OPINIONS and QUERIES
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Criticizing the Proposed London Traffic Bill. Our Argentine Article Supported. The Popularity of the Eight wheeler.
Positions for Skilled Men. Increased Taxes Favour Foreign Vehicles. The Archaic Taxic.abs of England. Vehicle Costs.
A Criticism of the Proposed Bill Dealing with London's Traffic.
The Editor, TEE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
[33141 Sir,—As a regular reader of The Commercial Motor I should very much appreciate the opinions of your London readers regarding the proposed Bill dealing with the public control of London's traffic undertakings. This is a very serious Bill, dealing, as it will, with the control of the traffic of London by a committee indirectly responsible to the Minister of Transport.
The system of traffic control in London is the finest in the world, due to the good management of the Underground combine and the goodwill of all motorvehicle owners, who are giving London the best buses and service of any public undertaking in the history of transport.
Snrely this great heritage of private enterprise should not be handed over to a committee, even though that committee, we are told, will have as its chairman an experienced traffic adviser?
There are two important points which naturally arise : (1) Consideration for the travelling public, even those who use the services for shopping during the Slack hours of the day. Will the new controller give them the same service as at present?
(2) Consideration for the staff of the undertakings. This I am sure is a point that everyone has at heart, for we all know that to combine is to lessen employment, and after all is said the staffs are the servants of the public, and it should be the duty of the travelling public to safeguard them.
Mr. Morrison says they will be safeguarded, but let Mr. Morrison tell us how.
Let us look at this delicate position with sympathy for the Minister of Transport, but with a clear-headed understanding for the travelling public, the undertakings and the staffs.
The L.C.C. condemned the Bill as 'unworkable, and London readers of The Commercial Motor will no doubt bring pressure to bear on members of Parliament to see that, for the sake of road transport, this
Bill will never see daylight. DAVID MACKENZIE. London, W.6.
A 1931 Export Field—The Argentine.
The Editor, TILE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
1-33151 Sir,—In the letter upon the above subject contained in your issue of January 13th the writer seems somewhat annoyed at your endeavour to assist commercial vehicle manufacturers to open a market in the Argentine for their products.
Surely the fact that his company is represented in that country by a very large, old-established and highly respected British Co. with offices in London is the next best thing to the makers being on the spot themselves and tends to confirm your recommendations rather than otherwise.
• His company, being so well placed, is not concerned n38
whether or not there is any other concern in existence which could or would undertake the sale of other. British makes of vehicle in the Argentine.
I wholly agree with the writer that it is best to work in conjunction with well-established and live representatives who already have the confidence and long-acquired personal knowledge of the requirements and temperament of the people of the country, but no manufacturer would dream of rushing out to a foreign country, opening branches everywhere and attempting to sell without the assistance of such local representatives.
It is hopeless, however, to stay in England and expect these live representatives to come along to the manufacturers begging to buy chassis, stock spare parts, advertise and sell their products and chance what support the manufacturers will give them for their outlay and trouble. If they wish to be interested in the motor business and the sale of motor vehicles they can do far better by selling North 'American machines the manufacturers of which are already there to render assistance.
The people of the Argentine hold a high opinion of British machinery and they would appreciate the opportunity of purchasing British goods provided they can do so with the same facilities and advantages as they get with other goods.
British manufacturers are spending a lot of money upon the coming exhibition. If they expect Argentine firms to rush upon them with orders for chassis and promises of investing money in pushing British goods they will be mistaken.
If, however, manufacturers treat this exhibition as advertising and follow the matter up by remaining on the spot with a firm determination to obtain a fair share of the orders for vehicles in the future, the live concerns will not be slow in becoming interested, taking up agencies and investing their energies and money in selling British goods. H. J. TROW. London, S.W.4.
Eight-wheelers in Service.
The Editor, TEE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
[33161 Sir,—With reference to the letter of Messrs. T. Watts and Sons in your issue of January 13th, we notice that in his reply " S.T,R." makes a statement that no authentic information is available as to the cost of operating eight-wheelers. He also accounts for this by stating that there are so few of them on the road that nothing has yet been published or even stated.
As manufacturers of this type of vehicle, we must register a strong protest against these statements which are not at all in accordance with the facts.
Scammell eight-wheelers have been produced now for the past 34years, and the number in use runs into several hundreds, many of these being operated by some of the largest and most experienced transport operators in the country. The vehicle, therefore, far from being an obscure, little-known type, as " S.T.R." implies, is known by haulage contractors and other commercial-vehicle users throughout the length and breadth of this country. In view of this, therefore, the remark as to no information being available as to runn:ng costs is not correct. As to the estimated figures given, these, in comparison with the actual costs being obtained by users of this type of vehicle, are on the high side, especially in the case of petrol, which is approximately (taking petrol at 1s. per gallon) 2d. to 2id. per mile.
D. NORMAN POLLOCK, Sales Department.
London, W.C.1. (For Scammell Lorries, Ltd.)
Is Experience an Advantage?
The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
[3317] Sir,—I have read with interest, and beg to endorse, the remarks of Mr. Arthur Wilkes, also of "Diesel," in your issues of January 6th and 13th. There are hundreds of thoroughly skilled practical and technical men, all over the country, with anything up to 30 years' experience, who are either unwanted or (which is nearly as unsatisfactory) working in subordinate positions.
