News of the Week
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SIXTY-MILE BAN ON REMOVALS MODIFIED
M0DIFICATION of the M.O.W.T, complete ban on household removals by road for distances of over 60 miles has been made to permit this distance to be exceeded in the case of the carriage of furniture by road from bombed premises. No special separate permission is now required for this
particular purpose.
MEMORIAL TO SIR WILLIAM CHAMBERLAIN
QUITE recently, a committee representing all branches of transport in the North-western Region was formed to estabift a permahent memorial to the late Sir William Chamberlain, Regional Transport Commissioner for that area. Subscriptions are being invited to create a fund, the proceeds of which will enable road-transport scholarships or educational grants to be given to those persons engaged or intended to be engaged in the roadtransport industry. The minimum sum desired is E5,000.
.It is hoped that the subscription list will be fully representative, and both large and small gifts will be equally welcome. Cheques should be made payable to "The Sir William Chamberlain Memorial Fund Account," crossed " Martins Bank, Ltd., Old Trafford, Manchester," and sent to Martins Bank, Ltd., Old Trafford, Manchester, 16, or to Mr. A. E. Babbs, hon. treasurer, care of Messrs. Butcher and Barlow, Northern Assurance Buildings, Albert Square, Manchester, 2.
NO STRIKES IN MOTOR INDUSTRY
ARATHER " striking " remark was made by Mr. H. D. Simmons, P.R.0 to the S.M.M.T., during a recent address to the Northampton Rotary Club He said that not once in. the past four and a half years have the workers in the motor industry held up production over any dispute.
Another point was that the vast army of men and women now employed in arms manufacture was able to be so thanks to the faultless system, first developed in this country by the motor industry, of breaking down complicated jobs into simple operations. It must be remembered that the majority of these workers had never before seen the inside of a factory, let alone worked in one.
One important side of the industry's work was to deal with damaged aircraft. If a machine could not be attended to by the squadron's repair facilities, it was sent by road to one of the motor industry's special factories. Thus tens of thousands of bombers and fighters had been serviced.
DEATH OF A COMMERCIALVEHICLE PIONEER WE much regret to rebord the death, at the age of 69 years, of Mr. Frank Churchill, whose name will be familiar to a large number of those associated with the early days of the commercial-vehicle industry. He was• originally with Durham, Churchill and Co., of Sheffield, which, in the pioneering days of the motor industry, built the Hallamshire car, whilst a Churchill char-k-bancs was the first to take racegoers on to the course at Doncaster.
Mr. Churchill had the unique distinction of being sales manager to three leading concerns, having been with J. and E. Hall, Ltd., of Dartford— which made the Haliford commercial vehicle--Commer Cars, Ltd., of Luton, and the Bristol Tramways and Carriage Co., Ltd. While with the first-named concern, he undertook a tour around the world which extended over a period of nine months.
He took a leading part in trade affairs and was actively linked with the work of the S.M.M. and T., having held the position of a vice-president in 1922, treasurer in 1923-24, apart from at one time holding the office Of chairman of the Society's commercialvehicle section.
GERMAN TRANSPORT BY TOW ROPE
AMILITARY observer on the Eighth Army Front has stated that the Germans in Italy had recently been retiring so rapidly that their vehicles were denied normal routine maintenance. When they were fleeing from Rome, they requisitioned every form of vehicle on wheels, even tyres were regarded as non-essential, and the citizens watched the spectacle of a motley collection of transport machines being driven and, towed through the capital on steel rims which cut into the sun-softened surfaces of the streets.
pear Castiglione this observer saw a German M.T. graveyard, one of thousands. Here the shells of vehicles were packed four deep and comprised coaches, lorries and car, all piled higgledy-piggledy. This was in a 30pyard-long tramway siding, which proved too small to hold the wreckage in any other way.
As a desperate method of conserving every drop of petrol, even, serviceable vehicles are often towed, and drivers are instructed to coast down all hills.
BUS COMPANIES HARD HIT BY• TAXATION
I N the course of his remarks at the annual general meeting of Tilling Motor Services, Ltd., Sir Frederick Heaton said that the associated and subsidiary companies all continue to earn profits substantially higher than those earned in the pre-war years, but as the differences are being absorbed in excess profits tax the balances for disposal do not vary much.
He mentioned that, during the war period, the companies have managed to maintain their services and to carry the abnormally heavy load of traffic without the renewal of rolling stock in any material degree, but, in the process, buses and some of the other capital assets have been worn rather threadbare. He emphasized that this state of affairs cannot continue indefinitely but, as surplus profits are being absorbed in taxation, the cash balances of many of the companies are somewhat meagre when related to the replacement programme which awaits them, especially when regard is had to the increased purchase price of new vehicles.
"ALDERSHOT AND DISTRICT" NET PROFIT DOWN
THE Aldershot and District Traction
• Co., Ltd., is paying a final dividend of 6 per cent, less tax, on the ordinary shares of the company in respect of the year ended May 31 last, making a total dividend for the year of 10 per cent, less tax.
The net profit for the year was £13,277, after transferring £10,000 to 'general reserve, compared with £20,008 in' the previous year, when a similar amount was transferred to general reserve, B.R.F. BOOKLET ON ROAD TRANSPORT
A RECONSTRUCTION document entitled " Roads and Road
Transport" will be published by the 3ritish Road Federation on August 4. Compiled by experts, it should interest the general public as well as those engaged in the road-transport industry.
The survey puts forward a compre hensive reconstruction policy dealing with every aspect of the industry, and one of the four appendices containsa summary of the proposals for the construction of 1,090 miles of motorways, pat forward by the County Surveyors' Society in 1933, and endorsed by the Institution of Municipal and County Engineers in 1942.
