NEWS of the WEEK
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INADEQUATE TAXI PETROL RATIONS
REPLYING in the House of Commons last week, to a question from Capt. Strickland, the Secretary for Mines said the monthly allowance for taxicabs in the Metropolitan Police Area was 90 gallons, and 5,360 taxis were so rationed.
Private hire cars, he added, were allowed petrol on a scale according to horse-power, which varied from 33 gallons a month for the 1-9 h.p. group, to 60 gallons for cars of 20 h.p. and over. This scale applied to all private hire cars, whether fitted with taximeters or not.
Capt. Strickland suggested a more generous grant, because this type of vehicle was used largely in the public service, and particularly by hospitals. Mr. Lloyd expressed willingness to consider representations on a factual basis.
Vauxhall's Trading Profit Exceeds £2,000,000 in 1939
ACCORDING to the report of Vauxhall Motors, Ltd., for the year ended December 31, 1939, the company made a trading profit of £2,093,965 in the year. After deducting depreciation, maintenance and various items of expense. amounting to £1,083,547, there remains a balance of £1,012,134, representing net profit. From this sum, provision for income tax and N.D.C. for the year takes £522,309, provision for employees' profit-sharing scheme £30,330, and mortgage debenture sinking fund provision and interest
Al2 (paid and accrued) for the year, £18,760. The balance is thus £440,735, and out of this a dividend of 15 per cent. (less tax) is to be paid on the ordinary stock, which will take 2140,625. The amount to be carried forward is £1,283,235, contrasted with £996,175 brought into the accounts.
In the report mention is made of the fact that the company was in a strong position just • prior to the outbreak of the war, having successfully introduced a new and improved range of Bedford vehicles. It was prepared for the heaviest period of sales in its history, but since that time normal sales channels, both home and export, have been seriously disrupted. There remains no lack of demand or actual orders, particularly for export, and the directors hope that difficulties which prevent this export demand from being more fully met will soon be overcome.
Only Workers Attend Wages Board AMEETING of the Yorkshire Wages Area Board was fixed for last week, in Leeds, but only the workers' side of the Board attended. The absence of any employers' representative was due to the fact that, as we reported in our issue for last week, the employers' side of the Yorkshire Area Board decided, on March 7, to resign from the Board forthwith. This action was a protest against the procedure adopted in connection with the trade unions' application for an increase on the scales laid down in the Road Haulage 'Wages Act.
BID FOR HIGHER CHARGES FOR REPAIRS
WITH the object of strengthening
V the motor trade's position on the question of increasing the charges for vehicle repairs to meet war-time conditions, a step was suggested by the Bradford Section of the Motor Agents Association at its meeting last week. In view of the opposition by insurance companies to the Motor Agents' Association's recommendation of a 15 per cent, increase on schedule repair charges, and their contention that the increase should not be more than 10 per cent., the Section requested M.A.A. headquarters to ask vehicle manufacturers to support the 15 per cent. rise. The general feeling of the meeting was that an increase of more than 15 per cent. would he justified by increases already experienced in wages costs and oVerhead charges.
Over 180,000 Miles of Roads in Great Britain AATAR conditions have delayed the V V preparation of the Road Fund
report for the year ended March 31, 1939. In a prefatory note to the report, which has now been issued, it is made clear that the war has also brought about a drastic revision of future programmes.
The total length of public roads in
Great Britain is now over 180,000 miles, of which some 4,500 miles are trunk roads, 23,000 other Class I roads, nearly 18,000 Class II roads and 135,000 miles unclassified roads. The total shows an increase of about 900 miles on the previous year's figure, it being almost wholly in connection with classified roads.
Payments out of the Road Fund
totalled approximately £20,000,000, including £4,845,000 for trunk roads, £15,888,000 representing grants to highways authorities for other roads, £285,000 for police .(traffic) expenditurt, and 470,000 for research and eyperiments.
Big Sugar-beet Losses Due to Inadequate Protection rrliAT a conservative calculation gave the loss of 28 lb. of beet on the roads for every unnetted lorry arriving at the Cantley factory, was stated in a letter received from the British Sugar Corporation by Blofield and Flegg (Norfolk) Rural District Council, which had asked for the co-operation of the former in enforcing the netting of lorries.
The letter stated that last season the Corporation received over 58,000 consignments by road, and it was estimated that only half of •these were properly netted. The loss represented a weekly ration of sugar for about 163,000 persons, or more than a week's ration for the popdlation of Norwich. . RAILWAYS WORRIED OVER WAR-USED VEHICLES WHEN making reference to the VV extent of mechanization of the army to-day, at a meeting of the London and North Eastern Railway Co., a few days ago, Sir Ronald W. Matthews drew attention to the fact that there will, in due course, be vast numbers of road-transport vehicles for disposal. He emphasized that, unless these machines are disposed of under careful control, the railways, in the absence of protective legislation, may suffer severely, and the nation with them.
Facilities to Combat Operators' Wartime Difficulties
TO help operators maintain their transport activities under the difficult conditions of the present time, Routes, Ltd., Lord's Court, St. John's Wood Road, London, N.W.8, is offering services in a variety of forms, which appear to meet most of the pOssible needs.
