Crown's Accident Liability—
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Policy Not Inconsistent
THE Attorney-General was alted last week by Sir J. Mellor whether, in view of the observations of Mr. Justice Stable at Liverpool Assizes, on the inconsistency between compulsory private motor-vehicle third-party insurance and the conditions with regard to Government vehicles, the Government would now introduce the clauses of the Crown Proceedings Bill, designed to make the Crown liable for torts of its servants?
Sir Donald Somervell said he had seen a newspaper report of the observations referred to, but he thought there must be some misapprehension. It was the invariable practice, as had been stated more than once, for the Crown to., assume the same liabilities in respect of its drivers as Would fall upon a private employer.
The ordinary form of compulsory third-party policy did not cover unauthorized or unpermitted users, and there would appear to be no inconsistency between the practice he had referred to and the legislation dealing with third-party insurance.
He understood that the officer had been using the vItihiele at the time of the accident. for an unauthorized purpose. The. Government did not propose to introduce legislation onthe lines suggested, and in any event the principles embodied in those proposals would not make the Crown liable in this case.
VISCOUNT NUFFIELD AND THE AUSTIN MEMORIAL
ON February 25, a complimentary luncheon was given at Grosvenor House, London, W., by the Motor and Cycle Trades Benevolent Fund, to Viscount Nuffield, G.B.E., in recognition of his successful appeal for a memorial to the late Baron Austin of Longbridge, K.B.E., the chairman being Mr. E. L. Payton, J.P., chairman of the Austin Motor Co., Ltd., and President of the Fund.
The first speaker was Sir Albert Atkey, who said that this was ,a new role for Lord Nuffield: Hitherto he had been a prince of manufacturers; now he had shown himself to be a prince of beggars, for the Fund has benefited to the extent of £35,000 for a perpetual endowment.
Lord Nuffield, responding, said that his efforts for the memorial had given him a great deal of pleasure and an enormous amount of work. He had never before signed so many letters. It was to perpetuate the memory of one of the finest automobile engineers in the world, whom it would be difficult to replace. They had always been friends, although great competitors. The world would be a much better place to live in if competitors could still be friendly.
Mr. Reginald McKenna, P.C., also paid great tribute to Lord Austin. It was very fitting, he said, that Lord Nuffield should be the guest of honour, for both he and Lord Austin had much in common—a great national idea—in their working life. Lord Austin was a silent man, not deluded by the glamour of the spoken word, which often 'deluded the speaker as much as the audience.
Mr. E. L. Payton, to whom Sir Edmund Crane referred as a financial genius, gave a brief history of the Austin Co., and the way in which it had risen from a position of great danger to its present sound condition.
£42,000 ROAD BRIDGE OVER RAILWAY ROAD-TRANSPORT facilities at Billingham-on-Tees will be greatly improved following the decision of Durham County Council to go ahead with the building of a road bridge over the railway at Billingham Station. The county council has accepted the tender of Dorman Long and Co., Ltd., Middlesbrough, at £42,258.
THE LATEST IN AIRCRAFT IDENTIFICATION
'UST published by Temple Press Ltd., J Bowling Green Lane, London, E .C.1, at Is. Id. (including postage) is an excellent folder entitled " Scale Silhouettes, Photographs, and Oddenti fications ' of •well-known British Americ4n and German First-line Aeroplanes:" The chief feature of this is that the drawings are reproduced to a common scale, which is not only unique, but will prove a tremendous advantage in the identification of the various aircraft..
TANK VEHICLES FOR THE MINISTRY SCHEME
MEGOTIATIONS with the M. of I 11 W.T. in connection with the inclusion in its Road Haulage Scheme of tank vehicles for the conveyance of edible and soap-making oils, are now in the concluding stages, we are given to understand.
A meeting of operators interested will be held on March 12, at 2.30 p.m., to complete the arrangements. Many A and B operators have been invited, but • others, in addition to these, who wish to attend should write to Mr. G. W. Quick Smith, Road Tank Haulage Board, Room 350 (Third Floor) Coastal Chambers, 15, Elizabeth Street, London, S.W.I.
TAXICABS MORE CONTINUOUSLY EMPLOYED
AN answer to Mr. Garro Jones's Parliamentary question relating to taxidrivers, reported in our issue for last week, has since been given by Mr. H. Morrison. This Member pointed out that these men were suffering hardship and asked that higher fares should be authorized.
The Home Secretary said he was informed that there was no need for a change. In London, as a result of wartime conditions, taxicabs were much more continuously employed. In provincial towns scales of fares were fixed by bye-laws made by local authorities and confirmed by the Minister of Health.