The booklet will be available at ls, at bookstalls.
BENEVOLENT FUND EXPANSION IN YORKSHIRE.
THE Council of the Motor and Cycle Trades Benevolent Fund has authorized the Mid-Yorkshire Centre to change its title to the Yorkshire Centre, in view of the large extension of the area which it covers. This clamprises all Yorkshire, except for the Sheffield Centre's territory, now enlarged by the inclusion of Barnsley and district.
Plans are going ,forward whereby the Yorkshire' Centre Win have sub-centres
at Hull, York, Scarborough .and in the Yorkshire Dales. Hitherto the Fund has not had such machinery for contact with members in the East arid North Ridings of Yorkshire.
AGRICULTURAL MACHINERY BOARD ISSUES REPORT
THE Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries has issued a report from the Agricultural Machinery Development Board, which covers the first two years of this Board's proceedings up to December 31, 1943. It is a record of the Board's terms of reference and the nature of the action so far taken upon these. Copies are available from the secretary of the Board, 4, Bickenhall Mansions, London, W.I.
THE WELDING OF ALUMINIUM BRONZE ALLOYS
QWING to the formation of tenacious films of aluminium oxide when the metal is welded by the oxyacetylene process, aluminium bronze alloys have had a comparatively limited application in certain directions. In this connection Murex Welding Processes, Ltd.,. Waltham Cross, Hertfordshire, brings to our notice its 13ronalex electrode which, it is claimed, enables aluminium-bronze material to be welded. with the same facility as steel.
Details of the characteristics of such welds and the necessary technique employed may be obtained from the company. FINED FOR LETTING LOOSE COAL FALL ON THE ROAD
ACTION is being taken by the Lancashire police against drivers of motor vehicles carrying outcrop coal where adequate steps are not taken to prevent the coal from spilling on to the roadway. There were several such prosecutions, last week, at Chorley and Leyland.
At Leyland, it was stated that overladen lorries had spilled coal for a considerable distance along the road between Wigan and Preston. This caused considerable work for the district surveyor apart from the danger.
In one case at Chorley—it was stated the police had been reluctant to prosecute in these cases—a police witness said he found approximately one ton of coal scattered in the roadway for a distance of about 100 yds.
The general cause of the coal falling into the road appeared to be the practice of loading to a point well above the sides, One of the defendants told the magistrates' that when loads were reduced to ensure that no coal fell off at all, there was a loss of 100 tons a day from one site alone.
In each case, the fine for insecure loads was R-1 or 25s.
CARDIFF PLANS FOR BUS. DEPOT EXTENSIONS rARDIFF Transport Committee is to ‘.-"carry out large-scale extensions for housing trolleybuses and motorbuses at the city's main transport depot. The committee, has lately reaffirmed a previous recommendation to acquire land adjoining the depot for the purpose of the scheme.
SHELTER OBLIGATIONS OF PRIVATE BUS OPERATORS
GLENDALE (Northumberland) Rural District .Council has considered a circular letter from the R.T.C. regarding the provision of bus shelters. The council has expressed the opinion that ratepayers' money should not be spent in helping privately owned bus companies, and that it was an obligation on their part to provide shelters for passengers.
DOUGLAS TRANSPORT SURPLUS
I N respect of the year ended March 31, 1944, Douglas (Isle of Man) Transport Committee reports a surplus of £12,065, the credit balance, which is being carried forward, amounting to £24,280 after adding £10,271 brought forward from the previous year. As this balance is available for renewal Of replacement of assets, no specific charge for depreciation against the year's revenue has been considered necessary.
PERSONAL PARS MR. TREVOR L. Davies has been appointed costs officer to the London Passenger Transport Board. He was previously assistant treasurer.
MR. NORMAN E. SPENCER has been appointed assistant transport superintendent for the road services of Tanganyika State. He has been on.the administrative staff of the transport department of Raw tenstall Corporation for over 20 years.
COMMANDER W. A, MORNS, formerly of the Dunlop National sales Division (Mileage Contracts), has been mentioned in despatches, whilst WING COMMANDER L. S. FAULKNER, R,A.F., who was a salesman at the Dunlop tlepot in Greenwich, has been awarded the 0.B.E.
MR. W. C. CHANDLER, general manager, Kneller and Chandler, Ltd., has been elected' an associate member of the Institute of Transport, as have Ma. J. H. PRYER, M.O.W.T., MR. W. G. A. HALL, area engineer, Birmingham and Midland Omnibus Co., Ltd., and MR. E. F. HICKEY, senior disciplinary officer of the same company. -LILA. WESTERN AREA •
APPOINTMENTS HE committee of the Western Area R.H.A. recently held its fitst meet: ing, in Bristol, when Mr. A. F. Willa was appointed chairman, and Messrs. A. W. Evemy and IL W. Hawker vicechairmen, the secretary being Mr. Arthur G. Akers.
WAR.TIME ROAD_ ACCIDENTS
D"'
TG the war the police have reported only the number of fatal and serious injuries caused by road accidents, Mr. P. J. Noel-Baker, Parliamentary Secretary. M.O.W.T., stated in Parliament last week. During the 12 months ended May 31 last, 6,168persons were killed and 121,596 were injured.
It was possible that the police had not reported minor injuries as fully as before the war. No comparison with pre-war years might, therefore, be valid.
THE invasion front demands tromendous quantities • of paper for shell containers and innumerable other articles. Therefore, do not waste a scrap.