TYRE . SALES CONTROL 'AND • PURCHASE TAX THE arrangement's for
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licensing the I supply of tyres may not be completed for another week or two. The Ministry of Supply. has, consequently, extended the existing prohibition of the supply of car.esize tyres for a further period.
In view,' of the removal of the purchase tax on tyres, it' is now provided that the maximum price for retreaded tyres laid down by the 'Control . of Rubber Tyres (No. 2) Order shall not include purchase tax unless this has, in fact, been charged.
I.T.A.'S INTERESTS IN THE HUMBER AREA.
THE Industrial Transport Association announces that the arrangement whereby its interests in the Humber area were entrusted to the Hull Traffic Association has been terminated by mutual agreement. As from March 1, 1942, the Industrial Transport Association will put into operation suitable plans to cover and promote the interests of its Members in the Hull, Goole and Grimaby areas.
.Eull details of the arrangements made . .
. on its behalf washortly be notified to members of the national body.
A.R.O. PRESIDENT APPEALS FOR QUICKER TURNROUND
ASTRONG appeal to all users of lorries to load and unload them as quickly as possible is being made by Major H. E. Crawfurd,. President of A.R.°. He points' out ' that the Ministry of War Transport calculates that by saving 15 per cent. of idle time (i.e., 9 mins, per hour), we shall get the effect of possessing 1.00,000 extra wagons. Although this time cannot be saved on every jab, in almost every case some minutes can be cut, and the result for a year would be enormous.
We cannot, at present, drive our vehicles faster, nor can we carry heavier 'loads in them, so other means must be sought, and the saving of time is the most valuable of them.
W.D. NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR OFF-DUTY ACCIDENTS •
BECAUSE the driver of a W.D. lorry,. who was involved in an accident, was using the vehicle for his own purposes, a claim for damages was rejected by the Department. This matter was raised in Parliament, last week, ,by Mr. Tinker, who informed the Secretary of State for War that the public felt that it was entitled to protection in cases of this kind, and asked that steps sliduld be taken to cover such claims.
• Sir E. Grigg replied that the Department's ,policy, which was common to all Government Departments, in ,principle was that compensation was considered when the Government wourd havd.been legally liable for :the torts of its driver, ifit had been a civilian operator. The present case, however, according to this principle, was not such as to permit the grant of compensation. He reminded Mr: Tinker that the policy had been stated, in replying to Members' questions .in April and June last.
ROAD AND RAIL MUST CO-OPERATE AFTER THE WAR
SPEAKING at the Bristol Chamber of Commerce last week on " Roadrail Co-operation After the War," Major H. E. Crawfifrd, president of Associated Road Operators, said that if the hideous industrial towns were to be replaced so that men and women could live and work in surroundings that made for health and contentment, our ideas of what was an adequate system of roads must be radically revised. In addition, rapid, convenient and ever. ready means for transport were a vital necessity of industry and commerce.
Road-rail • co-operation was not all agreement to exploit tlie,public and the trader. It .meant that the two great inland transPort services agreed on the conditions, including freight charges, under which they were prepared to compete with each other on a basis of service. Cooperation in the actual handling of traffic would follow.
Four things, said Major. Crawfurd, were needed if post-war transport was to serve the Nation efficiently. First, roads and railways must be left free to perfect their services according to the demands made on them; secondly, the manufacturer, trader and public must be given freedom of choice in the selection of the mode of transport which suited them best; thirdly, the country must be provided with a modern system of roads; and, fourthly, many of the legislative restrictions on both road transport and the railways must be swept away.
I.T.A. OPENS ANOTHER LOCAL BRANCH
NilEMBERS of the Industrial Trans1V1port Association in the Burton-onTrent and Derby districts recently met at Derby and, in the course of discussion with the national chairman, Mr. C. Courtney Cramp, V.S.S., F.I.I.A., .d4cided to create another local branch of the Association. The prospective founder officers are as foilow:—Cbairman, Mr. A. T. Jarvis (traffic manb.ger, E.W. Bliss, Ltd., Derby); vice-chairman, Mr. Wm.
Parnell (director, Standard Transport Co., Derby); hon. secretary, Mr. G. W. Clamp (traffic manager, Stocal Enamels, Ltd., Burton); assistant secretary, Mr. Wm. A. Brown (traffic manager, Burrows and Sturgess, .Ltd., Derby). Besides these officers, the first committee will include Messrs. J. F. Stimpson, R. Parnell, S. A. Tary, C. G. Greatorex and W. Apted.
The branch next meets at the Royal Standard Hotel; Derby, at 7 p.m. on February 26.
