News of the Week
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ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS OF GOVERNMENT SCHEME
ACOMPARISON between the administrative charges per tonmile, in connection with the loadcarrying vehicles chartered under the Government's .RoadHaulage Scheme, and similar expenses of the trade pools, was sought, in the House of Commons last week by Major Lyons. Mr. NoelBaker replied that the administrative charges for traffic carried in chartered vehicles under the Road Haulage scheme were estimated at 0.137 pence per ton-mile. This estimate excluded the transport of meat and live stock.
For traffic carried in vehicles hired through the Hauliers' National Traffic Pool, an addition needed to be made to cover the expenses of the pool. This was estimated at 0.061 pence per tonmile. The total administrative charge for pool traffic was thus 0.198 pence per ton-mile.
DENNIS CHASSIS AVAILABLE FOR CIVILIAN WORK
ALTHOUGH it may not be known to all our readers, Dennis Bros., Ltd., has been able to supply a few of its Max chassis for civilian service during recent months. Now, the Dennis 5-ton chassis-13-ft. 6-in, wheelbase model—is available against M. of W.T. licence to acquire. This was one of the cokany's most popular models before the war, and the large number produced prior to restrictions being imposed has added considerably to the Nation's transport resources, providing those qualities which were originally intended to benefit the ordinary operator.
UNIFORM FINISHING TIME FOR ALL ROAD SERVICES
THE Ministry of War Transport and the Ministry of Fuel are jointly discussing the question of bringing the finishing tinfes of trolleybus and tram services into line with those of motorbus Services. This information was given to a Leeds conference of bus operators in the North-Eastern Region on Monday last by the Regional Transport Commissioner, Major F. S. Eastwood. •
The conference, held to discuss ways and' means for securing drastic economies in services, primarily to conserve tyre supplies, was told by the Commissioner that he did not propose to press ••for a finishing time earlier than 9 p.m.
PAPER -STILL BEING WASTED: POLICE WARNING • • THE police have recently drawn 1 attention to the fact that once more the streets are becoming littered with paper. It is pointed ,out that this is an offence. It is also illegal to put paper into a dustbin.or to mix it with any other material which will reduce its value for salvage.
We are afraid that in many big establishments, such as blocks of fiats, a Wild eye is -turned upon such contraventions of the law. At one large
establishment of this nature we examined a huge dustbin and, found the contents of dirty refuse mixed with a considerable 'quantity of paper and cardboard boxes. Incidentally, airraid wardens are supposed to give warnings againNt such wastage, and there are several frequently on duty in this particular building.
We suggest that the police should be empowered and, instructed to examine bins and to issue warnings, ,or summonses if the offencesbe particularly glaring. Reports could also, no doubt, be obtained from the municipal refuse collectors.
I. 6F T. MEETINGS • THE following lunch-hour 'Informal meetings of the Institute of Transport, each to be held at 1.15 p.m., at the Institution of Electrical Engineers, Savoy Place, Victoria Embankment, London, W.C.2, should be noted:— November 24: "Town and Country Planning and Transport Problems," by Mr. G. Mills. January 19: ." Passenger Pares—Economics or Tradition," by Mr. A. B. B. Valentine. February 23: 11"Transport Between the United Kingdom and the Continent," by Mr. R. Kelso. March 23: "The Adaptation of War-time Transport to Post-war Needs," by Mr. C. E. W. Duley.
In addition, there will be two luncheon meetings at 1.15 'p.m. in the Connaught Rooms, London, W.C.2— on November 3, when the speaker will he Lord Leathers, as mentioned elsewhere, and on December 1, speaker the Hon. -W. L. Runcirnan, DirectorGeneral, British Overseas Airways CorPoration.
PERSONAL PARS
MR. JACKSON HOGGA,RD, assisiant traffic superintendent at Leigh, has been selected, out of 75 applicants, as Southport Corporation traffic superintendent.
MR. SIDNEY E. GARCKE, C.B.E., has been elected chairman of the Devon General Omnibus and Touring Co., Ltd., in succession to MR. HAROLD T. BARNgIT, who, acting on medical advice, has resigned, although he retains his seat on the board.
-MR. A. F. WILLS, managing director, Bristol Haulage Co., Ltd., has been .appointed chairman of the Western Area, A.R.O., following the loss of Capt. J. W. Jones. CAPT. G. A. -P. I_TosroN, proprietor of Universal Road Transport, becomes a vice-chairman.
LORD LEATHERS, Minister Of War Transport, has accepted the invitation of the Council of the Institute of Transport to betome an honorary member of that institute. He hopes to be able to attend the first luncheon meeting o1 the 1992-43 session, which is to be held at the Connaught Rooms, London, on November 3, when a record of his election will be presented to him.
