WHEELS of INDUSTRY
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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.
EXHIBITORS AT SOUTHEND CLEANSING CONFERENCE.
The 36th Annual Conference of the institute of Public Cleansing is to take place at Southend-on-Sea between June is and 22, and the most important event will be the exhibition and demonstration of public-cleansing vehicles and appliances on the fourth. day.
The following concerns will be repre
sented: Bunce and Son; Dennis Bros., Ltd.; Eagle Engineering Co., Ltd.; Electricars, Ltd.; Fodens, Ltd.; John Fowler and Co. (Leeds), Ltd.: General Vehicle Co., Ltd.; R. A. Lister and Co., Ltd.; Lockerbie and Wilkinson (Birmingham), Ltd.; Scammall Lorries, Ltd.; Shelvolre and Drewry, Ltd.; Sykes and Co.; Vauxhall Motors, Ltd.; Vulcan Motor and Engineering Co. (1906), Ltd.; C. C. Wakefield and Co., Ltd.; Walker Bros. (Wigan), Ltd.
Commissioner's Decision Favours Parcels-delivery Service• The Licensing Authority for the West Midland Area (Col. A. S. Redman) recently dealt with an application for licences for a fleet of 28 vehicles used by a Walsall Woad firm for a parcels-delivery service. The business was carried on within a radius of 60 miles of Birmingham, and consisted mainly of delivering drapery parcels.
When asked by Mr. R. J. Turner, representing the London Midland and Scottish Railway, whether there was any reason why a Walsall Wood firm should send vehicles to Birmingham to compete with the railway, the applicant said that a better service could be given than that provided by the railway.
The application was strongly supported by a number of business firms and was granted.
Big Progress by R.H.A. in Northern
Area.
A record increase in membership from 100 to over 650 in 12 months was reported at the annual general meeting of the Northern Regional Area of the Road Haulage Association, held at Newcastle on Monday last. Mr. W. W. Walton, M.Inst.T. (chairman), presided.
A special tribute was paid to the Hexham Sub-area, which came into existence through the affiliation in 1933 of the Tyneside and Livestock General Hauliers Association with the R.H.A. Membership had increased from about 15 to 50, all members being cattle hauliers, It was announced that a co-ordination committee had been set up in Newcastle by the R.H.A., the Newcastle and District Road Transport Employers Association and the Commercial Motor 1320 Users Association, and it was hoped, in the near future, to deal with the question of standard rates of wages, haulage rates and other matters in connection with licensing.
Mr. B. Harrison (retiring member, Middlesbrough), Mr. J. Blaney (Fellingon-Tyne), and Mr. 0. Lambert (Birtley), were elected to fill the vacancies on the regional committee.
Sunday Sale of Petrol: Result of the Welsh Case.
The Haverfordwest magistrate on Monday last dismissed the summonses brought against Green's Motors, Ltd., and Mr. A. Holloway, a motor trader, for selling petrel on Sundays, contrary, it was alleged, to the Sunday Observance Act of 1677, The prosecutor, a confectioner who had been fined under the Act, wished to secure uniformity in the application of the measure, and a ruling on how it was operated. He would, however, prefer the magistrates to find a way to dismiss all such summonses.
Counsel for the defendants pointed out that the intention of the Act was to prevent the " unnecessary " following of their craft on Sundays by tradesmen and artificers. It expressly provided for the sale of necessities.
The magistrates held that the Sunday sale of petrol was a necessity and was permitted under the Act. They imposed penalties, however, for the sale of Sunday newspapers, holding
them to be unnecessary. The summonses in relation to milk distribution were withdrawn.
New Welsh Haulage Association.
The organization of hauliers is proceeding rapidly in West Wales. A new association of contractors to cover Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire and Cardiganshire has been named the Carmarthen and Joint Counties Road Transport Association. BENEVOLENT FUND CAMPAIGN FOR SUPPORT.
The committee of the Motor and Cycle Trades Benevolent Fund is embarking on an intensive campaign to obtain greater support from the trade. The Fund has now been established for nearly 30 years, but there still appears to be a number of concerns which do not realize the benefit it is to the trade as a whole.
