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News of the Week

25th June 1943, Page 16
25th June 1943
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Page 16, 25th June 1943 — News of the Week
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GOVERNMENT HAULAGE SCHEME NEARING COMPLETION

CONSIDERABLE progress has been made with the . development of the Government Haulage Scheme for long-distance traffic. By the end of last week only 23 more unit centres were due to be arranged for. The total number of these units will eventually be 347, and there are 314 in operation; 10 more are to come into action shortly, and negotiations are already taking place with 20 of the remainder.

As regards hired vehicles, applications for hire-have been received from over 3,400 operators in respect of over 11,000 vehicles.

SYNTHETIC-RUBBERTYRE PROGRESS A CCORDING to . reports from rtAmmica, considerable.advancemcnt is being made in the development of synthetic-rubber tyres. Chemists, both in that country and in Germany, have been working towards the employment of 100 per cent. synthetic. It is believed that the most the German experts have been able to reach is 05 per cent., whereas, in the U.S.A., lorry tyres comprising_ 70 per cent, are already in production, and before the end of 1943 tyees containing 90 per cent. synthetic will be available.

FORMING INDUSTRIAL SALVAGE GROUPS

TlIE formation of Industrial Salvage Groups inconnection with works should interest many of our readers. It is a development promoted by the Directorate of Salvage and Recovery, M.O.S. It is the aim to appoint at each works a salvage officer, who may be either part-time or whole-time, to organize and stimulate the maximum recovery of salvage in each department. Leaflets for their guidance and, if desired, a limited number of posters will be supplied by the Ministry.

The Groups are being formed in different localities. Each will consist of the salvage officers of the works in the neighbourhood. These will elect their own honorary secretaries and arrange occasional meetings of members to exchange ideas and discuss, problems. The Directorate will be glad to assist in solving difficulties which may arise and, where necessary will undertake special research. Communication's on the matter should be sent to the Directorate of Salvage and Recovery (Industrial), Berkeley Court, Glentworth Street, London, N.W,1, or to the Department's Regional Recovery Officer for the district concerned.

SCAMMELL LORRIES TRADING

THE report 'of Seammell Lorries, Ltd., for 1942 shows a gross profit of £303,228. After proviaing for general expenses (AS7,243) and other items; a suns of £195,058 remains, and when £175,500 is deducted for ErP.T,

• and income tax, the net profit comes c-ut at £19,558. General reserve receives £12,000, which brings it up to 282,000, whilst the payment of a dividend of 7.1 per cent. (less tax) will absorb £0,048, and 'after deducting war-damage contributions the carry forward is £15,297.

M.O.W.T. HIRE RATES FOR TRAILERS VUE are. able to include this week -IT tables of the hire rates for trailers in operation or laid up. These are known as Schedule B.

With regard to rates for operators pulling loaned trailers (Schedule C), and for those whose trailers have been loaned to other operators (Schedule D), these have not been finally, settled, but will be available shortly, PRICES OF GOVERNMENT' P.S.V. PRODUCERS

THE list prices of the .Goverumeat utility producers will be.-Trailer unit (Mark VI), £118 Ws.: sohframe (Mark VII), £96. These prices are ex-works and do not include the cost of engine-conversion parts and of fitting. Although no authoritative statement has yet been, made concerning the latter, it would appear that this would be in the neighbourhood of £25 for the built-in pattern, varyiag slightly in either direction, according to the type of bodywork, whilst that for the trailer type should be about £5 less, i.e., £20 . The makers of the producers referred tb above are the Bristol Tramways and Carriage Co., Ltd., abd Wylie Harris and Co., Ltd.

ROAD TRANSPORT FOR HARVEST WORKERS

LARGE numbers of additional farm workers required for gathering in the harvest will be conveyed by road as a result of an IVI.O.W.T. Order which became effective on June 21 and will remain in force until November 30. By this, the use of goods vehicles will be permitted for their carriage without the issue of the.p.s.v. and road-service permits normally .necessary. Insurers have • agreed that the arrangements tb cover this work shall again be effective during. this harvest season in the same manntr as during the corn harvest of 1942.

Existing policies normally cover the liability of the owner and drivers towardspassengers who are being car. lied by reason of a contract of employment, provided that the vehicle is not being used to carry passengers for hire or reward.

In' view, however, of the fact that some vehicles may be employed in this way for hire or reward, whilst some of the farm workers may not be under contract of employment, hauliers should protect themselves. Insurance cover for this purpose will normally be available at the following rate:-10s. per vehicle up to two months, plus 5s. per vehicle per month thereafter.

P.S.V. PRODUCER-GAS PROGRESS

THE number of producer-gas units dispatched to p.s,v. operators up -to May 29 was_ .1,622. Before these can a.1.1 be brought into operation, the necessary adaptations to vehicles and provision for servicing have td be made. In some cases, structural alterations to buildings have had to be cared out. On May 2S, the number of units in regular operation in this sphere was 429,

MANCHESTER TYRE ECONOMY EXHIBITION

YESTERDAY a comprehensive and well-arranged. Tyre Economy Exhi= bition was opened at the premises of Ton; Garner, Ltd., 129, Deansgate, Manchester, and was attended by the Lord Mayor and Sir William Chamberlain.

' Lord Rothes said that he hoped pat by now everyone is aware of the critical position of our rubber supplies. We had to make them last as long as possible until synthetic rubber becomes available in quantity and until we have learnt how to use the latter, Moreover, we must have a large stock of natural rubber left over, as there are certain things, notably the casings of giant tyres, which, so far, no one has been able to make entirely satisfactory from the synthetic material.

