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Bird's Eye

15th December 1967
Page 59
Page 59, 15th December 1967 — Bird's Eye
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

ViewBY THE HAWK

'I incite. .

HIGHLIGHT of the after dinner speeches of the RHA West Midland area dinner, Philip Turner's "I am inciting hauliers to raise their rates," provoked a burst of applause. RHA secretary, Eric Russell, had, explained Philip, written the piece in his speech on the report of the Prices and Incomes Board, published that afternoon and had stated that he would not incite hauliers to raise rates. I am inciting them, said Philip, as well as advising them to take prompt and appropriate action with regard to the report. The Prices and Incomes Board had not been unfriendly, added Philip, but their interpretation of the reference of the Department of Economic Affairs was dangerous to the health of the road-transport industry.

Millions to one chance

LAST WEEK'S issue of COMMERCIAL MOTOR contained what surely must be the coincidence of a lifetime. Staff photographer Dick Ross had just arrived at the MI Toddington Service Area when he took the snapshot which we published on page 19: it showed a Ward and Goldstone vehicle with a Freightliner container going by road because of labour trouble on the railways.

All in the week's work as far as Dick was concerned until the issue appeared last Friday. There in colour on the front cover was not only a vehicle of the same firm similarly loaded with a Freightliner container— it was the same vehicle. Leyland tell me the shot of the vehicle in their advertisement was actually taken some months ago.

For the statistically minded there are over 1.5m commercial vehicles operating on over 200,000 miles of road not to mention minutes of the day. All in all, it was some coincidence!

Bosses want to turn busmen?

OLDHAM busmen's ban on overtime has meant erratic timekeeping by passengers and loss of production for local firms.

Because of this, the Chamber of Commerce last week decided to ask the mayor of Oldham whether some of its members could join the transport committee. They believed their presence would ensure the business-like operation of the bus services!

Bustatistics

WHAT with mini skirts and maxi skirts, transport hostesses and pursereues the poor old clippie seems to be left out in the cold in the present glamour stakes. Just read this report (sent by one of my Scottish correspondents) of an Edinburgh Council debate last week:

"Declaring that some conductresses take up too much space on buses, Councillor John Kidd suggested at a meeting of Edinburgh town council on December 7 that the transport department should employonly lightweight girls. Overriding gales of mirth from his fellow councillors, he claimed that girls who were not 'chesty' managed bus stairs more easily than plump girls.

"Stout conductresses, he said, 'waddled about the bus' and some of them took up so much space on the platform that people could hardly get off or on. He added that he was 'not against stout people' when members made remarks about his own weight. Councillor Kidd thought all conductresses who were interviewed by the transport department should be asked to 'step on the scales'.

"In a lighthearted reply Councillor Maurice Ferry, transport convener, said he would personally ask the transport manager to see that the measuring tape was put round prospective conductresses, but Councillor Kidd's assistance would not be required.

"Councillor Ferry added that perhaps Councillor Kidd had the Bluebell Girls in mind for Edinburgh's future bus staff.

"Councillor Kidd, who once ran a transport undertaking at Whitley Bay, said later that he had employed only slim girls as conductresses, and had found that his buses made more money, as the lightweight girls were much quicker on their feet."

£1,000 to beat the strike

THERE HAVE BEEN various repercussions to the month-old strikes that have brought Birkenhead and Wallasey Corporations' buses to a standstill. Eleven private coaches are running three days a week on seven main routes to carry Birkenhead housewives from the major housing estates to the town's main shopping centre.

Operating a shuttle service between 9.30 a.m. and 5.30 p.m., the coaches, on private hire from Suniways Coachways of Liverpool, are running about every 30 minutes.

The shopkeepers, who are offering this free service, claim that the cost of running the service until Christmas, about £1,000, is far less than the amount their shops have been losing since the beginning of November.

I hear that about 30 of the busmen have given up hope and have left to take up jobs in general haulage and coal delivery firms.

Silver, golden or diamond?

A COMMEMORATIVE booklet landed on my desk the other day. On the front cover was the word, in gold letters, "Plaxton". Accompanying the booklet was a Press notice announcing Plaxtons' "golden jubilee" souvenir book. So far, so good. However, on opening the book I found a letter from T. H. Stephenson, joint managing director of Plaxtons saying that "it is with pride and pleasure that we forward you our 'silver jubilee' book". Consternation.

Then on page three of the booklet itself, I read "This diamond jubilee book is presented with the compliments of the directors, management and staff of Plaxtons (Scarborough) Ltd:" More consternation!

In point of fact it is the diamond jubilee of this well-known Scarborough coachbuilding firm which is being celebrated. It was in the year 1907 that F. W. Plaxton, a young jobbing joiner, founded the now famous business whose handsome Panorama coaches pioneered the days of super-visibility luxury coaches, now universally accepted. It is a fine booklet too, with some good colour photography and some interesting sketches of the stages in building Plaxton buses and coaches.

Puff-Puff

ONCE upon a time there were lots of little boys who wanted to play with trains. Did they achieve their ambition?


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