Road Transport Activities
Page 63
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IN PARLIAMENT
By Our Special Parliamentary Correspondent
London Passenger Transport Bill.
TilE committee stage of the London Passenger Transport Bill having opened this week, and the matter being one of such importance to our industry, the discussion is dealt with separately on another page.
Position of the Railways.
IN the course of the debate on the .Address, Sir John Withers, who is chairman of the railway group of members, referred to what he described RS a very serious omission in the Speech from the Throne. That was the question of legislation with regard to the railways, He said the position of the railways was an extremely serious one. The earnings were decreasing and if affairs went on in the same way the position in a little time would be desperate. The matter ought to be looked at from three points of view— the national point of view, the paint of view of employees and the point of view of the proprietors. The national efficiency must seriously be affected if the railways were allowed to go on as they were; unemployment must steadily increase and, in fact, a large number of men had already been thrown out of employment.
How Shareholders are Affected.
WITH regard to the holders of the stock, the position was very serious indeed. In 1931, no dividends were paid on £111,000,000 of capital and on £95,000,000 only one-quarter was paid. For the first six months of 1932, no interim dividend was paid on £391.000,000 of capital, as compared with £371,000,000 of capital for the first six months of 1931. Au important Commission, known as the Salter Coin,. mission, reported at the end of July end made certain unanimous recommendations. He did not for a moment say that they should be tied to the different unanimous suggestions, but something must really be done without any further delay He wished to reiterate the appeal recently made by Lord Buckmaster in the House of Lords, and to beg of the Government, notwithstanding the omission from the gracious Speech of reference to the railways, to do something as early as possible during the present session.
Traffic Signals.
TT was suggested by Mr. Touche that .Lmotorists were uncertain whether, in the case of traffic signals with three lights, they might pass the yellow light when the signals were changing from green to red, and that regulations should be issued to make the position clear. Colonel Headlam said he was not aware of any general uncertainty as to the meaning of the yellow light shown after the green light. Explana tions had appeared in the Press on various occasions. The amber light meant '' Stop," unless at the moment when it first appeared a driver was se close to the signal that he could not stop with safety. When the Highway Code was revised, he would consider the question of giving the matter further publicity by dealing with it therein,
Guard Rails for Vehicles.
IT is pointed out in a news sheet of the National Farmers' Union that under regulations 36 and 43 of the Motor Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations, 1931, it was laid down that from January 1, 1933, goods vehicles which have space of more than 2 ft. between their wheels on either side had to be fitted with a guard rail or similar device to protect such space effectively within 15 ins, of the ground. As a result of representations made by the National Farmers' Union and the Commercial Motor Users Association, the Minister of Transport has decided to revoke for thc present the Regulations.
IT will be recalled that, in dealing with the chassis technicalities at the Scottish Motor Stow in our issue dated November 18, we illustrated a new type of universal coupling, incorporating rubber bushes, which was seen on certain Cornmer models. This joint has been developed by the Laycock Engineering Co., Victoria Works, Millhouses, Sheffield, 8, and incorporates blocks of resilient non-cold-flow rubber, the construction being clearly shown in an accompanying sketch.
The blocks are equally placed in rela
Road-Rail Debate, December 14.
ATR. O'CONNOR, who has first ..iIlplace for private members' motions on Wednesday, December 14, will call attention to the problems of road and rail transport, and move a resolution.
Sir Charles Oman will follow the discussion with a motion that "this House, realizing the intolerable nuisance and damage caused to the King's lieges by the traffic, both in urban districts and on country roads, of motor vehicles too large in dimensions, too heavy in weight, and driven at excessive speed, demands prompt legislation designed to curtail the size, weight, and speed of motor vehicles which cause danger and annoyance to the public."
Tests +A Wheel Impacts, THE attention of the Minister of Transport has been called by Sir Joseph Lamb to statistics published by the American Bureau of Public Roads as to the relative amount of damage done to roads by six-wheeled and four-wheeled vehicles, and he has asked if tests regarding this subject have been made. Mr. Pybus said that apparatus for the measurement of wheel impact was now available and a programme of tests had been entered upon.
tion to a common axis, and the housing which holds them is light yet strongly made, so that, even when operating with considerable angularity, the coupling runs smoothly. The maker claims that tests have shown no detectable loss of power, even when the angularity is as high as 16 degrees. The fact that there is no metal contact between one flange and the other accounts for the insulation of noise and vibration which is obtained. Reversal stresses in the transmission also are cushioned.