In 1933 expenditure exceeded income by nearly £5,000, the relief bill alone being over £1,000 per month. At this rate the small reserve accumulated during the Fund's early days will quickly be dissipated, and unless its work is to suffer it is imperative that additional support be obtained. .
The 1934 edition of the Fund's handbook bas recently been issued, and it contains therules, reports and accounts for 1933, lists of members and asso-, elates, and other matters relating to the good work which is carried orr, whilst further information of its actiVi.4" ties may be obtained from the London office at 28, Bedford Row, W.C.1:
Buying Vehicles Before Obtaining Licences: Commissioner's Proteit When Sir John Maxwell, the Licensing Authority for the Northern Area, recently sat at Darlington, he strongly protested against The action of. contractors in buying new vehicles before they have secured "the necessary licences. He was led to protest in this manner because an operator who applied for a licence for an additional vehicle had already purchased the machine and put it into service.
The solicitor appearing for the operator regretted the action of his client and apologized.
Mr. E. P. Merritt, who appeared ea behalf of the railway company, lodged a protest and said it was to be hoped that the observations on the matter made by the Licensing Authority would have some effect, The case was adjourned so that the applicant could supply particulars regarding the number of journeys made recently by his vehicles.
Association Secretary Defends Lorry Driver.
An -unusual procedure was followed in a road-traffic case at Malton last Saturday, when, by special permission of the magistrates; the case for a lorry driver, who was accused of a motoring offence, was conducted by Mr. Frank G. Bibbings, general secretary of the Yorkshire Stage Carriage Operators Association—which has a goods Section—instead of by a lawyer. The defence put forward by Mr. Bibbinge was 'successful.
ROAD MOTORS PREFERRED FOR BRICK TRANSPORT.
When Col. A. S. Redman, the Licensing Authority for the West Midland Area, held a sitting at Walsall, he dealt with an application by a Great Wyrley haulier for a licence for a vehicle used mainly for the conveyance of bricks Irons the brickyard of the Cannock Chase Colliery Co., one of the journeys involved being to Oxford. He asked that a licence be granted to cover a distance up to 60 miles, and said that the colliery company found it more convenient and cheaper to send bricks by road.
Col. Redman thought it should not be cheaper and, in the circumstances, that rail transport should prove an economic proposition. He added that the applicant had submitted evidence showing that the vehicle was being usefully employed, and would hesitate to refuse the application.
If he found that the applicant was competing unnecessarily with the railways for the transport of heavy goods over long distances, the licence, he said, would be endangered. He admitted that road motors had distinct advantages for short-distance work, but, when it became a question' of long journeys and the goods were of a class that could be sent by rail, he would have to consider whether the roads ought to be encumbered with such traffic. The application was granted.
Further Representations Concerning Mersey Tunnel.
Liverpool Cart and Motor Owners' Association has asked the Minister of Transport to press upon the Mersey Tunnel Joint Committee the importance of granting users of the tunnel the same accounting facilities as operate on the cross-river ferries.
The committee proposes to issue hooks of tickets based on the amount of the normal toll. These, states Mr. Allen Walter, secretary of the Association, would be useless to firms operat ing mixed fleets of vehicles. It is felt to be impossible for an operator to ensure that, on all occasions, drivers have sufficient ready money to pay the tolls.
Attention is also directed to anomalies in the tolls. The views of the Commercial Motor Users' Association on this matter were reported in last week's issue.
Albion 3-tonner Reduced in Weight.
An accompanying illustration shows one of the latest Albion LH models for 3-ton pay-loads which has recently been supplied to the Carron Co., of Falkirk. The machine is of special interest as it is one of the first light 3-tonners to be built, weighing, in the form illustrated, under 2i tons unladen, the exact figure being 2 tons 9 cwt.
The machine has a 14-ft. wheelbase and a body 12 ft. 6 ins. long. 0, fourcylinderecl engine developing 60 b.h.p. is installed, built as a unit with a four speed gearbox, whilst the rear axle is of the overhead-worm type, with fully floating shafts. The brakes operate through the Dewandre servo system on all four wheels.
