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News of the Week

ROAD TRANSPORT ASSOCIATION APPOINTMENTS

THE secretary of the National Road Transport Federation, Mr. G. W. Quick Smith, LL.B., M.Inst.T., is to take over the duties of the late Mi. F. G. Bristow, with the exception of the directorships of the T.R.T.A. and the P.V.O.A.At the request of -the Council of the Federation and by permission of the R.H.A., Mr. R. W. Sewill, MA.,, M.Inst.T., director of the latter, will act for the Federation as and when occasion demands and common action be called for.

Au announcement as to the chief executive officers of the T.R.T.A. and P.V.O.A. will be made shortly.

PASSENGER VEHICLES FOR TOURS AND PARTIES

THE interesting announcement has been made by the M.O.W.T. that passenger-vehicle operators may provide the following facilities without the prior sanction of the Commissioners:—

(a) Special buses for private party trips not exceeding 70 miles return (in London for holiday or recreational trips the total distance is limited to 50 miles); (b) -excursions and tours where the total mileage from and to the garage does not exceed 50. Beyond these limits, journeys will still require prior sanctions.

The extent to which advantage may be taken of these facilities is subject to .the condition that they must not interfere with the -full operation of stage carriage, special workers', andother essential services,

GROUPING SYSTEM IN PLACE OF GOVERNMENT SCHEME?

A ROAD-TRANSPORT group is to Pt be formed in Hull as the result of a recent meeting held under the chairmanship of Mr. J. W. Newham, former A.R.H.O. Mr. F. Rudman, chairman of the National Association of Road Transport Groups, gave an address to a well-attended gathering and stressed the many advantages of grouping.

He stated that the National Chamber of Trade, at its annual conference at Blackpool, had expressed alarm at the prospect, of small hauliers grouping .themselves together, as such a procedure was considered to be detriniental to the interests of the retail trade. It was notable, Mr. Rudman continued, that no word of complaint had ever been made against bulk buying facilities being offered to the large combines, yet a storm of protest was arising at the possibility of the small operator participating in the same facilities.. Mr. Newham stated that he did not share the view expressed by some hauliers that they would be released from the present control of transport in November next, which was the earliest date on which the Minister of Transport could terminate the hiring agreements. His personal experience gained during his tenure with the Ministry led him to believe that release from the control would not be an easy matter. It was up to the road trans port industry to have an alternative to offer to the Government scheme and he suggested it could be -found in the grouping system.

• PERSONAL PARS

MR. JOHN" ROBERT HOGAN, who for over 13 years has been -employed on long-distance driving foe Northern Motor Utilities, Ltd., of York, was awarded the British Empire Medal (Civil Division) in the recent Birthday Honours List. He is 36 years of age.

. MR, HORACE BOTTOMLEY, general manager of Ribble Motor Services. Ltd., has been appointed managing director of W. C. Standerwick, Ltd., Blackpool, managing director of Blackpool Omnibus Stations, Ltd., and a .director of Omnibus Stations, Ltd., Manchester.

MR. V. irV,. P1LKINGT0N, M.ENG., _M.I.MECH.E., M.I.A.E., who has been chief engineer to Leyland Motors, Ltd., since December, 1936, has been promoted to the position of director of engineering. This appointment will give him complete freedom of action to study the problems associated with the development of all forms of transport, at home and overseas, and so _permit him to act in an advisory capacity to the management in framing the company's manufacturing policy. In connection with the vacancy thus created, MR. S. MARK TA N D, A.M.I.MECH.E., ALI.A.E., M.S.A.E., assistant chief engineer, now becomes chief engineer. THE RELEASE OF MEN' FROM THE SERVICES

EMPLOYERS who desire the releaie of former individual employees under the Class .B arrangement should note carefully the following condi

tions :-•

(1) The sole criterion for release must be the national interest: Release out of turn will not be • allowed if there be other means bar meeting the situatiOn. Furthermore,' the Man must -be willing to be' released.

(2) The following rules, must also be complied with : (a) The 'man must be required for work that is vital in thenational interest; (b) the post for which the man is required must be a key post; (c) the man must possess the experience, knowledge, training, or special qualifications necessary for the post; (d) it must be proved that it would be against the national interest to wait for the man to be released in his normal turn; (e) it must be proved that the post !could not be filled from available civilian sources and that no 'alter weave arrangements could reasonably be made for the execution of the work; (f) a man will not. he eligible (Cr release to occupy a post in which a civilian of his age would not be eligible for deferrnent under current deferment rules.

