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News of the Week

26th February 1943
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Page 14, 26th February 1943 — News of the Week
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FACILITATING PROVISION OF PARTS IN SHORT SUPPLY

AFRESH procedure has been FRESH; between the Ministries of Supply and War Transport to facilitate the regular supply of parts in short supply, so as to provide for the routine maintenance of fleets. Operators should use this procedure consistently, so that the M. of W.T. may have a true picture of the demand and adequate menufacture be arranged.

Users of fleets numbering 20 and upwards sometimes experience difficulty in obtaining stocks of spare parts to permit rputine repair and maintenance to be regularly effected. The new procedure will enable such parts to be delivered to ;them on a regular monthly basis,

They should request the Regional Maintenance and Certifying Officer to issue on their behalf to the Ministry of Supply a " fleetoperator's spares

shortage certificate." This sets out types and quantities of parts required for routine maintenance. Operators with less than 20 vehicles will continue to ask for the issue on their behalf of the ordinary "spares shortage certificate," as also will those who require certain parts for a particular vehicle.

• LAST-MINUTE DEFERMENT • APPEALS

A TTENTION was drawn, in a recent article by "Tantalus," to the notice of rejection of an application for deferment (N3.207), when' it was stated that an appeal could be lodged within six days. Whilst it is true to say that the form does not actually use the word "appeal," it does, however, state that " there will be at least six days' notice before an enlistment notice is served."

In practice this means that an employer can make representations to the District Man Power Board against the decision, which, in effect, constitutes an appeal. This should always take the • form of a letter, and reference, where possible, should be made to the Government Department concerned in the employee's occupation, CUTS IN FILM TRANSPORT TO SAVE FUEL AND MAN POWER "CILIA carriers, after holding a meeting

with representatives of the filmrenting concerns in the Liverpool area, laave reorganized the film collection and delivery 'services in the North Wales and adjoining areas to save man power and the wear and tear on vehicles..

North Wales cinema proprietors have been notified by their Association as follows: —" In many areas a new transporter will be handling your films and we have no option other than to co-operate with the Ministry of War Transport and so save fuel. You are requested to afford the new, transporter every assistance in your power. In future there will be only two collections and deliveries per week," , All theatres between Liverpool and Llandudno will be serviced by one carrier, who will also carry films to be distributed from Bangor to other . carriers operating in Anglesey and Mid Wales, Another carrier will work the Wrexham and Corwen areas; a third from Wrexham and Ruabon to Welshpool; a fourth' the Crewe, Market Dray-ton and Whitchurch route; and a fifth , Widnes, Warrington. Froclsham and Lymm. .

PERSONAL PARS

LORD PERRY, K .B „ LL.D. , was in great form when he took the chair last Monday at a small meeting of akociation officials and the Press. -He had pluckily left a sick bed to attend, and confessed that he would return to it immediately, Mn'. P. J. E. DALMAII0Y, who is wellknown as one of Mr. C. A. Birtchnell'S assistants in the Road Transport Division of the M. of W,T.,. has, as a result of the increased scope of his duties, been promoted to the position of an assistant secretary.

MR. 0. C. POWER hasheen appointed a director of the Birmingham and Midland Motor Omnibus Co., Ltd. He has been connected with the business sine 1899, and was appointed traffic manager in 1902, which position he still retains.

MR. W. WALLACE, a popular personality in the industry and a director of Dodge Bros. (Britain), Ltd.; is, we are glad tot/learn, making satisfactory progress after his recent operation. When we saw him a few days ago, he looked well on the way to recovery after a protracfbd period of ill-health.

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ALM BRADLEY, chairmSn of 'Bolton Transport Committee, hasp been appointed chairman of the Joint Industrial founcil for the Road Passenger Industry, being nominated to the position by the employees. He has been a member of Bolton Town Council for seven years and is vice-president of the Municipal Transport Association, of which he will, we learn, be 'elected presiflent at the annual Conference in July next.

MR, WILLIAM GOOD, B.A.., A.C.A., managing' director of Brush Coachwork, Ltd., has been aPpointethto the Board of the Brush Elpctrical Engineer'. • ing Co., Ltd., of which the•former coin. pany is a subsidiary. Prior to becoming managing director of Brush Coachwork, Ltd„ in January, 1942, Mr. Good was general manager of the Projectile Division, Wyndham Hewitt, Ltd., which,' in peace-time, is the manufacturer of a well-known car.

HINT OF OTHER MEASURES"

ON NEW SCHEME'S TERMS W/E understand that the Government VY ha notified the Standing Joint Committee that to-morrow (February 27) is the time limit for voluntary acceptance of the financial terms it has offered' in respect of controlled under'takings under the new' road haulage scheme. The notification is said to indicate' that. the Ministry of War Transport is not prepared to enter into any further discussions on the terms, and that failing voluntary acceptance within the time limit other measures will be taken by the Government

A meeting between the S.J.C. and representatives of concerns invited to become controlled undertakings has been called for to-day ' (February 26), to consider the position in the light of events since the S.J.C. rejected the Government's offer, both in respect of controlled undertakings and hired vehicles.'

