Tonnage Arguments
Page 42
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on Cable Transport
THE carriage of cables between the British Insulated Cable works at Present and London, formed the subject of argument before the North'Western Deputy Licensing Authority at Liverpool. Miller and Co. (Liverpool and London), 27, Water Street, Liverpool, applied for a variation of its A licences to delete a vehicle of n tons and acquire two vehicles of 14 tons.
Mr. Macaulay, for the applicant, said the company carried between Liverpool and London, and within a 40-mile radius of London. For some years past it had been carrying cables for the Prescot concern, and that work was increasing. An unusual feature was that it required suitably strengthened vehicles and men specially trained. The company carried cables and electrical and general goods to London and brought back a quantity of empty drums, and a larger quantity of general goods than it carried on the outward journey. Of the cable work, 99 per cent, was urgent.
The applicant had two difficulties which resulted in this application. First, owing to increased traffic there was a severe strain on its vehicles, and, secondly, it had difficulty in getting sub-contractors with the right vehicle equipment.
In1933, the tonnage carried by the company's vehicles was 4,153 and by sub-contractors 13,940. The equivalent unladen weight was 18.8 tons, and the tonnage carried per ton of unladen weight on the company's own vehicles was 224. In 1934, the respective figures were 8,449 tons, 12,553 tons, 37.10 tons, and 225 tons; and in 1935, 10,627 tons, 9,947 tons, 41.4 tons and 258 tons. The increase in 1935, over 1934, was 2,178 tons and there was a decrease in sub-contracting.
Taking the basic-year figure, the increase justified was 2,178 tons divided by 224, i.e.,. 01 tons. This, plus the n tons which the company proposed to give up, gave approximately the 14 tons for which it was asking. The six-months figures available for 1936 showed that on its own vehicles the company carried 6,377 tons whilst subcontractors dealt with 6,290 tons. It was entitled to an increase of 15.3 tons, whereas in fact the company was
• applying fcr a net increase of 10i tons. The hearing was adjourned.