NEWS of the WEEK
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COMPENSATION FOR WAR. DAMAGED VEHICLES I N conjunction with Mr. Norman Letts, the A.R.Q. solicitor, Mr. S. II. Jardine, secretary of the Metropolitan Area, has been active in seeking to discover the steps to be taken by operators whose •vehicles have suffered damage due to enemy aetiori. As a result, we are now able. to advise hauliers of the procedure to .follow in all such cases. The information is extracted from a letter received by Mr. Letts from the Ministry of Transport.
It transpires that there are, at present, no arrangements for the payment of immediate compensation, although, as was recently announced by the Prime Minister, the possibility of introducing an insurance scheme against air-raid damage is to be re-examined. In the meantime, claims must be lodged with the District Valuer within 30 days of the occurrence of the loss or damage. The appropriate form of claim is Form V.O.W.1. and copies may be obtained from the District Valuer's office. Under present arrangements, no compensation will be paid until after the war.
There are also arrangements for granting loans in exceptional cases, under the Essential Building and Plant (Repair of War Damage) Act, 1939. Forms of application may be obtained from the regional offices of the Ministry of Health and applications must be sent to the Board of Trade. We are advised that damage to vehicles might come within the scope of these arrangements, bi `, since the conditions are stringent, and include a provision that repair or replacement must be essential, owing to the laCk of other plant available for the purpose in question, cases will have tot-be good to succeed.
With regard to the use of vehicles .owned by another operator, one of the main purposes of regional organizations is to enable operators to pool their resources, and so, besides aehievinor economies, help each other out of difficulties. Any' operator who is in difficulty should go to his Group Organizer. arm. if possible, arrangements will be made within the group to assist him. If -however, this cannot be done; he should approach the Sub-district Manager or the District Transport Officer. Mr. Jardine is asking all those members who have suffered such damage to communicate with him immediately. He points out that with first-hand information he will be in a better posi..tion to support claims.
Help for Hauliers on Income-tax Problems
THE auditors for the Metropolitan Area of Associated Road Operators have promised assistance in giving advice. free of cost, to members in the Area, who may be in trouble regarding such matters as taxation (including E.P.T., N.D.C., and Income Tax), or accounts generally. Any member so situated should communicate with .Mr. S. H. Jardine, secretary to the Area.
Hauliers Reject Sugar-beet Rates Proposal I T was reported to a meeting of the Lincoln branch of the National Farmers' Union, regarding the question of sugar-beet haulage rates, that a deputation from Lincolnshire, Grimsby and Scunthorpe transport associations had attended a meeting and submitted the same figures Which had been considered by headquarters, and rejected. The committee was unable to accept the figures or the conditions submitted, and offered as a compromise the Hereford Agreement, with certain modifications in rates.
The hauliers stated that they were not prepared to modify their proposals. • Unladen-weight Concession Coming
THE present need for making use of replacement parts constructed from heavier substitute materials for the repair of goods vehicles has been considered by the Road Haulage Consultative Committee. As . a result, the Minister of Transport has informed the C,M.U.A. that, subject to a consideration of any observations which may he received, the unladen weight limit of the " motorcar" class of goods vehicles should be raised to 3 tons.
Apart from the problem of the use of heavier substitute materials, the Minister holds the view that, before the war, the limit of 2 tons was having a hampering effect on design. THE PROPOSED NEW WAGES SCALES
DATED October Et, Notice of -PropOsal R.14.5 has been issued by the Road Haulage Central Wages Board, in which it is intimated that it is proposed to amend the wages of road-haulage workers as set out in R.H.4, dated April 27, 1940. Any objections to these proposals must be lodged within 21 days of the date of the nOtice. The proposed increases are as follow:—
It is proposed that the increases in the hourly rates shall apply to a daily worker, and that the minimum rate of 515. per week, specified in para. 1(d) of R.H.4, shall be increased to 54s. 6d. a week.
Further notice will be given by the Board if and when the proposed minimum rates in R.H.5 are confirmed an4 made effective.