PERSONAL PARS MR. R. J. HOWLEY, who, for some years, has been deputy chairman of the British Electric Traction Co., Ltd., has become chairman of the company.
MR. NATHAN Fir has been appointed area manager for the Hauliers' National Traffic Pool, Manchester District. The pool offices. are at Pall Mall Buildings, Church Street, Manchester. Mr. Fine is a well-known personality in northern transport circles and has been connected with pooling arrangements since the earliest days of clearing houses in the 1914-I8 war.
DEALERS PROFITING BY INTER. DEPARTMENTAL, MOTOR SALES? DESCRIBING as a waste of public L./money an alleged practice that was current in the disposal by some of the Departments of State of used motor vehicles, Sir H. Williams asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, in the House of Commons last week, whether he was aware that the dealers who purchased these vehicles resold them at enhanced prices to other Departments.
Sir Kingsley Wood said he was unaware of any instances of the practice, but would make inquiries:' THE annual general meeting oi the Birmingham Sub-Area of Associated Road Operators will be held at the White Horse Hotel; Congreve Street, Birmingham, on February 25, at 7 p.m. INCREASES IN THE PRICE OF
FUEL
AA N announcement has been made by the Petroleum Board that, as from February 17, the prices of certain fuels have been raised. The increases per gallon are as follow:—Motor spirit, Id. (wholesale price is, 10d., retail 2s. lid.); oil fuel for road vehicles, lid.; vaporizing oil, Id.; gas oil (inland trade schedule), lid.; oil fuel, other than for road vehicles (inland trade schedule), lid.; fuel oil and heavy fuel oil (inland trade schedule), 10. Previous to rationing the price of petrol was Is. 5d. per gallon.
VETERAN VEHICLES HELP THE NATIONAL EFFORT
BECAUSE of the • difficulties of obtaining new vehicles to replace machines that, under normal conditions, would have covered their allotted span, Whitbread and Co., Ltd., the well-known brewery concern, has found it necessary to resort to overhauling many of its older vehicles. A particular case in point is the1.929 Dennis 6-ton lorry shown in the accompanying illustration, which, to-day, has covered well in excess of 250,000 miles. This machine operates from the company's Glasgow depot, and it was brought to London, where a 'complete overhaul was carried out by Coaches and Components; Ltd., 465, Holloway Road, -N.7.. .
The company's transport manager informs us that it is felt that the results obtained from overhauling an old vehicle with a very high mileage fully warrant the time and money expended • upon the work under war conditions.
HAS MINISTRY A SURPRISE UP ITS SLEEVE?
THERE is good authority for stating that so far as the Road Haulage Branch, North-western Division, of the Ministry of War Transport is concerned, neither red tape nor the strict letter of orthodox procedure will be allowed to stand in the way of keeping the port areas as clear as possible. A first and paramount principle will be to get goods away from the ports quickly. Delays, no matter how they arise, will not be tolerated.
In view of the fact that the Liverpool premises of the R.H.B. arc ready to be put into full commission immediately, and the manner in which the scheme has been received in Liverpool (a fact which caused some high officials of the Ministry to visit Liverpool last week), one may, of course, be tempted to speculate on whether the Ministry has some surprises up its sleeve.
PRACTICAL HANDBOOK ON OXY-ACETYLENE WELDING
VUELDING is much in the picture W these days, and to assist it a valuable little book of 174 pages, under the title " Practical Handbook on Oxyacetylene Welding," has been published at Ss. by Suffolk Iron Foundry (19'20), Ltd., Sifbronze Works, Stowmarket. Apart from other matters, it deals with a great mUny repairs to parts employed in motor vehicles, and numerous illustrations are included.
'TWO-UNIT COUPONS FOR AGRICULTURAL REQUIREMENTS
AREQUEST that petrol coupons for agriculturists should be issued in two units instead of one, because the fuel was commonly kept in two-gallon tins, was made in Parliament last week by Mr. Wootton-Davies.
Mr. Lloyd, Secretary for Petroleum, answered that the reference was presuinably..to coupons of the " F "series and that the form of application provided for the issue of two-, threeor more-unit coupons as required. • HOW CAN MORE PAPER BE SAVED?
HAVING exhausted ourselves in the endeavour to think of new methods of saving paper, we would welcome further suggestions which we could
entilate for the common good. • • In the. meantime, we might mention that many concerns keep bookcases of
• ancient catalogues and technical, books and treatises; which are now merely history, and as history is now in the making they would serve a better purpose amongst the paper salvage.