HAULIERS SAY RAIL TRANSPORT WILL WASTE FOOD

HIAULIERS, market gardeners, pro. duce merchants, farmers and smallholders rnet at Spalding, last week, to discuss the present regulations forbidding the transport of all produce by road to any point beyond 35 miles from their base.

The 'following resolution was adopted " That the Ministry of War Transport be asked to give very serious consideration to the application coming from this meeting that permission be given for the transport by road of perishable goods from Lincolnshire to• anywhere within the counties of Nottingham, Derby; Rutland and' Leicester. thelocal haulage contractors are prepared to accept all traffic that cannot be loaded in time to catch trains,for the more distant markets. It is, the unanimous opinion of this meeting that the 35-Miles radius limit will mean that great quantities of food will be wasted, due to deterioration in long rail transit, there being ample evidence available to support this assertion,"

SMALL HAULIER NOT TO BE SQUEEZED OUT

A N undertaking was sought in the Pit-louse of Commons, last week, by Mr. Hannah, that small contractors, who could not be given sedefinite place in the Road Haulage Scheme, would be bought out and " not simply squeezed out."

Mr. Noel-Baker replied that Lord Leathers had invited a number of hauliers to make their businesses controlled undertakings in the readhaulage organization he was setting up. Other hauliers, who were not so invited, would be given the oPportunity of hiring their vehicles to the Ministry, provided that the vehicles were in reasonably good condition, and that during the 12 • months before the announcement of the scheme they had been continuously engaged in carrying,

• wholly or mainly, the classes of traffic -which the Minister proposed to control. Mr. Hannah,the Parliamentary Secretary concluded, would see, therefore, that the small contractor, if he wished, could have adefinite place in the new organization,

ANOTHER ASSOCIATION CON. DEMNS HUSH-HUSH POLICY

RESOLIITION expressing alarm concerningcerning the ' Government's new haulage scheme was adopted at a recent meeting of the Heavy Woollen District Transport Association, in Dewsbury. It suggested that the Ministry of War Transport should have taken the industry more into its confidence "instead of adopting the .bushhush policy that has existed." Whilst recognizing the need for the utmost economy in the use of fuel and rubber, it voiced the opinion that the situation could have been dealt with quite satisfactorily by the Regional Transport Commissioners in their respective areas.

TRUNK-ROAD VEHICLE PARKS: MINISTRY'S PROMISE

DEPRESENTATIONS were recently. I \made by Warwickshire County Council to the Ministry of War Transport that arrangements should be made whereby highways auihorities should be empowered to provide parking places on trunk roads for transport vehitles, upon a grant-earning basis. The Ministry has replied that the Slagestion will be borne in mind on the next appropriate occasion when the question of highways legislation is under consideration,

This subject has been considered by the County Councils Association which referred the general question of the provision of 'roadside patking places to the County Surveyors Society, but, at

the same time, expressed recognition of the desirability of adequate parking facilities for road trauisport vehicles, It made it clear, however, that it was unaware of any good reason why such facilities, when required in connection

with roadside cafés, should be provided • at the expense of the rates, instead of by the private individuals who would, presumably, benefit thereby.

R.T.O. TALKS TO A.R.O. MEMBERS ON.RUBBER POSITION XV/LIEN some 160 members of the VV Bristol and District Sub-Area of A.R.O. met recently, with Mr. A. F. Wills in the chair, Mr. C.A. Stride, Regional Tyre Officer, Ministry of Supply, gave a talk on the tyre situation. s He stressed the importance of conserving the use of rubber, and, in particular, the necessity of avoiding maltreatment, as well as the adoption of 'the strictest maintenance measures.

The annual general meetisig of the Bristol and District Sub-area is to be held at the Crown and Dove Hotel, Bridewell, Bristol, on Wednesday. March 3, at T p.m., when the sew committee for the-forthcoming year will be elected.

_ FUTURE MEETINGS OF H.M.P. it'AEETINGS of • Hauliers' Mutual fYI Federation have been arranged as follow : Wednesday, March 8, at the Plough Hotel, Westgate, Huddersfield,' at 7 p.m.; Thursday, March 9, at 'Onward Hall, Deansgate, Manchester, at. 2.30 p.m.

HAULIERS PERTURBED BY • R.T.C.'s COTTON RATES TN Lancashire haulage circles, the I direction of the Regional Transport Commissioner in fixing the road haulage rates for cotton from Liverpool to Oldham, Royton and Bury at us. 3d. per ton, and from Manchester Docks to' the same towns at Ss. 10d. per ton, has caused some perturbation. • Liverpool Cart and Motor Owners' Association is responsible for this comment :--'" The possibly mischievous effect this direction may have upon the 'rates in force for other traffics between Liverpool and South-east Lancashire towns is receiving consideration by the Road and Rail Regional Committee and the Area Standing Joint Committee."

