WHEELS of INDUSTRY
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PROGRESS IN PARLIAMENTARY REPRESENTATION.
Great progress has been made in bringing the views of the haulage industry before members of Parliament, said Major Eric Long, T.D., J.P., at a well-attended meeting of the Northern Sub-area of the Metropolitan Division of the Road Haulage Association, on Monday last. He also outlined plans for circularizing M.P.s with a view to gaining their support for the industry, and he stressed the importance of putting before all Parliamentary candidates a questionnaire such as had beers done at a recent by-election.
Mr. Tom Howard, M.P., was unable to attend the meeting, but his agent, Mr. Williams, was present, and in a short speech impressed upon members the power of the vote.
The suggestion that a propaganda committee should be set up in all areas was put forward by Mr. J. F. E.
Pye. Such a committee had been operating in the Metropolitan Area for about six weeks, he said, and its success had already been remarkable. The fact that the R.H.A. was now booking larger halls for its meetings was encouraging, and he looked forward to the time when the Albert Hall could be filled by hauliers in the Vetropolitan Area prepared to support the Association.
New Merryweatfter Turntable Escape.
Merryweather and Sons, Ltd., Greenwich Road, London, S.E.10, has just completed the construction of a 70-ft. British-built turntable fire escape.• with an all-steel ladder, which is to be supplied to the Fire Brigade of Wimbledon.
This is claimed to be the first motor turntable ladder to be constructed with a length of less than about 85 ft., and it is an exceptionally light machine embodying a number of special features. It was demonstrated yesterday at the Greenwich works of the company in the presence of a number of chief officers of important fire brigades.
Guy Capital Reduction Confirmed.
In the Chancery Division, on Monday, Mr. Justice Bennett confirmed a reduction of the capital of Guy Motors, Ltd., Wolverhampton, from £750,000 to £331,541 17s, by writing off capital lost or unrepresented by available assets.
Mr. H. Christie, for the company, stated that the loss of £418,458 3s. was proved. The reduction would be effected by writing 15s. per share off the issued £1 preference shares and 9s, per shaee off the issued 10s. ordinary shares. This drastic reduction had been unanimously approved by the shareholders, and there was no opposition. The .company had suffered a series of trading ldiseS since the year
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1930, mainly due to legislative interference, and had been involved in litigation resulting in a loss of £103,000 in connection with an. order from the High Commissioner for India..
On the other hand, Lloyds Bank bad acted handsomely in remit ting•£55,000 of a debt of £215,000, and £50000 had been subscribed for further working capital.
A Main Road Level Crossing To Go.
The level crossing at Water Eaton, on the Oxford-Banbury-Coventry road, is closed, on an average, 40 times a day, but, under a scheme recently submitted by the Oxford County Council, which has been approved by the Minister of Transport, a new bridge, which will remove this source of danger and delay, is to be constructed. It is estimated to cost £24,000, of which three-quarters will be borne by the Road Fund. Traffic along this road has grown by 40 per cent. since August, 1931, and now amounts to 8,000 tons daily.
A New Range of Mobiloils.
During the past two years the Vacuum Oil Co., Ltd., has been engaged in developing what is claimed to be an entirely new and revolutionary process of refining oils. It is designed to eliminate in a positive manner certain natural impurities which have been present in the majority of oils. The new lubricants will shortly be available. The Board of Trade returns for February, 1935, show that the value of commercial vehicles, cars, chassis and accessories imported was £422,244, compared with £188,656 in February, 1934, and £224,924 in February, 1933. The increase is, in the main, due to a heavy influx of cars from America and Canada. The total for the second month of the year is better than for January, when the value of imports was £328,679.
The exports of complete commercial vehicles show a fall in February last, the total of 166 comparing with 216 a year earlier, and 187 in February, 1933, their value being £47,065, £52,325 and £37,510. Although the exports of -commercial chassis declined slightly, their value was a little higher compared with
last year. This year's figure is 884 (el 32,006) , contrasted with 892 (R124,018) for 1934, and 541 (R75,086) for 1933.
Hoffmann's Higher Profit. .
The report of -the Hoffmann Manufacturing Co., Ltd., for the year 1934 shows a profit, after providing for dripreciation, maintenance, income tax, etc., of £100,794, contrasted with £89,863 a year earlier. After -adding the amount brought forward, a total of £151,322 is available. The dividend on the ordinary shares, at the rate of 10 per cent. per annum, will account for £19,375, whilst £10,000 is added to the general reserve. After deducting debenture interest and income tax at £14,850, and the 741 per cent. dividend on the cumulative preference shares (£37,500), a sum of £69,597 remains to be carried forward.
A Paper on Oilers.
At a meeting of the Institution of Automobile Engineers, to be held at the Royal Society of Arts, John Street, London, W.C.2, on April 2, Mr. H. 0. Farmer, chief designer of Petters, Ltd., will read a paper entitled "Oil Engines for Road Transport," in which the pros and cons of the oiler will be fully discussed from the point of view of design and maintenance.
Ford Exhibitions in the North.
A series of Ford motor exhibitions will take place in the north of England and in Scotland during the next week or two. An exhibition at Newcastle is now being held, whilst one at Glasgow will run from March 26-30, and another at Leeds from April 3-6. At each of these exhibitions a full range of Ford products, including commercial vehicles and tractors of numerous types, will be on view.