Will We See More of Mr. Marples Now?
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THE appointment of Vice-Admiral John Hughes-Hallett as an extra Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Transport is intended primarily to help shipping and shipbuilding, but it will have its effect on road and rail.
Mr. Marples has been under mounting pressure from M.P.s of all parties to devote more time to maritime matters and now that he has, to a great extent, handed over these responsibilities, the pendulum is likely to swing in the opposite direction. The call will now be for him to apply himself more closely to land transport problems. He started doing this on Monday by announcing the latest plans to ease congestion in London.
Nostalgia
OSTALGIA swept swiftly through my thoughts the other
marning. Out of the post came an old, faded, sepia-tinted postcard, the photograph on the front of which was taken in 1919. Prominent in the picture (taken outside the premises of H. A. Scott and Sons, hauliers, of Rolles Quay, Barnstaple) was a 1913 Foden steamer. Less prominent—behind a quintette of Scott's and employees, in fact—was a 1919 Tyler-engined Karrier 5-tonner which was the first petrol-engined lorry to appear in the area, I am told.
One of the five people in the picture was a young boy. That lad was Mr. Arthur Scott, who today runs the company—still as H. A. Scott and Sons, and still from Rolles Quay, B28
The secretary of Barnstaple sub-area of the Road Haulag Association, Mr. W. Glover, sent the postcard to me. To m immense regret, he very firmly told me he wanted the card back
Floe Line
CING new fields to conquer is a well-known coach rator famous for his trail-blazing exploits between n and India, I now learn that he is planning a trip New York to Paris—by road—and from the route he mind I'd say he'll be the first • , and the last.
n New York he proposes to travel through Alaska to :ring Strait, which he will cross in his vehicle FROM LOE TO ICE FLOE. Then, through Russia to Paris.
nd Helping ?
tAISE or not to raise, that is the thorny rates question has currently been engaging the thoughts of the Road ;e Association. I certainly wouldn't like to provide the
r a very long pe.riod of absorbing costs, the R.H.A. did nend a hefty 10 per cent, increase last year. It was id, literally within weeks, by increased wages and higher tce costs. Afterwards came higher National Insurance utions last month, when the State pension scheme came rect. Then the Budget brought taxation problems. I for a fact that some hauliers already estimate their ed costs at as much as 2 per cent.
e is a big potential threat in payroll tax or higher fuel he imposition of either of these, I fancy, might be to tip the balance. It is a bit galling to get a higher ul pay it out almost at once in extra costs. Like Oliver hauliers may have to come back for more.