ROAD TUNNEL SUPPORTED

AJOINT meeting of Tynemouth and South Shields Town Councils has decided to ask the M.O.W.T. to receive a deputation to discuss the building of a road tunnel under the River Tyne, between North and South Shiekle. The question of cross-river facilities at the mouth of the Tyne has been under consideration for some years. Suggestions have been .made for a bridge, road

tunnel and a Kearney tube. Both councils have now decided in favour of a road tunnel. Durham County Council, Jarrow Corporation, ‘Vallsend Corporation, and Northumberland County Council, have already drawn up a preliroinary putwar scheme for a road tunnel under the Tyne, between Jarrow and Howdon, about four miles from the mouth of the river. It is expected to materialize after the war.

'DISTRIBUTORSHIP FOR SCAMMELL " MECHANICAL HORSE

WE are informed by Capital Motor Co., Ltd., Remington Street, London, N.1, that it has extended its distributorship to include the Scammell mechanical horse and the BedfordScammell tractor-trailer and equipment. This new distributorship covers a large area in North London, the whole of Essex and most of Hertfordshire. Full service facilities will be given.

NOT OPPOSING NEWCASTLE'S TROLLEYBUS EXTENSION WE learn that Gateshead and W District Tramways Co., Ltd., • has decided not to oppose the application by Newcastle-on-Tyne transport undertaking to the M.O.W.T. for a three years extension of the time under which it has authority to extend its trolleybus services over the Tyne Bridge into Gateshead. Gateshead Corporation and Felling Urban District Council have not yet announced their views,

A TYRE ECONOMY QUIZ WE have received from the Directorate of Salvage and Recovery a "Tyre Economy Quiz," comprising questions and answers at the Tyre Economy. Exhibition. Many of these are of considerable interest, but considerations of space prevent us from dealing with them this week: We shall, therefore, treat. wiih them in our next issue.

COMMODITY INSURANCE SCHEME

THE Board of Tiede, with the approval of the Treasury, has decided that, for the period commencing June 3 and ending September 2 the premium payable under any policy issued under the Commodity Insurance Scheme shall continue at the rate of 2s. 6d. per cent, per month. Monthly and three-monthly policies for a fixed sum and three-monthly adjustable policies previously issued will be continued.

TRACTORS FIGHT THE U-BOAT

A WELL-PRODUCED book entitled • r-t Tractor Versus U-Boat " has 'been written by Mr. D. N. McHardy, N.D, A., A.I.A.E., and is being distributed by W. H. Allen and Co., Ltd., 43, Essex Street, London, W.C,2, at Is. 6d. Its subject matter is virtually obvious from the title. It deals with the coming of the tractor, how these machines work, the hiring and pooling of tractors, power farming of to-morrow, etc. It includes a large number of excellent illustrations showing various phases of tractor application.

FINED FOR USING INDUSTRIAL FUEL IN LORRIES

AST week, at Southend County I-, Sessions, Messrs. Davey and Armitage, timber merchants, of Arthur Street, London, E.C.4, and Mr. Herbert G. Kemp, of Rochford, were summoned for misuse of petrol. The firm were also summoned for failing to keep a daily record of fuel used and acquired between February 1 and March 4, 1943. Defendants pleaded guilty.

The allegation was that petrol issued for industrial purposes was used for car and lorry journeys, and that when Mr. Kemp, the firm's works manager, was questioned as to records of fuel used in stationary engines he had said that, so far as he knew, none was kept. Messrs. Davey and Armitage were fined £50 on each summons, and Mr. Kemp was fined £15.

It was stated On behalf of the firm that the offences were committed without the consent or knowledge of the directors.

LOCAL GOVERNMENT NOW "A COMPLETE FARCE"

WAR-TIME control of , passenger road transport was a subject of lively comment at Bradford City Council's meeting last week. It arose on a statement by Alderman Walter Hodgson, chairman of the passenger transport committee, that his committee could do nothing about the provision of later bus services during the summer as it was under orders from the M.O.W.T. and the Regional Transport Commissioner.

