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THE NEXT C.M.U.A. NATIONAL TRANSPORT CONFERENCE.

The National Council of the Commercial Motor Users Association has accepted an invitation from the Porthcawl Urban District Council to hold the next National Road Transport Conference, in September, 1937, in that town, which is near Cardiff. The Conference will be held under the auspicc. of the C.M.U.A., whilst the South Wales Division of the Association has undertaken the responsibility of appointing a Conference Local Committee to carry out the arrangements there.

Chance for Transport Manager?

Darlington Town Council is to be recommended by the gas and electricity_ committee to set up a separate department for the transport undertaking and to appoint a transport manager at a commencing salary of £650 per annum. At present, the electricity and transport departments are under one management.

Bouts-Tillotson Case Ends.

Decision on the appeal of the four main-line railway companies against the Metropolitan Licensing Authority's grant of an A licence to Bouts-Tillotson Transport, Ltd., has been reserved until the end of this month. This announcement was made by Mr. Rowand Harker, K.C., chairman of the Appeal Tribunal, when the protracted proceedings terminated just. before Christmas.

In conclusion, Mr. Maxwell Fyffe, K.C., for the railways, dealt with the question .of the status quo, which had been argued by Mr: E. S. Herbert, for Bouts-Tillotson Transport, Ltd. Should it continue to promote an uneconomic competition, he said, it was then wrong in principle. There was already some indication of this uneconomic competition.

"It is suggested," went on Mr. Fyffe, "that conditions have improved to such an extent that unfair competi tion has now been eliminated. Mr. Herbert presumes that the provisions of , the Act have disposed of the evils that existed before. He did not, however, advance any evidence on that point, but he can suggest that it is a reasonable inference from the fact that the provisions apply.

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"Mr. Herbert says that existing road hauliers must be protected by closing entry to the industry. That may be a good thing, and it is certainly a very pleasant thing, for it is always unpleasant to enforce limitatiOns that would strike at someone's livelihood."

All the earlier proceedings have been fully reported in The Cononercial Motor.

Road Transport Viewed front Inside.

Important recommendations for the improvement of road-transport conditions are understood to be contained in a report to be issued shortly, following 12 years' survey. It has been prepared by Mr. II. H. Lapsley, Manchester Area secretary of the C.M.U.A.

Drivers' rest houses, the alleged menace of the " lorry girl," road lighting, and the control of cyclists receive prominent attention. The report is said to deprecate the use of artificial-daylight lamps for road lighting.

Trojan to Concentrate on Commercial Vehicles.

Trojan, Ltd., Parley Way, Croydon, has decided to concentrate exclusively on the manufacture of commercial vehicles, and new types are under con sideration. In order to satisfy the demand and to produce a range of vans of high quality at substantially reduced prices, a new factory is nearing completion. This has naturally caused a dislocation of work and temporarily restricted output, but so soon as normal conditions obtain a programme will be prepared for the energetic marketing of Trojan commercial vehicles, and appropriate steps taken to foster the export trade. The cornpany will welcome interim inquiries from overseas as to future developments.

GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE MEETS AGAIN NEXT MONDAY.

The Government committee on wages and conditions is to continue its meetings at the Ministry of Labour at 10 a.m. on Monday next, January 4, when evidence will be received from the Joint Industrial Council for the Furniture Warehousing and Removing Industry, the Federation of Gas Employers, and the Multiple Shops Federation.

On the following day evidence will be given by the Shipbuilding Employers' Federation, the Institution of British Launderers, the National Federation of Dyers and Cleaners, and Unilever, Ltd The closing date for the reception of written memoranda of evidence is January 31.

Millions for Scottish Roads.

Tenders for the widening and reconstruction of further lengths of road in the Highlands of Scotland have been accepted by the Minister of Transport. The proposed works form a continuation of the large-scale programme of road improvements now being carried out in the Crofter counties. Narrow bridges are being widened, dangerous bends removed and gradients and surfaces improved. Roads in the Orkneys. Shetlands and Outer and Inner Hebrides, as well as On the mainland, will be dealt with under the programme. The cost of the improvements on the more important roads, estimated at £4,250,000, will be borne entirely by the Road Fund.

The many friends of Major S. A. Currin, of Simms Motor Units, Ltd., will regret to learn that he is seriously ill with bronchial pneumonia. We wish him a speedy and complete recovery. JOHANNESBURG REQUIRES -OILENGINED BUSES.

