Answers to Queries.
Page 20
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Wants to Delay poing Overseas.
[4258] (M.T. Man).--We cannot do anything in the matter which you mention. It is better that we should not interfere. If you go AO yciur own O.C. and put the facts before him, you can rely upon sympathetic consideration, and that is the proper order of procedure, now that you are in the corps.
Joining the M.T., A.S.C.
[4259] (Practice).—Cadets and recruits . haveno right of selecting a unit: all join for general service, and may have to go anywhere. They may be posted indiscriminately to what you term the combatant or non-combatant divisions of he motor transport. Such .combatant or non-combatant divisions are not recognized in the British Army, although they are in the French Army.
A Certified Occupation.
{4260] (Driver),—You are entitled, to. a renewal of exemption unless the decision of the tribunal was the result of a challenge of your exemption by the.
tary representative. If tile military represenative challenged the exemption, on the 'ground that, notwithstanding your being in a-certified occupation, it was more in the-national interest that you should join the Army, and if the tribunal then gave a " final " iecision, you have to go.
When Does a Private Car Cease to be aHackney Carriage ?
• [4261] (Owner).—The words ". hackney carriage " mean a carriage standing or plying for hire, and include "any carriage let for hire by a coachmaker or other person,/whose trade or business is to sell carriages or to let carriages for hire, provided such carriage is not let for a period amounting to three Months or 'niers." . The limit is, therefore, three months, as regards cla,sSification. The customary limit, as regards allowance of the petrol rebate, is a maximum of 48 hours for any single hiring.
Extent of Employment, of Women.
[4262] (Works).—According to the return of the Industrial (Wax Inquiries) Branch of the Board of Trade, for the month of January last, which is the latest to have come under our notioe, the direct replacement of men by women at that date amounted to a total of 1,071,000, this being equivalent to 32.7 per cent, of the men employed in July, 1914. The total in industrial 'work was 376,000, or 17.2 per cent. increase. Government establishments showed the biggest increase, as from 2000 in July, 1914, to 149,000 in January last.
Passenger-carrying, in Commercial Vehicles.
[4263] (Dubious).--There is no room for dubiety. You are not entitled in•law•to do what you mention— to give friends lifts, or to have an occasional run in the country with your family. The Jaw is absolutely specific on this point. We know, however, that in certain areas the local Excise officials and the local police allow varying degrees of latitude, but that does not alter the law. A commercial motor must • be " constructed,or adapted for use and used solely for the conveyance of -any goods or burden in the course of trade and husbandry," in order to ' make its owner secure in respect of his exemption from paying the horse-power tax. It must further have painted on it visibly and legibly, in letters of not less than one inch in length, the Christian name and surname, and place of abcide,-or place of business of the person, or the name or style and principalor only. place of business of the company or firm, keep/ng
058 One Lamp or Two?
• [4264j (Traffic Department).—You will not be safe iii relylkog upon Section 2 of the 1.896 Act, in which section, it is laid down that only one lamp is required towards the front of a motorcar. Not only is use of such a single lamp liable on the road to lead to collisions 'by reason of its confusing other 'drivel% who think they are approaching a bicycle, but subsequent lighting requirements, as well as local by-laws, add the obligation to carry such lamps towards the front.
Joining the C.ItAU.A. Late in the Year.
[4265]. (Luddendert).—We have asked Mr. F. G. Bristow, Secretary to the. Co.minercial-Motor Users Association, 83, Pall Mall, S.W. 1, to send a form of application and other particulars. The annual subscription is 1 Hs. 6c1., and the. entrance fee L1 1s., but certain allowances are made by the Committee of. the Association in reduction of the annual subscription, to new members who join late in any year —after the month of June.. The Association bas recently, as you state, fought several important test cases on behalf of users, thus protecting them against risks which it is impossible to cover by insurance.
Hiring to Go to the Station.' •
[4266]. (Jobmaster).---The anomaly is one with which we have already dealt. You were wise to. takewhatever risk there was, relying upon the commonsense of 'the local superintendent of police. • If a car can be hired from the station, while -it is• standing r-.0. side the railway premises., for the purpose of c,calveying a local resident to his house, it can properly be hired in the reverse direction, to convey the same resident from his house to the station. "The regulationa have to be construed reasonably, even though the letter of their wording may appear to permit hiring in one direction, and to bar it in the .reverse direction. Our last week's issue dealt with this. •
Weight of L.C.C. Tramcars.
[4267] (Pro-Bus).—The unladen weight of an L.C.C. double-deck tramcar is 14 ton-s 14i cwt. The unladen weight of each of the trailers which is:a converted horse-car is 6 tons 7 cwt. ",-each of the new specially-built trailers . weighs 6 tons 5 -cwt. A double-deck tramcar and trailer, fully loaded with passengers, frequentlyreaches in total weight, for
the combined unit, 28 toms. These facts furnish peculiar and pointed commentary upon the progiyessive manner in which the L.C.C. has increased the permissible weight for Westminster Bridge-obvionsly to suit its own tramcar requirements. Lord Montagu of Beaulieu directed attention to' this danger, when debiting the L.Q.C. proposals for the use of trailer-tramcars in the House of Lords in August, 1912. The bridge is notoriously old and weak.
Motor Spirit for Motor Schools.,
[4268] (Shortage).—We know that the motor achools in London are having the same trouble that you are in getting petrol for carrying on their work. They are getting a small allowance, but nothinglike enough to carry on with. The Mansions Motor School has recently gathered together a lot of information conoerning the work which it has done in training men and women who are doing good work in-the Army, or rendering useful military service. We believe that it has had very little effect in the way of getting them an increased allowance. If we knew of any way' in which we could assist you to get increased petrol supplies, we should let you know with pleasure, but unfortunately we do not. Should any information come to us we will at once let you know.. Why not use coal-gas3 It is quite simple, and much 'theaper than petrol.