Councillor A. L. Brown thereupon declared that local government was becoming a complete farce, so far as public representatives were concerned. As a member of the committee he felt. he was serving no useful purpose. because the passenger-transport department was now controlled by people in Leeds and London. He thought the public should know that the present position of the city's night passengertransport facilities was not the fault of their own representatives but of those

who were put there by the Government, and who had never been elected by the people.

Alderman Hodgson said that the complaints in the local Press had been about short-distance passengers getting on to the last vehicles to the exclusion of long-distance travellers. But short-distance passengers could not be ordered off if they had paid their fares; the matter could be left only to their consciences. Every transport undertaking in the country was baffled by the question.

REP,ORT ON BUS WORKING AT STOCKTON QTOCKTON ON TEES Transport 1.-/ Committee has considered a report of a sub-committee on the working of the transport department, and a report by Mr. A. Collins and Mr. A. R. Fearnley has also been discussed. Some of the sub-committee's recommendations have been made public, but others have, so far, not been disclosed.

The sub-aommittee has recommended that immediate steps shall be taken to place out on contract more of the work involved in repairing and maintaining buses. The general manager, Mr. W. M. Campbell, has been asked to prepare a report giving particulars of the existing staff and the duties performed by each member, togeteer with details, of work carried out in a specimen week.

The general manager has also been asked to restore the costing system for each bus, which has been allowed to lapse. • The report is still under consideration.

THORNYCROFT INTERIM DIVIDENDS DECLARED (IN account of the financial year Wending July 31, 1943, John I. Thornycroft and Co., Ltd., is to pay the following dividends, less income tax:-Three per cent. on the cumulative preference shares; three and threequarters per cent. on the participating preferred ordinary shares; five per cent. on the ordinary shares. • NEW HAULAGE ASSOCIATION IN NORTH-EAST SCOTLAND

COVERING haulage contractors in ‘....the Aberdeen, North-east Scotland, area, a new organization has been established under the name of North

east of Scotland Road Transport Association. Its function will be the con stant safeguarding of all trade interests in the area, and one of the first proposals is the establishment of a rates schedule.

The plan was approved at a largely attended meeting recently held in .

Aberdeen, when Mr. Norman F. Wisely was appointed president, with Mr.

John C. Fiddes as vice-president. The executive committee numbers ten members, five of them from Aberdeen.

Mr. James Philip, solicitor, Aberdeen, was appointed secretary and treasurer. The association will, we learn, deal entirely with local matters and will not in any way cut across the work of national organizations.

SPUR RMR MEMORIAL FUND FINAL FIGURE AFINSL payment to the Institute of Transport by The Henry Spurrier Memorial Fund has brought the total amount to the satisfactory figure of £17,356, the income from which will be employed for the promotion of study and research, for educational purposes, in connection with road transport in all its aspects.

B.E.T. GROUP DOES WELL IN NATIONAL SAVINGS

SINCE the inception of the companies' National Savings_ schemes, the.32,000 employees' of the bus companies in the British Electric Traction group have saved no less than £262,175. The savings for the three months ended March 31, 1943, totalled £42,765. In the case of three of the companies, the " Aldershot," "East Midland" and " Maidstone," the average savings per contributor ranged from 8s. 4d. to 13s. 3d. per week, whilst the overall weekly average for the whole group was 4s. Bd.

DUNDEE PROCEEDS WITH TAX BRIDGE PLAN.

IN spite of the fact that other councils have decided that they cannot undertake any financial commitments at present, Dundee has drawn up revised financial proposals, omitting contributions by outside local authorities, for the proposed Tay road bridge, and is

pushing ahead. • . The new proposals are based on an estimated cost of 43,000,000 and on

• alternative Government contributions of 75 and 80 per cent, of the total. Dundee's proposed. contribution is £6,250 annually for 40 years, leaving, in case of.a. 75 per cent. Government grant, 'a balance of £616,500 to be met from tolls and in case of an 80 per cent. grant, a balance of £466,500. It is estimated that, in the first case, a sum of £29,000 'a year. in tolls for 40 years would be needed to liquidate the loan of £616,500, and £22,000 in the case of the alternative deficit of £466,500. .