RESTORATION OF DIRECTION SIGNS IN TOWNS . '
PERSIStENT questioning in the House of Ccimmons on the subject of re-erecting signposts has yielded a positive result. The -final question which brought out the decision was asked last week by Mr. Summers, who spoke of the advantages to civil and military transport, especially at night and in fog, adding that replaced direction signs could be removed again, if necessary, within a few hours.
"I am glad to inform you," replied Mr. Noel.Baker, " that it, bas been decided, in consultation with the military authorities, and within certain limits and subject to certain conditions to re-erect signposts in towns. I ant taking steps to give effect to this 'decision with the least possible delay." Rear-Admiral Beamish commented that headlights now shone only very low and, therefore, signposts should be placed low, The Parliamentary Secre tary agreed. Sir Francis Fremantle pressed for the replacement of signposts in the country districts, where, in his, opinion, they were even more important. This evoked the answer that that was a subject for another question, MINISTER OF HEALTH'S TAXI. LICENCERESPONSIBILITY
APARLIAMENTARY question addressed last week to the Minister of Health by Mr. E. Walkden related to the increase of taxi-cab licences in Yorkshire and to the unfair and excessive fares charged by certain taxilicence holders. Mention was also made of the practice of plying for hire at railway stations, after the normal public-service vehicles had ceased to run and taking advantage of that fact.
The question prompted' another Member to inquire how and to what extent this, subject had been transferred to the Ministry Of Health, from the Home Office, which used to deal with it.
Mr. Brown, Minister of Health, explained that this side of the matter had always lain with him, because responsibility was with the local uthority under by-law.
Fares ' charged by the owners and drivers of hackney carriages, he said, were fixed by by-laws 'made by the' local authorities _concerned, and confirmed by him. The number of hackney-carriage licences to be granted by a local authority rested in that authority's discretion, subject to an appeal to the Courts in any case where a licence was refused.
BRADFORD REPLACING MOR E TRAMS BY BUSES BRADFORD Passenger Transport 1../Department has .found it impossible to obtain materials sufficient for the repair of the permanent way on its Stanningley and Wibsey tram routes, for which reason it is, in the near" future, to substitute buses for the trams on these services.
WILL Mr. J. Brown, of Belgrave. VI' Leicester, kindly ,send us his full name and address and those of his company, as communications to him have been returned to--us.
NEW INSITTUTE OF TRANSPORT HANDBOOK •
ANEW edition of its handbook has beef issued by the Institute of Transport, 15, Savoy Street, Victoria Embankment, London, W.C.2. Of particular interest in this is a note upon the foundation of the Institute, and there are reproduced extracts from a letter written in 1919 by the late Sir George Gibb, in which he discussed the function and sphere of the proposed body. The principal rules of the reconstituted local sections and a note concerning certain changes in the examinations which are in contemplation are also included. These changes comprise the substitution of modern economic history for languages and mathematics, and English for essay in the graduateship examination. In that for associate membership, it is proposed to provide alternative papers in rights and duties of transport undertakings, to remodel the syllabus of transport finance and accounting, and to omit advanced statistics.
RECENT S.J.C. ACTIVITIES
THE full Standing Joint Committee met on September 30 to receive the replies of constituent organizations regarding the long-term proposals for the reorganization of the S. J.C. The meeting was adjourned until Octo
ber 27.
It was decided that a highways com mittee should be set up to deal with current questions relating to highways, bridges, new roads, improvements and maintenance, traffic control, snow clearance, road safety and road lighting.
It was reported that steps had been taken to stress to the M. of W.T. the importance of interfering as little as possible with vehicles belonging to A and B licence holders, where requisitioning becomes necessary. It is clear, however, that it may be impossible to avoid a certain number of these vehicles being taken.
As to compensation, the following points are to be put forward for discussion with the Ministry:—(1) Due account should be taken of the condition of the vehicle in assessing compensation; (2) consideration should be given to difficultes arising from the high cost of vehicle replacement; (3) further heavy vehicles should be put into production to make good any losses occasioned by requisitioning; (4) vehicles, when released, should be offered first to the operators from whom they were requisitioned, as in the case of the p.s.v. types.
WASTE—MINISTRY FASHION " WJAS all this effort, postage and VII paper really necessary? " asks a member of the Federation of Yorkshire Road Transport Employers in reporting the recent receipt from the Ministry of War Transport (Finance, Road Haulage), London, on the same day and by the same post, of six cheques, each in a separate envelope, aggregating £42 13s. 10d. All the remittances had been checked by the same person. The operator had to spend 10d. in the provision of receipt stamps in respect of five of them.