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News of the Week

HIRE RATES FOR GAS-PRODUCER VEHICLES

ACERTAIN -number of vehicles equipped with gas producers is being employed by the M.O.W.T. Road Haulage. Organization, and the matter of raising the rates for these, to compensate for such special factors as increased maintenance costs, slower

• running, etc., is under consideration by the Ministry. Even at present, the rates are not lowered because of any loss of loading space which may be due to the fitting of the prdducer.

INQUIRY INTO POSITION OF ROAD TRANSPORT

WE learn that the Select Committee on National Expenditure which is carrying, out an investigation concerning the position of the road-transport. industry, will, at an early date, hear evidence from certain representatives of the haulage industry, including the S.J.C„ and the National Conference of Road Transport Clearance Houges, M.O.W.T. INVOICING OF CONTROLLED TRAFFIC CROM January 8, all controlled traffic

accepted for carriage by the M.O.W.T. Road Haulage Organization will be invoiced direct to the original consignors. Hired operators will no longer be allowed to invoice their customers direct. Some of the clearing houses are perturbed at this move, for the reason that they now have to submit separate invoices to cover their charges.

'PIT PLAN SUGGESTED FOR RECRUITING BUS STAFFS

SUGGESTING that a scheme similar to that introduced for recruiting pit workers should be adopted to get labour for the transport industry, Mr. D. Hays, general manager and director of the Midland General Omnibus Co., says that during the 'war many passengertransport undertakings have been fighting a losing, battle in the matter of labour, .despite repeated representations which have been made to the Ministries concerned.

Many transport undertakings are se short of labour that it is becoming a major problem to provide even essential workers' journeys at the hour recessary to ensure regular time-keeping on the part of factory and mine workers.

His company, adds Mr. Hays, requires a steady flow of drivers, conductors and skilled engineering and maintenance 'shop workers. Although regular applications for such workers are made, the supply is not keeping pace with losses due to normal wastage. He also-points out that comparatively . few transport 'employees are necessary for the conveyance of thousands of war workers and that, in consequence, the withdrawal of one or two hands from individtial factories would be of small consequente cotripared with

the -lost production Which ineVitably follows' absenteeism, bad time-keeping and ill-health, for all of which difficult problems transport is held to be largely responsible.

Whilst great stress is laid.on directing ample labour to factories and pits, the vital question of getting the workers to and from their work appears to be overlooked.

January 21, 1944. S.J.C. REPRESENTATION AT M.O.W.T. HAULAGE MEETING

THE M.O.W.T. has arranged for the representatives of the industry, who will be . elected by the S.J.C., to attend the monthly meetings of area unit controllers and road-haulage officers, respectively; so that they can raise any matter of interest which may help to improve operating conditions, etc. This is a useful -concession, which should contribute towards the smoother working ,of the scheme.

TRANSPORT SERVICES TRADING RESULTS

CONSOLIDATED net earnings of Transport Services, Ltd., and its subsidiaries for the 10 montliti ended March 31, 1943, were £140,488, whereas in the previous 12 months they were £154,635. Provision for N.D.C. and E..P.T.,, as well as income tax, amounts to £65,584, whilst vehicles replacement and additional depreciation reserve take £11,562, leaving, after deducting certain other items, £67,844, as against £76,232 in the 'previous 12 months.

Deducting £:53,374 as a reserve for future income tax (1943-44), and adding £10,811 for undivided profits in the group, brought forward from the previous year, there remains £25,281. The ordinary dividend amounts to 8iper cent, for the 10 ,months, .being at the rate of 10 per cent, per annum, and takes £14,705, whilst the preference dividend requires £7,396. The amount to be carried forward is £2,749. • • PERSONNEL REQUIRED FOR H.G. TRANSPORT COMPANY

A BOUT six months ago, Mr. .rt F. C. G. Mills, formerly chairman of the National Conference of Road Transport Clearing Houses, was asked to form and command a new London Home Guard Transport Company to act as first line of Reserves to the

y.A.s.c. This Company has been established for some time and is attached to No. 2 London Trafisport Column. Much importance is attached to the organization and efficiency of such Companies, and the authorities, whilst appreciative of the response which has already been received from the roadhaulage industry, would like this to be even greater. The Company is practically at full strength as regards vehicles, but has vacancies for personnel, and application should be made to Mr. Mills at 116, Old Broad Street, London, E.C.2.

There are parades twice a week in the early evenings of Mondays and Fridays, whilst each Wednesday special classes are being held for Officers and N.C.,0.s, which means an extra attendance not more than once every three weeks, with exercises monthly. It is permissible for men already in the Home Guard to transfer to a Home -Guard Transport Company. CALL FOR REVIEW OF CONTROL OF HAULAGE

OMMENTING on the control of road transport, . the annual report of the Road Transport Section ot the Manchester'. Chamber of Commerce states that, last year, the whole fabric of the road-haulage industry in its relations with the commercial public was seriously disturbed by the launching and, later, the modification and wide. extension of the M.O.W.T. Haulage Scheme. •

The indUstry, it continues, was prepared for fundamental changes but, in recent months, increasing concern has been expressed at the grave effects of the growing measure of control as at present administered, which members consider warrants an early review in the interests of transport Users, which must, ' in its wide aspect, affect the Nation generally.