The only channel of approach is the Government Department principally concerned with the activities of the undertaking. Applications should nal be made to the Service Departmentsor the Ministry of Labour and National Service. Applications from the man' himself (unless he be his own employer) cannot be entertained. ANOTHER R.H.A. SUB-AREA IN WEST RIDING

FORMATION of a Wakefield and District Sub-area of the R.H.A. was sanctioned at a meeting last week of the Yorkshire West Riding Area Committee in Leeds. The application for , sanction came from a well-attended meeting of operators in the district. Other sub-areas so far formed in the West Riding area include Halifax, Huddersfield, Dewsbury, and Reighley. It is expected that, in the near future, more will be established.

TO THOSE WHO SEND INQUIRIES jT is only with great difficulty that

we have kept open our Information Bureau, despite the receipt of hundreds of inquiries weekly by telephone and letter. ■ Many of those who write, however, do not conform to our require ' ment, that they should enclose stamped, addressed envelopes. If the inquiries be worth occupying a con • siderable part of our time, they are also worth this small courtesy and convenience. . Incidentally, complicated .problems cannot be dealt with by telephone.

SPARKING PLUGS WITH NEW INSULATING MATERIAL

AN insulating material that is now extensively used in the manufacture of sparking plugs is that known as Aluminox, which is produced from aluminium oxide. Sparking plugs in which Aluminox is used are being made. by Pacey and Co., Ltd., Wadsworth Road, Perivale, Greenford. The insulators are manufactured by the Worcester Royal Porcelain Co., Ltd., of Worcester, a concern which has carried out a considerable amount of research work in order to perfect the material.

We understand that supplies of Pacey plugs will be available to the public by the end of July, through the WicoPacey Sales Corporation, Ltd., of the same address.

THE INDUSTRY'S REPLY TO INEFFICIENCY ALLEGATION

QPEAKING to the Central London

Sub-area of the R.H.A., Major ;Ff. E. Crawfurd, A.F.C., vice-president Of the N.R.T.F., referred to the suggested nationalization of the inland transport of the country. Sir Stafford Cripps, said Major Crawfurd, in his recent broadcast, in reference to those industries which the Labour Party desired to nationalize, had used the phrase, that they could not allow them to go on in muddling inefficiency.

Major Crawford had no doubt that those who speak for the other industries concerned were well able to state their own case, but, so far as road transport was concerned, the use by Sir Stafford Cripps of the phrase muddled inefficiency " could be due only either to the grossest ignorance of the facts, or to wilful misrepresentation of them.

The growth of the road transport iodustry in the period • between the two wars was, in. itself, sufficient evidence of the great services which it had rendered to the productive and distributive needs of the Nation,, and this in spite of almost penal taxation and nag

ging regulation of the activities of the haulier. • It was only when the State undertook the control of the operation of transport that complaints began to be

made, and these referred to not only•delay and inefficiency in the handling

of traffic, but to the hardship inflicted on drivers and their mates who under • a centralized organization, found their conditions much worse than when they were controlled by their own employers.

If this be the kind of argument that has to be used to support nationalization proposals, then it is a very poor case to put forward.

GOODYEAR'S NOTTINGHAM DrOT REOPENED

IN the return towards normal trading 1 conditions, the Nottingham depot of the Goodyear Tyre and Rubber Co., Ltd., at 12-14, St. Mark's Street, has been reopened.

TRAFFIC ADMINISTRATORS BUSY IN SHEFFIELD

RECENTLY the Sheffield and District Centre of the Institute of Traffic Administration held its first meeting, and was well attended by representatives from all branches of transport. Mr. Leonard Green, of Messrs. Green's Transport, Parkgate, Rotherham, was elected the first chairman, and Mr. C. Wilson, Barnsley, the hon. secretary. An interesting programme for future months was arranged. MEMORIEI. SERVICE TO MR. F. G.

mustow

r-IN Wednesday of last week a memo

rial service to the late Mr. F. G. Bristow, who died on June 2, was held at St. Margaret's, Westminster, London, and from 200 to 300 of his friends in the industry attended.

In addition to many whose names ate household words in the road-transpoit world, we recognized a large number of his friends "who had travelled considerable distances in 'order to pay their last tribute to a man who, as first director of the newly formed National Road Transport Federation, had reached the.pinnacle of a long and distinguished career in the cause of road transport.

BEARINGS BY THE MILLION

UP to VE-Day the Glacier Metal Co,,' Ltd., Alperton, Wembley, Middlesex, the largest maker of plain bearings in Europe, bad produced upwards of 23,000,000 half-bearings, '6,000,000 bronze ox white-metal-lined bushes, and 25.000,000 other allied bearing parts.

The production of the foregoing was in addition to, the making of thousands of tons of anti-friction metals.