WESTERN AVENUE TO BE FINISHED NE XT SUMMER? WESTERN AVENUE was once again IfY a topic in the House last week. Mr. Purbeck stated that no work had been done on its extension, by-passing Uxbridge, for over two years and much material and machinery in consequence wis lying idle on the spot.. Mr. Noel Baker denied that plant was idle; saying that the work had been going forward and that it was hoped that it would be completed in the summer.
THE FORD EFFORT FOR A WARSHIP WEEK THE thousands of employees at the Ford Vorks, Dagenham, are pJaying an important part in'the war effort, and this is emphasized by their efforts in the local council's campaign to raise
the cost of a destroyer. The target figure of £700,000 was set for the Warship Week, which'ended last Saturday, and the Ford Co. and its workers subscribed over £220,000 of this.
In the montha preceding that week the membership of the works savingt group was stepped up by 70 per cent., many departments achieving. 100 per cent, of members. One of the slogans used was " Swell the Fund i and Beat the Huns."
DEFENCE AGAINST FIRES OF MANY KINDS IN view of the Ministry of Home 'Security's recent communications on the subject of fire prevention, special interest attaches to the demonstrations which have been given by the Nuswift Engineering Co., Ltd., Protector Works, Elland, Yorks. During an afternoon course at Huddersfield, last week, experts showed the various methods necessary to deal with fires of different types. They ranged from a severe road-vehicle engine fire, which was subdued in 35 seconds, to one created by the contact of incendiary and oil bombs with inflammable material of various kinds. Other fires, involving electric motors, magnesium alloys, and al6 • highly inflammable liquids in hulk were also effectively dealt with. The lecturer emphasized the need for fire guards being given adequate practice and suggested the occasional creation of a competitive spirit. He also pointed out the value of dogs in scenting the presence of fire, suggesting that watchers might take them on duty and train them for the purpose.
NEATE TRAILER BRAKES • AVAILABLE
WE are advised by -Neate Trailer Brakes (R. W. Neate and Co.) that all inquiries in connection with their well-known trailer brakes and equip merit should, in future, be sent to 60-62, London Road, Kingston-onThames. Limited supplies are, we are told, available for civilian use: and reasonable deliveries of the latest models can be given. PUBLICIZING BRITISHSCIENCE TO THE WORLD NEW publications are, in these. days, few and far between, which is, in general, rightly so, ii view of the shortage of paper and staff, be where the value to the Nation is great these considerations must be outweighed, This is the case with the new quarterly review, " Endeavour," published at Ss. bY Imperial Chemical Industries, Ltd., Nobel House, Buckingham Gate, London, SAVA. It is ,designed to record the progress of the sciences in . the service of mankind. The editions
• are in English, French, Spanish and German, and it is hoped that it may present a picture to the world of the vitality and resource' of British'sCience. We read the January nuiriber with the greatest interest, and, if the..qualit3r be maintained, it will be a publication of 'real value.. EXPORT TOTALS FOR LAST QUARTER OF 1941
HE total value of new commercial I vehicles exported from the United Kingdom in the quarter ended December 31, 1941, was -£500,253, whilst the number of commercial chassis exported had a value of £19,912. In the same period, the value of tractors exported, except those of agricultural types, totalled £58,666.
MORE A.R.O. METROPOLITAN SUB-AREA MEETINGS
erWO further annual general meetings I of Metropolitan Sub-areas cif Associated Road Operators a r e announced, in addition . to those referred to in last week's issue. ,The Northern Sub-area is holding its meeting at 3 p.m. on February 27. at the
Beech Hill Club, Leagrave Road, Luton, whilst the Eastern Sub-area will meet at 2.30 p.m.. at " The Green Man," Plashet Grove, East Ham, London, E .6 .
At each meeting, the annual report by the chairman will be presented, and the committee for the ensuing 12 months will be elected.
SPARES FOR Y-TYPE A.E.C. bN OFFER 'E understand from Mr. G. W. VV Irwin, secretary, Eastern Area, A.R.O., 17, Hills Road, Cambridge, that one of his members has for disposal -the following spares for the old Y-type A.E.C. chassis: a new differential unit complete, half a dozen half-shafts, flexible couplings and various ball rates. FUEL FOR RACEHORSE TRANSPORT TO BE RESTRICTED,
DIFFICULTY in reconciling, on the one hand, that racehorses may not now be sent by train and, on the other, that an appeal had been made to transport users to provide 100,000 extra vehicles, apparently prompted Sir W. Smithers to ask the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of War. Transport how Many motor horseboxes were in use for conveying horses to meetings and whether he would forbid their use.
Mr. Noel Baker found himself unable to give the number. He said, however, that, after March 7, the basic fuel ration for goods vehicles would be abolished and fuel would be available for taking horses to race meetings only over relatively short distances.