NEWS of the WEEK
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BOUTS-TILLOTSON DROP APPEAL.
Bouts-Tillotson Transport, Ltd.., has abandoned its .appeal against the decision of the North-Western Deputy Licensing Authority refusing to grant A licences for seven collection and delivery vehicles , of 18i tons unladen weight, transferred from the southeastern area, to be based on Liverpool.
The company has, however, put in a new application for these vehicles for collection and delivery work in Liverpool and district.
Motor Float Speed-limit Ruling.
Judgment was given at Aberdeen, last week, in an important case affecting the speed at which motor floats are allowed to travel. Robert Simpson, lorry driver, was acquitted of driving a float at a speed in excess of the permitted maximum. He was charged with travelling at over 20 m.p.h., but the Justices held that the float was allowed to travel at 30 m.p.h.
Mr. Thomas MacLennan said that accused's answer to the charge was that the weight of his vehicle unladen was less than 2i tons and, in consequence. he was entitled to drive at 30 m.p.h. Was the weight of the float superimposed on the lorry to be included in its unladen weight? The Justices said that they were bound to infer, from a previous decision, that the Court of Justiciary would regard the float, in this case, as a mere container and thus as part of the load. Accordingly, they found Simpson not guilty of the charge.
Freedom of Choice of Transport Threatened.
A warning to traders that a threat to their freedom of choice of transport is involved in the Appeal Tribunal's decision against the renewal of the A licences of the Blyth Transport Co., Ltd., and B. and L. Transporters, Ltd., was uttered by Mr. A. H. Butterwick, chairman of the Road Transport Section of Leeds Chamber of Commerce at a meeting on Tuesday last.
The Road Transport Section of the a20 Chamber asked its Council to bear in mind "that this is unprecedented, contrary to the intention of Parliament, and inconsistent with the conclusions set down in the report of the Transport Advisory Council on service and rates, now approved in broad principle by the Minister of Transport."
Mr. Betterwick remarked that the licensing system was now robbed of its elasticity because Licensing Authorities had been deprived of much of their discretionary powers. by the effect of the decisions of the Appeal Tribunal. The Tribrinal's position was so arbitrary that hauliers were governed as rigidly as though controlled by a dictator in a totalitarian system of government. Unless manufacturers and traders heeded the portents and took steps to safeguard the liberty of choice of transport there was, he added, grave danger that they would soon find it no longer existed.
YORKSHIRE BOARD AND WAGES POSITION. • • The new position concerning wages on the goods side of the industry will be considered at a meeting of the Yorkshire Joint Conciliation Board to be held in Leeds, on April 4. It is understood that this meeting has been called at the request of the employees' panel. which is seeking ratification., in the Yorkshire Traffic Area, of the settlement reached on March 18 by the National Joint Conciliation-Board. This will be the first time -the full Yorkshire Board has met for more than a year.
At the last meeting the members of the employees' panel walked out of the room, owing to disagreement, and then followed the setting up by the employers of their own agreement as to wages and conditions.
Merseyside Wage Increases.
As the result of a meeting held in Liverpo-ol last week of representatives of the Conference of Liverpool and District Road Transport Employers and of the Liverpool Carters and Motormen's Union, wage advarices of is. to 3s„per week will be paid to certain grades of transport employees from the first full pay period in April.
The local wages agreement existing between the partiesis being brought into line with the national settlement. Eight of the leading associations on Merseyside are represented an the employers' conference.
Another Oil-engined Fire-fighter for London.
Within two weeks of the delivery of Great Britain's first oil-engined fireengine to the London Fire Brigade (it was illustrated in our issue dated March 18 last), Leyland Motors, Ltd., has received an order for a second machine of a similar type. This has been ordered by Acton Corporation, the officials of which were present and much impressed when the London Fire Brigade machine was put through its pumping and road tests.
• WITNESSES WERE AT CATTLE SALE.
A cattle sale held up a case which was down for hearing at Perth, last "week, before Mr. Henry Riches, Northern Scotland Licensing Authoirity. The application was one, for a B licence, by Mr. John Imrie M'Nab, Grandtully, and there were objections by the railway company and by Mr. John Forbes, Aberfeldy.
Mr. P. S. Williamson, representing applicant, asked for an adjournment, as his witnesses were farmers and were attending a large cattle sale. Mr. Riches adjourned the case to a date to be fixed.
Useful Digest of Current Regulations.
A particularly useful contribution to road-transport literature is the new book, "The Construction and Use of Motor Vehicles," compiled by Mr. F. G. Bristow, .C.13.E., M.Inst.T., author of " The Law of Motor Vehicles."
It is a digest of the current Regulations affecting owners and drivers, and is published at 6d. by the Commercial Motor Users Association, 50, Pall Mall, London, S.W.I. All the latest Regulations have been embodied.
Large U.S. Vehicle-export Increase.
Complete trade returns for last year reveal that there was a marked revival in the overseas demand for American commercial vehicles. Thus, the export of motorvans, lorries, buses and chassis from the United States amounted, during 1937, to 16S,710 in number and £20,021,094 in value, these .figures contrasting with 106,799 and £10,652,873 in 1938. The member shows an increase of nearly 52 per cent. and the value an advance of over 82 per cent.
New £300,000 London Depot for C.P.
That Carter Paterson and Co., Ltd., . contemplated erecting a .new depot in London which, it was stated, would be the most up-to-date building of its kind and would cost £300,000, was announced by Mr. A. W. Balne, of the company, in the course of the March • lecture before the Manchester and District Traffic Association. The subject of the lecture was "Catering for -Smalls," and films showing the conveyor, system in the London depots and similar activities in New York were exhibited.
£10 Fine for "Trivial" Offences.
Messrs. Knowles Bros., haulage contractors, Atherton, Lancashire, and three of their drivers, had to face between them 31 charges at Leigh Police Court, kit week.
The firm were charged with permitting the men to drive at an excessive speed and for an excessive number of hours. The drivers were summoned for driving during a greater number of hours than permitted, and for failing to keep records. Mr. L. Walsh, .for the defendants, described the offences as trivial. The firm were fined £10, including all costs, and the drivers were ordered to pay costs in each case.