We understand that Mr. D. W. Plaistowe, who has been managing the company's factories in Scotland, hai recently taken up his new appointment as commercial manager at . the bead office of the concern. THE SIR WILLIAM CHAMBERLAIN MEMORIAL

WE have received from Mr. E. F. Topham, chairman, The Sir William Chamberlain Memorial, a request that our readers should be reminded that the list of subscribers will shortly be printed, and any contributions, large or small, which they wish to make, should be seat at an early date.

Sir William was the greatly esteemed R.T.C. for the North Western Traffic Region, who died in May last. year. The proceeds from the fund will be used for road-transport scholarships or educational grants for persons engaged, or intending to engage, in the roadtransport iirdustry in the Region concerned.

Chequet should be made payable to " The Sir William Chamberlain Memo. rial Fund Account," and sent care of Martin's Bank, Ltd., Old Trafford, Manchester, 16.

LENIENCY FOR BORDER-LINE COACH-TOURING CASES

AA RISING from the•M.O.W.T, sanetion of partial resumption --of motor-coach excursions and tours, a deputation of Yorkshire operators has discussed with the North-east Regional Transport Commissioner, Major F. S. Eastwood, the question of border-line cases, in which the 'distance to a destination point, is just over the limit of 50 miles for the out and return journeys. As an outcome of the interview, the Commissioner agreed to bring a good number of such cases within the scope of the restored facilities.

Major Eastwood has also decided to extend the permitted mileage during the recognized local holiday weeks of towns in his Region, so as to allow, of holiday-makers' trips from such towns to various seaside resorts on the York shire and Lancashire coasts. • In ,anticipation of a heavy, demand on the restored facilities, the Commissioner has introduced what amounts to a system of maximum fares. He has ruled that fares may only exceed the minimum laid down in the competitive days before the war if his authority has been obtained.

The allowance of petrol for excursions and tours and for private parties, is subject to the condition that the Commissioner may, in any case where he thinks fit, fix a .maximum monthly

mileage for these runs. '

M.P.T.A. ANNUAL ESSAY COMPETITION •

FOR the 20th year, the 'Municipal Passenger Transport • Assoaation is presenting prizes in an .Essay Competition. This year two were offered, each comprising £10 and a silver medal. Section 1: Administrative and supervisory staffs (excluding heads of such departments). and Section 2 for operating staffs, craftsmen and maintenance employees. The.prize winner in the first was Mr. J. H. Holden; technical assistant, Glasgow Corporation Transport, for an essay concerning technical developments desirable in the post-war design and conStruction of trams, tr011eybuses and motorbuses. Two entrants were

highly commended, these being Mr. T. Hayes, personnel manager (Traffic Dept.),, Birmingham Corporation Transport, and Mr. E. R. Fox, draughtsman, Manchester Corporation Transport. InSection 2, the prize-winner was Mr. W. Beckett, depot inspector, Old. ham Corporation Transport. The essay concerned unjustifiable absenteeism by employees, how . it bears unfairly on fellow-workers and employees, and Methods by which the problem can be dealt with, including the way in which employees themselves can assist in controlling it and in raising a sense of responsibility in delinquents. Those highly commended were Mr. J. Camp, bell inspector, Edinburgh City Transport, and Mr. A. Hill, tramcar motorman, Sheffield City Transport. TROPICAL PACKING EXHIBITION TO CONTINUE

LAST October there was -opened at the Central Ordnance Depot, Feltham, Middlesex, the Anglo-American Services Exhibition of Preservation and Packaging. Since then over 20,000 visitors have seen this instructive display. It shows a comprehensive range of specimen tropic packs, with technical informaton about the materials used, and short instructional films dealing with the methods' employed. Obviously, its value is not confined to purely war-time needs.

The number of applications for invitations in the early months was far in excess of the capacity of the Exhibition; consequently, limits had to be imposed, but improved arrangements have been made, and it has been decided to extend the life of the. Exhibition by a further three to four months. Thus it will cater for industrial staffs 'down to the level of foremen and charge hands, who were previously not specifically invited.

Applications for tickets for such personnel and shop managers should be sent to the Exhibition' Officer at the above address.

PURCHASE LICENCE FOR MOTORCYCLES ABOLISHED

SOME operators in our field use motorcycles with or without sidecars, for inspection work and occasionally for the transport of small quantities of goods. They will be interested to know that licences to acquire new and unregistered motorcYcles are no longer required. s" NORTH WESTERN" SETS UP BUS-TRANSPORT RECORDS.

QPEAKING at the annual general sJ meeting of the North Western Road Car Co., Ltd., Mr. J. S. Wills, M.Inst.T., chairman, said that during the year, despite the operation of 7,303,000 fewer vehicle-miles, the buses of the company carried 21,314,000 more passengers than in the year immediately before the %Var. The number of

I passengers carried, 84,366,000, and the

' total revenue earned constitute records in the history of tire company. The higher revenue was, however, swallowed up by increased war wages, and other higher costs of operation, and by E.P.T.

