Bird's Eye View
Page 38
Page 39
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
By The Hawk
The Jet Age
"THIS has truly been named the jet age. I know, because L I went to the Road Haulage Association's conference at Blackpool last week by train. Leaving Euston at 10.35 a.m, in a state of vast animation, the livid beast crept madly from station to station (some of which, T swear, were erected for the occasion) until it gasped to a halt in Blackpool at 5.12 p.m. The epic journey had been made. at an average of 34.2 m.p.h. How much longer can flesh and blood be expected to withstand this mad urge for speed?
Honoured Guest
LACKPOOL was a place for meeting old friends and making new ones. Among the new ones was Mr. John W. McGiffin, vice-president and general manager of Kingsway Transports, Ltd., Montreal. He is the Canadian haulier I mentioned on July 29 as coming over to examine the pos
sibilities of investing in the British haulage industry. He attended the R.H.A. conference as the guest of Mr. F. Davies, managing director of the York Trailer Co., Ltd.
He told me he was impressed by the licensing system and by the stability of the industry. He was also touched by the friendliness of the hauliers. "Soon you will see Kingsway Transports in Britain," he confided. And then he flew to itzt Holland for a couple of days, returning to London last Friday and back to Canada on Saturday.
Youth to the Fore
MRS. D. G. PARKIN, who has become a regular speaker at R.H.A. conferences and was second on the bill; rightly stressed the need for younger members to come forward and take an interest in the Association's affairs. There were certainly some welcome new faces on the rostrum.
But it was left to a Blackpool haulier to .provide the comic relief. He has, on his own admission, devised a plan that will solve the whole of the industry's problems, but he Would not divulge it. He apparently objected to casting pearls before swine.
Rivals
Nip, JAMES BARRIE and Mr. H. Bell enjoyed twitting one LVL another about their home cities. "Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland, but Glasgow is where the capital is," boasted Mr. Barrie.
"Glasgow is the slum clearance of Edinburgh," rejoined Mr. Bell.
100% Improvement
ONE of the minor hardships endured at my expensive hotel in Blackpool was the lack of hot water at about 8.30 in the morning. When I asked for hot water for shaving, it was brought in two minute milk jugs. But when I stayed in the
-rie hotel" during the 1952 conference I got only one small ; of hot water, so I can truthfully say the service has proved 100 per cent.
ileinma
'Rio will move the R.H.A. office to its new quarters in a I couple of months' time? Will the job be put out to wler by the 17,000 members? If so, somebody is going to joy opening the quotations. If not, there will be accusations favouritism. If the Association accept the lowest tender they
II be accused of rate-cutting. If they don't they will be arged with wasting the members' money. On reflection, it ght be easier if they remained at 146 New Bond Street.
riers
TOBODY can say that London Transport are not trying to balance the books. They have asked Poplar Borough illicit to pay £100,000 for a third of an acre of land in the ddle of the council's redevelopment area. Why run buses money can be made so easily out of, land?
flier Reflection I R. JOHN CONNELL, honorary secretary of the Noise Abatement Society (which is so bushed that it does not :n use capital letters on its notepaper), has answered my cation about the use to be made of the Motor Industry search Association's investigation into noise: " Haven't you ird of Parkinson's Law? "