Still Too Dear
Page 53
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Rird's Eye View By The Hawk AC-L10ENSEE had an agreement with the railways to pay £8 per ton for goods consigned for delivery irrespective of distance. When it was announced that rail rates were to be advanced by 10 per cent., the area representative of British Railways said that as the operator had been a good railway customer in the past, the agreed charge of £8 Would be increased by only 74 per cent.
The customer thought that if he tackled a higher railway official he would secure a greater remission than 24 per cent., but so far he has had no response. Meantime, he is building up his fleet to carry a greater proportion of his company's output, -and, although he admits that he employs his vehicles on the most economical routes, he tells me that the average cost of delivery per ton under C licence is £4. Railway charges will have to be even more flexible before they can reach that figure.
L.P.G.
HAVE discovered a new method of computing fuel con, sumption—in launches per gallon. Perkins Gliding Club have a Dodge lorry with a Wilde balloon winch for launching gliders. The original petrol engine has been replaced by a P.6 oiler, which, I am told, averages 15.8 launches per gallon, as against 5-7 launches with the old petrol engine.
This compares more than. favourably with the usual rate of one launch per bottle of champagne.
Left influence
BRITAIN does not drive on the left of the road just to be different from most other countries, although the reason is lost in antiquity. The custom began, says the R.A.C., in the days when highwaymen lurked on the roads and travellers were often forced to fight for their money, or their lives. As swords were worn on the left, it was logical to keep one's horse on that side of the track. Then, if attacked, the rider was immediately in the best fighting position, sword at the ready in his right hand and, without undue manipulation of the horse, his unguarded flank was automatically protected.
It will be interesting to see whether, from the new practice of extracting money from road users by radar, the custom will develop of driving three abreast in tight convoys.
Pigeon Sleuth
Do pigeon fanciers make good detectives? Apparently they do, for his hobby enabled Mr. Alfred Wall, who handles lost property at the Stockport headquarters of the North Western Road Car Co., Ltd., to restore £50 to its owner.
A driver on the London-Manchester express service handed in a lost wallet containing £50, which nobody claimed. Mr. Wall found in the wallet the name " Shaw " and latitude and longitude figures which, he deduced, located a pigeon fancier's loft at Lewisham, London. Inquiries proved that he was correct, and the wallet was restored to its 87-year-old owner.
£1,000 for £5
WHEN Mr. Ernest Marples, Postmaster-General, pressed VY the button at the Radio Show, last week, to start the fourth premium-bond draw, the first winning number selected brought a £1,000 prize to Mr. H. H. Hill, transport manager of E. K. Cole, Ltd. The number was one of a £5 block of bonds bought through the Ekco National Savings group. Mr. Hill may now expect to make a lot of new friends.
Nigger and Wood Pile
ACOLOURED man carrying a large bundle of wood asked the conductor of a London bus for permission to put the wood under the stairs. The conductor agreed and passed inside to take the fares.
About a couple of miles farther on, the man appeared and removed his firewood. "Hit" said the conductor, "where you been, what about yer fare?"
I don't ride •on bus." retorted the man with a broad grin. "I ride my bike behindl"