Christmas Post Office Hiring
A REANGEIVIENTS are now being
entered into with the Post Office for the hire of vehicles 'for Christmas. Area secretaries of A.R.O. are hoping to have an early opportunity of meeting Post Office officials once again to discuss hiring charges for this work. It is desirable that members should not enter into any contracts with the Post Office without first referring to the local secretary to learn what steps have been taken. SENTINEL AND ENNESS JOIN FORCES
A N important producer-gas development that has just taken place is
the merging of activities of EnneLi Gas Producers. Ltd., with those of the Sentinel Waggon Works (1936), Ltd. A new company has been formed under the title Enness-Sentinel Ltd. Joint managing directors are Mr. A. G. T. Cole and Mr. J. W. Noel Jordan, whilst Mr. C. S. Gardner, A.M.I.Mech.E., is technical director.
In future, the equipment manufactured by this concern will be marketed under the name Enness-Sentinel, and it incorporates features protected by 10 patents.
Both the Enness and the Sentinel Companies have much experience of producer-gas plant, from the manufacturing and marketing angles, and the fusion of interests should prove advantageous to the movement and should be reflected in the service afforded the users of the products of the new company.
Manufacturing arrangements are now completed, a production programme is fixed and a distribution service organization extending throughout the country is established, New Lighting Order Now in Force QO as to co-ordinate more closely the requirements of security with the necessity of the continuance of essential transport during air raids at night. Mr. Herbert Morrison, Minister of Home Security, has made an Order for the further dimming of the side, rear and stop lights of motor vehicles, whilst allowing the use of the masked head lamp on moving vehicles after the " Alert" is sounded. It came into force on Wednesday last (October 23).
The aperture from which light is emitted from side, rear and stop lights must be reduced to the size of a halfpenny and be dimmed so that, whilst the light is clearly visible at a distance of 30 yds., it is invisible 300 yds. away.
Mobile Canteen to Help London's Homeless
SIX months ago, the Electrical Association for Women, 20, Regent Street, London, S.W.I, inaugurated a mobile Welfare canteen service to operate among isolated units of the troops, bringing to them some of the amenities left behind in civil life. Working in conjunction with the War Office and the Y.M.C.A., the canteens meet a present need, and to-day the fleet numbers 11 vehicles.
During the past weeks the needs of the civilian population of London have become pressing, and at the request of the Minister of Food, Lord Woolton, this women's organization is lending to the London County Council an electrically propelled canteen which win help in the feeding of London's homeless at the rest centres.
Designed by Mrs. William Paterson (hon. organizer, E.A.W. mobile welfare canteen service) to combine that which is pleasing to the eye and practical in performance, it incorporates the original feature of a three-sided serving counter with accommodation for five or
six people serving. By this means 1,000 people can be supplied with light refreshments, such as hot soups, .tea, baked potatoes, etc. A canopy can be pulled out in front to give shelter to an extra serving hatch, A novel feature is provided by the cretonne-covered dust-proof doors of the food compartments. Every inch of space has been used to carry some useful article.
The chassis was presented by Metro-. politan Vickers Electrical Co., Ltd., the charging equipment by the Westinghouse Brake and Signal Co., Ltd., and the battery by the D.P. Battery CO., Ltd,
" General " Filter Distribution
I T is announced by Wellworthy Piston Rings, Ltd., that owing to pressure of national work, it is terminating, as from October 31, the arrangement by which the company acted as sole distributor for the General fitter. All inquiries in connection with this device should, in future, be seirt to British Filters, Ltd., Aircraft House, Market Harborough.
Menai Bridge Tolls To Go
THE Ministry of Transport announces that tolls for the use of the Menai
Suspension Bridge, connecting Anglesey with the mainland, will be abolished as from January 1 next. Charges have been progressively rediiced in recent years and the present scale ranges from 3d. a day for motorcycles and agricultural tractors to Is. 3d. for buses and coaches. There are also, at present, charges for horsedrawn vehicles, PLEA FOR MOBILE-SHOPS TO REPLACE DAMAGED PREMISES
INorder to minimize disturbance to food-distribution arrangements. the Liverpool Meat Traders Association has decided to suggest to the local food. control authority that it should provide mobile vans temporarily to take the place of shops damaged, or put out of use, by enemy action in remote suburban housing and shopping estates. It is suggested that the vans should take up their stations outside the damaged shop until such time as the premises have been restored or alternative accommodation can be arranged.,
Free Lifts and the Insurance Problem
SoTlate, have of motor vehicles, who, e, have been in the habit of. offering lifts to pedestrians awaiting public-transport services, have been somewhat troubled by the problem of insurance. So far as cars are concerned, most owners are fully covered, but in the case of commercial vehicles the position is rather different, as passenger cover is generally excluded. In these instances it is suggested that vehicles which are giving lifts should carry the following notice:—." Free lifts at your own risk."
