Shippers Rely on Road Transport
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THE Mount story in miniature is, in effect, presented on the concern's notepaper headin g. Thereon one may read, "International Shippers and Forwarders. Wharfingers and Warehousemen. London and Provincial Haulage and Freight Contractors. Shipbrokers and Chartering Agents. Pioneer Packers and Shippers ' of Motorcars, Cycles and Aeroplanes, also Furniture and Machinery, etc."
To enlarge the miniature of Joseph C. Mount and Co., Stevenage Wharf, London, S.W.6, to a life-size wordpicture would require more space than is available. Some small account, however, of the activities of this link between the manufacturer and his markets, and between consigner and consignee, both private and commercial, will serve to show the wide scope of the 50-year-old concert.
At Stevenage Wharf, on the north baled jute, plate glass, timber, canned foods, and more machinery bearing the legend, Machinery—Keep Upright," and the wineglass stencil which should indicate " right way up" in all languages.
Names such as Cochin, Singapore, Bombay,. Madras, Karachi, Cairo, Durban, Oslo, Copenhagen, Stockholm reminded one that the business conducted is truly international.
This concern is responsible on a large scale for the collection and delivery of all manner of goods, as well as for packing and storage. It has only four vehicles of its own, these being a Bedford-Scammell outfit, a Bedford 5-ton platform lorry, a Vulcan 5-tonner and an Austin platform 5-tonner. As sub-contractor, however, it employs the services of such concerns as Adams
Bros. (Super Transport), Ltd., Transport Wharf, New Malden, Surrey, and Duff and Sons, Ltd.. Rothesay Garage, Wimbledon, S.W.I9.
Adams Bros., well known in the industry for the specialized transport of boats, among other haulage activities. does much of this class of work for the Mount organization, which is closely interested in the movement of all kinds of yachts and other craft.
The concern undertakes also to move yachts to and from all parts of the world, even to the extent of supplying a skipper and crew if the boat is too big to be shipped on the deck of a liner.
During the war J. C. Mount and Co. had an almost unique experience of handling light craft, which included everything from L.C.A.s and admirals' barges to high-speed hard-chine boats which carried torpedo tubes.
Many special loads for Joseph Mount and Co. have been carried by Duff and Sons. Ltd., which operates a mixed fleet of 24 vehicles, among them 20-tonners and special machinery trailer outfits. Ear:y in the field of specialized haulage, this concern was among the first to carry an aeroplane by road—that of Pauthan. who competed successfully in a London-Manchester air race before the first world war.
Old-time Transport Link-up The history of the concern is particularly interesting, in that the late Mr. Joseph Mount was one of the pioneers in the transport, packing and shipping of motor vehicles and aeroplanes. He also imported cars and lorries from America in large numbers, and when the Dodge organization established itself in England he gave it temporary houseroom at the wharf and handled all shipments. Road haulage played a considerable part in these operations, although some of the Dodge cars were driven to their various destinations.
When Bleriot flew the Channel. Mr. Mount offered to pack his weird but truly wonderful flying machine and ship it back to Paris. after it had been exhibited at Selfridge's. The pioneer airman accepted, and this unusual cargo duly arrived safely in the French capital.
Mr. Mount was himself a pioneer motorisi and a close personal friend of Lord Perry, former chairman of the Ford Motor Co., Ltd
More recent history embraces the Hitler woo years during which the concern became closely committed to the movement on a large scale of W.D.
vehicles, mainly lorries. Great quantities of imported lorries were landed, unpacked and partially assembled for finishing and testing by concerns appointed by the Ministry of Supply. The wharves were particularly suited to this work, owing to the broad quay. large, open areas. and the existence of two 10-ton derricks, two 5-ton steam cranes and many overhead gantries.
Hundreds of tractors were also landed. unpacked, assembled and tested. Open storage accommodation was largely filled with steel of every description, notably heavy steel plates. The heavy crane. were able to deal speedily with these plates, which weighed up to "1 tons each.
War Packing Aids Peace Effort
The packing department hapdled a large volume of lorries and motorcycles destined fo• the various the.itres of war, and in co-operation with the Ministry of Supply new methods of packing were developed toensure good preservation of units. A special packing technique was also developed for radar and Ether highly Sensitive electrical equipment, • notably for S.E.A.C. Instruments were hermetically sealed in tin-lined cases.
The organization, already a specialist one in the true sense of the word, thus became even more fitted to discharge its many vital duties in the present days of vigorous effort to rebuild the Nation's economy