NEWS of the WEEK
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" The wheels of wealth will be slowed by all difficulties of transport, at whatever Points arising, as a carriage is by the roughness. of the roads over which it runs:'—John Beattie Crozier.
COMMERCIAL-MOTOR EXPORTS ADVANCE_ The Board of Trade returns for May, 1937, show that the value of commercial vehicles, cars, chassis and accessories imported was £506,012, contrasted with £333,918 in the comparable month of 1936. The total value of imports for the five months ended May was £2,375,917, compared with £2,063,592 for the corresponding period of 1936.
The number of complete commercial vehicles exported was 309, which is an advance of 86 on the total for May, 1936, their value being £96,238, compared with £68,547 a year earlier. In the first five months of the year 2,019 complete commercial vehicles were exported, against 1,149 in the same period of 1936.
The increase in the number of commercial chassis exported is being well maintained; at 1,493, the figure for May last is 381 higher than last year's comparable return. The value of this year's exports was £225,647, against £152,596 for May, 1936. In the five months ended May, 6,476 commercial chassis were exported, contrasted with 5,042 a year earlier, their values being £1,018,700 and £737,589 respectively.
County Surveyors Will Not Help Hauliers.
Several applicants for extra tonnage, appearing before the Southern Scotland Licensing Authority, last week, stated that they were requested to supply transport for county surveyors, who would not support their petitions for additional vehicles, either in person or by 'letter. It had been stated that a county surveyor, by virtue of his position, could not support the claims of any individual haulier.
Commenting on the position, Mr. Archibald Henderson, the Authority, said that he intended to bring this matter to the notice of county surveyors. They required transport and ought to indicate that applicants were basing their requests on bona fide offers of work.
" They want it both ways," Mr. Henderson continued. "They require that a haulier shall have a certain number of vehicles always at the disposal of the council, but, when the weather is not good or other contingencies arise, the operator must stand the loss of his vehicle lying idle. Their excuse is the B.4 keeping down of rates, but very often the haulier himself is one of the biggest ratepayers. Something should be done about it."
Scottish Hauliers Raise Rates.
Road-transport rates are to be increased by Scottish motor contractors' associations. Employers recently made an agreement with the Scottish Horse and Motormen's Associa lion under which an all-round increase of 3s. weekly and a minimum wage of 535, a
week are now operative.
The Glasgow and District Conti-actors Association announced on Monday that the charges would become operative as from July 1.
Important New Road Works.
Proposals to construct dual carriageways on the Cambridge arterial road are now under the consideration of the Ministry of Transport and the Minister hopes that work will be started this year. There were 42 fatal accidents on-this road during the past five years.
With regard to the Cromwell Road extension to the Great West Road, the Minister hopes that work will commence early next year and that the road will be completed in 1941.
Keep Clear of the Trams.
Revised traffic regulations have been made by the Court of Aldermen for the City of London with reference to Blackfriars Bridge and the Victoria Embankment. The new regulations provide that a person driving any vehicle shall, except in an emergency, or under police direction, keep his vehicle "in such a line that the same is clear of the space occupied by the tramlines" on the bridge or embankment.
The regulation will come into force 14 days after: gaining the approval of the Home Secretary.
Dodge Demonstrations by Convoy.
A well-equipped convoy of five Dodge commercial vehicles will tour the Rochdale area, controlled by Messrs. Clarkes Motors, from July 5-9. It will include models ranging from the 30cwt. delivery van to the 25 h.p. 4-ton long-wheelbase drop-sided lorry.
Another convoy of the same make will tour the Bedfordshire area, controlled by the Golden Arrow Motor Works, Bedford, from July 12-16. In this case, the range will extend from the 15-cwt. van to the 4-5-ton dropsided lorry.
Ford Factory Extensions.
Although a new factory bay has lately been erected at the Ford works, at Dagenham, piling operations are already under way for another. The bay completed is 1,000 ft. long and 80 ft. wide, but that under construction will he 20 ft. wider, although of the same length. CLARIFY AGRICULTURAL LICENSING RULES.
