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News of the Week

AUSTRALIA TO BUILD VEHICLES?

THE Executive Committee of the Motor Export Group, S.M.M.T., is considering a question asked by the Australian Tariff Board concerning United Kingdom motor manufacturers participation in the local production of -engines and chassis after the war. It directed that the matter should be discussed with the Board of Trade.

MR. SHANKLAND CHIEF OF EXPORT SPARES SCHEME

A PAST President of the S.M.M.T., Pt Mr H. Shankland, has agreed to act as administrator of ihe Export Spares Scheme organized by the Society, under which United Kingdom motor vehicles are to be serviced, on a restricted basis, in Eire and nonBritish countries in Central and South America.

L.P.T.B. STATEMENT ON CRAWLING BUSES

I N a recent statement issued by London Transport, it is pointed out that, although the average speed of hues is no less than before the war, the running times are over-long at certain times of the day and in some areas, owing to -the free state of the

roads. This situation would largely be avoided if an even running along the routes could always be secured,

The Board and the Union concerned are seeking a method of doing this. Each bus carries a running card showing the time it should be at key points and at terminals, and inspectors, stationed at intervals, check these times, but at present it is impossible to provide enough staff for creating additional timing points.

Another factor is the difficulty of having watches repaired, which alolse may contribute to an uneven use of the journey time permitted. The elimination, in the summer schedules, of extra minutes allowed for black-out running has already brought some 'improvement during the early morning and evening hours.

HAULIER WINS RATES DECISION

UNDER the Road Haulage and Hire (Charges) Order, 1942, Mr. W. F. Northcatt, of Surbiton, questioned a charge made by Messrs. J. Kingsbury and Son, of SOuthend-on-Sea, for the hauLage of a refrigerator from the latter dowti to Surbiton.

• The account rendered at the time of the Avery of the refrigerator was £3. Of this, £1 10s. was for collection, transport and delivery, £1 in respect of loss of time incurred by a previous cancellation, and. 10s. in respect of four trunk calls to the applicant, but

• it was subsequently intimated by the hauliers that they were prepared to reduce their total charge to £2 10s.. The applicant still, however, 'considered the revised charge excessive, and this was why he referred the matter to the Regional' Transport Commissioner, Mr. I. II. Stirk. The latter was of the opinion that the part of the charges relating to the loss of time and telephone calls did not fall for consideration under the provisions of the Order. The matter therefore resolved itself as to whether the balance of £1 10s. conformed with the conditions of the Order. In comparing this with another estimate received for the work, he regarded the charge as not being unreasonable. The application was therefore dismissed.

A.R.O. INCOME AND MEMBERSHIP I NFORMATION concerning subscrip tion income, etc., • of A.R.O. comes from the treasurer, Mr. R. Hindley-. The amounts from the pre-war year of 1938-39 to 1942-43 were:—£23,476, £23,190, £24,026, £29,552, £32,350. New members enrolled during the past year to March, 1943, numbered 1,130, and the total live Membership and reserve funds are the highest in the Association's history.

BUILDING SHIPS FROM PAPER?

THIS may eventually become pos sible, sible, but is not the present intention. What we mean to imply is, that the paper salvaged is really equivalent to the production of extra ships, as practically all fresh supplies have to be obtained from overseas, with consequent waste of cargo space and more risk to shipping.

PERSONAL PARS

MR. G. C. CAMPBELL-TAYLOR, general manager of the Trent Motor Traction Co., Ltd., has been elected chairman of the East Midlands section of the Institute of Transport for the 1943-44 session. He is a past member of the Council. The vice-chairmen are MESSRS. B. ENGLAND, J. T. EVANS and J. C. WATKINS, MR. J. R. F. BRADFORD has been elected chairman of the Devon and Cornwall Area of A.R.O. for the ensuing year. MR. J.G.' BREWER being vice-chairman_ 'OBITUARY WE regret to record the death of VI/ Mit. SIDNEY ELSTON, who, for many years, was senior representative

of (Paints), Ltd. (formerly Nobel Chemical Finishes, Ltd.), of Slough, Bucks. At the outbreak of hostilities, Mr. Elston was recalled to the Army and his death, which followed a long period of illness, will be felt by his many friends in the motor industry. A.E.C. INTERIM DIVIDEND

