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NEWS of the WEEK

25th December 1936
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Page 20, 25th December 1936 — NEWS of the WEEK
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

" The wheels of wealth will be slowed by all difficulties of transport, at whatever points arising, as a carriage is by the roughness of the roads over which it runs."—John Beattie Crozier.

NATIONALIZATION OF TRANSPORT PREDICTED.

That the transport industry as a whole must eventually become a national industry, was the submission of Mr. Ernest Bevin, general secretary of the Transport and General Workers Union, when he spoke at the annual dinner of the Bristol branch of the Union, last week.

The Labour scheme of nationalization for the industry was ready; he said, to be put into operation so soon as the

opportunity arose. If the transport industry he not nationalized before the next general election, it will be nationalized immediately after, predicted Mr. Bevin. He argued that what had been done for London's passenger services in the formation of the London Transport Board could also be carried out nationally.

On the subject of wages, he declared that the reason for the employers' assertion that better wages cannot be paid was that they are unable to trust each other. It was wrong, he said, to " play off" railwaymen against roadtransport employees.

Tractors Displace Horses for Lifeboat Launching.

An, interesting article in the December number of "The Life-Boat," the journal of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, bids farewell to the horses, which, for a century, have helped to launch the lifeboats at different stations around the coast. Although the last team has only just been withdrawn from service, horses have been very little used for many years, and at station after station they have been replaced by chain-track tractors.

As a matter of fact, 16 years ago it was clear that the "horse age" for this service was coming to an end. There were then 25 stations still using horses for launching, but the need for finding an alternative was already urgent, as fewer horses were available. They were, for the most part, hired from farmers, some of whom were replacing them by tractors, whilst others were reluctant to hire them to lifeboat stations for fear of injury, whilst hiring costs were becoming prohibitive.

Farm horses were replaced by tractors, adapted to make them watertight in shallow water. It was with machines a this type that the Institution made

814 its -first experiments in mechanical launching in 1920. The change has certainly added to the efficiency of the service-. In all, the Institution has 13 chain-track tractors in service.

Birmingham's Latest Fire Tender.

Quick acceleration, ease of handling in traffic or in confined spaces, and its suitability for carrying heavy escape equipment are some of the features of the latest fire tender supplied by Leyland Motors, Ltd., to Birmingham Fire Brigade. So far, the Birmingham Brigade is the only one in the country to use fire-fighters with hydraulic transmission, although the Edinburgh authorities will shortly place in service a Leyland equipped in this way.

Designed to carry a 50-ft. wheeled escape and a 35-1t. ladder, the new machine is also equipped with a 60gallon first-aid tank and 3,000 ft. of hose; breathing apparatus also figures amongst the equipment. The tender accommodates a crew of five on a transverse seat protected by its own windscreen.

Including this machine, Birmingham Brigade now has four tenders equipped with the Leyland torque converter, all of them being of the forward-control pattern. NEED FOR ORGANIZING TRACTOR OWNERS.

The Tractor Users Association will avail itself of the opportunity afforded by the Oxford Conference on Mechanized Farming, to hold its annual meeting at the St. Giles Parish Rooth, Woodstock Road, Oxford, at 2.30 p.m. on January 6. After formal business, Mr. D. N. McHardy, the chairman, will open a discussion on "Some Problems of Tractor Ownership," which will also deal with the need for the organization of tractor owners. Cards of admission can be obtained from the secretary of the Association, 66, Victoria Street, London, S.W.1.

Rail Objections Not a "Formality."

When John Morton and Son, Ltd., applied, last week, to the West Midland Licensing Authority for the renewal of an A licence in respect of 66 vehicles (202 tons) and 17 trailers (311 tons), Mr. B. de H, Pereira, for the L.M.S. and G.W. Railway companies, complained that the railways' objection was being treated as a formality.

Mr. Pereira submitted that, if it were proved that suitable facilities were offered by the railways, the existence of wasteful competition was also proved and, therefore, the road vehicles should be removed.

