North of England Activities.
Page 16
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To-day' s Meeting in Bradford—Last Saturday's N. and E. L. C.M.U.A. Dinner at Blackburn.
To-day (Thursday) at two o'clock, at the Mechanics Institute Saloon, Bradford, an important meeting of local owners of commercial motors will be held in accordance with the following notice : Prudential Buildings, Bradford, 22nd January, 1913. PROPOSED WEST RIDING COMMERCIAL MOTOR USERS ASSOCIATION.
Dear Sir or Gentlemen,— As you are no doubt aware, the Bradford Corporation included in their 1913 Parliamentary Bill certain clauses which very adversely affected the owners of mechanically. propelled wagons. A meeting of local owners was hurriedly called on the evening prior to the ratepayers' meeting, when it was decided to protest strongly against these clauses. At a meeting of the Finance Committee of the Corporation the following day, these clauses were ordered to be withdrawn. It is felt, however, that a real necessity exists for an association of local owners in the West Riding to be formed for mutual protection.
Future defensive action with regard to legislation or taxation should not be left to meetings called haphazard, and at the meeting of wagon owners referred to the opinion was expressed that an association should he formed as soon as possible, so that organized opposition may be offered to any unreasonable proposals in the future. I shall he glad if you or your representatives will attend a meeting which will be held on Thursday, 30th January, at 2 p.m. in the saloon of the Mechanics' Institute, Bradford. The chair will be taken by Henry Whitehead, Esq., and an address will be given by the well-known motor transport expert, E. S. Shra.pnell-Smith, Esq., hon. treasurer of the Commercial Motor Users Association, London, hon. treasurer of the Roads Improvement Association, London. and Editor of Tim COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
Should any of your friends not have received this circular, I shall be glad if you will advise them accordingly.—Yours truly, C. C. FELL, Hon. Sec. pro tern.
At the White Bull Hotel, Blackburn, on Saturday last, the annual dinner of the North and East Lancashire Commercial Motor Users Association was held under happy auspices. Mr. T. W. Grace, of Manchester, the President of the Association, occupied the chair, and Messrs. F. S. Shrapnell-Smith and F. G. Bristow (Secretary, C.M.U.A.) were the principal guests of the evening. The company included important local owners of commercial motors in the Blackburn, Chorley, Darwen and Preston districts. There were present :—Messrs. Archer, J. Ashworth. Arthur Blackburn, H. R. Clnhley, P. Crossley. S. P. Dillon-Smith, J.
Fislawick, Fox, Gillespie, Gillies, (I.' le M. Gosselin, Grace, C. S. Haddock, P. H. Haydock, Holden, Hunter, T. Ingleby, j. S. Kay, Kinder, J. Orrell, G. H. Richards, W. Smith, Leo Swain, J. Turner, Walmsley, F. Wearing, G. F. Woolley, and J. H. A. Anderson, A.C.A., Lytham, Secretary of the local Association. • Following the dinner, and the usual loyal toasts, Mr. Shrapnell-Smith gave the toast of "The N. and E.L. C.1M.U.A." Be compared, at some length, present-day practice with the road-carrying for which he was re§po»sible in Blackburn and other parts of Lancashire more than ten years ago. He also announced that the Local Government Board was on the point 0 issuing an amending Order to legalize the use of the reversing gear of a steam engine as a brake.
Mr. Gosselin (H. Viney and Co., Ltd., Preston), in responding, appealed for the questions of improvement and maintenance of trunk roads to be treated as national questions, both on commercial and military grounds. The proposals of the County. Council Associations would render motor transport impossible, and they must be opposed in the interests of Lancashire trade. Traffic through the Boroughs might not he welcome to Borough ratepayers, hut that fact only emphasizes the demand for more State assistance. The local association, working in conjunction with the parent body, could do a lot to help carriers and general owners in the regularizing of water and other supplies; it might also do something to settle fair rates for services. Again, the local association was the body to help to remove congestion at terminal points such as at Manchester. In conclusion, he congratulated the late secretary, Mr. S. P. Dillon-Smith, on his new appointment under the National Health Insurance Act, and the new secretary, Mr. Anderson, upon his energy. They expected to get mane new members into the association.
Mr. T. W. Grace submitted the toast of "The C.M.U.A." It was of great value to a local association to be affiliated with the parent body, for the Incorporated Association had access to important aovernment Departments and to Parliament. The roads must be made to suit the traffic of the day, and it was not right that the authorities should ask them to use vehicles that would not suit the trade of Lancashire. The situation reminded him of the Irishman who complained that the water pipes and cisterns in his house were leaking in all directions, and that his cocks and hens had been drowned to the value of £2 10s. The only reply he got from the local Water Board was that he could "go to the devil and keep ducks." They were only seeking to use vehicles which the trade of Lancashire demanded, and the roads must, admittedly with State help, be put right for them. Mr. Bristow, in replying, dealt with the work done by the Incorporated Association, and referred briefly to the close scrutiny of all Bills that were introduced into Parliament. He complimented the local association on its being the first to affiliate with the parent body. Mr. S. P. Dillon-Smith, the late secretary of the local association, proposed the toast of "Commercial Motor Manufacturers and Traders." He knew that owners were often upset because they got late delivery, and that they were all looking out for some fitting to use on steel-tired vehicles to enable them to run on snow. The responders to the toast might be able to help with some new information. The response was shared by Mr. Leo Swain (Polack tires) and Mr, A. H. Gillespie (Foilens). Mr. Swain thought that any lateness of delivery was testimony to the expanding demand for commercial motors, and the only remedy he knew for snow troubles was tn have ample stocks of spare wheels, with rubber tires. Many owners, of course, did not like to have the capital involved lying idle. Mr. Gillespie recalled incidents of the early Liverpool trials, dating back to 1898, and spoke of their value to the movement for all time. Be thought the machines now available were completely satisfactory and workmanlike, and were admitted to be so by owners. There was, of course, room for improvement in details. It remains to be said that apologies were received from Mr, Henry Spurrier, Jun., Mr. W. Eccles and Mr. G. Porteus, whilst excellent concert items were provided by Mr. C. Critchley, of Preston.