IN YOUR OPINION
Page 88
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Driving Licence Endorsements
I FEEL I must reply to Mr. Lyon's letter, published in I The Commercial Motor of January 3, on the subject of driving licence endorsements, which subject was dealt with in "Licensing Casebook" on December 20. In my article I criticized the Road Haulage Association for its apparent inactivity in pursuing this matter.
No assumption was made on my part that nothing was being done. I was merely relying on Mr. Lyon's statement to me that "no plans are afoot" to pursue the matter. He is, after all, public relations officer of the Association.
It is significant to note, however, that the announcement that a memorandum on the subject had been agreed and was being sent to the Minister, came soon after my criticism was published, although it is obvious that negotiations with the various bodies mentioned in Mr. Lyon's letter must have been going on for some time.
This being the case, why, one may ask, was this information not made public before? Why were R.H.A. members not informed that this action was contemplated?
Does the answer lie in the first paragraph of Mr. Lyon's letter, from which it is possible to infer that he does not think the agreement of a memorandum to the Minister is specific news of interest to the industry? If so, he will be surprised to learn that hauliers up and down the country are vitally interested in this subject and are constantly asking about developments. They will be gratified, as indeed lam, to know that the Association, along with other
representative bodies of road users, is, after all, taking some further action.
I note Mr. Lyon's assurances that the Association did not act contrary to its legal advisers' opinion in first taking up the Venables case and then droppipg it. I can only say that I had good reasons for making this statement.
London, E.C.1, NORMAN H. TILSLEY.
Critical Engine Noise
WAS very interested in the article "Critical Engine Noise ", in your November 29 issue, where due to thin -shell bearings turning and cutting off oil supply, a seizure had resulted, causing a connecting rod to part from its piston and smash the side of the crankcase.
This indeed is a frequent happening. With the hundreds of crankcases that pass through our works each year for repair, we find this type of damage on many makes of commercial engine. Sometimes, the bore is also completely broken out.
It may not be known to all operators that such breakages can be satisfactorily repaired at a great saving against new, even when pieces are missing "lost on road ".
A crankcase which would cost £200 new, can usually be repaired for 140, in 14 days.
London, S.E.-15. L. T. DUFF,
General Manager, Angell and Williams (Peckham) Ltd.