The Licensing Authority, although adjourning the application at the request of the railways, remarked that a prima facie case appeared to have been made out by the Applicant. He held that certain aspects of the railways' objection would involve an examination in detail, not only of every kind of traffic carried, but also of the facilities of the consignor and the consignee.

71 MAKES AT BRUSSELS SHOW.

The 28th Salon de Bruxelles opens on January 9 with an exceptionally large number of exhibitors. Since the organizers decided to make this event a biennial one, the Salon appears to have regained its old popularity.

Seventy-one makes of vehicle are to be staged and the Show will include an important commercial section. It will, as usual, be a thoroughly internaticnal event, with the United States and Germany well in front. In addition, Belgium, France, Great Britain. Italy, and Czechoslovakia will also be represented. America will have 29 stands, Germany 13, Belgium 11, France 9 and England 7.

The Show is to be open from Saturday, January 9, until Wednesday, January 20, inclusive. Several novelties may be expected among German commercial vehicles in the exhibition.

Chrysler Breaks a Record.

For the first time in its history, the Chrysler Corporation has produced 1.000,000 commercial vehicles and cars in a year. The millionth vehicle came off the production line a few days ago in the presence of Mr. Walter P. Chrysler, chairman of the company, and other important executives. The progress made by the concern can be gathered from the fact that this production doubles the number of units built in 1929, and exceeds the 1935 figure by nearly 200,000 commercial vehicles and cars.

Shipping Guide for Hauliers.

The following is the number of ships arriving at the London docks, wharves and jetties named, from December 25January 2 inclusive:—Docits: Ring George V. 4: Royal Albert, 4; Royal Victoria, 3; Surrey Commercial, 5; East India, 1; West India, 1; South-West India, 2; Tilbury, 9; Tilbury Stage, 1; Millwall, 3; Royal, 2; London. 2. WHARVES: Hay's, 6; Middleton's, 1; Butler's, 3; Tilbury Jetty, 2. Regent's Canal, 1.

New Dual-purpose Street-lighting Lantern.

A new lantern for street lighting, known as the Oxford, has recently been intrcduced by the General Electric Co., Ltd. It is designed for use with an Osram 500-watt or 300-watt lamp, and has a heavy-gauge copper body, which renders it particularly suitable for seaside or other districts, where corrosion may occur. The hinged vitreousenamelled steel reflector has a quickrelease spring fixing, whilst the G.E.C. patented-top connecting box is fitted with heat-resisting leads. The optical system employs a symmetric dome and bowl to give efficient light distribution.

The new lantern is designed not only to give improved road brightness with filament lamps, but to enable streetlighting authorities to change over at any time to Osira mercury-vapour lamps, only a small modification being necessary. FIRST-YEAR COST OF FIVE-YEAR ROAD PLAN.

It is estimated that during the first year of the five-year programme of road improvements, expenditure was rather retire than i'2,750,000, and that during the current financial year it would approach £1,000,000. These figures exclude' expenditure on pre-I035-1936 5cliernes continued during the years in question.

When Are Bdicence Objections Valid?

At Chester, last week, Mr. Henry Bathhouse, Jun., submitted that objectors could not be heard when an application involved merely the addition of a name to a licence. He was appear

fag before the North-Western Deputy Licensing Authority on behalf . of Messrs. R. Jones and Sons, Britannia House Northop Hall, Flint, who wished to add the name of a brick company to their B licence.

Mr. Backhouse said that the application came under Section 11(3) of the 1933 Act. Objections with regard to the conditions' of a 13 licence could be made in respect only of the districts or places from which or between which a vehicle would be used.

The brick company concerned had recently purchased a new works, and it was lipping to produce in large 'quantities in the New Year. It was suggested that operation should be restricted to this particular brick works. The objectors could not say that facilities were in excess of requirements, because the work was not yet there.

Stating that he could not grant an application of that kind on the rr.;-,re hypothesis that a concern would have work for the applicants, Sir William Hart refused the application.

In dealing with 'the introduction of the mechanical horse into Belgium by Major G. H. J. Hooghwinkel, we stated . that certain parts would be made in England by Multiwheelers (Commercial Vehicles), Ltd. They will not be made by this concern.

