WHEELS of INDUSTRY "The wheels of wealth will be slowed
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by all difficulties of transport, at whatever points arising, as a carriage is by the roughness of the roads over which it runs."—John Beattie Crozier.
THE BIGGEST ROAD-TRAFFIC CENSUS.
The Minister of Transport, in collaboration with highway authorities, has made plans for an extensive traffic census to be carried out in Great Britain during the week commencing August 12. At many points in county ateas and county boroughs there will be a 24-hour census, but elsewhere the count will begin at 6 a.m.. and finish at 10 p.m. each day. At least 10,000 enumerators will be engaged and they will keep watch at between 5,000 and 6,000 selected points.
The principal object of the census is to provide adequate data so that highway authorities may prepare their schemes for the improvement of roads on a scientific basis. A feature will be the taking, for the first time, of a pedestrian poll.
With the exception of steam rollers, every type of road vehicle will be included in the census, and records will be kept of the average number and tonnage of vehicles and of the roadsurfacing materials in use at the census points. The cost will be borne equally by the Road Fund and local authorities.
The census does not affect London, as separate records of traffic in the Metropolis are kept by the Commissioner of police.
Workshop Officers Wanted for
In our issue dated November 30, 1934, we stated that the India Office would shortly issue details of vacancies for workshop officers, who would be required owing to the rapid expansion of mechanization. We now learn that some 20 further excellent positions are available in India for fully qualified engineers. The remuneration will rise to as high as £1,200 per annum.
Reconstruction of the Sentinel Concern.
At a. recent meeting attended by 30.. of the principal creditors of the Sentinel , Waggon Works, Ltd.. Mr. Hutton, on behalf of Mr. T. M. Welsh. the receiver and manager; outlined the causes of the present financial position of the company, which was attributed mainly to the severe slump in the sale of steam wagons owing to oppressive regulations and the competition of oilengined vahicles. Much experimental work, however, had been carried out, both in connection with road vehicles and railway work, in an attempt to overcome the difficulties, and the receiver's investigations into the present position and future prospects led him to hope that it should be possible to reorganize and reconstruct the company if the present financial situation could be eased.
616 He outlined the proposals for reconstructioh on which the receiver was at the moment engaged, but explained that the stage which the negotiations had reached did not permit the publication of details.
TACT. Convention Programme.
The first national convention of the Institute of the Motor Trade will take place at Birmingham from July 4-6. A dinner in connection with the event will be held on the opening day at the Grand Hotel, when the speeches of Sir Malcolm. Campbell and Capt. Austin Hudson, M.C., M.P., the private secretary to the Ministry of Transport, will be broadcast in the Midland -Regimital programme. The guests will be received by Mr. H. A.
Bennett, president of the Institute, and Mr. II. A. Rollinsfan, F.I.M.T., chairman of the West Midland Centre.
On the following day, the subject of "How the Motor Industry Can Develop and Improve its Service to the Public" will be discussed, anti, in the evening, there will be a civic reception by the Lord Mayor of Birmingham. " Has the Motor Industry Wou Its Position in the Life of the Nation?" forms the subject of the conference proceedings on the Saturday. A number of works visits has been arranged for the Thursday and Friday.
New Carlisle Haulage Company.
Modern Haulage Services, Ltd., is the title of a new company formed to take over the business of Modern Road Services, Carlisle. The company has a nominal capital of £2,000 and the directors are Messrs. T. Ryan and M. Brown.
BREWERS SEEKING DRIVERS' HOURS VARIATION. .
The Brewers' Society has made application to the Minister of Transport for a variation of the periods of time laid down in Section 19 of the Road Traffic Act, 1930, as amended by Section a of the Road and Rail Traffic Act, 1933, to enable drivers of road vehicles of certain types to work for an extra hour on each working day in the fortnight preceding a Bank Holiday, on the Bank Holiday and on the two consecutive days immediately following the holiday.
The matter has been referred to the Industrial Court, which will meet on June 20, at 10.30 a.m., at 5, Old Palace Yard, Westminster, London, S.W.I., to hear parties to the applica tion.
Licensing Authority Objects to Trailers.
"It is not our policy to encourage trailers on the roads, and we would much rather have a vehicle operating alone, because it is under proper control. . ." This contentious statement, which is likely to raise a storm of protest amongst manufacturers, as well as amongst operators, was made by Dr. Dawson Sadler, the West Midland Deputy Licensing Authority, at a sitting in Birmingham. He admitted that there were cases in which trailers had to be employed and for which it was certainly necessary that licences should be granted.
Mr. James Agrees with Road Transport for Livestock.
An interesting application was made to Mr. A. T. James, K.C., the South' Wales Licensing Authority, by Mr. W. Price, of the Stniet, Brecon. He sought an unconditional licence on the ground that, as no one held such a licence in that district, transport users were at a great disadvantage. In particular, it was contended, the agricultural industry was adversely affected by a limited radius of transport, for it was an advantage to send livestock by road
rather than by rail. This was emphatically the case when stock was conveyed to shows and special markets at a distance.
The Great Western Railway Co. offered strong opposition to the application.
Mr. James said there was a case for the conveyance by road of livestock to shows and for exhibition, and for carrying for those specific purposes he
would grant the licence sought. In the matter of the general conveyance of stock to distant places; he was not quite so certain as to the position, but he would grant a licence with a 60-Mile radius limit.