Denationalization Committee Set Up
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ANATIONAL committee of exhauliers who wish to return to the road haulage industry, should it be denationalized, is likely to be formed. It would comprik delegates from area committees.
On Monday, ex-members of the Road Haulage Association in the. West Midlands, whose businesses have been compulsorily acquired by the British Transport Commission and who are interested in re-entering the industry, held a meeting in Birmingham.
A committee was formed, with Mr. L. J. Madden as chairman and Mr. Alfred Dale (Longton Transport, Ltd.) as vice-chairman. The committee includes also Mr. W. G. Ingham (H. and H. Motorways), Mr. G. L. • Radford (Trek, Ltd.), Mr. IL L. Robinson, Mr. S. J. Wright and Mr. F. G. Follows (C. Follows and Sons).
Mr. R. Morton Mitchell, chief executive officer of the Association, addressed the meeting. The committee will be pleased to consider suggestions front ex-members in the West Midlands whose businesses have been acquired. These should be sent to Mr. G. F. Goodwin, R.H.A. area secretary, Roadway House, 536, Stratford Road, Sparkhill, Birmingham, 11.
It is expected that similar meetings will be held shortly in other areas.
BRITAIN TOBOMADIKESE DEPLIREX PRODUCTION of the Deplirex extensible body, described in "The Commercial Motor" dated January 5, is to be undertaken by two well-known bodybuilders in this country. One of these, J. H. Sparshatt and Sons (Portsmouth), Ltd., has been appointed a concessionaire for this type of body, and has the sole right for the manufacture of extensible bodies for brewers.
The first of these may shortly be completed, and will incorporate Sparshatt tubular framing, which has proved particularly suitable for this type of design. • The girder boxes on which the extending sections of the body move, will be manufactured by E. W. Campion and Sons, Ltd., Leicester, which will also build bodies of this type. The girder boxes are being supplied from France until production in this country is started.
ULSTER TRANSPORT • INQUIRY
TERMS of reference for the Northern Ireland Transport Tribunal's inquiry into the affairs of the Northern Ireland Transport Authority, and transport matters generally, have now been drawn up and signed by the Minister of Commerce.
The Tribunal has been directed to inquire into the operation of the Transport Act (Northern Ireland), 1948, and the manner in which the Authority has carried out its duties under the Act. Other matters relating to transport in Northern Ireland (including transport and services to and from Northern Ireland)' may also be considered.
"Co-op." Party Wants Manchester Board
rtA PROPOSAL to set up a regional passenger transport undertaking, covering Manchester and its adjacent towns and urban districts, is to be put by Manchester and Salford Co-operative party to the North-western Licensing Authority next week, when Manchester Transport Department's application for fares increases will be heard.
The suggestion is to be made to reduce the number of "highly paid officials." The party wants to cut the alleged "huge mileage" run by the buses with no or few passengers. It considers that frequencies in slack periods could be reduced to 30 minutes, and that limited-stop services could be extended during peak hours.
" The reported reduction of 30m. in, passengers carried since the last increase from Id. to lid. shows the value of buses as_ a public service has been diminished," the party states. The Id. minimum should he restored. Relative costs of trolleybus and motorbus otieration should be revealed to discover whether trolleybus routes could profitably be extended.
Private-hire work in the summer should also be increased.
• INQUIRY AT GLASGOW: "NO REFLECTION"
'A PROPOSAL to set up a sub-com
mittee to inquire into the operation and financial aspects of Glasgow Transport Department was passed by the transport committee, last week. The subcommittee would have a King's Counsel as chairman, and a chartered accountant and a transport expert as members. The proposal has yet to be ratified by the corporation.
The sub-convener of the transport committee. Bailie G. Reid, said that although he put forward the motion, no reflection was cast upon the management or officials of the transport department. He was certain that the findings of the inquiry would be a vindication of the management.
M.o.T. GRANT REFUSED
BECAUSE "several years of useful life are left" in 10 of Darlington Transport Department's trolleybuses. the Ministry of Transport has refused permission to buy 19 single-deck motorbuses. Sanction to buy 12 buses has been granted, but the corporation hopes to obtain permission to acquire two more vehicles.