Business Expansion: Licences for New Vehicles.
Proceedings at Licensing Authorities' courts were discussed at the monthly meeting of the North Western seetion of the Road Haulage Association, in Liverpool last Monday, when Mr. C. F. Hargreaves presided.
Mr. R. B. Stockciale said it appeared to him that anybody who applied for licences for new vehicles to be acquired, simply to extend his business, stood little chance of his application being granted. It was necessary to prove that the extra tonnage was required to fulfil obligations to customers. Hiring allowances were granted only to the extent of enabling the haulier to fulfil his obligations in cases of emergency, such as when a vehicle was temporarily out of service.
• DELAYS RESULT IN LOST TRAFFIC FOR RAILWAYS.
Several instances of the transfer of traffic from the railways to the roads, because of the slowness of rail transit, were mentioned to the Yorkshire Licensing Authority (Mr. Joseph Farndale), last week.
The railways had, it was alleged, taken five days to carry machinery from Yorkshire to a place near Guildford, and the firm sending the machinery now employed motor hauliers for the work.
A Leeds concern which had distributed over 1,000 tons of sugar and syrup in Yorkshire, during the past six months, had found that the railways were unable to give satisfactory service, and was now using road transport.
The railways' representative said that the first case was exceptional, but in the second instance he declined the challenge of the applicant's solicitor. who said that he would bring a witness to vouch for the shortcomings of the railway service.
Licensing Officials Address R.H.A. Members.
A well-attended meeting of members of the West Midland Area of the Road Haulage Association was held at Birmingham a few days ago, when Mr. W. E. Aston, the area chairman, presided. Mr. S. W. Nelson and Mr. A. L. Stallworthy, the clerk to the West Midland Area Licensing Authority and his assistant respectively, gave interesting addresses.
Mr. Nelson dealt with the licensing system generally. He expressed the view that it was helpful to the Licensing Authority for all operators to become members of some association.
Mr. Stallworthy dealt with some of the principal mistakes made in completing forms of application.
Hauliers Entitled to Object to Rate. cutting.
A ruling that rate-cutting was an irregular practice and was subject to objection by other operators, was given by Mr. Joseph Farndale, the Yorkshire Licensing Authority, at Leeds, on May 23.
A haulier who was applying for an A licence was questioned by Mr. W. R. Hargrave, on behalf of a firm in the same district, as to whether he obtained some of his work by undercutting this firm's rates. The applicant denied that he did so, but stated that if they paid him, he accepted rates offered by firms for'. the carriage of their goods.
Mr. 1-1. R. B. Shepherd, for the applicant and the Commercial Motor Users' Association, argued that the question of whether an operator cut rates or not was irrelevant. Mr. Farndale said he had to be satisfied as to the requirements of the area of the applicant, who had started in business in 1934. In that connection, rate-cutting was surely an irregular practice. It was decided, on a technical point, to relist the application in order to give other operators an opportunity of objecting if they desired to do so. PERSONAL PARS.
Mr. R. F. Fryars, F.C.I.S., F.I.S.A., secretary and treasurer of the Associated Equipment Co., Ltd., has been elected to the council of the Tramways, Light Railways and Transport Association.
It is announced that Mr. T. L. Squires has been appointed manager of the Gloucester Railway Carriage and Wagon Co., Ltd., of Gloucester. •Mr. William Redpath has relinquished the appointment of managing director.
Mr. Squires has been works manager of the company for the past 11 years.
The many friends of Mr. W. R. Black in the -motor and coachbuilding trades will be interested to learn that he has recently been appointed works manager of Park Royal Coachworks, Ltd., taking up duties with the company as from to-day (June 1).
Recently Mr. Black has been with J. C. Beadle (Coachbuilders), Ltd., at Dartford, prior to which he was the general manager of Weymann's Motor Bodies (1925), Ltd., at Addlestone. Earlier he served as works manager at the Crayford bodybuilding shops of Vickers, Ltd.