The Ministry of Transport emphasizes that the notice should not be put on the windscreen. In the case of commercial vehicles, it is recommended that it should be placed on the front near side.
Accept Your Copy—Even If It Be Late
THE of this journal are
all they can to ensure that
doing The Commercit4 Motor reaches you -regularly every Friday, but occasionally there may be a delay owing to the dislocation of transport caused by air raids. If, therefore, the journal should arrive after the normal day of sale, please help your newsagent by accepting your copy as usual.
Under the Government's Paper Control Order he is unable to return unsold copies, and if you refuse to accept your own copy he will have to pay for it himself. Your newsagent is working under very trying conditions and your co-operation in this matter will be greatly appreciated by him and by ourselves.
U.S. Military Road Requirements To Receive Priority I N order to bring past surveys up to date, the United States War Department has recently undertaken a new study of highway needs, particularly in view of the heavy transport they might have to bear. Meanwhile provisions of the recently enacted Federal Aid Bill ensure that improvements required for defence purposes will have priority over other highway schemes during forthcoming years.
In 1921, the VVar Department made an intensive study of roads of strategic value, and those selected were brought into the Federal Aid system, financed jointly by the Federal Government and by State funds collected from motor
vehicle owners. Another study was made in -1935 and, altogether, some 227,000 miles of trunk roads have been receiving special attention. These, it is felt, should now be largely adequate to serve all military requirements. PERSONAL PARS MR. DENIS O'NEILL has been appointed principal private secretary to the Rt. Hon. J. T. C. Moore-Brabazon, M.G., M.P., Minister of Transport.
MR. R. R. GOODISON has been appointed private secretary to Mr. Frederick Montague, M.P., Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport.
MR. P. R. BLAKE has been appointed a director of the Devon General Omnibus and Touring Co., Ltd., Rhondda Transport Co., Ltd,, and the Western Welsh Omnibus Co., Ltd.
MR. T. P. EASTON. manager of Newcastle-on-Tyne transport and electricity undertaking, is' to retire next March. He wasoriginally due to retire last March, but his period of service was extended for another year.
DR. M. BARASH and MR. C. J. GREENFIELD have been appointed by the Mines Department as full-time technical advisers to the Advisory Committee on Benzole Recovery. They are already at work advising gas engineers andthe managers of coke ovens a's to the best methods to be adopted for improving yields of crude benzoic at plants already in existence, and in examining the possibilities of installing plants on works not already recovering.. The appointment of these technicians should be of great assistance in obtaining an increase in the production of benzoic, accompanied by a wider • geographical distribution. Managers rf
undertakings wishing to consultthese -.technical officers on any question
regarding benzble recovery, should get • into touch with Mr. J. A. Beckett, secretary, . Advisory Committee on Benzole Recovery, Mines Department, Dean Stanley Street, London, S.W.1.
M. H. SENIOR, of Sheffield, a representative of the Yorkshire Federation of Coal Merchants' Associations, has been elected chairman of the reconstituted Yorkshire Area Board for the administration of the Road Haulage Wages Act.
The employers' side has elected MR. A. H. BurrEinvicx, of Butterwick Transport, Ltd., Leeds, to be chairman of the employers' panel. MR. J. E. RAYSON, of Northern Motor Utilities, Ltd., York, is the panel's representative on the Central Road Haulage Wages Board, and his deputy is MR. ROBERT HANSON, of Joseph Hanson and Sons, Ltd., of Huddersfield. The secretary of the panel is MR. G. H. BROOK, secretary of the North-eastern Division of the C.M.U.A.
The workers' side has elected MR. A. J. HEAL, of the Transport and General Workers' Union, to be chairman of the workers' panel. MR. J. BOWMAN, of the same Union, is secretary of this panel and its representative on the Central Board, MR. HEAL being his deputy in the latter capacity.