News of the Week
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NEW MINISTRY OF WAR TRANSPORT PLAN f WE gather that considerable progress Whoa been made with the new plan for the distribution of essential traffics. Control is to be placed in the hands of the Regional Transport Commissioners, who will have as their assistants the sub-district managers, group organizers and district transport officers. They, with the assistance of an advisory committee consisting of representatives of road transport, rail transport, canals and coastwise shipping, wilP allocate traffic according to the facilities available and the suitability of any or all of these forms of transport for the traffic which is offered.
No decision has yet been come to as to whether the Chartered Fleet or the Hauliers' National Traffic Pool shall be discontinued or preserved in some form or.other.
EXTRA CLOTHING COUPONS FOR MANUAL WORKERS
THE 10 extra clothing coupons for manual workers for the rationing period which began on June 1 covers a wide range, the trades and occupation? being set out in leaflet G.O.S.10, cbtainabic from local offices of the Ministry of Labour.
Men occupied in the construction, repair, sciapping and maintenance (including cleaning) of goods vehicles, buses and coaches, and garage workers, are mentioned as being eligible.
To obtain the coupons, employees must get from their employers Form E.D.277, and return this to them. Employers should obtain this from the Ministry of Labour's local offices, together with Form E.D.279 on which to apply for the extra coupons. Selfemployed workers must use Form E.D.278. All should be completed and returned to the local labour exchange before October 31.
BID TO STABILIZE PAYMENTS FOR IMPRESSED VEHICLES
THE suggestion that when a commercial vehicle is impressed by the Government its owner should receive not less than the amount which will enable him to replace it by a new one and have the right to a permit to obtain a new vehicle, was made by the Yorkshire Area Standing Joint Committee last week. Such a basis of pay.. meat, it was contended, was merited because experience showed that the best vehicles are more likely to be commandeered.
The varying amounts being paid for such vehicles were said to indicate the absence of any system in the matter. The committee decided, therefore, to bring the subject before the national Standing Joint Committee, with a request that the Government be asked to stabilize payment for impressed v'ehicles on the linos suggested by the Yorkshire body.
The position concerning the impressment of vehicles was discussed last. week by the Federation. of Yorkshire Road Transport Employers, when it
was decided to await theoutcome of the rational Standing Joint Committee's early consideration of the matter. The desirability of operators not individually agreeing to purchase terms before national agreement is reached between the industry and the Government was stressed.
GOVERNMENT CONTROLLING TOO MANY VEHICLES
AT a meeting of the Midland Area Committee of the National Conference of Road Transport Clearing Houses, held recently in Birmingham, under the chairmanship of Mr. W. Donaldson Wright, M.Inst.Te, an important resolution was passed. This was to the effect that attention should be drawn to the increasing use being made of vehicles under the direct control of Government Departments, other than the M. of W.T., to carry goods which could be more economically transported by the established roadhaulage industry.
COST-OF-LIVING FIGURE AS BASIS FOR WAGES 'THE suggestion that the national I Standing Joint Committee should take steps immediately to have road haulage wages related...to the cost-oflivieg index figure on a permanent basis, is made in a resolution adopted. last week, by the Federation of Yorkshire Road Transport Employers.
'The resolution also recommends that the atm ted representatives to the hauliers', Area Standing 'Joint Committees, recently established in the various traffic areas, should constitute the employers' panels of the Area Wages Boards.
A resolution in favour of making haulage wages payable on a cost-ofliving basis was also adopted at last week's meeting of the Lincolnshire Transport Asseciation.
NOTES ON 'THE GOVERNMENT ROAD HAULAGE SCHEME
Supplied by the Ministry of War Transport and the Hauliers' National Traffic Pool, to keep the industry informed of de;telopments, but not necessarily to be regarded as official pronouncements Cargo.—The general cargo and meat moved in the week ended September 11 totalled 165,767 tons. This is the highest weekly total sinceJune 26, when, as explained at the time, the total of 171,300 tons included a number of items carried in previous weeks under continuing contracts since completed. • Newport Traffic Office.—A local traffic office, with a traffic movement officer in charge, has been opened at 32, Cardiff Road, Newport, Mon. (Telephone, Newport 2468). This office will accept traffic on behalf of the area office at Cardiff.
Defence Lines.—Furtker enrolments for the Defence Lines in the week ended September 12 brought the total up to 43,353—an increase, of 353 on the previous week. ASSISTANCE IN OBTAINING DEFERMENTS
A SUGGESTION by A.R.O, is that LA when an employer receives a notice from the Ministry of Labour advising that an employee is deferred only until a certaiu date, he should immediately apply in writing to the manager of his local employment exchange foa substitute. If the exchange be unable to find a suitable person, there are good grounds for making application for a further deferment of the employee, as the lack of success can be recorded in N.S.300.
