"Abolish 20 m.p.h.
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Limit Now
IT action should be taken by the Minister of Transport to abolish the "archaic " 20 m.p.h. limit, the Association of British Chambers of Commerce have demanded. This action follows the Minister's statement last week that he would raise the limit when the parties concerned agreed to it. The Association consider that the Government should take the lead. "The Minister should not shelter under the umbrella of the prior reconciliation of conflicting interests."
In a letter to the Minister. the A.B.C.C. assert that in continuing the present limit the Government are "aiding and abetting lower productivity." Any modifications of the existing limit should be strictly enforced. Laden vehicles drawing trailers and those carrying " indivisible or abnormal' loads should be excluded from any proposed increased limit.
N.U.V.B. TO MERGE WITH SIX UNIONS?
THE National Union of Vehicle
Builders may be merged with six other unions. A suggestion to do so has been made by the Boilermakers' and Iron and Steel Shipbuilders' Society. Talks on the matter have been held at Newcastle and will be resumed.
The other unions concerned arc the Ship Constructors' and Shipwrights' Association, the Constructional Engineering Union, the Blacksmiths' Forge and Smith Workers' Society, the Birmingham and Midland Sheet Metal Workers' Society and the National Union of Sheet Metal Workers.
Combined membership of the six organizations is 250,000. The B.1.S.S.S. is the largest union and the N.U.V.B. the second largest.
B Licence for Bulk Grain Vehicles
QTATING that "an overwhelming
case " had been made for the applicants, the Eastern Deputy Licensing Authority last week granted a B licence to Crouch Dehydrators, Ltd., Stoke Ferry, Norfolk, to operate three bulkgrain transport vehicles within a 250mile radius.
Mr. S. J. Green, for the concern, said that they were big corn merchants and grain dehydrators, Last August they bought the first of three vehicles for bulk-grain haulage for their own business. Customers saw how useful the vehicles were and asked to employ them. The vehicles could be loaded and unloaded in minutes, whereas two hours were needed for loading or unloading grain in sacks.
Cereals Committee, Ltd., supported the application. They were concerned with the transport of imported grain front almost every port in the country and had difficulty in obtaining speedy facilities. The railways were used whenever possible, but many-stores to which the grain was consigned had no rail connections.
NEW WRIGLEY TRUCK
ANEW Wrigley battery-electric ridercontrolled fork-lift truck for 1,500-1b. loads has been produced by Wessex Industries (Poole). Ltd., West Street, Poole, Dorset. Lifting height is 9 ft.
The valves and tilting ram are new, the ram being placed to give a direct and positive forward and backward movement to the mast. The Model E650 Mark IIT, as the appliance is known, has three wheels, and a -high degree of manoeuvrability is claimed for it by its makers.
40 m.p.h. Speed Limit on Some Roads
THE Minister of Transport, Mr. Harold Watkinson, has approved in principle a new speed limit of 40 m.p.h. for suitable lengths of main road on the outskirts of large towns.
Mr. Watkinson told the House of Commons last week that he had decided to accept the main recommendations of the London and Home Counties Traffic Advisory Committee, and that he proposed to introduce the new differential speed limit on suitable lengths of road in the London area as soon as the views of the local authorities concerned had been considered.
Although the committee were con cerned only with London, he believed the principle of a 40 m.p.h. limit to be equally applicable to the rest of the country, and he and the Secretary of State for Scotland were, therefore, consulting the local-authority associations and other interested bodies.
The Minister accepted the view that roads specially built for through traffic should not be allowed subsequently to become built up, and he was drawing the attention of the Minister of Housing and Local Government to the committee's recommendation on that subject. He also accepted that a maximum speed limit on all roads was not required.
Mr. 'Watkinson is to give furthei consideration to the idea of having zonal speed limits. He does not, at present, intend to adopt different speed limits for different traffic lanes on the same road.
Some roads now limited to 30 m.p.h. would go up to 40 m.p.h., and others that were not at present restricted would be restricted to 30 m.p.h., he added.
NEW SHOVEL WITH VARIABLF DISCHARGE HEIGHT
A NEW mechanical.shovel with proIA vision for rear discharge has been produced by Mackay Industrial Equipment, Ltd., Faggs Road, Feltham, Middx. Its chief feature is that the height of discharge at the rear is variable between 4 ft. 10 in. and 9 ft. The basis of the appliance is a Fordson Major tractor with oil engine. Outreach of the bucket at the front is
2 ft. 10 in. at 9 ft. discharge height, and at the rear it is 2 ft. 2 in. at 9 ft. and 3 ft. 1 in. at 5 ft.
The standard bucket is of i-cu.-yd. capacity. A full-width li-cu.-yd, bucket is also available. The appliance is called the Merton Two-way loader.
REDHILL WORKS MOVE
ANEW works now nearing compleLion at Stephenson Way, .Three Bridges, is to be occupied during the third week in June by Redhill Body
building Industries, Ltd. New plant and machinery are being installed so that output may be increased, and it is estimated that the works will be in full production at the beginning of July.