Drop It and Run
Page 47
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riviL war between the, various road transport interests seems by no means an impossibility, for 1 hear that the protests of the Traders' Road. Transport Association against restrictions on loading and unloading in shopping districts during business hours have drawn a few halfsmothered comments from bus operators.
The real trouble in busy shopping streets is not vans stopping to deliver, but the length of time that many arc -stopped. The shop-fitting industry has made,great strides, but to the best of my knowledge little has Teen done to assist in the receipt of goods. . One inspiration
that has already been mentioned in this column is the " night safe" plan of Mr. Prentice, of St. Cuthbert's Co-operative Association.
Lain cranes mounted on vehicles are well known in some spheres of transport. One group, I understand, is studying the possibility of employing such a device, which would be worked by a loader. He would swing out a boom and drop a container at the shop door in little more time than the split-second it takes the newspaper people to sling a bundle of papers into the neNsagent's shop.
An arrangement of telescopic receiving hooks at firstfloor level, which could be pulled out and then pushed back to the wall, is also said to be under consideration with the object of facilitating early morning work.
" Staggering " Thought
CR,r+DLE 'WHEN at the T.R.T.A. Edinburgh meeting " Mr, W. A. Winson spoke on a waiting ban, he asked only for what was reasonable. But in any clash of group interests, reasonableness is all too often a non-runner. Apart from shop deliveries, many transport problems. both passenger and goods, might be sok ed if industry would stagger hours. The ads antages ought to be obvious, but the egalitarian thought of today makes so many people anxious to do precisely the same as their neighbours that things are steadily proceeding in the direction of greater uniformity.
Althouah not given to rash predictions, I foresee an age in the not-far-distant future when goods will not be carried on Saturdays or Sundays, buses will not run, and shops and *places of entertainment will be closed. The almightypublic will have time to spare and will be left to their own des ices. As one who, over the years, has spent more week-ends working than otherwise, 1 am heartily in favour. Taking the long view, it might be a good thing for all concerned. But, somehow, 1 very much doubt whether the bulk of people would enjoy the set-up..
Fishy Business
SOMEONE at the Road Haulage Association's conference last week spoke of hauliers as " prawns in the game of transport." I am sure he did not intend to provide ammunition for those who regard the whole, road haulage industry
lishY.
Disillusioned Ghost
AI.THOUGH they often do not receive credit for it, policemen are human. The other evening at dusk I drew up ;,t a wide crossing behind a white-coated consta ble. He walked up to my car and, after a cheerful exchange of greetings. asked from what distance I had first noticed hint. 1 made an estimate and he said: -Well, nobody else seems to be able to see me. I think I am wasting my time and risking my neck for nothing,
standing out there. Ell let them sort themselves out. You had better make your own way across."
Which T did, reflecting that in the prevailing light, a constable in blue might have presented a much stronger silhouette than one in white.
Go West, My Son
7EALOUS in pursuit of his constituents' interests, Sir David Robertson, M.P. for Caithness and Sutherland, recently addressed the administrative and finance committee
of Caithness County Council on his suggestion that the Inverness-Wick railway should be converted into a 22-ft.-wide motor road. The cost is estimated at .£41m. He reckoned that journey times would be halved.
According to reports reaching me, his proposals did not secure any great measure of support, although Dr. W. R. N. Sutherland described the railway as practically useless in respect of speed and convenience. Mr. Thomas Johnston, chairman of the North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board, regarded Sir David's views as " stimulating,"
Every road user welcomes the idea of More highways, but I have the impression that transport interests are ,sgetting along reasonably well on the road to John o' Groats. Certainly the coaches are doing encouraging business in farthest-north trips. Whilst giving all credit to those who are anxious for improvements anywhere, most of those who are interested in transport in the north of Scotland feel that any money that is to be spent would be better devoted to the west coast rather than the east. Apart from other considerations, the narrowness of the roads in many parts of the north-west keeps away a. large number of the touring coaches. And these are visitors who have proved a valuable source of revenue to other districts.
Snowball Holiday
QUCEI Americans and other overseas visitors as noncha
lantly refer to spending • six months' holiday in Europe often leave behind them a brooding feeling that in some parts of the world every week must be Christmas. The brief answer is that one or two organizations some time ago discovered that the offer of a pension_ at 05 did not stop an enterprising young man's fancy turning to fresh fields of occupation some 40 years earlier. There was as a result of this trend a distressingly high labour turnover, with accompanying heavy expenditure on training.
A search for something to keep the boys at home apparently brought a number of business concerns round to instituting a " year's holiday in every ten," which means that they can show anyone who settles down with them for a few years a bait which will materialize in the reasonably close future. Even the best of schemes produce their grouses and one recipient assured me that it was no more than a " bank " from which you might draw the vacations that had been saved from your proper annual due. Be that as it may, the prospect of having the time to do a Grand Tour is in no way unattractive.
Something of a similar nature, although not on quite so magnificent a scale, is being offered to candidates for platform jobs now being recruited in Britain by the Melbourne and Metropolitan Tramways Board of Australia. In addition to 20 days' annual holiday with pay, there is a longservice leave of 26 weeks with jSay after the completion of 20 years.