Johannesburg City Council is calling for tenders, which have to be presented in the city by January 25, 1937, for the supply of a number of fourwheeled oil-engined btis chassis and 20 double-saloon ;bus• bodies. United Kingdom concerns may obtain further details from the Department of Overseas Trade, 35, Old Queen Street, London, S.M7.1, reference TY2240 being quoted.

The Long and the Short of It.

Division of a Rochdale carrier's business, with both long and short-distance operations carried on in partnership by Mr. James Lindley and Mr. Ernest Meadowcroft, was allowed by Sir William Hart, North-Western Deputy Licensing Authority, at an inquiry on December 23, Mr. Lindley and Mr. Meadowcroft were granted separate A licences, the former having taken over the short. distance work and the latter the longdistance traffic, including a regular service to Glasgow. The partnership was in the name of Queenway Garage; A Paper on Fuel Pumps.

" Fuel Pumps for Automobiles" is the subject of a paper, to be read this month before three centres of the Institution of Automobile Engineers. It will be read on January 12 at Coventry, on January 14 at Bristol, and at Birmingham on January 26. Mechanical fuel pumps will be dealt with by Mr. D. Bennion Browne, of the A.C. Sphinx Sparking Plug CO., Ltd., whilst Mr. J. N. Morris, of the S.U. Carburetter Co., will cover electric fuel pumps.

Coal-oil Company to be Wound Up?

It is announced that Coal and Allied Industries, Ltd., London, which controls the coal-oil plant erected at Seaham, is unable to carry on business. An extraordinary general meeting has been called to consider the voluntary winding up of the concern.

A year ago a fire occurred at the plant, causing extensive damage, and production was consequently held up until reconstruction work was carried out. Coal and Allied Industries, Ltd., was formerly known as Motor Fuel Proprietary, Ltd., and was registered in 1909, with an authorized capital of

300,000. The chairman is Lord•Eldon.

Germany's Increasing Sales.

That the demand for commercial vehicles in Germany is being well maintained is shown by the fact that 4,047 new vehicles were registered during October last, as compared with 3,966 in the preceding month and 3,410 units in October, 1935.

The total was made up of 1,014 vehicles with a carrying capacity up to a ton, 683 between 1 and 2 tons, 1,379 between 2 and 3 tons, 643 between 3 and 4 tons, 91 between 4 and 5 tons, 226 between 5 and 71 tons and 11 over 71tons. The most popular commercial

vehicles in Germany, in the order of their importance, are Opel, Ford, Daimler-Benz, Hansa-Lloyd, BussingNAG.., Krupp, i'Vlagirus, Goliath, M.A.N., Tempo, Henschel and Phanomen.

Road Fund Tax by Monthly Payments.

Bowmaker, Ltd., 26, St. James's Street, London, SAVA, one of the largest finance corporations in the country, announces a scheme for the financing of Road Fund taxation. Instead of paying four quarterly sums, the operator is able to pay small instalments each month, whilst, in addition, there is a saving on the total amount. A.R.O. REORGANIZED IN SCARBOROUGH.

Scarborough Sub-area of A.R.O. has been reorganized, and it now embraces what was formerly the Mahon Subarea. At a members' meeting at Scarborough, under the chairmanship of Mr. Newham Dawson, Messrs. Newham Dawson, S. A. Bell, Rawlings, A. Shaw, C. A. Higgins, A. C. Bell, Jackson, Marriner, F. C. Jackson, G. 13. Bell, Cook and Dennis were elected to the new sub-area committee. The committee includes the whole of the members of Scarborough Rates Committee.

It was decided that meetings of the sub-area members shall be held on the third Friday in each month. A.R.O. LEADERS RESIGN.

At 1 p.m. on Wednesday, the following resignations from all offices in the A.R.O. took effect :—Major J. B. Elliott (chairman), Messrs. Frank Fowler, J. S. Nicholl, W. Donaldson Wright and R. B. Stockdale. The resignation of the general secretary, Mr. D. MacCormacks dates from last night.

