News of the Week
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t3rieish vehicle distributors and retailers viiited the Paris Salon to meet members of he French distributive and retail motor trade to exchange views on post-war problems The trip was arranged by Mr. W. J. Lord, F.LM.T., at the request of the retail section of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. Here are some Nuffield dealers at Croydon airport. Among them are : Mr. E. A. L. Mickley Mr. C. M. Seymour, Lt.-Col. A. T. C. Gardner, M.C., Mr. W. E. Shenstone, Mr. S. W. Payne. Mr. R. Berm, Mr. D. D. Callan and Mr. J. S. Cox
NEW LEYLAND GOODS-VEHICLE MODELS
rrHE original range of Leyland goods I vehicles comprised six models for the home market, and six for overseas. A further 11 models have now been added, bringing the range up to eight types for the home market and 15 overseas models.
An interesting addition to the home range is a tractor having a wheelbase of 8 ft. 6 ins., with a turning circle of approximately 38 ft. All the home models are of the forward-control type, and will be provided with the new fullfronted cab.
The chassis of the overseas range are bonneted types, and comprise the fourwheeled Super Beaver models, with three different wheelbase lengths, and the six-wheeled Super Hippo, with four different wheelbase lengths.
GERMAN INDUSTRY GETS INTO ITS STRIDE
THE monthly production of Daimler' Benz 3-ton lorries at Mannheim, in the American zone of Germany, is now at the rate of 250 te 300, says Reuter. Vthicles, how-ver, cannot be put to work immediately because of a shortage of head lamps, wheels, and tyres. The arrival of 300 wheels is expected .shortly from Brandenburg in the Russian zone. but the supply of tyres and inner tubes ig short
SHOULD CORPORATION BUILD BODIES?
[WHEN the House of Lords Select IN Committee considered the Glasgow Corporation Bill, which seeks power for the construction of n/otorbus and trolleybus bodies, Mr. E. R. L. Fitzpayne, general manager of the municipal transport department, said that the corporation proposed to buy the shell of the body and assemble the parts. The corporation had built eight bodies during the war at a cost of £1,321 each, whereas the purchase price to-day would be £1,690.
Mr. W. G. Marks,' general manager of Liverpool Corporation's passenger transport department, gave evidence in support of Glasgow Corporation. Lt.-Col. D. C. McLagan, in opposing the Bill, pointed out that J. Brockhouse and Co., Ltd., intended to open a factory in Glasgow to make bus bodies. He declared that, with few exceptions, power to manufacture bus bodies had been refused to municipal authorities. Other evidence on behalf of the Society
of Motor Manufacturers and Traders was given by Mr. W. R. Black.
Lord Terrington, chairman, said he would be interested to know where manufacture ended and assembly began. In reply to a question, Mr. R. P. Morison, K.C., for Glasgow Corporation, said that he thought the corporation already had power to assemble bodies.
LNDUSTRIAL-REPORT FROM GERMANY
REPORTS continue to flow as a result of our industrial teams' visits to Germany. One which may interest some of our readers is an interview with a professetr of the I.G. Rubber Service Laboratories. Leverkusen, concerning the design of rubber parts to be used in engineering. Its number is B.I.O.S. 702.
MEMORIAL TO COMMISSIONER
AMEMORIAL fund has been started in honour of the late Sir John Maxwell, who was chairman of the Northern Traffic Commissioners, Donations should be sent to Mr. W. Harding, A.C.A., The Boys' Brigade, 10, Lovaine Place, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, 1.
DEATH OF MR. E. G. 1ZOD IkAR. E. G. IZOD, chairman and joint Ilamanaging director of Weymann, Ltd., and a director of MetropolitanCammell-Weymann Motor Bodies, Ltd., died on October 2. He was 70 years of age. His many friends in the road transport industry will share our regret at his death. YOUNG IN YEARS: OLD IN EXPERIENCE
RAPID progress in the work of the Institute of Road Transport Engineers since its incorporation in May. 1945, was recorded in the presidential address by Mr. G. Mackenzie Junner, at the first annual general meeting last Friday. He said that the Institute was young in years, but nearly all the members were old in experience of the kind required.
Centres had been opened in the North-east at Leeds and in the Midlands at Birmingham. They were gathering strength and organizing their own programmes.
The Institute had interested itself in technical education and in the subject of variations in the overall dimensions of tyres. The council also had under consideration the matter of low salaries paid to many trained road-transport engineers. A properly registered appointments department was also in existence. Positions of sufficient importance would be circulated to the whole or a section of the membership.