Tyres consume some 70 per cent. of all the rubber we use and offer the largest field for economy. If the average of covers fit for retreading could be raised from the present level ' of just over one in three to seven in ten, the rubber saving would represent at least-4,000 tons per year. A sound carcase can be retreaded and made fit for further service by using, at the most, 50 per cent, of the rubber necessary to produce a new tyre of the same size. If each civilian user saved rubber equivalent to one tyre per vehicle per year, 10,000 tons of rubber would be saved. SHACKLE-BOLT WEAR ON G.P. TRAILERS

COMPLAINTS have -been received by the. M.O.W.T. that a number Of gas-producer trailers delivered to operator:, has spring-shackle bolts which are inadequately lubricated and excessively tightened. In consequence, there has been heavy pin and shackleplate wear. In some cases; also, .damage to the trailer frame has resulted. The suppliers have been asked to rectify the matter on future deliveries, but those operating such trailers should check the units already delivered to ensure •that the pins are properly lubricated and tightened to an extent wh'ch will allow free movement of the spring eye and shackle plates. The pin should not rotate.

A shoulder is provided on one shackle plate which should register with a flat on the hexagon head of the shackle bolt; the correct fit of these parts should also be checked. .

ADVANTAGES OF LATEX CABLE MARKERS

SCOME time ago we referred to the Latex cable-marker sleeves sold by E. Siegrist, Ltd., 39, Berners Street. London, W.1. It is claimed that these are being used in hundreds of thousands in the aircraft, automobile and electrical industries, the stock sizes being for cable ol 2-3, 3-10 and -10-25 mm. (outside diameter), the corresponding sleeves being L1/2, L2/3 and L3/4, where the first figures represent the inside diameter, and the second the wall thickness, the " 2 " representing about 0.5 mm. The smallest Latex sleeve may have a bore the diameter of a needle, and yet, by using a special tool, it can be stretched over a .cable..

Other advantages are long life, and sealing of bdth heavy cable and thin core at the same time. DAYS ARE NUMBERED OF PLYMOUTH'S LAST TRAMS •

O(-AWING to the impracticability of renewing the tramway track from Old Town Street to .Peverell, which is stated to be in an unsatisfactory condition, the tramcar service run by Plymouth Corporation on this route is to be discontinued as soon as buses are available to provide a substitute service. This will mark the end of Plymouth's tramways, which *were in process of being liquidated prior to the outbreak of war. The city to Peverell route, upon which the fciur or five remaining vehicles have been running, was found to be a. useful auxiliary transpo et. factor in emergel‘cy.

The manager Of the municipaltransport undertaking reports that licences have been received from the M.O.W.T. for the, acquisition, as replacements, of 14 double-deck buses.

'• EQUIPMENT FOR HEAT.. • TREATING LIGHT ALLOYS 'THOSE who are concerned, or I interested, in the employment of light .metals should obtain Information Bulletin No. 4, entitled " Heat-treatment of the Wrought Aluminium Alloys—Part 2, Equipment," which is now being issued by the Wrought

Light Alloys Development Association, ' Union Chambers, 63, Temple Row, Birmingham, 2. It is pal-titularly desired that the information given in this should reach executives and worM engineers responsible for the installation and maintenance of suitable plant for heat-treating these alloys. Much 'valuable information has been compressed into the 32 pages of the booklet, for which no charge is made,

DUNDEE MAKES £20,000 ON PASSENGER TRANSPORT

PASSENGERS carried on Dundee Corporation vehicles during the past year increased by 3,500,1)00 to 65,125,292. The receipts amounted to £322,137, an increase of 021,000. There was a profit of £20,000 on the passenger-transport undertaking.

SPAIN BUILDING OILERS OF BIG CAPACITY

ACCORDING to the Spanish journal " Metalurgia y Electricidad," the construction of heavy commercial vehicles has recently been commenced by the Sociedad Maquinaria de Precision para Industrias Navales, of Madrid. The vehicles are being fitted with oil engines and are being produced in 5, 6, 7 and 8-ton types.

"INCORRECT INFORMATION "; SCOTTISH HAULIER, FINED

ATAT Lanark Sheriff Court, recently; ,Wellwood Johnston imposed a fine of 215 on Neil Black, haulage contractor, Davaar, Abington, who pleaded guilty to having furnished incorrect information to the traffic 'officer in his fortnightly vehicle records for the periods August 8 to 12, 1942, and August 22 to September 4, 1942, whereby he obtained coupons for motor fuel.

SAVED PAPER MEANS PRODUCTION INCREASE

DOyou realize that if you throw away the envelope which brings your income-tax form, it means the loss of 50 wads for cartridges Do you know that over 1,000 component parts of the Lancaster bomber require paper for their production? These and many other interesting facts can be confirmed by a visit to the well-organized exhit.ii tion of war material staged by the Waste Paper Recovery Association at the Ford showroom in Regent Street. London, W.1, Other exhibits include a complete Bofors. quick-firing gun, a Lancaster rear turret, a Jahlo propeller made from wood and specially treated paper, and various other interesting devices.

GLASGOW CONFERENCE ON FUEL AND POWER ECONOMY CONOMY in the employment of fuel. and power in works, etc., will form the subject of a conference at Glasgow University, on July 8-9, arranged by the Scottish Regional Fuel Efficiency and Economy Committee of the Ministry of Fuel and Power. Applications for tickets should be made not later than to-morrow, June 26, to Mr. J. Edward, Secretary of the Committee, 425, Sanchieliall Street, Glasgow,. C.2.

"AEROPLANE RECOGNITION • TESTS " PART 7

Oo June 28, Part 7 in the series of booklets, " Aeroplane Recognition Tests," will be available from booksellers and newsagents at 6d., or direct horn the publisher, Temple Press Ltd., Bowling Green Lane, London, E.C.1, at 7d., including postage. As supplies are short, orders should be placed early.


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