*PERSONAL PARS Mn. R. A. PIERSON, managing director of Pierson Haulage (1933), Ltd., who was involved in a car accident at Easter time, is still -in hospital at Winchester. We understand, however, that he is progressing.

favourably and hopes to resume 'busi . Bess very 900n.

MR. tlIARLES G. Rep:carp, managing director''of 'the Renold addCOventry Chain Co., Ltd., is, to_ 5uccqea Mr. C. Bentham as chairman of the Engineering and Metals Section of the Manchester Chamber of Commerce 1 the latter has resigned on account of his duties as Deputy Director-General of-Machine Tool Control.

Mn. H, A. UNWIN, of York, has succeeded Mr. E. J. Crabtree, of Sheffiel,d, as chairman of the Mobilization Committee of the M.A.A.'s York

shire.. Division. This Committee collaborates with the M.O.W.T. in the Northeastern Division, on the utilization Of vehicle-repair facilities. elvIr. Crabtree has resigned the chairmanship because of his additional duties in his own business.

CAPTAIN VIETOR SHEPERD has resigned front the Board of the Triplex Safety Glass Co., Ltd., and companies associated with it, and has been appointed a director of British Indestructo Glass, Ltd. He was a pioneer in the development of safety glass for road vehicles and worked in close association with the late Mr. Reginald Delpech, succeeding him on the latter's death, eight years ago, as general manager of the Triplex company, which he had joined in 1922. Captain Sheperd has been associated with thp,Safety Fiast movement since its early days, and has for many, years served on the Accessory and Component Manufacturers' Committee of the S.M.M. and T.

SCOTTISH OPERATORS NOW KNOW THE REASON

.AST week, the M.O.W.T. Haulage -Scheme bringing • road transport over 0naileS under Government control, was explained by Mr. A. Henderson. Regional Transport Commissioner, when he gave an address to a meeting of hauliers held, in Glasgow, under the auspices of the Scottish C.M.U.A.

The most difficult problem at the present time, said Mr. Henderson, was the shortage of rubber, and so serious was the position that the Ministry had to face the simple fact that consumption of rubber could not be continued at even the war-time rate that obtained up to the spring of last year. Drastic economies had to be figured out and achieved and, naturally, first cuts were made on the lessvaluable uses that were being made of tyres. It had been found, however, that they must cut the use of tyres even for some more essential purposes, and it was decided that to accomplish that end control of the industry must be extended.

• The purpose of the scheme was to use road vehicles as little as possible and thus save rubber, and to use alternative means for transport as much as possible.

Mr. Robert Smith presided, -and.Mr. J. B. Hastie,-DiVisiolial Road-Ihulage Officer for.'Seotland, and Mr:. Forbes Clark, one of. the financial adVisers in connection with the scheme, .were also PreSent.*

COST OF HAULAGE SCHEME NOT YET KNOWN

LAST week in the House of Commons Mr. Noel-Baker, Parliamentary Sec. retary, M.O.W.T„ in reply to Sir Adam Maitland, Faversham, gave the following details concerning the rate of progress with the Government's Haulage Scheme:—Two hundred and seventy-six haulage undertakings are now controlled by agreement; 268 road haulage units are in operation. Applications by carriers to have their vehicles hired are now being received, and hiring will shortly begin. It will not be possible to give the annual cost of the organization until it has been in operation for a year. Apart from the amounts payable to the controlled undertakings under their agreements, which are incourse of ascertainment, and the standing charges payable in respect of the hired vehicles, the numbers and carrying capacity of which are not yet known, an important part of the total cost will depend upon the operating expenses, which, in turn, will depend upon the mileage run.