Now, with the end of the European war, it is hoped that it will soon be possible to give practical effect to plans for post-war improvements, and not the least important will be the development of co-ordination arrangements with neighbouring passenger-transport undertakings. A greater width for new vehicles is one of the improvements called for, and on this matter Mr. Wills said that municipal operators, company operators and manufacturers are all indignant at the attitude of the late Government. The road passenger-transport industry, acting with complete unanimity, has furnished many convincing reasons why the greater width ,* should be permitted.

BUSES PUT TRAMS IN THE SHADE AT PLYMOUTH

GROSS profit of £126,983 on the bus undertaking and a gross boss of 742 on the tramways for the year to March 31 last are shown in the provisional annual report of the transport department of Plymouth Corporation. On the undertaking as a whole, the net profit for the year was £41,619.

NEW FEDERATION WITH AN EYE ON BETTER ROADS

THEvarious interests associated with the production of tarred and bituminous macadam, such as quarry owners, slag producers, paviors, tar distillers, bitumen producers and plant manufacturers, met at an inaugural luncheon in London last week to mark the formation of an organization established under the title of the Federation of Coated Macadam Industries. This has, as its major objectives, restoring the pre-war quality of road material and of increasing its standard throughout the country. Mr. J. B. F. Earle. the chairman, presided, and the principal guest was the Minister of War Transport, Lord Leathers.

The chairman said that the Federation was really a " clearing house ". for dispensing advice and help the user, producer and layer, He spoke of the urgency of having the right sort of transport for the conveyance of raw 'materials, and said an object of the _Federation was to try and help to achieve better transport facilities.

Lord Leathers thought that We should be proud of the roads of this country, as their density is greater than that of any other country. He referred to the heavy accumulation of repairs, which, in terms of expenditure, amounted to between 30 and 40 million pounds, and with all this work ahead it seemed to be an appropriate time for the institution of such a Federation.

Mr. A. J. Lyddon, C.B.E., M.Inst.C.E., director of the Federation, said that the F.C.M.I. pointed to a new era in the road maintenance of this country. for excellent as our roads and surfaces are, there is plenty of roomfor improvement. Modern traffic, he said, demanded new methods and producers can make a big contribution to safety. He emphasized the need for uniformity of texture and the necessity of preserving roughness of surface for as long as possible.

MUNICIPAL AMBULANCE SERVICE CO-ORDINATION AIDDLESBROUGH'S ambul ance IVI services are to be co-ordinated and the corporation is being recommended by the health committee to appoint a transport officer to take charge.

OBITUARY

The death is announced of MR. JAMES BAGGOTT„ haulage contractor, of Ellison Street, Thorne.

We learn with deep regret of the death of MR. D. L. CLARKE, 0.B.E., M.INsr.,T., who was chairman of the Northern Ireland Road Transport Board froth its inception until November last, when he was compelled to resign owing to ill-health.

We are informed of the death of MR ROBERT M. BOWES, which Occurred suddenly. He was founder and president of the Bowes Seal Fast Corporation of Indianapolis, U.S.A., and president of the Bowes Seal Fast Corporation (Great Britain), Ltd. From a small beginning be built up a world-wide organization. He was sixty years of age. M.P.T.A. ON INDUSTRY" WORKING HOURS IN a communication from the

1 MuniciFil Passenger Transport Association, it is pointed out that the Minister of Labour recently set up a Committee to inquire into the economic need for, and the social consequences of, the double day-shift system in manufacturing industry, and the changes in the existing law that would be necessary to facilitate its wider adoption, and to make recommendations.

The M.P.T.A. has submitted to this Committee a memorandum giving its observations on this system from the point of view of municipal road transport operators, advancing the view that as transport is an essential requirement of modern life, any social or industrial development now needs to be con:idered with that factor in mind. The Association has recommended. that the local transport operator should he consulted from the outset, and at every stage, in respect of any variation of industrial working hours. The inconvenience of rushhour travel must persist so long as industrial working hours are decided arbitrarily without reference to the general trazisport problem of a locality.

CROMPTON PARKINSON SALES ORGANIZATION

WE are advised by Crompton Parkinson, Ltd., Electra House, Victoria Embankment, London, W.C.2, that the three companies which it acquired in 1941, the Young Accumulator Co., Ltd., A. E. Morrison and Sons, Ltd., and Electricars, Ltd., ceased to function as separate sales entities on July I last, and are now merged into the Crompton Parkinson organization.

The brand names under which the products of the companies concerned have been sold are being retained.