Attack on Mr. James Barrie's Nomination
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THE Road Haulage Association's inclusion of Mr. James Barrie among their two nominees to the Road Haulage Disposals Board was the subject of discussion in the House of • Commons on Monday. Mr. Barrie is a director of Transport Unit Finance, Ltd., which has been set up by the United Dominions Trust, Ltd„ and the R.H.A. to finance the purchase of transport units.
Mr. James Callaghan asked the Minister of Transport whether, before making his appointments to the Board, he would inquire whether Mr. Barrie had been nominated as a director of Transport Unit Finance, Ltd.
The Minister replied that before making appointments he inquired into the interest of those nominated. He did not accept Mr. Callaghan's classification of the appointment in question. He did not agree with the proposition that Mr. Barrie was barred from this particular appointment.
Mr. Attlee declared that the wisdom of appointing a man to a position of trust who would be interested in selling for the Government and buying for another organization was in question.
The Minister agreed that it would be wrong for a person to be concerned in a particular sale or series of sales and be a member of the Disposals Board, hut the Government's position was perfectly clear.
Mr. Callaghan was still dissatisfied and said that he would raise the matter again.
ALL ABOUT THE TRANSPORT ACT
ONpages 448-455 The Commercial Motor presents an 11,000-word explanation of the effects of the Transport Act, 1953, on the road transport industry. It is written in narrative form for simplicity and presents a complete picture of the machinery for denationalization.
It is being reprinted under the title, "The Operator's Guide to the Transport Act, 1953," and copies at Is. 6d. net I Is. 8d. by post), may be obtained, as from May 19, from Temple Press Ltd.. Bowling Green Lane, London, E.C.1. or any bookseller.
REGULAR SERVICES MUST BE PROTECTED
GRANTING an application experimentally for one year to Roberts Motors (Caerphilly), Ltd., Caerphilly, to run coaches from Caerphilly to Blackpool. Mr. H. J. Thom, South Wales Licensing Authority, observed, last week, that the need for protecting the revenue of bus companies operating regular services was not appreciated by the public.
He still hoped that the public would in due course appreciate that it was not only a question of watching for abstraction of traffic, but also of giving any new traffic to the companies operating
regular services. If the revenue of such operators was helped, this might exercise a deterring effect on applications for increased fares.
BLACK COUNTRY HAULIER NEGOTIATING
A N operator in the Black Country, in
anticipation of buying a transport unit from the Road Haulage Disposals Board, is already negotiating for a garage in London for use as a base for services from Wolverhampton and Walsall. He ran 36 vehicles before nationalization but now wishes to return with about 40.
He hopes to retrieve his old depot and many of his former staff. Thirteen men, seven of whom at present work for British Road Services. are .said te be on a waiting list.
36,496 MORE " C " VEHICLES CTATISTICS issued on Tuesday by s.-.7 the Ministry of Transport show that in the year ended March 31 last, 36,496 new C-licence vehicles were introduced. The number of C-licence operators rose by 13.462.
The latest figures quote the number of C-licence vehicles in March last as 845,364, compared with 808,868 a year earlier. The number of operators increased from 408,743 to 422,205.
INSTITUTE'S NEW PRESIDENT
THE Institute of Transport has elected Mr. John Elliot, chairman of the Railway Executive, to be its next president. He will succeed Mr. C. T. Brunner and will take up office on October I.
KING'S MOTORS DEAL Q1XTY per cent, of the issued capital 1--; of Raymond Way Motors, Ltd., has been acquired by King's Motors (Oxford), Ltd. Mr. D. R. Way has become a director of King's Motors,