Apart from the effort the company is making to accelerate deliveries of new Commer and Karrier chassis, it is in a position to supply the Sunbeam 12-15-cwt. battery electric. With regard to producer gas, it can offer any make of equipment, together with special cylinder heads and manifolds, for Commer engines, expressly designed for gas.
As a means for increasing the carrying capacity of existing vehicles, it can supply the Commer-Scammell " rigid six " conversion, of which it is a distributor. It has also available a selection of used commercial vehicles. Finally, it has organized a special repair service to facilitate the efficient operation of old vehicles which, in normal times, would probably be taken off the road.
After-war Prospects for Road Transport
ANOTEWORTHY forecast of transport conditions after the war was made by Mr. W. Vane Morland, general manager and chief engineer of Leeds Passenger Transport Department, in a speech at the annual dinner of. the Leeds and District Section of the Institute of Transport on Friday of last week,
" There has been, on occasions," he said, " a tendency to create a certain hostility between the great city undertakings, the company operators, and 1 the railways. Some have suggested we should amalgamate, some have suggested the rather specious remedy of nationalization. I, for one, think that after this war, when we get settled down again, there will be a totally new understanding of things in transport. " Before the war we were, to some extent, seriously over-bused in many districts. After the war, I think, we shall come down to a more serious state of mind and there will be a far more economical apportionment of services. That goes both for railways and road services, and, perhaps, I should mention the canals as well." Further reference to after-war prospects was made by Alderman Rowland Winn, a prominent Leeds motor trader and a member of Leeds Transport Committee, when he emphasized that a new outlook on transport matters would be necessary. When peace returned, he added, we must never get into the same tangle ofcompetition again—road versus rail, or any other type of transport.
Mr. F, S. Eastwood, North-eastern Regional Transport Commissioner, remarked that " we have got all the assistance we can get from rail, but, at the same time, we cannot manage without road. We cannot afford to lose road transport, whether it be passenger or goods."
Guest of Honour at P.S.T.A. Luncheon
THE principal guest of the Public Service Transport Association at its Congress Luncheon on May 2 will be the Minister of Transport.
Passenger Transport Conference to
1"HE virtual ban on so many impor tant trade functions that seemed to be automatically imposed when the war started is gradually being lifted. Now, we learn that the Annual Conference of the Municipal Passenger Transport Association will be held in London on June 20-21. No details as to the venue are as yet to hand, but these will be published so soon as they become available.
Tyresoling Saves Imports
WR were guests at the staff dance of Tyresoles, Ltd., Palace of Engineering, Wembley, held at the Capitol, Wembley, on March 15.
It was a most cheerful and enjoyable function, enlivened by an encouraging speech from the managing director's father, Sir George Hamilton, M.P., a personal friend of the Premier; he also distributed the prizes.
Sir George referred to the great saving on imports which was resulting from the work of the company, which represented about three tons of imports per employee. " SQUARE-DEAL " CAMPAIGN IN COLD STORAGE
nEALING with the " square-deal" L./campaign at the annual general meeting of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway Co., held a few days ago, Lord Stamp pointed out that, before the Government could give attention to the recommendations of the Transport Advisory Council, the war had intervened.
The Road and -Rail Central Conference and the Regional Committees associated with it had all got down to their task. The co-ordination of transport facilities has, however, now assumed a different aspect, hut the Organization is continuing to function, and foundations have been soundly laid for dealing with the problem.
He did not regard the effort put into the " square-deal " movement as wasted. He thought it had gone into cold storage, but the work done in hammering out the beginnings of the new methods cannot be thrown away. Moreover, he added, the 'railways will take care that it is not.
Joint Association Organization Praised
AT the recently held dinner and dance, organized by the Hull A.R.O. and C.M.U.A. joint organization, Major F. S. Eastwood, NorthEastern Regional Transport Commissioner, spoke appreciatively of the amalgamation which bad taken place between the two associations in Hull, and said it was definitely in the interests of the road-haulage industry. It was a good step forward, for it was obvious that a united association would have much better luck in approaching such people as himself, for instance!
Councillor Holdsworth made a strong appeal to the motor owner to ensure that there was no waste of effort, particularly in the use of fuel.
The gathering was presided over by Mr. A. Norman Annison, chairman of the new joint organization.
Validity of Petrol Coupons: New Method of Stamping
THE Mines Department issues . a reminder concerning the validity of petrol coupons. It is made clear that all coupons contained in basic-ration books are valid only for the period printed on the coupon. Coupons for goods and public-service vehicles (X and Y units), issued by the Ministry of Transport, are valid for a calendar month from the date of issue stamped on the coupons.
In the case of supplementary coupons (E, S and T units) and all coupons issued for agricultural purposes (F units) they are valid for two calendar months from the date of issue stamped on the coupons.
Hitherto, all coupons, other than those in respect of the basic rations, have been stamped with the date of issue, but a new method of stamping is shortly to be introduced, and coupons will then bear the date on which the validity of the coupon expires.