I N respect of the current year, the directors of the Associated equipmept Co.,Ltd., have declared art interim. dividend at the rate of 6d. per RI unit of stock, free of income tax

, LONDON RECONSTRUCTION EXHIBITION 'THE work of the London Regional

1 Reconstruction Committee, 15, Adeline Place, London, W.C.1, will be exemplified in an exhibition of its work to he opened at 10 a.m., on May 31, at the National Gallery, after a private view, by invitation, on

May 28. It will comprise, mainly, plans and models dealing with the particular problems, including transport, of the Region covered, which has an area of about 850 sq. miles, with a population of 8,500,000.

COUNTRY BUS CURFEW IN LONDON TRANSPORT AREA

TO meet the need for saving rubber and fuel, London Transport, at the direction of the Regional Transport Commissioner, is to introduce a Sunday bus curfew in country districts of the Board's area; and thus enable a saving of 1,400,000 miles a year to be made. London thus comes into line with the' provinces, where a curfew is already in force on Sundays. On and from Sunday, May 9, the first buses on all London Transport country routes will start at about 1 p.m. The last buses will leave terminals at about 9 p.m. On certain routes, essential journeys for workers and military personnel will be run 'prior to 1 p.m., as may be necessary. On•weekdays also country buses will cease to operate after about

9 p.m. • In the central area a similar curfew will apply on Sunday mornings to sections of routes partly inside and partly outside the Metropolitan traffic area.

FUEL SAVING BY TILLING GROUP

I–I A SAVING of at least 2,000,000 gallons of petrol will, it is hoped, be effected this year by operating on producer gas 651 buses of the Tilling

group of companies. This is said to be a conservative estimate, and it • follows tests carried out by the group since the spring of 1938, when it purchased the first three, producers to be used for buses in this country,

Experience has shown that by a strict observance of servicing routine, producer-gas buses can leave their stations, carry out their journeys, and return home as regularly as their predecessors, and that in give-and-take service over country which is not too difficult, an average speed of 15-18 m.p.h. can be relied upon.

After the first try-out with producers, Tillings manufactured 30, but they were found to be unsuitable for

has work., some Government emergency odels were acquired, but, again, the tests were unsatisfactory. However, as a result, the present trailer model, known as the •p.s.v. pro'nucer, was developed, although it contained few of the original features.

A FUEL EFFICIENCY CONFERENCE

fARGANIZED by the Fuel Efficiency NaCommittee of-the Ministry of Fuel and . Power, an industrial Fuel Efficiency Conference will be held in London this month and will be opened by the Minister, Major Gwilym Lloyd George. It will be concerned with the utilization of steam, heat and power, and the object is to promote the exchange of information between industries.

COPIES WANTED FOR THE FORCES

WE shall be glad to hear from any readers who would be willing to pass their current copies of " The Commercial Motor " to members of the Forces either in Britain or abroad, as we have had several applications which cannot now be met. A considerable number of readers is performing this useful and much-appreciated service.

ALLEGED EXCESSIVE USE OF TYRES: CASE ADJOURNED

THE inquiry into the alleged exces

sive use of tyres by a Doncaster haulage contractor (brief details were given in last week's issue), which opened in Sheffield on April 19 and should have been resumed on April 30, has been adjourned to a date to be fixed. Mr. Donald Bates, trading as Gerald Bates, of South Parade, Doncaster, was ealled`upon to show why his permits to 'operate should not be suspended because of alleged excessive use of tyres.

LONDON TRANSPORT TRAINING SCHOOLS FOR DRIVERS

LONDON TRANSPORT has opened up another school for the training of motor drivers for the Army. There are now four centres in the Board's area and over 4,000 men have been trained at them. The output of ,soldier-drivers now exceeds 500 a month. During the 1914-18 war, a similar scheme was undertaken by the L.G.O. Co., and many thousands of men were trained as drivers for different branches of the A.S.C., M.T.