Mr. Fowler was on the platform at a C.M.U.A. meeting on Wednesday night, and he and Mr. T. R. Sanders will address an important meeting of the C.M.U.A. on January 12, at River Plate House, Finsbury Square, London, Fight for Huge Kenya Oilfield. Fierce competition for oil rights is proceeding behind the scenes in Kenya, where local financiers and mining authorities are manceuvring for position. Meanwhile, the Mines Department is facing the problem of contesting dairhs for an exclusive licence for a large area believed to contain a vast underground lake of oil.

It is said to be only 350 miles from the Kenya coast over easy country. The field covers an area of .approximately 3,300 sq. miles.

Change of Business Alleged.

A warning with regard to a:change in the nature of their haulage was given by Sir William Hart, North-Western Deputy Licensing Authority, to Messrs. Placketts Transport, of Sawley, Derbyshire, Who have also a base for two vehicles at Macclesfield.

Mr. R. H. Mais, for, the railway-s, held that this firm had bought .up the business of Mr. Forster. of Macclesfield, together with his two vehicles, and that these were being employed not on the . work that Mr. Forster used to do, but on trunk transport in connection with the applicants' service via Long Eaton to London.

For the applicants it was admitted that the vehicles from the Macclesfield • base co-operated in the silk and general-goods transport between London and Macclesfield, but this constituted no change in the nature of the business of Messrs. Placketts Transport, who also continued to carry on all the business acquired from Mr. Forster.

Sir William renewed the licence.

B Licence for Piano Tuner.

A question as to whether the removal of pianos could be carried out under a C licence was discussed at a sitting of the North Western Deputy Licensing • Authority, Sir William Hart, last week. The applicant, Mr. W. R. Swan, of Oxford Road, Manchester, explained that he was a piano tuner, repairer and dealer, and it was sometimes necessary for him to remove pianos which were not his property.

Mr. HenryBackhouse, for the applicant, explained 'that Mr. Swan had special tackle for dealing with pianos, and his services were often required by removal concerns. In his opinion, this part of the applicant's work was, in fact, carriage for hire and reward and, c22 in consequence, a B licence was necessary.

Sir William Hart decided that a B licence was essential to cover the applicant's needs, and this was granted "for pianos only, within a radius toinclude Blackpool area."

Haulage Work that Few Want.

A sidelight on an unsavoury, but necessary, task performed by road -transport was revealed during the hearing of an application to the Yorkshire Licensing Authority by Mr. C. Parrott, of Amberley Street, Bradford, for a B

licence for a 30-cwt. vehicle. It was stated that the applicant wished to use the vehicle" mainly for the transport of building" materials, scrap iron, and tenants' furniture from houses demolished under Bradford Corporation's slum-clearance operations.: The work was of a kind which 99 out of 100 operators refused to undertake, as much of the material to be carried was contaminated or

verminous. Mr. Parrott had unsuccessfully tried to hire a tipping vehicle.

He was granted a licence to use the lorry mainly in connection with slum clearance in Bradford, also for the transport of old materials from demolition sites within 10 miles of Bradford Town Hall. The vehicle must not be used for private furniture removals.

AttorneyTGeneral at C.M.U.A. Dinner.

Col. A. Jerrett, national president of the C.M.U.A., is to be chairman at the annual dinner of the C.M.U.A. in South Cheshire, which is to be held at Crewe on Thursday next, January 7. As previously announced in The Commercial Motor, the Attorney-General, Sir Donald Somervell, K.C., M.P., will be the principal guest. BIG ORDERS FROM TURKEY.: The Turkish Government, in striking contrast with the British authorities, is anxious to encourage the transport of goods by motor vehicle, thus speeding up traffic and providing better communications. A new five-year plan provides, in particular, for improve.ments to the roads leading from the ports to the interior 'of the country, and certain highways, siniilar to the special Motor roads 'in other enlightened countries, are on the point Of completion. . .

Regular lorry services will be run by -the Turkish StateRailways. .. The budget of the Ministry of Labour provides funds for the purchase of a first consignment of 24 lorries, with as many trailers, and eight buses.

Moreover, says the • Deutsche Bergwerks Zeitung, the Turkish State Railways will buy a large number of lorries out of their own funds, Private operators are also expected before long to increase their purchases of goods vehicles.

Southern Commer Specialist.