. In last week's issue, reference was made to the department's conversion from tram to motorbus working. This should have been stated as conversion from trolleybus to motorbus operation.
SPECIALLOID INQUIRY
A SOLICITOR, Mr. P. M. Armitage.
has, the Board of Trade announces. been appointed to investigate the affairs of Specialloid, Ltd. The inquiry relates to the acquisition of the Aero Piston Ring Co.. Ltd., to the increase of capital and to the placing of ordinary shares in 1945.
A30
Men in the News
MR. GRANVILLE ELLISON has joined Hindle Smart and Co., Ltd.. as assistant public relations officer.
MR. THOMAS ANDERSON, chief assistant in charge of litigation and prosecutions in the British Transport Commission's legal service for Scotland, is to retire.
MR. D. D. WALKER. M.A., M.I.E.E., has been elected president of the British Engineers' Association. MR. H. S. BROOM, M.B.E , B.Sc., M.I.MEcH.E., has been re-elected vice-president. He is joint managing director of Broom and Wade, Ltd., and a director of B.E.N. Patents, Ltd.
MR. BERNARD HOPE'S. chairman of Lodge Plugs, Ltd., states in his annual report that because of his advancing years, he is resigning his position as managing director. He will continue as chairman and technical director. MR. F. M. SAYERS, 0.B.E., general manager, will be responsible to the board for dayto-day management.
MR. FRANK F. FowLea, national chairman of the Road Haulage Association, is to visit the R.H.A. Northern Area on September 20. He vfill meet the area committee during the day and will address a meeting of members to be held in the evening in the lecture theatre of the Literary and Philosophical Society, Westgate Road, Newcastle-on-Tyne.
Staff Shortage May Cut Services
UNLESS there is an improvement in the recruitment drive, Birmingham Transport Department may shorlly have to reduce services. According to reports from the general manager, it has already been• necessary on occasions to leave vehicles in their garages in the mornings because of lack of staff. At the moment, the undertaking needs another 950 drivers and conductors and 200 engineering staff.
The wage increase granted municipal bus workers on July 16 has had little effect on recruitment. Birmingham workers were previously receiving a rate above the national minimum, but the latest agreement has laid down maximum rates. It is therefore no longer possible for the Birmingham staff to negotiate a local rate.
Birmingham and West Bromwich branches of the Transport and General Workers' Union have passed a resolution suggesting the formation of a Midland section of the National Joint Industrial Council. This, they say, would enable them to negotiate a Midland rate, as opposed to a national one. The proposal would first have to be ratified by the Midlands committee of drivers and conductors before passing to the passenger transport committee , of the T.G.W.U. and the N.I.I.C.
Revised schedules, based on the use of fewer vehicles, are being drawn up by the corporation and will be presented for agreement to the Birmingham central bus committee of the T.G.W.U.
NEARLY 300,000 MOTOR VEHICLES IN INDIA
AT the end of last year, 292,343 motor vehicles were registered in India. Lorries totalled 152,000, of which 67,703 were of American make. The number of buses registered was 25,630; 19,223 were American. Ttie foreign exchange allotted to India for the first six months of 1951 provided for the import of 5,250 goods and passenger chassis from non-dollar areas.
Twelve companies are engaged on vehicle assembly in India. One concern partially manufactures vehicles. The total annual assembly capacity is 80,000. Preliminary figures show that 8.000 lorries were assembled in India during 1950.
In eastern India, the average life of lorries and buses is five years. Government regulations require commercial vehicles to be removed from the roads 12 years after first registration.
VACUUM REFINERY PROGRESS
RAPID progress has been made on the site at Coryton, Essex, upon which the Vacuum Oil Co., Ltd., is building an oil refinery. The project, which involves a British-American capital investment of over £10m., is scheduled for completion on January 1, 1953. The refinery will process about 850,000 tons of crude oil per year, and by manufacturing products which are now largely imported, will save dollars.
The refinery will be one of the few in the world designed mainly for •the ingnufacture of lubricating stock oils.