BIG RISE IN SHELVOKE AND DREWRY'S NET PROFIT

I N the year ended July 31, 1942, Shelvoke and Drewry, Ltd., maker of the well-known range of S.D. Freighters, made a net profit, before deducting taxation, of 2114,802, compared with 442,278 in the previeus year. The reserve for taxation lakes £100,000, in addition to which 47,000 is placed to depreciation reserve. The dividend is 'again 10 per cent, for the year, and when that has been met 24,073 remains to be carried forward.

R.T.C.'s EFFORT TO HELP MERCHANT NAVY FUNDS TRANSFER badges for vehicle windJ. screens, and plastic badges for buttonholes, are being sold in the N,orth-eastern Region in furtherance of the egort led by the Regional TranSport Commissioner, Major F. S. Eastwood, to raise money for Merchant Navy benevolent funds. The transfer badges, sold at 21 is., have been substituted fer plaques because of supply difficulties. It is aimed to sell at least 5,000 of them, alongwith 10,000 of the buttonholes, which are being sold for 2s. 6d. each. The badges are being distributed through the agency of subdistrict managers. RESTRICTION ON TOMATO TRANSPORT

CERTAIN directions concerning the transport of tomatoes have been made by the Minister of Food. Eleven areas have been set up, and road transport must not operate, for this purpose, to distances exceeding 40 miles, which may include 10 miles outside any one of the areas.

SPARES AND•SERVICING FOR ARMSTRONG-SAURERS

WE are advised that Armstrong Whitworth (Vehicle Service), Ltd., Cunard Works, Chase Road, London,. N.W.10, has purchased the business of repairing and servicing, and the supply of spare parts, for Armstrong-Saurer and Saurer vehicles and engines, hitherto carried on by Sir W. G. Armstrong Whitworth and Co. (Engineers), Ltd. Armstrong Whitworth (Vehicle Service), Ltd., is a fully owned subsidiary company of the Armstrong Whitworth Securities Co., Ltd.

EXHAUSTER UNIT FOR • SERVO SYSTEM

WE are asked to make it clear that the small high-speed pump, illustrated on page 217 of our issue dated April 23, .is being developed primarily by Carburettors, Ltd.. as a pressure unit for the Arnott supercharger. Feeny and Johnson, Ltd., Ealing Road, Wembley, is interested in it only in respect of its adaptation as an exhauster unit in connection with its servo system.

WELL-KNOWN CHAIN PIONEER DIES

THE name of RenoId is almost a household one in this country. To all it brings to mind bicycle and other chains, but the. man who brought it such fame, Mr. Hans Rent)Id.. died, at the age of 90, on May 2. He was of Swiss birth and came to England in 1873.. Six years later he bought, for £300, a small concern making chains for textile machinery. Only one year after he produced ,the bushed-roller type of chain for bicycles. Other types followed and are now being produced by that well-known concern, the Renola and Coventry Chain Co., -Ltd.

SHEFFIELD ASSOCIATION WIDENS ITS FIELD

THE title of the Sheffield • District Horse and. Motor Owners Association has been changed to the Sheffield and South Yorkshire Hauliers Association, and at its recently held 31st annual general meeting it was announced that a vigorous offensive is to be launched to turn the already powerful membership (well over 90 per cent. of A and B licence holders) into 100 per cent. of the operators in its working area. The original rules of the Association, which have been in force since its birth in 1911, have been completely redrafted and unanimously adopted.

At the meeting, Mr. John H. Coldwell (Glossops Transport) was elected president for the fifth successive year, and the vice-presidents are Messrs. A. Herringshaw (H. Herringshaw and Sons; Ltd.), and E. J. -Shaw (Rotherham). Mr. Sam Webster continues as honorary treasurer, a position he has held almost from the commencement of the Association.

A great deal of interest was shown in the M.O.W.T. Scheme for the control of long-distance road transport, and the point stressed was that operators had been extremely well served by the negotiations conducted by the Standing Joint Committee.