News of the Week
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M.O.W.T. ROAD HAULAGE UNITS
THE following should be added to previous information concerning the M.O.W.T. Road Haulage Scheme:— Glasgow 11Q26,. J. Wilson, William Mitchell (Strone), Ltd., 8-10, Gibson Street, Glasgow.
Amendments:—Lincoln: 3T8, read C. J. Dodson for J. Dodson. Kendal: 10V4, substitute Cumberland Roadways, Ltd., for J. Downs. Warring. ton: 10S14, substitute W. A. Sutton for N. R. Garrow.
TROLLEYBUSES FOR TRAMS AT SOUTH SHIELDS
CONVERS1ON of its tram system to trolleybus working after, the war has been considered by South Shields Transport Committee, and, in anticipation of-post-war needs, it has been decided to place orders now for five trolleybuses. The transport manager has been asked to_ prepare a comprehensive report on the undertaking's post-war development.
GOODS CLASSIFICATION FOR ROAD HAULAGE RATES
THE Road Panel of the Yorkshire Road and Rail Regional Committee has formulated a goods classification which is applicable to the haulage rates schedule put forward from Yorkshire as a suggested basis for national stabilize-, tion of road rates; It has been submitted for consideration by the committee which the road panels of the Road and Rail Central 0:inference and its regional committees have set up to frame recommendations as to rates stabilization.
To formulate the classification, the Yorkshire toad panel has adapted the railway classification to road purposes by a grouping arrangement, whereby 21 railway classes have been reduced to 10 road classes, covering the whole realm of road haulage. On the basis of the progression rate laid down
in the Yorkshire schedule. rates for each class are arrived at by making' adjustments, which take into account such factors as the load's ratio of cubic capacity to weight.
It is understood that the Ministry of War Transport has decided not to use railway rates as a basis for road haulage traffic carried under the Government scheme. This decision is cited as a reason for expediting the national stabilization of rates for roadhaulage.
BID TO REMOVE MERSEY TUNNEL TOLLS
BIRKENHEAD Town Council has decided to approach the Minister of War Transport with the object of obtaining agreement to the promotion of legislation to remove the liability of the payment of tolls on vehicles usin,g the Mersey Tunnel.
At last week's council meeting, Councillor Tudor, who sponsored the motion, said that at the present time there was a movement designed to secure an equalization of port rates in order, to remove the disparity of costs between -loading and discharging at Birkenhead as against similar opera tions at Liverpool. The tunnel tolls threw a greater responsibility on the merchants and shipowners who had to load and unload on the Birkenhead side.
The tunnel, which had proved extremely useful to the docks, should be a national highway and thus prevent the prejudice which agents had with respect to dealing with export or import cargoes on the Cheshire side of the Mersey. It was useless building special roadways from outlying cl4stricts if extra financial expenditure had. to be incurred, due to the tunnel not being a national highway. It was stated that the Mersey Docks and Harbour Board was in favour of a toll free tunnel. . FILM TRANSPORT RATESOAISED
OWING to increases in operating costs during the past two years, including a number of statutory wages increases. with another now pending, .Associated Film Carriers have made application to the cinema proprietors' associations in the Lancashire area for a 7i per cent. increase on all accounts. with a minimum of Is. increase per week. Manthester cinema proprietors have agreed to pay the advance from January 3, 1999.
H.M.F. AND PROTECTION OF THE SMALL MAULIER
LUTON and • district members of Hauliers Mutual Federation met last
• week and heard a lively address from Mr. J. Arnold Kirby, vice-chairman of the Federation. He dealt with the problems facing the independent haulier, who seemed' to be the unlucky party whenever somebody in the transport world had to suffer from the turns of war fortunes or the shortsightedness of others. When contemplating I he present serious attack on the small man in road haulage, one was reminded almost involuntarily of the pre-war comments of ministerial regional officials as to the " nuisance value " of the small man.
Evidently there were those who wanted to seize, upon the needs of the war situation to silence that Man for good and all. However, they would not succeed, for enough people had rallied to the standard raised by Hauliers Mutual Federation to asure that the country's inland transport would not be handed over to a monopoly without a determined effort being made to arouse the transport and the industrial world to the risks that such a course would entail for the Nation.
On the motion of Councillor Williams, the meeting recommended the National C4ouncil to consider summoning, so soon as possible, a mass meeting of hauliers in Loncion so that the facts of the current situation could be more fully discussed and informed representations made to the Minister of Wee. Transport. • PROGRESS WITH ORGANIZED REPRESENTATION
1 AST week the shadow councils of Lathe Road Haulage Association, the Traders . Road Transport Association and the Passenger Vehicle Operatora• Association met to receive the reports of their planning committees.
Decisions have now been reached concerning the appointment of the chief executive officers of the Federation and of the three associations, whilst good progress is being made with area appointments and other matters.
The shadow council of the R.H.A. has agreed the scale of subscriptions which shall be applicable to that Association. .
A detailed statement concerning decisions on this and other /natters will be issued after the next meeting of the Road Transport Organization Joint Conference, which is to be held on December 15, EXPERIENCED TRANSPORT MANAGER AVAILABLE
WE know of an engineer with long experience in the control of a large fleet of auxiliary vehicles who requires a similar position which will give him scope for his extensive knowledge of transport economics and of the difficulties arising from war-time operation. Letters should be addressed " Transport Manager," care of the Editor.