VERSATILITY OF THE MODERN TRACTOR 'THOSE interested in farming are I reminded that a paper entitled "The Versatility of the Modern Tractor," will be read before the I.A.E., at the Royal Society of Arts, John Adam Street, Adelphi, London, W.C.2, at 6.15 p.m., on Tuesday, June 1, by Mr. S. J. Wright, M.A., Director of the National Institute of Agricultural Research. Invitation cards can be obtained from the Acting Secretary, Institution of Automobile. Engineers, 12, Hobart Place, London, S.W.I, by .ending a stamped, addressed envelope.

PAPER FROM BUSINESS CONCERNS

DAPER coming from business houses

is usually of high quality, and should go to a wastepaper merchant so as to ensure official sorting and grading. A merchant will usually collect from a few hundredweight to as many tons as can .be obtained, and will pay the current rates. He will also guarantee that confidential material will be reduced to pulp or otherwise destroyed without delay, and, if required, an official of the business house can attend to see that this is carried out.

AIRCRAFT IDENTIFICATION DARTS I and 2 of "Aircraft Identi fication," revised edition, are now on sale at 2s. each from all booksellers, or 2s. 2d. from -the publishers, Temple Press Ltd., Bowling Green Lane, London, E.C.1. They deal with British monoplanes and German monoplanes, respectively.

WHERE PETROL AND OIL ENGINES DIFFER

ATHIRD impression of the first edition of "Petrol and Oil Engine Differences," by Mr. D. S. D. Williams, A.M.I.A.E., of "The Oil Engine," will probably be available on May 31 at Is. 6d. net. This is a concise and easily understood booklet which answers most of the questions concerning its subject.

MR. E. L. CADWALLADER'S FAMILY BEREAVED fiANY expressions of sympathy from alfriends in the industry have been received by Mr. E. L. Cadwallader and his eldest daughter, Olive. on the loss of her husband, Lieut. D. Douglas White, a British Fleet Air Arm pilot, who craahed while flying a United States 'plane on routine patrol on the U.S.A. coast.

M.O.W.T. FILM WHICH CONCERNS WOMEN REPAIRERS AMOST interesting, coloured, silent film has been prepared by the staff of Mr. F. G. Smith, Director of Vehicle Maintenance, M.O.W.T. It deals with the employment of female labour in vehicle maintenance anti repair, and will be shown throughout the country to those interested in this subject.

REPLANNING ROADS IN BUILT-UP AREAS

WITH the concurrence of the MinisVV ter of Town and Country Planning and the Secretary of State for Scotland, the Minister. of War Transport has appointed a Committee to consider the design and layout most appropriate to various types of road in built-up areas, with due regard to safety, economy and the requirements of town planning. The chairman is Sir Frederick Cook, *CAB., D.S.O. The Committee will deal more particularly with those places which have been widely damaged by air raids, and the members include representatives of the Planning Ministers and the architectural and planning professions.

VERSATILE REPRESENTATIVE AVAILABLE WE refer those interested to an adverVV tiser under "uations Wafted" (Box No. 5493), and would add that we have know!' this man for many years, during which he has had extensive, experience as a head travelling representative, area manager, and general manager to a distributor, all in the commercial-vehicle field, and is weaknown to many municipal councils and .hauliers.

RANSOMES, SIMS AND JEFFERIES 1942 TRADING THE report of Ransomes, Sims and Jefferies, Ltd., for 1942 show1 that income for the year, after making provision, for depreciation, reserve for E.P.T., and other items, amounted to 2107,735, from which £62,750 is deducted for interest on debenture stock, transfer to reserve for income tax and directors' fees, leaving a balance of profit for the year of £44,985. Deducting the dividend on the preference shares and adding the amount brought in, there is a balance of £94,109. Of this sum, £18,750 will be absorbed by the payment of a dividend of 7+ per cent. (less tax) on the ordinary stock, whilst £20,000 is transferred to the reserve for post-war reconstruction and contingencies, leaving £55,359 to be carried forward.