Chief Inspector Robert Shepherd, who has been with Aberdeen Transport Department since 1908, joining it as a motorman, has been appointed traffic
superintendent. Mr. John Morrison succeeds Mr. Alfred A. Smith, the new manager, as chief clerk. He has been in the department since 1918 and for some time acted as personal assistant to Mr. J. L. Gunn, the former manager, who is now transport manager at Nottingham.
At a meeting of the newly formed Yorkshire Regional Area Committee of the Road Haulage Association, held at Leeds, last Tuesday, Mr. A. H. Butterwick, of Leeds, was elected chairman and was appointed to serve on the National Council of the R.H.A.
Mr. I3utterwick, who is also chairman of the Leeds Sub-area Committee of the R.11A., has played a prominent part in the move to co-ordinate the Association's activities in Yorkshire. Although in business as a haulier, he has done much work, too, in organizing Yorkshire passenger transport operators in his capacity as chairman of Yorkshire Motor Coach Owners, Ltd. He also represents the mad. transport industry on the Leeds Employment Committee.
The following have been elected to the Yorkshire Regional Area Committee; —Messrs. Crowther (Wakefield), Shaw and Phillip (Sheffield), Bell and Wilkinson (Melton), Hall (Halifax), Newnhanr Dawson (Scarborough), Bradford, Mid gley and Butterwick (Leeds), Newton (York), Scott (Hebclen Bridge) and Oldroyd (Spen Valley). Mr. M. C. Vickers, divisional organizer, was elected secretary of the committee.
Mr. G. T. Joyce has been appointed manager of the industrial oil sales section of Alexander Duckham and Co., Ltd. Mr. Joyce has been in the service of the company for 27 years, joining the works department in September, 1909, at the age of 14. In 1914 he became chief assistant buyer, and, after a period of war service, he rejoined the company in January 1919.
in time for the opening of the new London sales offices in Broad Street Place. He was contract supervisor from 1920-1923 and chief assistant to the sales director for the next 10 years.
We learn that Ms. M. G. Clapperton has taken up the sole representation for the moving floor made by the Principality Wagon Co.. Ltd., Cardiff, in a territory extending from Birmingham in the north, to Southampton in the south, and east of those points, including London.
Mr. Clapperton has been associated with Armstrong-Saurer Commercial Vehicles, Ltd., in an executive capacity, previously being municipal sales representative for Daimler's. He was at one time sales manager of the Northern Counties Motor and Engineering Co., Ltd., and sales manager of Messrs. Parrs Garage, Leicester, who also own the Green Bus Service.
Official Orders in April.
During April the Admiralty ordered an electric passenger vehicle from R. A. Lister and Co., Ltd. The War Department ordered Morris-Commercial sixwheeled chassis and a Scammell tractortrailer outfit, whilst the G.P.O. authorities purchased Morris vans. The Air Ministry placed a contract for S.D. Freighter lorries. MORE MOTORS FOR THE L.M.S.
Further replacements of horse-drawn vehicles by motors in the Liverpool area of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway Co. were foreshadowed by an application for goods-vehicle licences heard by the North-Western Licensing Authority, last week. Licences were sought for claimed tonnage covering 64 vehicles and 13 trailers, and discretionary tonnage covering 46 vehicles and five trailers Of the latter, 36 vehicles and three trailers were still to be acquired, 33 of the machines, it was stated, being" required to take the place of horse-drawn carts, whilst others were to deal with extra business. Licences were granted for Birkenhead, Liverpool, St. Helens and Warrington
New I.F.S. Trailer-taxation System.
A financial resolution passed by the Dail, on May 23, alters the taxation of tractors and trailers in the Irish Free
State. It is proposed to regard a twowheeled trailer superimposed on a tractor as forming one vehicle for the purpose of taxation, and the duty will be assessed according to the unladen weight of the tractor and trailer.
A Tyre Company's New Title.
We understand that the name of the British Goodrich Rubber Co., Ltd., will be changed to the British Tyre and Rubber Co., Ltd. At a meeting held a few days ago resolutions were passed increasing the capital to £2,000,000 by the creation of 1,050,000 new ordinary shares of £1 each.
Road Transport for Oils Preferred.