AN EXHIBITION OF DAVID BROWN PRODUCTS
AMOST successful exhibition of the products of David Brown and Sons (Huddersfield), Ltd., has been held at the company's main works, in conjunction with the Directorate of Public Relations, M.O.S.
Opened by H.R.H, the Princess Royal on November 12, the show has been particularly well attended by • workers and their families from all the branches. Those employed on the manufacture of gears and gear units, particularly personnel without a technical bac,kground, welcomed the opportunity of seeing the application of many of their products. MINISTRY OF SUPPLY SELLS A COACH TWICE
THE Minister of Supply, Sir Andrew Duncan, expressed 'regret to Mr. R. H. Turton in the House of Commons last week for a transaction by his department, of which the following are
• the facts
On April 10, .1948, the department .sold a Bedford coach to Mr. A. Tebb, of Carlton • Hosthwaite, and on April 14 the department, without Mr. Tebb's consent, delivered the same coach to Mr. H. Gilbert, of 'Tunbridge
Wells. • Mr. Turton asked the Minister whether he would secure that this coach was returned to Mr. Tebb, and that he should receive due compensation for the period during which he had been deprived of the use of the vehicle.
Sir Andrew Duncan replied that it was not possible to deliver to Mr. Tebb • the original coach, but negotiations were in progress with his solicitors with • the object of providing him with a Similar coach and of meeting any expense to which he had been put.
REASONS FOR ABOLISHING CHEAP BUS FARES AST week, Mr. P. J. Noel-Baker,
Joint Parliamentary Secretary of the M.O.W T., addressed a meeting of Northumberland local authorities at Newcastle-on-Tyne, and heard their complaints regarding the withdrawal of all bus return fares costing over 10d. He also discussed (the matter with Durham authorities.
Mr. Noel-Baker said he could not give an immediate decision regarding the matter.
Mr. R. J. Taylor, M.P. for Morpeth, • speaking at the Newcastle-on-Tyne meeting, referred to the hardships caused to the public. In the first place, contract tickets were withdrawn and then return fares pver 10d. were • abolished. People turned to the railways, and railway fares were raised, " after which they went back to the buses. Although it Was understood that the bus concerns had not asked for
the withdrawal of the fares, the plan was putting money into the pockets of the companies. Even if the extra profits went to E.P.T., 20 per cent.• would be returned at the end of the war.
Replying, Mr. Noel-Baker said that the Government's policy was to abolish cheap faresto save petrol and rubber. He agreed that the present policy was not satisfactory and made little or no difference to those people who were prepared to pay the extra aMount. The plan had nothing whatever to do with giving the bus concerns 'higher profits. It was true that .20 per cent. of E.P.T. would be returned after the war, but he contended that this would be needed for replacements and to cover wear and tear during the war.
Since the withdrawal of cheap fares, asserted Mr. Noel-Baker, buses had carried 4,000,000 fewer passengers.
BLACKPOOL'S BIG. POST-WAR ' TRANSPORT PROGRAMME
REPORTING on Blackpool's postwar transport development programme, Mr. W. Luff, corporation transport manager, visualizing " a great holiday revival after the war," estimates that capital expenditure on local municipal transport in the early peace years would be £805,000. .
Amongst the expenditure would be £175,000 on 25 trqlleybuses, a similar sum on 50 modern motorbuses, £100,000 for depot alterations and extensions, £100,000 for permanentway. renewals, and £120,000 for 30 new tramcars, PERSONAL PARS ALD_FRMAN. RICHARD MayNE has been elected chairman of Newcastle-onTyne Transport and Electricity Committee for the 29th successive year.
MR. LEONARD MORITZ has been appointed a director of British' Timken, Ltd. He has been a director of Fischer Bearings Co., Ltd., for some years and since British Timken, Ltd., acquired control has been works director, US. SERVICE-VEHICLE ACCIDENTS AND CIVIL CLAIMS REPLYING to questions by Mr. W Liddall and Captain Strickland, Mr. G. Hall, Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, made the following statement in the House of Commons last week:—.
The Government has no evidence to show that the number of accidents in which members of the United States Forces are involved is in any way the result of unduly negligent driving, nor disproPortionate to the increasing numbers of United States troops. and vehicles at present stationed in this country. A United States Claims Commission has been set up and is operating in this country. It has power to consider all civil claims brought against the Unite4 States Forces, or 'members thereof, arising out of their activities in this country, and to pay compensation, subject to the prior approval of Congress when the sum involved exceeds 5,000 dollars. I have no information as to the number of claims with which the United States Claims Commission is dealing,' but I understand that there are, in fact, extremely few cases in which it has not been possible to reach a satisfactory settlement. The Government is still engaged in discussing with the United States Government various matters on this subject and hopes that a solution satisfactory to all concerned will be reached before long.
Captain Strickland: Will you state what progress has been made since the discussions on November 10 and whether British-owned vehicles in America are subject to the same kind of restrictions; -that is to say, do they come under British or American rule with regard to road traffic?
Mr. Hall: Same progress has been made and a position has been arrived at where some of the accumulated claims, which were agreed by the Commission and were held up by the authorities in Washington, will be paid out of the funds of the United States Army. •