Licensing regulations, as they affect the agricultural community, should be clarified. This suggestion was made at Dundee Police Court, when Guthrie Lindsay Watson, assistant farmer, Muirdrum, Carnoustie, Angus, pleaded not guilty to .having failed to keep a current record of journeys.
A constable stated that the effect of the agricultural licence under which the lorry concerned was run was that goods could be carried in connection with agricultural trade, without a record being kept. Accused was engaged in the retail of milk, which was outside agriculture,
Mr. James Watson, Balhousie, Carnoustie, agreed that his activities of farmer and retailer of milk were one business.
Bailie Creegan said he was not of opinion that milk came under the heading of agricultural produce. He thought, however, that the Licensing Authorities should clarify the situation. Accused was found guilty, but admonished.
More Milk Transport Demanded.
That owing to lack of milk-transport facilities in the Howdenshire district of Yorkshire, milk producers were having to feed milk to the pigs and calves, and that some farmers were having to use small cars and trailers. were statements made at York, on Monday, in support of an application by Mr. T. S. Wright, of West Cottingwith, who asked for his radius of operation under a 13 licence to be extended to 20 miles.
A registered milk producer, of Breighton, said that he wished to send milk to Hull, but there was nobody to transport it. Stating that he wished Mr. Wright to take the milk, the witness said that, because he could not get the milk to Hull, he was having to feed it to the pigs and calves.
The Yorkshire Licensing Authority extended the applicant's radius to .15 miles.
"Elders of the Road" Competition Winners.
Winners of the "Elders of the Road" competition for professional drivers holding clean records for at least 25 years, have been announced. Two medals for drivers in Yorkshire, presented by Mr. J. Ferndale, Yorkshire Licensing Authority, and Sir John Quarroby, chairman, Yorkshire Federation of Safety First Councils, have been won by Mr. F. Stephenson, of Tong Street, Bradford, and Mr. F. Wheatley, of Mona Terrace, Farsley Mr. W, Butler, of Ryclale Avenue, Whitehall Road, Leeds, is the winner of the medal presented by Mr. Robert Barr for the Leeds section. SIR J. MAXWELL WARNS ANCILLARY USERS.
Sir John Maxwell, Northern Licensing Authority, at Carlisle, last Friday, issued a stem warning to ancillary users who had not yet applied for renewal of their C licences. Some of these licences were due to expire on June 30, he said. but, although forms of application had been issued and a warning given that renewal applications must be in his hands not less than a month before the expiry of the old licences, considerably over 1,000 licensees had failed to lodge their applications.
"I wish," he added, "publicly to warn all holders of C licences which expire on June 30, and who have not yet submitted their renewal applications, that it must be their responsibility if proceedings be instituted against them, in the event of their being found to be operating vehicles without licences after the 30th of the month."
Railways Admit Advantages of Road Transport.
During the proceedings before the Railway Rates Tribunal, last Monday, when the railway companies asked for an increase of about 5 per cent. in fares and freight charges, Sir Walter Monckton, on behalf of the railway companies, mentioned the advantages received from the road-transport operators which were associated with the railways.
An increase of receipts from these undertakings had been shown by each railway company, whilst Sir Walter emphasized that there was also a direct advantage from the co-ordination of traffic.
" B " Applications by A-licensees " Insidious."
"A most insidious type of application," was how Mr. D. K. Mackay, representing a railway company, characterized applications for additional B licences by holders of A licences, at a sitting of the Northern Scotland Licensing Authority.
There is nothing in the Act, Mr. Mackay stated, to say that an applicationfor an additional B licence needs a different type of proof or different evidence from one for an extra A licence.
Trunk Road Change Brings Spate of Applications.
The transfer of trunk roads to the Ministry of Transport has resulted in a spate of applications to Mr. Henry Riches, Northern Scotland Licensing Authority, for additional vehicles for the conveyance of road materials in the north-east. This fact was mentioned by Mr. Riches when, last week, he heard an application of this nature.
Mr. Riches commented that it was common knowledge that the Ministry of Transport had taken over trunk roads, and that, in the next five years, a large sum of money would be spent on the highways in the northern counties of Scotland. Applications were presented at practically every public sitting for vehicles for road-material transport.