I have had 27 years' practical experience, have had charge of 100 L.G.O.C. buses en night shift, have been general foreman of a North of England bus-repair works working 750 buses, and yet, in order to live, I have to bury myself in a fitter's job at 1s. 5xd. per hour.
In addition to this I am constantly working under foremen and managers who know little_ or nothing about their jobs, often having to do work which I know is bad practice and mechanically unsound, and which is subsequently proved to be such.
Many of the men who obtain the best jobs are those who are the most plausible bluffers, and the British employer seems to prefer these men to practical men who know their work.
Why is this? Is it because the up-to-date employer prefers a man who has to crawl to keep his job, thus pandering to his egotistical conceit? Because it is well known that in many cases any suggestion from a subordinate is frowned upon and he is told that he is not paid to think. DISGUSTED. Loudon, S.W.20.
A Tax Increase which would Favour Foreign Vehicles.
The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
[3318] Sir,—Whilst I am in agreement with most of the final report of the Royal Commission on Transport, there are two points in connection with the recommendation for 'the increased taxation of heavy motorcars which I feel the members of the Commission have overlooked.
In the first place it was, I believe, stated quite definitely in evidence before the Commission that 75 per cent. of goods vehicles on the road to-day are owned by firms and by individuals carrying their own goods. Now I submit that no increase in taxation up to the maximum of £120 mentioned in the report will cause these owners to get rid of their vehicles and go back to rail. It is obvious that the convenience of road delivery is such that they could not afford to do so. The result, therefore, of increasing the duty, in so far as 75 per cent, of the heavy vehicles are concernod, will simply be to levy a further tax on industry at a time when the burden is already excessive without putting a single ton back on to the rail.
The second point the Commission appears to have missed is that nearly all British lorries outside the light-delivery-van class, owing to their sturdy design, have an unladen weight exceeding four tons, whilst the great majority of mass-production vehicles of foreign manufacture running in this country are in the truck class with an unladen weight much below four tons. It might not appear at first sight that these trucks seriously compete with the larger, British vehicle, but recently there have appeared on the mar
ket several attachments which can be fitted to the 30-cwt. or 2-ton truck. thereby converting it to a sixwheeler and enabling it to carry, so it is claimed, three four, and even, I believe, five tons net load.
It is obvious that any increase in taxation on vehicles of over four tons unladen weight 'will lead to a greater demand for this type of vehicle with its comparatively light unladen weight and law initial cost, and a corresponding decrease in the sales of British-built machines.
It is really remarkable in these days that, no matter from what source it emanates, every suggestion appears to be aimed at increased taxation on British industry and the penalizing of British manufacturers in competition with their foreign competitors.
This recommendation of the Royal Commission will most certainly do both, without, I am confident, causing one more man to be employed by the railway companies or adding one penny to their revenue.
ROGER W. SEWILL, Managing Director. (London and Southern Counties Transport Co., 'Ltd.) Reigate.
England's Decrepit Taxis.
The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
[33191 Sir,—When is Britain to have a better taxicab service? There has been a notable improvement recently in London—a number of the most decrepit cabs has been replaced by vehicles that are clean and comparatively fast—but the majority of London taxis, and all the taxis in the big provincial cities, are still the worst in the world.
Chicago, on the other hand, possesses, in addition to its gangsters, racketeers, hi-jackers and gunmen, some of the finest taxis, driven by the most courteous drivers to be found anywhere.
The reason lies in' an advertising campaign. One of Chicago's big taxicab companies, with 3,000 cabs, flooded the city some time ago with posters showing a well-equipped cab with a smart driver, and bearing the slogan "A courteous ride with a competent guide3,000 guardians of public safety." Each cab carried a reproduction of the poster in its rear window.
The effect of the campaign on the drivers was astonishing. Having the posters constantly before their eyes, and realizing how much the campaign was going to benefit them, they smartened up their cars, bought themselves new uniforms, became more alert and obliging, and were ever on the look-out for opportunities of helping the public, and particularly the private motorist, in whom they recognized their most regular customer.
Cannot the British taxicab owners start a similar campaign? Anything that is likely, to smarten up our taxis and their drivers and to substitute efficiency and courtesy for the gruffness and slowness one so often meets with to-day would be an undoubted blessing to the public, quite apart from the •fact that it would make taxis much more popular.
London, &WA., D. BINGHAM.
A Cost Comparison of Light Vehicles.
The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
[3320] Sir,—Will you please give me the standing charges for a 30-cwt. truck and a ton truck, the cost per mile for each, and what should each earn to give me a profit of £2 10s. for 30-cwt. and 12 for the tomer;
driver's wages £2 15s.? THOS. J. BRACE. [The figures for which you ask are given in the Tables, of
which a copy has been sent to you. Reduced to a time and mileage basis, they work out as follow :— One-tonner.
Standing charges per hour, 1s. 9d. Establishment charges at, say, £1 per week, approximately fid. per hour. Profit, £2 per week, say is. per hour. Total 3s. 3d. per hour charge, plus 3d. per mile.
30-cwt.
Standing charges per hour, 2s., establishment charges 6d., profit, say 1s. 3d. per hour, total 3s. Pd, per hour, plus 31d. per mile.—S.T.RA