News of the Week
Page 28
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R.H.A. PROVIDES EMERGENCY TRANSPORT
COR the first time the Road Haulage .1 Association, under the arrangement , with the Ministry of Transport by which the latter can ask the Association to provide sufficient vehicles for Government and other-essential transport in the case of emergency, has been required to carry out such a task. It is in connection with the removal of open-cast coal.
This will be a long-term programme covering many weeks, and the number of vehicles employed may rise to as high as 300. So far, the R.H.A. has managed to mobilize the vehicles required without resorting to a national call.
Apart from this important matter, day-by-day calls on the R.H.A. are
made locally. For instance, if the Ministry of Food requires transport urgently, it contacts the divisional road haulage officer of the M.O.T., who then gets into touch with the contact officer of R.H.A. This scheme appears to-have been working wed—and that without nationalization.
Some weeks ago -a general direction was sent out by the Ministry to local transport officers of other Ministries that road haulage should be used to help the railways to the utmost extent. This, of comic. applies only to loads which constitute a real emergency, and they may not necessarily be large.
VEHICLE PARADES TELL THE PUBLIC
BEARING appropriate slogans. nearly 100 lorries owned by members of Peterborough Sub-area of the Road Haulage Association recently made a circular tour of the main streets of Peterbornugh. to draw the attention of the public to the opposition of hauliers to the Transport Bill. It had been sug
gested that vehicles from neighbouring towns should also join in the procession, but the police objected on the ground that traffic would be disorganized.
A procession of about 50 vehicles• bearing anti-nationalization slogans recently paraded through Colchester. The demonstration caused much comment and many signatures were obtained for the R.H.A. petition.
TRACTOR MANUFACTURERS AMALGAMATE
AMERGER between two prominent manufacturers of oil-engined tractors, Marshall, Sons and Co., Ltd.. Gainsborough, and John Fowler and Co. (Leeds), Ltd., was announced at the former company's annual meeting on December 31. This means the grouping of works covering a total of 50 acres, at Gainsborough, Leeds, Sprotborough (near Doncaster), and 'Crook (County Durham).
Amalgamation has been effected by an exchange of the £200,000 Ordinary capital in Fowler's for £200,000 Ordinary capital in Marshall's. In addition w the manufacture of tractors, . the merged companies will continue to produce oil engines, road rollers, and other equipment. Both companies will use the Sprotborough mechanized foundry. which Fowler's acquired from the Ministry of Supply.
At the Marshall company's annual meeting. Mr. Ashley S. Ward (chairman and managing director) said that the amalgamation would facilitate a material increase in the output of the Field Marshall heavy ' wheeled oil-engined tractor, now firmly established and in great demand.
Mr. C. W. Hayward and Capt. E7 N. Griffith, respectively chairman and deputy chairman of Fowler's, will join Marshall's board, and certain Marshall directors will join Fowler's board. Both concerns are-nearly 100 years old_ An illustrated lecture on the Institute's visit to Sweden will be given by Mr. G. Mackenzie Junner, president of the Institute of Road Transport Engineers,, before the Midland centre, at the Grand Hotel, Birmingham, on January 16, at 7 p.m.