LABOUR-SUPPLY PROBLEMS OF MUNICIPAL BUS OPERATORS general managers of the 1munici pal passenger transport undertakings at Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds have asked for an interview with the Ministries of War Transport and Labour, with reference to increasingly difficult labour-supply problems.
" We find that the supply of fulltime labour is drying up, and eve cannotzfind sufficient part-time workers to fill the gaps," saikl Mr. W. Vane Morland, general manager and chief engineer -of the Leeds undertaking when interviewed by our Yorkshire correspondent. The effects of this labour shortage, which chiefly applies to women conductresses, are being aggravated by increased absenteeism.
Mr. Morland said the position had become so acute in Leeds that it had been found impossible to turn out the required number of vehicles for the morning and evening peak periods. Recently; '115 of the Leeds undertaking's conductresses had had to work on their rest day because of laboursupply difficulties.
APPEAL TO MINISTRY NOT TO WEAKEN THE INDUSTRY
LAST week, on the first occasion that Mr. G. N. Wilson occupied the chair as Ghairman.of the B.R.F., he referred to the great services which Earl Howe, P.C., C.B.E., had rendered to that body and to the road-transport industry. It was with regret that tht committee had accepted Earl Howe's own suggestion that while he is on active service he should vacate the' chair.
He referred also' to the lamentable death of Lord Eltisley, who, first in the House of Commons and later in the House of Lords, -had devoted his energies to further the needs of road' transport. He was chairman of the house of Lords Parliamentary Road Group and of the Modern Roads Movement.
Mr_ Wilson earnestly hoped that the M.^ of W.T. would make no decision likely to weaken the ability of road transport to respond to the future requirements of the national war effort. If goods vehicles cannot bt used all the time, then the task remains of organizing the resources so that they may he at any time available when the need arises.
In connection with .the Federation's Reconstruction Committee, it 'hadbeen fortunate in securing the collaboration of Sir Charles Bressey in the shaping of certain parts of its post-war policy. FODENS TRADING RESULTS IN the year ended May 31, 1942, the 'trading profit of Fodens, Ltd., amounted to £137,427, the net figure coming out at £30,18'2, after providing for income tax and E.P.T. and crediting interest on investments, etc. Adding this sum to the amount brought forward and transferring £1,000 to the war risks fund, the credit balance stands at £47,268. The payment of a dividend of 8 per cent. (less income tax) will absorb £12,296, and after • transferring £15,000 to the reserve (bringing this account up to £105,000) there is a carry forward of £19,972.
PETROL FOR CARS OF EAST MIDLAND HAULIERS
THE basis of petrol allowances for the service and management cars of haulage contractors and C-Licence holders with separate transport departments. introduced not long ago in the North-Eastern Division, is now applicable to the East Midland Division.
Mr. Jesse Hind, hon. secretary of the Lincolrishire Transport Association, said, last week, that he had received intimation to this effect. • BENEVOLENT FUNDS BENEFIT BY PAPER SALVAGE
AS a special inducement towards the saving of paper in various trades and professions, reference may be made to instances in which benevolent funds benefit considerably from sales of such material. For example, the Catering Trades Benevolent Fund has received £509 from the disposal of 120 tons of waste paper received from hotels, restaurants and other catering establishments, since the drive commenced. Proceeds from paper savings effected by trade unions are being given to the Manor House Hospital. Similar schemes could easily be applied in many trades and industries.
PRIVATE BUS SERVICE RUN FOR MINERS COR the benefit of miners between New Seaham, Seaham Harbour and the Parkside Housing Estate, Spham, the Northern General Transport Co., Ltd., has introduced a private bus service. The step has been necessary because many miners live a considerable distance from their place of employment, as a result of the development of housing estates outside the area. Tickets will be paid for in advance by the miners through their miners' lodge.
The introduction of a service for miners has been the subject of negotiations for some time between the local Coal Production Committee and the " Northern General " company.
BURROWS TRANSPORT MOVES The London accounts office and traffic department of Burrows Transport, Ltd., is now at 320-322, King Street, Hammersmith, W.6, where is one of the best-equipped garages and workshops in London. This will be shared and the staff telescoped with those of its associated companies, L.P.M. Transport,Ltd.; Furniture and General Transport, Ltd.; and Lawson Pigott Motors, Ltd. Telephone, Riverside 4111.