NEWS of the WEEK
Page 36
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VITALIZING ROAD-TRANSPORT PROPAGANDA.
In addition to distributing 1,250,000 small leaflets and some 80,000 large pamphlets on the road and rail situation. A.R.O. is parading sandwichmen at all important Metropolitan' termini, and in the larger towns throughout the country. These are carrying posters, such as: " A.R.O., the National Association, with active branches in every traffic area, demands a fair deal for road transport. Ask for leaflets," and " A fair deal for all forms of trans
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In front of Newcastle Station it has • erected a huge placard 20 ft. by 30 ft. It is also inserting whole-page advertisements in a number of provincial papers.
Chassis Exports Slump.
The Board of Trade returns for October show that the value of commercial vehicles, cars, chassis and accessories imported during that month was £234,991. which is well below the comparable figure (£423,071) for the previous year.'
The total of commercial vehicles exported , showed a small advance in number, although there was an appreciable increase in their value, the figure for October last being 279, compared with 265 in the previous year, the respective values being £155,675 and £67,818 respectively. In the 10 months ended October last, 2,870 commercial vehicles were exported, their value being £1,331,462, last year's comparable returns being 3,306 vehicles and £903,321.
There was a big falling off in the export of commercial chassis, the total of. 837 for October last contrasting with 1,651 • for October, 1937, the respective values being £176,172 and £265,680. In the 10 months ended October last, 9,298 commercial chassis were exported, compared with 14,266 in October, 1937, the value of this year's total being £1,922,516 and last year's total £2,301,215.
A Weight-limit Case : Appeal to be Lodged.
A decision given it Stirling Sheriff Court, last Friday, is to be appealed against before the High Court in Edinburgh. Mr. Murray Lornie Thomas, haulier, as owner, and Mr. John Gall, as driver, both of Alyth, Perthshire, were charged with permitting and using a lorry, respectively, when the sum of the weight transmitted to the road surface by the four wheels exceeded 12 tons.
It was stated that a trailer had been attached to the lorry, and it was argued, for the defence, that Regulation 64 of the Construction and Use Regulations, as amended, did not deal with a vehicle having a trailer, and that Regulation 8 dealt solely with the lorry itself and excluded, the trailer.
822 The load of the lorry was limited to 12 tons and that of the lorry and trailer combined to 22 tons, but the regulations did not specify the limit of the load on the lorry when there was a trailer attached. Sheriff-Substitute J. Dean Leslie found that the regulations said nothing about the load of 12 tons being restricted to the case of a lorry without a trailer. He, therefore, found both accused guilty and fined each of them £3. A stated case was asked for the High Court.
Filter Patent Extension Granted.
In view of the increasing use of Stream-Line filters for the reconditioning of used oils from transport vehicles, much interest attaches to the successful application recently made for the extension of the term of the basic patent. In the Chancery Division of the High Court, Mr. Justice Simonds recently delivered judgment, in the course of which he said that the patent ,relating to the material used for filtration showed great utility to the public. It was of real importance that, by the use of the invention, lubricating oil could be used over and over again at trivial cost.
He said there had been no undue delay in exploiting the patent, and a sum of £70,000 had been expended for that purpose. His Lordship made a regrant for a term of five years.
G.W.R. Serves Wallop and Muddle.
Quaint and humorous, names of villages in areas served by the Great Western Rly. Co., within the jurisdiction of the West-Midland Licensing Authority, were a source of entertainment at Birmingham, last week. Mr. E. G. Woodward, representing the railway company, made happy play with selections from lists filed as part of the company's application for the renewal of the licence for 484 vehicles and 141 trailers. Wigwig, Wallop, Muddle and Shotatem were among the tit-bits offered by Mr. Woodward, much to the delight of the assembly.
The only objection which had been lodged against the application was that of E. Box and Co., of Albrighton, where the G.W.R. sought five additional vehicles and three new trailers. The objection was not brought to Court, and was, therefore, treated as having been withdrawn. In granting the renewal of the existing licence, with the additions asked for—eight in all—Mr. Trevor Morgan thanked Mr. Woodward and the G.W.R.
£300,000 Order for Four-wheel-driven Tractors.
An order from the War Department for a large number of four-wheel-driven tractors is announced by Guy Motors, Ltd. The machines have been developed specially for cross-country work. The value of the latest order is in the neighbourhood of £300,000. A.E.C. CHAIRMAN CASTIGATES THE MINISTER.
Strong comments on the road situation were made by Mr. C. W. Reeve, C.B.E., chairman of the Associated Equipment Co., Ltd., at its annual general meeting on December 5. He drew attention to the lack of efficient plans for utilizing road transport during the Crisis, particularly in connection with the ports in the West, and pointed out that although it had passed, road-transport organizations were still very uneasy, as the Minister's speeches have completely failed to reassure the industry of any real grasp of the situation by his department.
He commended the great work done by the British Road Federation, and expressed disappointment at the comparative failure of the Ministry's fiveyears' road plan.
The road-transport industry, properly organized and given right facilities, could play a most important part in safeguarding the fortunes of the nation, whereas its hands are now tied by legislative restrictions and its shoulders bowed under unfair and discriminating taxation.
The King, on Ulster's Transport.
New legislation, to deal with transport in Northern Ireland, was one of the features of the King's speech at the opening of the Ulster Parliament, on Tuesday. The text of the speech states:—" The situation which has arisen in regard to the operation of the Road and Railway Transport Act, 1935, has been causing much concern to my Government, This matter has been the subject of two exhaustive inquiries, and the very important issues dealt with, in the valuable and informative reports, will be coniicleud with a view to the formulation of proposals to deal with the situation, and these will be embodied in a measure to he introduced at an early 'date." ' Increasing Costs that Affect Overseas Trade.
On the occasion of the annual general meeting of Dennis Brothers, Ltd., Mr. N. P. Andrew, the chairman, in Commenting on how costs can be raised in a manner which is eritirely beyond the management to control, referred to the 'holidays-with-pay movement. No doubt, he said, it is a good movement, but the fact remains that, if you pay for a week's work that is not done, costs are raised -2 per cent., and not only on the goods that are made, but on all that the company purchases. In the aggregate it makes a great difference in the ability to compete in overseas markets.
Sir Raymond Dennis, K.B.E., said that the company's sales of passenger vehicles were being well maintained, and that its oil engine is increasing
in favour. He also referred to satisfactory progress in other departments.