PROGRESSIVE POLICY IN GOODS ! TRANSPORT. !

United Automobile Services, Ltd., has embarked upon a general policy of improvement of its goods fleet, and, as part of its renewal programme, six Bedford 24-ton Vans have been introduced. It may not generally be known' that this large passenger-transport concern is also interested, as carriers, in the goods-transport industry, Actually, it operates an extensive collection and. delivery service in the North Riding ofYorkshire and in the counties of. Durham, Cumberland and Northumberland, as well as daily services between. Newcastle • and Manchester, ,via Dar lington and. Leeds: .

As will be seen from an accompanying illustration, the new type added to the fleet is Smart and, has a body with streamlined features, the effect being. enhanted by a chromium-plated. mouldMg, which sweeps from the waistline at the front to the bottom at the rear. The company's standard colours—red and creainare used for the exterior. . Each vehicle • has a capacity of 500 . cubic ft., and' the floor level is built up ' over the wheel-arch, so that a clear carrying space, is available. The, rearportion of the floor, however, is stepped. down apiproximately -10 ins, to obtain a low-loading level. Protecting Slats are fitted to the sides, and the rear is enclosed by a spring-loaded roller shutter and a steel-hinged tailboard. A front sliding door facilitates loading and unloading.

NEW YEAR GIFT FOR A.R.O. MEMBERS.

A Christmas announcement of the greatest interest to road operators has been made by A.R.O. Metropolitan Area concerning a New Year present which the area is prepared to make to all its members.

This will be in the form of a scheme of assistance regarding Road Fund taxation for the ensuing year. All details cart be obtained from Mr. S. H. Jardine, Area Secretary, 19-20. Water Lane, London, E.C.3.

Railways' Big Trailer Orders.

The London and North Eastern Railway Co. has recently placed contracts with the undermentioned concerns for the supply of motor-vehicle equipment for the company's road-cartage husiness:—Express Motor and Body Works, Ltd., for six Commer 1-ton forward-. control chassis with parcels van 'bodies; R. A. Dyson and Co., Ltd., for 30 3-ton low-loading platform trailers; Cranes (Dereham), Ltd., for 21 3-ton fixed-sided trailers and 30 3-ton lowloading platform trailers; Scammell Lorries, Ltd., for 49 mechanical-horse tractor units (39 3-tonners and 10 6-tortners), and a trailers.

Armstrong-Saurer Service Transferred.

Under an arrangement with S. A. Adolphe Saurer, of Arbon, Switzerland, the service business of ArmstrongSaurer Commercial Vehicles, Ltd., has been transferred to Sir W. G. Armstrong Whitworth and Co. (Engineers), Ltd., Scotswood Works, Newcastleupon-Tyne, and it becomes operative from January 1, 1937. The following service and repair depots will be con-. tinued :—London : Cunard Works, Chase Road. Willesden, N.W.10; Newcastle-upon-Tyne: Scotswood Works ; Belfast : 34, Alfred Street ; Manchester: At Blakes Motors, Ltd., Blackfriars Road; Glasgow: At Reliance Motor and Engineers Co., Avenuepark Street, Kelvinside North, N.W.

Vauxhall Factory Enlargements.

Over 10 acres of new floor space are to be added to the already enormous Vauxhall factory in which Bedford commercial vehicles are manufactured, Over £2,000,000 has been expended during the past three years on new buildings and plant, and the latest increase will involve a further £250,000. The new buildings will include a huge press shop and a showroom.

Goodyear's Glasgow Branch.

The Goodyear Tyre and Rubber Co. (Great Britain), Ltd., has opened new premises at 172, Bothwell Street, Glasgow, at which good stocks of all types and sizes of Goodyear tyre are held, whilst servicing is being undertaken.

Body. Salesman Required.

We would draw the attention of our readers to a small advertisement in this issue, which refers to a vacancy for a body salesman in an important firm of commercial-vehicle bodymakers. The salary and prospects are good.


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