A hope that freedom will be restored to the industry so soon as possible, after the end of hostilities, to meet the pubic demand for road haulage and to give full scope for individual enterprise and the exercise of initiative and experience, is expressed.

FIRE EXTINGUISHERS ON P.S. VEHICLES

THE specification issued by the Fire Offices Committee has been amended to provide that two soda-acid or foamtype extinguishers, each of a gallon capacity and constructed to B.S. Specification Nos, 138 or 740, will be accepted for p.s. vehicles as an alternative to the 'present requirement of one two-gallon type.

BIG HOSTEL AT MANCHESTER FOR TRANSPORT WORKERS IkAANCHESTER is to have a largeI.V1 scale café and hostel for roadtransport workers, A warehouse situated in London Road, within easy reach of Piccadilly, is to be used for the purpose. The man behind the scheme is Mr. Ralph Gardner, of Salford, a transport caterer and a member of the Transport and General Workers! Union, who controls a similar establishment in Birmingham. Already his application for a catering licence has been granted by the Manchester Food Control Cornmittee.

Designed mainly fogr the convenience of long-distance 'haulage workers, the hostel will provide cubicles with sleeping accommodation for over 50 men. Like the hostel, the café is to be • open for seven days a week, and meals will be obtainable at any hour, day or night. The dining-room will have seating accommodation for 130 people,

In addition to road-transport workers, memberi of the public will be 'able to obtain meals at the café. . GOOD SPEED AND DISTANCE JUDGES ARE RARE

UNRELIABILITY of witnesses in court cases, who are asked to give estimates of distances and speeds of vehicles, was referred to byMr. A. Lindsay Stewart, assistant solicitor with Aberdeen Town Council when he recently gave an address in Aberdeen. " It has been my experience," he said, " that visual observation is extremely unreliable. I have made it a rule, in collision cases particularly, never to rely on the evidence for distance or speeds of witnesses, but always to apply practical tests."

These tests,he maintained, brought some amazing results. On one occa.sion a test at Aberdeen showed that if evidence that had been submitted had been correct a tramcar must have hit another vehicle at a speed of not less than 60 m.p.h., and that immediately after the collision the tram stopped instantly!

MOBILE FILM OUTFIT AS EDUCATIONAL LINK

PROVISION of a mobile film unit to visit schools in the city area formspart of a 'scheme for the establishment of a municipal film centre at Manchester. The proposals ,submitted by the Manchester and Salford Film Society are being considered by a subcommittee of the. Manchester post-war reconstruction committee.

TEESSIDE TRANSPORT MERGER. STILL TALKED ABOUT AIDDLESBROUGH Transport Cornmittee has reported to the town council that a conference has been held with the Stockton Transport Committee and the Teesside Railless.Traction Board to discuss the merging of Teesside transport undertakings. The officials of the three bodies have been asked to prepare a scheme for amalgamation, or co-ordination, for submission to a further conference,

WHEN RETURN FARES WILL BE GRANTED

CELLING-ON-TYNE Urban District I. Council has been informed by the M.O.W.T. that cheap return fares will be granted to hospitals where the need be proved. Return fares to shopping centres, other than those already allowed, will be granted if cases of hardship be submitted to the Regional Transport Commissioner. The Ministry's statement follows a protest against the withdrawal of return fares costing more than 10d.

JOINT BOARD NOT FAVOURED BY EXPERT

BURNLEY, Colne and Nelson Joint Transport Committee, which has been considering powers to form itself into a joint board,which would confer, upon it the rights of an independent body, has consulted Mr. Arthur Collins, one of the experts responsible for the formation of the committee. Mr. Collins, however, is unable to see any advantage iu the change in view' of the harmonious and prosperous way in which the service is now controlled,

" NATIONAL OMNIBUS MAKES £91,000 PROFIT

ACCOUNTS of the National Omnibus and Transport Co., Ltd., for 1943 show a profit of 00,956. The dividend for the year on the preference shares absorbs 417,500, and the payment of a 5 per cent., dividend (free of tax) on the ordinary shares takes

.4.168,750. After £5,000 is allocated to general reserve, the amount to be carried forward comes out at :C29,452, compared with £29,740 brought in.

PERSONAL PARS

MR. L. WILKES, transport manager of Darwen Corporation,. is on a shortlist of candidates for a similar post at

Oldham: —

M. E. F. TOPHAM has been elected chairman. of the Road Transport Section of the Manchester Chamber of Comnierce in sucaession to Major G. A. Renwick.

SAVE-MORE APPEAL TO ' TRANSPORT MEN

I AST week, Mr. E. S. ShrapnellL.+ Smith, C.B.E., chairman of the roachtransport industry's war savings committee, was the chief guest at an informal dinner held in Bradford in connection with the promotion of savings efforts among transport workers in the city. He voiced a mesL sage from Lord Kindersley, thanking them for •what they had already done; and appealing for still greater efforts.

Alderman Walter Hbclgson, chairman of Bradford Passenger Transport CornMittee, presided. Among those present were the Lord Mayor (Alderman W. H. Barraclough) and Mr. C. R. Tattam, general manager of the City's passenger. transportundertaking.