OPINIONS and QUERIES
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SUPPORT FOR OUR CAMPAIGN AGAINST INJUSTICE.
[48821 -Bringing justice up to date is certainly a grave necessity these days, and your efforts should be supported, but it will be a long journey that will take a long time. My business brings me in continual contact with commercial-vehicle drivers as well as private-car users, and I have collected quite a mental diary of examples corroborating your leader of September 11.
The latest addition to my collection is from an acquaintance who, together with a friend, pulled up at a café for light refreshment, leaving their vehicles one behind the other on the side of the road. They walked into the café at the same time, had their refreshments together and left the same time, whereupon they were confronted with -the Law, complete with pencil and notebook.
They were both summoned;to attend the court on the
same day, before the 'same magistrate. Briefly, my acquaintance was fined 15s. before lunch, and his friend £2 2s. after lunch, despite the fact that the same policeman gave the same evidence in both cases, and no defence was submitted Another such example is my own. I had the misfortune to receive two summonses during the month of April for exceeding the speed limit. In both cases the speed was the same, but the result of the first summons was £2 2s. fine and licence endorsed, and the second was only £1 1s. and no endorsement.
Croydon. A COMMERCIAL SALESMAN.
A MERGER REPLY BY MR. KEELING.
[4883] In your issue of September 4, page 112, letter No. 4872, comments were made by Mr. S. Foyle, of the ex-Army Transport, regarding my letter of August 28.
First of all, I ant not a member of the National Council of the A.R.O. nor have I ever been a member of any National Council of any association. I cannot understand how Mr. Royle can have been so badly misinformed.
I do not know whether he is a member of the National Council of any of the associations, but I am, of course, in full agreement with the method adopted by the C.M:UeA. in Lancashire, for, as Mr. Royle says, the majority Vote is being taken..
• So far as we are concerned, apart from what we saw published and from what we were able to pick up from outside areas, we know nothing about the official articles in connection with the merger.
You can take it from me, had I been on the National Council I would have been one of the fast to voice my opinion with regard to the feeling of the members. I have always held that satisfactory control can be carried out only in conjunction with the members who, after all, subscribe both financially and otherwise to the upkeep of the organization.
In my opinion these matters are being dealt with too hurriedly to have long-lasting satisfaction. In this Area, ancillary users predominate in the C.M.U.A., and whilst it is our ambition to work in co-ordination with all classes of road transport users, it does not mean to say that we see eye-to-eye with the C-licence holder.
• I have a feeling that there are too many ancillary users dealing with matters of vital importance to the general A hauliers and B-licence holders.
I am pleased to note that my friend, Mr. Royle, agrees with my comments about the method Of running an association, but it must be evident to a person of his experience that it is the only possible sound way.
I do not believe it is too late in the day yet to settle the merging of interests on lines which will suit the majority of members concerned, but, finally, I must say that I do object to attending meetings where a cut-anddried policy is set out and to which we have had no opportunity of airing our views, or even giving it our
consideration. J. KEELING; • For A. E. Keeling and Sons.
THE SUCTION-GAS PRODUCER IN FRANCE.
[48841 No fewer than 400 gas-driven lorries are being employed in the present French Army manceuvres. This fact seems to be worth recording, as it must be the first time that charcoal gas has been employed. on so large a scale for military purposes.
At the conclusion of the manceuvres, the lorries in question are to be formed into two separate columns, each of 200 vehicles. These imposing groups will then proceed to make propaganda tours in different directions throughout France. The idea is to encourage and instruct the civil population, or such portion of it as may use industrial vehicles, in the advantages 'of-charcoal fuel. By boosting the gas-producer, the' Army authorities hope that the production of charcoal will, in its turn, be encouraged and increased, thus building_ up a national reserve of fuel for road-transport purposes.
If the scheme could be carried through successfully, such a reserve might indeed be valuable in time of war, but I am inclined to think that greater encouragement should be given to civil users by the Ministry of Finance, either by the increase of subsidies or by giving some relief from the hundred and one taxes, direct or indirect, under which French road transport struggles along. Until the removal of the h.p. tax in France, a little more than 21 years ago, the Government did really help gas users, as they paid only half the normal. tax.
Under that regime, the number of gas-driven lorries in service increased slowly but steadily. Since the change, however, very many gas users have gone back to petrol or have purchased oil-driven vehicles, and at the present moment there are only between 1,500 and 2;000 gasdriven vehicles in the whole of France. This state of affairs is only natural in view of the reduced engine power usually considered to be inseparable frOini, the employment of producer gas. It may be that uuder pressure from its military advisers the present Govern
merit may give some real help to gas users and that we shall then see a revival of the gas-producer movement.
It will be remembered that in Italy, last year. Mussolini went much farther than a mild encouragement of the charcoal-gas producer. He actually ordered its employment by all civil transport concerns. Everyone was to "toe the line" by January, 1037. Unfortunately for Benito, he' struck a snag for once, as Italy is not really a wooded country and there is simply not enough charcoal for the job.
