Passing Comments
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Trumping His Ace
S Member of Parliament for Eastbourne, Sit " Charles Taylor has a special interest in the hotel industry, but he was overplaying his hand when, in the House of Commons last Friday, he said that hotel proprietors alone had to pay purchase lax on their tools of trade.
Has he not heard of the 30-per-cent. purchase tax on goods-vehicle chassis, as well as the tax on many of the supplies used by commercial-vehicle operators? There is also the little matter of fuel tax, amounting to over 200 per cent, of the wholesale cost of a raw material without which no internal-combustionengined road vehicle could turn a wheel.
So when hotel proprietors feel particularly harddone-by, they might remember that there is an industry even more heavily penalized than theirs.
Oil-engine Maker as High Sheriff?
TT is most probable that the High Sheriff of Hunting' donshire and Cambridgeshire for next year will be Mr. Frank Perkins, chairman and managing director of F. Perkins, Ltd., and a vice-president of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. This presumption. arises from the fact that his name came first amongst the three nominated for this office during the traditional ceremony at the Law Courts.
The final selection is, however, made by H.M. The Queen, who will select the Sheriff by pricking the roll with a 'steel bodkin. It is, however, customary for the first of the three nominations for each county to be chosen.
Mr. Perkins lives at Alwalton Hall, near Peterborough, the Huntingdonshire village of Alwalton being the place where Sir Henry Royce was born.
The association of Mr. Perkins with the S.M.M.T. has lasted for many years. He was a member of the Accessory and Components Section in 1936 and of the Council and Management Committee since 1944. One of his great interests is the National Youth Movement and as president of the Peterborough Council of Boys' Clubs, he recently launched a '00,000 appeal to provide more clubs in the area.
Good Summer Delays Output
A CURIOUS effect of Britain's wonderful summer (--IL was mentioned to us recently by one of the largest commercial-vehicle. manufacturers—and it was not all pleasing.
It seems that one or two makers of important units which are employed on many models from different factories arc in the habit of releasing some of their men for harvesting. Normally they are away about two weeks, but this year the season was so extended that many continued for a much longer period and, in fact, some have not returned yet and, no doubt, taken other jobs.
In the areas concerned, employment is more than full and the effects of the loss of skilled men have considerably impeded production. Consequently, vehicles are being held up until these parts become available.
One would have thought that such an excellent summer would have helped everyone but it seems that it has not.
Technical and Road Safety Education
EFERENCE to the shortage of scientists, engineers " and technicians was made by Mr. Hugh Molson, Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Transport, at the recent prize-giving of the College of Aeronautical and Automobile Engineering. It was so serious in this country, he said, that an industrial trust fund to advance scientific education had been founded by certain progressive companies because they were in such urgent need of qualified recruits. He also pointed out that much scope existed for technicians in the less-developed countries of Asia and Africa, from which, incidentally, so many of the students at the College came.
On the road safety question, Mr. Molson said that mechanical defects had caused or increased the gravity of probably one in five of road accidents, and the temporary vehicle-testing station at Slough had proved how unsatisfactory was the condition of so many of the vehicles on our roads. As those who had their vehicles tested voluntarily were likely to have been the more careful section of the community, even these results were more favourable than the complete picture is likely to be.
This experimental establishment had been closed, but had proved the need for the same facilities to be provided for a longer period. The Government wanted to find out what was the best equipment for testing, how to organize it, how many irehicles could be handled per hour and at what cost.
The reaction from the public following the opening of the free vehicle-testing station in Aerodrome Road, Hendon, had been excellent. The Government were now turning their thoughts towards a spot check. In other words, any driver could be stopped on the road and required to submit his vehicle for examination then and there, or, if more convenient to him, at some later time at an agreed place, but the shortage of qualified inspectors was a difficulty.
Tilting Fork Instead of Mast
AAANY types of truck for handling a wide variety IVA of goods are produced by Lansing-Bagnall at their works in Basingstoke.
Amongst the latest is a tilting-carriage 'fork truck. In this the mast is held rigidly whilst the fork, which is pivoted at its upper end, is pushed out at its base by small rams. Normally the whole mast tilts, but it was found that sometimes this caused judder or slight sway which might be 'a little serious at high lifts; this has been obviated in-the new type, but it might not be so suitable for all purposes.