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A CCORDING to those concerned with such things, the
Italian fashions have such short lives that, in airfreight circles, the commodities involved have the ranking of "perishables." If a woman wants a hat for a Thursday occasion, it will be out of fashion if it is despatched before or after Tuesday.
One traffic court witness, plagued with such agonies, said that the traffic dare not be sent by sea because of the dock delays. "Then what about by rail? suggested railway counsel hopefully.
"It would arrive so late that it would start a new fashion after manufacture had ceased," was the answer.
Fashion Killer?
THERE is an encouraging note in all this. It points to a 1 new way of usefulness for the railways. Enemies of the Italian style might well seek that all such imports must be sent by rail, so that they arrive permanently out of fashion. The English fashion trade may already have thought of it.
But has Dr. Beeching? It is recommended for his new handbook on railway selling techniques, for which a title such as "Unexpected Virtues in Unintended Vice" might be apposite.
Melancholy Empire
THAT melancholy empire builder, the Transport Bill, has its lighter side. The Holding Company consisting of the B.T.C.'s best profit-makers is likely to be christened the "fruit machine" or even, perhaps, the " Marples moneyspinner."
A26 The Minister picks the combination of rich fruits, dictates that the directors "shall act in accordance with such directions" as he shall give . . and annually, with his old Treasury/ Exchequer boater, waits for the jackpot to fall.
If it wasn't that we know it was a Conservative Government that devised the idea, one would have sworn that it was just another of those Socialist schemes.
Marking Time
"THE basic method of putting 'general cargo into a ship, or taking it out, has varied very little for centuries."— Viscount Simon, chairman of the Port of London Authority. That goes for the access roads to most docks, too!
Fog-bound Fog-bound
DENSE fog nearly marred the second annual dinner of the South Derbyshire and Burton-on-Trent sub-area of the R.H.A. It prevented the principal guests, Mr. J. J. Hanson, the Clerk to the East Midland Licensing Authority, and the R.H.A. area secretary, Mr. W. Morton, from attending. The sub-area chairman, Mr. I. L. Osborne, was left the unenviable task of finding a replacement to make an " off-the-cuff " speech. The prospective Conservative candidate for Loughborough admirably filled the gap, and my colleague Norman Tilsley " volunteered " a vote of thanks on behalf of the visitors.
The toastmaster made a delightful howler. Instead of announcing a toast to the Road Haulage Association he said: "To the Royal Air Force Association "I Prize-winning statement of the evening: "I understand that British Railways are carrying more passengers than the National Coal Board."