English Motor Agencies. Ltd., of Tudor House, Southsea, which has for long handled the distribution of products of the Rootes group in most of Hampshire and part of Sussex, has experienced such a marked expansion on the commercial-vehicle side of the business,that a new company, E.M.A. (Commercials), Ltd., has been formed to cope with it. It will sell and service Commer gods and passenger vehicles in Hampshire, East Dorset and West Sussex. Large depots will shortly be erected in Southampton and Cosham. The abbreviated narne Of the

company is " Etnacom." • BIG CHANCE FOR SALES IN NORTH-WEST.

A big stimulus to commercial-vehicle sales among co-operative societies is foreshadowed in the North-west. By June next, all the societies in that territory are to operate a six-day working scheme for their dairy employees. Meanwhile, several of the allied organizations intend not to buy more horses, but to develop the use of petrol and/or electric vehicles.

Fairly extensive use is already made of electrics, whereby working hours have been reduced without adding to operating costs.

Conferences on Scottish Road Schemes.

The programmes of Scottish town asul county officials for the making of new roads, bridges and the widening of existing roads and streets, will be considered at informal conferences in Edinburgh, at which Major F. C. Cook, chief engineer, will represent the Ministry of Transport.

The councils have been requested to submit recommendations on urgent schemes which they consider should receive grants from the Ministry. They have also received invitations to send the conveners of committees and the chief officials to consult with Major Cook, who, from January 18-21, will be in Edinburgh.

Experts to Discuss Trolleybuses.

A paper on trolleybuses is to be read before three of the provincial centres of the Institution of Automobile Engineers, the first being in Glasgow on January 18, the second in Luton on the following day, and the *third in Leeds on January 20. Mr. E. T. Hippesley, M.A. traction sales manager of the British Thomson-Houston Co., Ltd., will deal with the electrical aspect, and Mr. J. C. Dabbs, chief engineer of Sunbeam Commercial Vehicles, Ltd., with the mechanical side.

In the course of his section, Mr. Dabbs will deal with the general layout of the vehicle, and such features as transmission, rear axle, six-wheel bogie design, braking, suspension, bodywork, etc,, whilst Mr. Hippesley will discuss electrical equipment, the problem of broadcast interference, lighting, performance, operating costs, etc.

India's Transport Requirements.

According to a report on economic and commercial conditions in India, recently published by the Department of Overseas Trade, the United King. dom exporter has not been so successful during the period covered by the review-1935-36--in catering for the valuable market for light and comparatively high-powered chassis for buses and goods vehicles.

Wherever transport companies are operated on modern lines, the British heavy vehicle holds its own, but, apart from a few large cities, the Indian transport owner possesses little capital and usually buys light lorries on the hire-purchase system, running them to destruction and discarding them after

a couple of years, thus avoiding the need for a maintenance organization. Once a suitable type of vehicle has been designed at the right price, concentrated effort, and most strenuous marketing exertions will be required to make headway. The market appears to be worth the effort, but the difficulties must not be underestimated,

Leading Carrier Leaves £61,000.

Mr. Joseph Nall, for many years principal of one of Lancashire's largest and oldest concerns of carriers, and father of Sir Joseph Nall, M.P., by his will left £61,420, A.R.O. Meeting Plans.

Two A.R.O. meetings are planned for next week. One will be at the Manor Hotel, Hendford, Yeovil, at 7.30 p.m. on January 5, And the other at the Golden Gates Café, Basingstoke, at 7.30 p.m. on January 9.

Death of Avon Representative.

Widely known in the Yorkshire, Liverpool and North Wales areas as representative of Avon India Rubber Co., Ltd., for many years, Mr. William Snowden has died. He joined the Avon concern in 1913 and served with the R.A.S.C. right through the war.

Multiwheeler Headquarters at Harrow.

From to-day, Multiwheeler (Commercial Vehicles), Ltd., will be wholly accommodated at its premises in Roxeth Green Avenue, South Harrow, Middlesex, which have formerly been used solely as the company's works. Its offices in Loudon have now been closed down. This step has been taken in order to promote a closer co-operation between office and work; staff than was formerly possible. S.T.R. TO GIVE THREE MORE LECTURES.

S.T.R., The Commercial Motor costs expert, has arranged to give three lectures, early next month, under the auspices of the C.M.U.A. He will be at West Bromwich on February 1, at Hanley on the following day, and at Wellington on February 3. Full particulars of places and times of meeting will be announced later.

Perkins Oil Engine for Scammell Mechanical Horse.