Defining the Institute's future policy, Mr. Junner said that the organization hoped to establish closer contact with vehicle and equipment manufacturers by conveying to them the views of operating engineers. The new council might, he said, decide to follow a suggestion already made, to form panels of engineers connected with the maintenance of particular makes. The results of their experience could be analysed and passed to manufacturers in a suitable form.
AUSTIN SETS UP RECORD
EVIDENCE that the British motor Ea industry is leading the field in postwar economic rehabilitation comes from the Austin Motor Co,, Ltd., which announces that in September its production set up a new high record in the history of the company. Altogether, 8,194 vehicles and 440 tons of maintenance parts were dispatched. The net value of sales in the month was £2,358.000, and exports of vehicles and parts during September were valued to £897,000. These figures were achieved while the expansion of the factory was far from complete.
S.M.M.T. ADMINISTRATIVE CHANGES WITH the retirement of Lieut.-Colonel W D. C McLagan, D.S.O., after 17 years' service as secretary of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, the administration of this body is being reorganized, and the functions of the secretary will be divided between those of a director and secretary.
We have already mentioned that Mr. R. Gresham Cooke has been appointed director. Now, Mr. S. E. Clark, who is a chartered accountant, has been appointed secretary. He was formerly secretary and chief accountant of William P. Hartley, Ltd., served for six years in the Army, and joined the Society last January.
SUDAN GOVERNMENT WANTS TRANSPORT DIRECTOR
E Government of the Sudan has r available a position as director of its Mechanical Road Transport Department. Applicants must not be over 45 and have had training and experience which will enable them to undertake. planning and single organization of civil and military fleets, amounting to 1,200 vehicles. The salary will range from £E1,600 to £E1,900, on short-term contract. Applications should be submitted .to the Sudan Government, Wellington House, Buckingham Gate, S.W.1.
THE COURSE GOES TO THE MECHANICS
A QUALIFIED representative of 1-1 Morris-Commercial Cars, Ltd.' is beginning a tour of the country to lecture to distributor and d..:ala service mechanics at the premises of MorrisCommercial distributors.
Before the war, lectures were held at the Adderley Park factory. Because of present-day demands for service, it is felt that the burden carried by traders should not be increased by asking them to send their mechanics to Birmingham. The company, therefore, decided to send the course to the mechanics.
Subjects to be dealt with will include carburation and fuel systems, practical fault-finding, engine fits and clearances, cooling systems, braking, steering, and lubrication, and at the end of each day a general discussion will take place.
The course is intended for skilled men and will cover a period of four days. Apart from lectures, practical instruction will be given by means of sectioned units and demonstration components. Mr. L. C. A. Baum is in charge RATE-CUTTING LETS IN POLITICIANS celebrate their release from Gov ernment control, haulage contractors who belonged to Unit 3 R. 11 (Derbyshire) held a dinner at Swadlincote, Burton-on-Trent, last week. Mr. J. Osborne, of Transit Services (Woodville), Ltd., made a presentation to Mr. Ernest Hucker, transport manager of W. G. Cooper and Sons, Ltd., Burtonon-Trent, in recognition of his services as controller. All operators in the area subscribed to the gift.
Mr. Hucker warned operators against rate-cutting, and said that to indulge in such a practice would be playing into the hands of the politicians. Mr. J. A. Creese, area road haulage' officer of the Ministry of Transport, said that the Ministry had left operators a legacy in the unity which now existed among haulage contractors. This was far greater than it had been in the past, and hauliers must sustain it. If it is used aright, it can become a very useful weapon," he added.
BRIGGS PROFIT UP
A TRADING profit of £426,300 and ri a net profit of £118,600 were made by Briggs Motor Bodies, Ltd., in the past year. Both these figures represent an advance on those of the previous year.
DEATH OF TILLING MANAGER AAR. H. S. HODGES, contracts manIVIager of the motor department of Thomas Tilling, Ltd., died suddenly on September 27. at the age of 69. He entered the service of the company in 1898. WORLD ENGINEERING CONFERENCE ESTABLISHED
AN international organization, under the name of World Engineering Conference, has arisen out of the International Technical Congress held in
Paris in September. This has been resolved by the delegates and observers from 30 nations, appointed by the various Governments" and national engineering institutions and associations.
The objects of this Conference are:— To prepare for the establishment of the future World Engineering Federation; to assure, if need be, the holding of future International Engineering Congresses; and to establish contact with the Economic Social Council of UNO and with UNESCO.
The first president is M. A. Antoine, Inspecteur General a l'Electricite dc France, with Messrs. W. R. Howard, of Great Britain, and P. Soutter, cf Switzerland, as vice-presidents.