HUGE SCOTTISH BUS STRIKE
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THE wages question affecting the workers of the Scottish Motor Traction Co., Ltd., Western S.M.T. 'Co.,. Ltd., Central S.M.T. Co., Ltd., W. 'Alexander and Sons, Ltd., Falkirk, and their subsidiary companies, has come to a head. An unofficial lightning general strike affecting a wide area of Scotland was put in operation on Tuesday morning.
New wages temes offered by the employers were rejected at a meeting of representativesin Edinburgh, on Monday. Decision to take immediate strike action was taken at Larbert, early on Tuesday morning, and the. call for a strike was swiftly circulated. The stoppage spread to other routes, but there were hopes of an early settlement.. It
• was anticipated that some 8,000 uni, formed workers would be affected, besides a number of members of the office staff.
" CONTRACT " APPEAL ABANDONED.
ON November 19 last, at Porth, the Rhondda Stipendiary had before him cases in which Red and White Services, Ltd.,. was summoned for using vehicles as express carriages without road service licences.
The hearing was reported in The Commercial Motor, and the issue in dispute was whether the fact that the organizer of outings made a profit, as between the fare per head charged by him to the passengers and the price paid by him for the hire of the vehicle, placed the transaction outside the bounds of private hire.
The ruling was adverse to the company, which was fined on one summons and gave notice of appeal. Other summonses against the company, and against several other bus proprietors, turning on this point, were adjourned for the result of the appeal.
At Forth Police Court, on March 4, Red and White Services, Ltd., intimated that counsel's opinion was that the success of the appeal was doubtful. Accordingly, this would not be proceeded with.
The Stipendiary convicted the defendants in the adjourned cases.
TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES HINDER AIRCRAFT PRODUCTION.
COMPLAINTS that skilled men were on the dole, because of poor transport facilities, were made to Mr. W. Chamberlain, chairman of the NorthWestern Traffic Commissioners, last Friday. He pointed out that the railways and the local road-transport authorities had not "jumped " as they ought to have done, to the necessity of providing adequately for the labour required at the new aircraft factories.
Mr. W. J. Hulicae, labour manager at the Fahey Aviation Works, Levenshuhne, Manchester, said that much of the skilled labour required at the factory was found to be available at Oldham, but even key. men were leaving, because of the had conditions of
travelling. He understood that, although the distance was not great, the men were so long on the way that, while they were required to work 12 hours at the factory, they obtained only about eight hours at home for sleep and leisure.
Before the court was an application by Mr. J. A. Pennington, of North Manchester, to run a coach direct from Oldham to the works. Mr. Chamberlain said it would be considered, although the rule of the area was that existing operators should have the first chance to meet new needs.
100 NEW DUBLIN BUSES.
nr:JBLIN is to have 100 new 143.-seater
La/buses, this year. Dublin United Tramways Co., Ltd., the responsible company, is pressing forward with plans for the modernization of the bus fleet.
GLASGOW TRANSPORT TO BE REORGANIZED.
GLASGOW municipal transport department is to be reorganized, The transport committee agreed, last week, to a proposal by Bailie Victor D. Warren that an investigation be made into the operation of the department.
The inquiry will include an examination of the technical and engineering efficiency of the bus section and its personnel, and of the department's future policy, following the retirement of the present general manager in November.
• L.M.S. LOSES FARES APPEAL.
THE Minister of Transport has dismissed, with costs, 61 appeals by the L.M.S. Railway Co. against conditions granted to a number of operators in the North-Western Area concerning dayreturn and period-return fares.
In his report, Sir Henry Wynne said that there was no evidence that the fares fixed are unreasonable or uneconomic. Moreover, the.railway company had failed to show that the reductions are unjustified, or that they would result in wasteful competition.
FREE FROM DEBT, WIGAN REORGANIZES.
CINDING itself no longer under a I burden of debt, Wigan Corporation has entered upon a comprehensive scheme of revision of services and fares, which, on present revenue, means a loss
of over £19,000 a year. Increases in the number of passengers carried are expected to make good the revision.
The scheme was approved by the North-Western Traffic Commissioners on Monday.
Mr. A. Royle, for the corporation, described the new scheme as affecting 46 routes, on which there was one extension. Return fares were being abandoned, but the whole or single fares were being reduced to what had been the basis of the return fare, namely, Id. per mile.
Mr. W. Chamberlain, chairman, remarked that this was a substantial reduction for a town like Wigan. . The enterprise was highly creditable to the corporation.
PROTECTION TO OUTLIVE TRAMS?
QEVEN bus companies operating from Swansea to other areas and which have rights of picking up passengers in -the Swansea district, are jointly applying to the South Wales Traffic Commissioners for sanction to reduce fares. Tho aim is to abolish the protection given to. the Swansea tram services,.
Now Now that the Swansea trams are being replaced by buses, the bus companies contend that they should be permitted to reduce their faros, otherwise the South Wales Transport Co., Ltd., which is making the substitution, will be given a virtual monopoly over parts of the companies' and the S.W.T. routes.
The matter was referred to. by the Commissioners at a recent sitting. when the local fares scale agreed upon by the joint committee of Swansea Council and the S.W.T. was sanctioned. The Commissioners then granted to some of the bus routes the protection given to the tramways, and hinted that the other routes would be for future discussion.
The change-over from trains to buses at Swansea commenced last Sunday.
NEW PACT FOR WEST YORKSHIRE MEN.
QN Sun-clay (March 14) a new agreement concerning wages and working conditions will be brought into force by the West Yorkshire Road Car Co., Ltd., following negotiations with the Transport and General Workers Union.
Under it, drivers will receive a maximum rate of 1s. 4ild, an hour after two years' service, male conductors a. maximum of is. id. per hour after 2/ years' service, female conductors 11d. per hour, whilst certain longservice conductors will be paid an additional bonus of either 2s. 6d. or 5s. a week.
A guaranteed 48-hour week will be provided for 90 per cent, of the staff. Time-and-a-quarter rates will be paid on Sundays and Bank Holidays, and double tithe on Christmas Day. The annual holiday is of eight days' duration, with pay.
GATESHEAD TO PROMOTE TRANSPORT BILL.
IN furtherance of its scheme for taking over the undertaking of the Gateshead and-District Tramways Co., in the Gateshead area, Gateshead Town Council decided, last-week, to promote a Bill in Parliament during the next session of the House of Commons. It is understood the corporation may also seek powers to acquire the undertaking in the Felling and Whickham urban areas.
It is not yet known whether the corporation will continue with the present tram service after the purchase is completed, or whether trolleybuses will be introduced. A number of councillors is in favour of the latter proposal.