Personally, I have studied the suction-gas movement on the Continent very closely during the past 10 years or more and have no great faith in the future of gasproducers for road transport. This may seem a sour and prejudiced view, but it is the definite opinion of your Continental correspondent. I have, at various times, driven French lorries running on wood and charcoal fuels. The performance noted was poor and the vehicles objectionable to handle. GRAHAM DAVIES. . Paris.
TRAFFIC LANES ON THE PRESTON-BLACKPOOL _ ROAD« [48851 It is felt that many road users are in doubt as to the correct use of "traffic lanes," and my committee would appreciate the aid of your columns in bringing • its views to the notice of motorists generally.
The question has been brought specifically before this Club by the Chief Constable of .Lancashire, Captain A. R Hordern, who is of the opinion that all vehicles should keep to the left-hand lane, and after overtaking other vehicles should return to that lane again wherever this is possible, thus leaving the second lane free for other overtaking traffic.
The Chief Constable points out that considerable danger is caused, and, in fact, many serious accidents have taken place,. due to one vehicle persisting in remaining, in the second lane and thus causing a faster vehicle coming up from behind to overtake on the third lane and run the risk of crashing into an oncoming car. When there is a mass of traffic proceeding in the same direction on both lanes, serious accidents have also occurred through cars leaving the second lane and trying to overtake as many vehicles as possible on the third
lane. There is little doubt that what is required is greater patience on the part of certain drivers.
The opinion of many motorists that the near-side lane is for "slow" traffic and the other for "fast" traffic is erroneous—the off-side lane is intended for the use of vehicles overtaking slower -traffic.
J. H. WHITTAKER, Hon, Secretary,
• Blackburn. • Lancashire Automobile Club.
ORGANIZING THE SMALLER CARRIERS.
[4383] I enclose a copy of letter [this is reproduced below.—Ed.] which has been sent to a number of transport contractors in the West London area. The result is that a meeting is to be arranged to discuss the possibility of the pooling of our services in and around this district.
This has been made possible by the good response received from a number of contractors.
You will note that the organization is limited to persons or firms owning from one to 10 vehicles, the reason being that we consider the larger concerns can look after themselves, also we have found that the small firms often operate on uneconomical lines, and by joint action they would in turn secure more profits by working as one.
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It is our intention, if this organization is a success, to open up other areas in the near future.
27, Allison Road, DENNIS K. KINCH. Acton, London, W.3.
[The following letter is that referred to by Mr. Kinch:—. Recently in our trade papers, proposals have been indicated which if carried into effect would further curtail our activities as public carriers and the railway companies, as is well known, intend if possible to rid the roads of our vehicles and thereby deprive us of our living. Unity is strength and only by uniting can we be in a position to resist unjust restrictive impositions • intended to drive us from the road. We should, therefore, get together. It is proposed to call a meeting at an early date of all local independent transport contractors owning from one to 10 vehicles, to discuss :—1, The advantage of joint working both to ourselves and customers; 2, The setting up of a central office and garage to accommodate all vans, so as to avoid the necessity of separate telephones, offices, yards, etc.; 3, The buying in bulk of petrol, oil, tyres, spares, etc.; 4, Reducing the coSt of repairs and maintenance and arranging special terms for insurance under a joint working arrangement. The more vehicles working under a united scheme the better chance. there would he of an increase in profits, also a much better service could be given to customers. As you are aware, we must, at present, justify our business when making application for the renewal of our carriers' licences and this certainly Can
best be done under joint working.] • , A FLEET-MAINTENANCE PROPOSITION.
[4887] I should much appreciate your advice on the following, although it may be rather outside the matters usually dealt with by you. I believe that in the near future I shall be asked to quote a figure for the maintenance of a fleet of commercial vehicles, the contract to cover all repairs, washing, greasing, completely overhauling, if or when necessary, and a repaint about every other year, at a set price per car per month.
Iam finding it very difficult to obtain reliable figures for such a contract, and would like to know if, in your opinion, I could safely use as a. basis the figures given in your Tables of Operating Costs. Would these figures be sufficient to cover such items as rent, rates, insurances, wages, maintenance and depreciation, eta.?
London, W.6. • H.G.
[The item "maintenance " in The Commercial Motor Tables of Operating Costs is intended to cover all the expenditure on the work named. in your letter, including the repaint, overhauls, etc. The figures are, however, admittedly average, and whether theY.Wciuld' be strictly applicable or not in any particular case depends upon the class of work the vehicles are doing and the way they are handled. I should like to have some information from you as to the former point and >álso to know whether you will be in a position to call attention to conditions which would seem. to show -that the driver of the vehicle was not taking such care as he should. If you are to be responsible also•for tyres then you will have to use the figure in the Tables referring to that item. Referring to your question as to whether. the figures cover rent, rates, insurances, wages, and maintenance and depreciation of equipment, the answer. is " yes " if your establishment is the normal type of repairs Establishment: if you refer to rent, rates, etc:: of the building in which the vehicles are housed, I should say "no." If you are to garage the vehicles as well as maintain them you should make extra provision for that also. The scale for this would not necessarily be that given iii the Tables, but would have to be calculated by yourself, taking as a basis the room needed, the cost of buildings, etc. You would have to add 15 to 20 per cent. to the figures in the Tables for your profit. The figures in the Tables are actual cost.—S.T.R.)