A NOVEL FIRE-FIGHTING OUTFIT.
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We publish on this page an illustration of an interesting fire tender and mobile escape, embodying a "I hornycroft Speedy-class 4-ton chassis and fire equipment made by Messrs. Simonis and Bremner, Victoria Road,
London, N.W.10. The chassis inccrporates a six-cylindered petrol engine, developing up to 75 b.h.p., and a feature is the Thornycroft leaf-spring drawbar gear for towing a trailer pump.
The equipment comprises a 30 g.p.m, first-aid pump, fed from a 100 gallon tank. The appliance carries a 50-ft. threesection self-supporting welded-steel escape; which is said to be the first of its type in this country. The escape is earned on the tender in a novel way, which enables it to be speedily detached and brought into operation. It is hauled up a hinged ramp by a winch mounted on one of the support .brackets and, when it has to be dismounted, all that is necessary is to remove the stops and lower it on the winch brake. The body accommodates four men and the driver.
There are large boxes at the rear and at the sides for housing hose and other gear.
Hours Regulations Hard on Traders.
A defendant to a summons for permitting a driver to work for longer than the statutory period pleaded, at Newport Court, that the law in this respect affected small tradespeople most unfavourably, and that it was hoped the Minister of Transport would amend the hours regulations. The defendant was ordered to .pay 30s. costs, A Spares Purchase.
R. H. Collier and Co., Ltd., South Yardley, Birmingham, advises us that it has purchased a stock of Reo spares, formerly the property of Harris and Hassell (1931), Ltd., 26, St. Georges Road, Bristol, together with the goodwill of that company. The company hopes to transfer the stock purchased to its Birmingham headquarters by July 1 but, for the time being, ordet•s chould be sent to the address at Bristol given above.
Commercial Roadways Petition Fails.
By a reserved judgment delivered, last week, in the Chancery Division, Mr. Justice Bennett dismissed a petition by Commercial Roadways, Ltd., for the sanction of the Court to a scheme of arrangement between the company and its unsecured creditors as at March 28, 1934.
• Mr. Justice Bennett, giving judgment, said the scheme itself was of the simplest nature and, if it had not contained extraneous matters, he should have had no difficulty in sanctioning it, on proof that it had been agreed to by the necessary majority of creditors at a properly convened meeting.
Theserelated to arrangements made with three companies from which Commercial -Roadways had purchased 'motors. The unsecured creditors were
not concerned with these. Some, if not all, might not requite the sanction of the Court, but if the scheme were sanctioned with these points in it, people might be led to believe that they had the approval of the Court. He did not know enough about them to give them his sanction, and he declined to have anything to do with arrangements which he considered to be outside his jurisdiction. SHIPPING INTERESTS OPPOSE HAULIER. '
During the hearing of an application before Mr. W. Chamberlain, the NorthWestern Licensing Authority, at Liverpool, on May 16, the coastwiseshipping industry's claim was urged for the first time in that area. Mr. P. V. Fearon applied for a licence to carry within 300 miles of Liverpool and Mr. H. Mace appeared for the Coast Lines, Ltd., Liverpool.
The transport manager of the shipping company, Mr. Leslie Grindley,, placed before the Authority a list of coastwise sailings and a statement of the tonnage carried from 1931-34 between Liverpool and London. Mr. Chamberlain : " I see there was a gradual decrease from 1930-33 and now there has been an increase to slightly above the 1930 figure."
Mr. Mace remarked that the shipping company's services provided transport facilities to all the coast ports. The Authority wc.uld, he was sure, realize the importance of the claim of the sea.
Mr. Chamberlain : " I am Waiting for the first appearance of the aeroplane services."
The Authority said he would announce his decision later.
Act Excludes Towing Application.
When application was made before Sir W. E. Hart, the North-Western Deputy Licensing Authority, on behalf of a Manchester firm desiring a licence to tow disabled vehicles within a radius of 20 miles, he commented on the fact that the 1933 Act provides for towing to a place of safety and not particularly the nearest place of safety. It was submitted, on behalf of the applicants, that a lay magistrate might place the latter construction upon the section.
The Deputy Authority said that the application was excluded from his jurisdiction by the section mentioned. "If it be afterwards interpreted to be not so wide as I take it to be, you will be at liberty to come and say so."
Road-accident Returns.
The following figures are extracted from the Ministry of Transport return of persons killed or injured in road accidents during the week ended May 11, 1935, the figures in parentheses being those for the corresponding week in 1934. The number of persons who died as a result of accidents during previous weeks is included in the total. In England 116 (112) persons were killed and 4,332 (4,056) injured, whilst in Scotland 9 (9) were killed and 435 (332) injured. The figures for Wales show that 7 (7) persons were killed and 199 (177) injured.