Overseas buyers will be interested to learn that the mechanical horse built by Scarmnell Lorries, Ltd., is now being equipped with the Perkins Wolf oil engine. The sales of this appliance overseas in 1936 showed an increase of 110 per cent, over the previous year. The orders include a fleet for Rangoon Corporation, a repeat from the Sao Paulo Railway Co., in Brazil, and an order for a street washer, refuse collector, etc., for Moscow.

C.M.U.A. South-East Lance Functions.

The annual Oldham section party of the Amalgamated Horse and Motor Owners' Association (associated with the C.M.U.A. South-East Lancashire Area) is to be held on Saturday, February 6, at the Co-operative Hall, Oldham. Tickets cost 3s. 9d. each and are obtainable from Mr. J. S. Howarth, 155, Cheethana IIiI1 Road, Manchester.

On February 27, the South-East Lancashire C.M.U.A. annual dinner is to be held at the Grand Hotel, Manchester, Tickets and further details are obtainable from Mr. Howarth at the address given above. ROAD TRANSPORT ESSENTIAL TO SCOTTISH FOUNDRY TRADE.

The hotly contested application by the White Line Transport Co., Falkirk, for the renewal and variation of its A licence, has been granted by the Southern Scotland Licensing Authority. The hearings were reported in the issues of The Commercial Motor dated November 20 and December 11.

The Authority, in his decision, states that an applicant for a renewal has not to satisfy the same onus of proof as a newcomer. The railway companies showed that they were capable of carrying castings (a class of work in which manufacturers showed, at the hearings, a strong preference for road transport), but the matter of suitability appeared to be one of degree.

It was obvious from the evidence of manufacturers that they thought that, in certain circumstances, road transport was more suited to their requirements and to those of their customers. If deprived of road transport, the foundry trade of Scotland would suffer.

Shipping Guide for Hauliers.

The following is the number of ships arriving at the London docks, wharves and jetties named, from January 1-7 inclusive :—DocKs : King George V, 7 ;

• Royal Albert, 4; Royal Victoria, 2; Surrey Commercial, 5 ; East India, 1; West India, 3; South-West India, ; . Tilbury, 6; Tilbury Stage, 3; .4; Royal, 3. WHARVES: Hay's, 5; Middleton's, 1; Mark Brown's, 1; Tilbury Jetty, 3; Regent's Canal, 1.

Lorry Worth About 5s.? . • Mr. J. H. Stirk,. East Midland Licensing Authority, made caustic remarks, in Nottingham. about a 10-yearold lorry and a railway company's action.

Mr. Ronald Brooks, Castle Gresley, Derbyshire, was asking permission to acquire a vehicle to replace one which he was taking over from a Mr. Richards at Church Gresley. Mr. Stirk said he understood that the price of the lorry which was being taken over was and that the business was the carrying of an occasional load of miner's coal (allowance).

Mr. Stick: " This vehicle is a 1926 model in scrap condition. Was it worth E5? Was not Ss. nearer the price? "

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Mr.. Richards : " There were good tyres."

Mr. Stirk : " The difficulty I am in about this application is that find the railway company has withdrawn its objection to it, yet in an application later in this sitting, where £.75 has been paid for goodwill, the railway is still objecting. It looks as though the company is picking and choosing its people, and I cannot allow that."

Mr. Stick deferred his decision.

C.M.U.A. North Staffs Dinner.

The annual dinner of the C.M.U.A. North Staffordshire Sub-area is to be held at the Grand Hotel, Hanley, on Saturday, March 13. Applications for tickets and other details should be made in good time to the district secretary, Mr. G. F. Goodwin, Phcenix Chambers, Broad Strilet, Hanley, Stokeon-Treat. TRANSPORT USERS CONDEMN RAILWAY PLEAS.

The road transport section of Liverpool Chamber of Commerce has decided to inform the Association of British Chambers of Commerce of the desire to associate itself with the resolution from Birmingham Chamber of Commerce, viewing with concern the marked opposition of• the railways to the renewal of A licences and the submissions by the railway companies that their facilities, especially on trunk routes, are adequate, and that road competition is, therefore, wasteful.

Objection is taken to the use made of the provisions of the 1933 Act for the prolonged and detailed investigations into the businesses of road operators. It is affirmed that, in a period of increasing trade, any reduction of existing facilities is against the interests of the users of transport.