When an application for an A licence by Smith and Robinson, Ltd., Harehills, Leeds, a company which was stated to carry oils for Unilever, Ltd., was heard by the Yorkshire Licensing A.uthority, a traffic expert of Unilever. Ltd., said that the organization preferred to have the oils carried by road. Some of the works had no sidings and they would have to fit pipe lines, or transfer the oils from the railway wagons to road vehicles.
The oil had to reach the works at a certain temperature and it had been found that, as road transport was quicker, the oil arrived in ideal condition. The application was granted. 500 "SAFETY FIRST" AWARDS PRESENTED IN LONDON. The presentation of the safe-driving and meritorious-service awards in the 1933 National Safety First" Competition took place at the Guildhall, London, on May 28, the Lord Mayor presiding.
In his opening remarks, the Lord Mayor said that each year had seen a large increase of entries in the competi
tion, since its inception in 1917. ' Lord • Ebbisham, president of the London "Safety First" Council, stated that over 60,000 drivers entered the competition each year.
Col. Richardson, representing the London Passenger Transport Board, said, that the Board was a keen supporter of the " safety first" movement and over 200 drivers of London buses were to receive awards that afternoon. The awards were presented to some 500 drivers by the Lady Mayoress, assisted by the Sheriffs.
Motor Trader as Haulier: An Interesting Licence Application.
The use for haulage contracting by a motor trader and haulier of secondhand vehicles which came into his possession as a dealer, was a question raised in an application for A licences, which was made a few days ago to Mr. Joseph Farndale, the Yorkshire Licensing Authority, by Harry Lund (Otley), Ltd., Otley.
Mr. H. Lund, who stated that, during the past 13 years, he had done much haulage work for West Riding County Council, said that second-hand vehicles, licensed for the road, often came into his possession in his capacity as a motor dealer. In the past he had used these vehicles for contracting.
Claimed-tonnage licences were sought in respect of 11 vehjcles in possession and three to be acquired, also a hiring allowance for one vehicle and discretionary tonnage in respect of three vans. The railway companies opposed the application.
The Licensing Authority granted the claimed tonnage and allowed discretionary tonnage in respect of a 2-ton vehicle.
LafIlys at the Paris Show.
In the article from our correspondent in France concerning municipal-motor interest at the Paris Fair, a reference 'say not included to the several interesting exhibits staged by the Laffly concern, 94, Avenue des Gresillons, Asnieres, Seine, France. Amongst them were fire-engines and sweepers, hut other municipal types are made. I.F.S. TRANSPORT BILL PASSES BOTH HOUSES.
The Road Transport Bill, 1934, has passed through the Dail and Senate of the Irish Free State. The Bill consists of 14 Clauses, which are framed to amend the Road Transport Bill, 1933. Clause 2 amends Part 1, Section 4, of the Act, which deals with the definition of carriage for reward.
Clause 3 states that, in addition to the definition of a lorry given in Part 1, Section 2, of the Act, any vehicle may be deemed to be a lorry which is constructed and designed for the conveyance of not more than six passengers (excluding the driver) and which is used for the transport of newspapers for reward.
• Clause 11 of the Bill provides for a variation of lorry and tractor weights.
A New Leyland Oil Engine.
Engineer apprentices from Wellington House, Leyland, who recently designed and manufactured a single-cyiindered, water-cooled, two-stroke petrol engine, are now engaged in building a four-cylindered oil engine. Most of the drawings are already complete, and a number of parts is in course of production in the workshops set aside for the use of apprentices of Leyland Motors, Ltd.
Demonstration of Vehicles Using Home-produced Fuel.
On June 6, T and 8 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. many vehicles running on various home-produced fuels will be demonstrated in Old Palace Yard, Westminster.
The Coal Utilisation Council is collaborating with the Sentinel, Gas, Light • and Coke, Chesterfield Tube, Koela Producer-gas Plant and Low Temperature Carbonisation companies, the National Gas Council, Fuel Research Board and Electric Vehicle Committee. Vehicles will be run on coal, creosote, compressed gas, producer gas, electricity, coal petrol and petrol from hydrogenated tar.