25 PER CENT. DROP IN W.D.VEHICLE ACCIDENTS D EPLYING to questions by Mr. l‘Hewlett, addressed to the Secretary of State for War, and concerning the alleged increasing loss of life among members of the Army through road accidents, Sir James Grigg explained, in Parliament last week, that there a were no figures available Of fatal road accidents to members of the Army, except' where a War Department vehicle was involved.. Those showed that in the latter half of 1942 there had been less thaft.three-quarters of the fatal accidents that had occurred in the corresponding period of '1941. In accordance with King's Regulations, a court of inquiry was invariably held. .

UNLOADING HELP FORHAULIERS

• AT LIVERPOOL DOCKS I N certain circumstances, special Con sideta.tion is promised to longdistance road vehicles at Liverpool docks. The position is covered by the following instruction lately issited by the Liverpool Port Emergency Conimittee:–L '

" Without altering the existing custom for the Poi-t, under which. the unloading and shedding of eeport traffic received by road vehicles is the responsibility of the haulier, the ship-. owner or agent is at liberty, in respect of 'requisitioned ocean vessels (other than sea transports) to provide labour and appliances, if available, to assist the carman in unloading and shedding, Whenever it is considered this will expedite loading -or improve working arrangements.

" It is desired that the shipowner will give special consideration to longdistance traffic, the hauliers of which are sometimes unable to provide off, loaders or appliances.

" Arty existing system for the recovery of charges from shipper ,oro hauliers, when the above services are performed by the shipowner or. agent, will continuo in force. In other cases the charges will be recovered by the sliiPOWner or agent from the Ministry of War' Transport."

B.R.F. GIVES ITS BACKING TO THE S.J.C. _

THE British Road Federation is inviting M.P.s .to support it in an appeal to the Minister of War Transport for reconsideration of the Ministry's Scheme for the control of long-distance traffic; and has passed a resolution in which emphasis is laid on the fact that the scheme, which hauliers are now asked to accept, may seriously impair -the effiriency of the road-haulage

industry. •

• THOUSANDS 6F TONS OF PAPER NEEDED rTHERE is an urgent demand for

I 100,000 tons of paper to meet the immediate requirements of war factories, to supply packaging for food, medical supplies, etc., and for other essential purposes. Every business and manufacturing concern should appoint a member of its staff as salvage officer, who sheuld be backed by the management, and should explore every possible avenee of paper salvage.

1942 REVENUE OF L.P.T.B. NEARLY 15,000,000 VOR 1942, London Passenger Trans' port Board announces that its net revenue, after giving effect to the estimated operation of the finanCial arrangements provided for in the Railway Control Agreernent, and including a profit on the realization of investments and the balance of the London 'Transport " C "Stock Interest Fund, amounted to £4,882,917. The payment of interest upon the prior charge, London Transport s.tocks,. •, requires £4,080,447, leaving, for the service of " C" stock, a balance of £802,470.

. The Board now a_nriounces a final • paynient on the " C " stock of 1.1 per cent., less income tax, making 3 per cent. for the year, coinpared with 2i per cent. for the previous "year. The sum of £31,506 remaining after the payment of this interest has been transferred to the London Transport. " C" Stock Interest Fund.

WEYMANN EMPLOYEES SET GOOD EXAMPLE NAANY works have put up excellent 1VIperformances in connettion with contributions towards their Spitfire Fund, and an outstanding instance is that which was recently accomplished by the ' Weymann Company's employees, who contributed the £5,000 odd necessary in 11 Weeks. Reference was made on the radio to the fact, which borders on a record and is especially creditable, bearingin mind the comparatively small V number of participants. Actually, well over £5,000 was contributed by the Weymann staff, and it worked out at something' approximating les. per week per. participant.

TECHNICAL COLLEGE. DOES ' GOOD TRAINING WORK

THE 40 apprentice-mechanics who are taking the recently started technical course in motor engineering at Bradford Technical–College attend partly in their employers' time and partly in their' own time, under an arrangement made .. between the M.A.A.'s Bradford Section and the College authorities. Every week each student attends an afternoon class and =1'cl:ening class. The apprentice pays half the class fee, and his etneloyer pays the remainder. As the course extends over three years, 'and new students will be admitted each year, the classes

ultimately embrace three groups— elementary, intermediate and advanced.

It is intended to award• prizes annually to the best student in each stage. INTENSIVE 'CHILD ROAD SAFETY CAMPAIGN CCORDING to Mr. Noel-Baker, the 1-1Board Of Education, local education and police, authorities, and the Royal Society. for the Prevention of 'Accidents are working together to secure more teaching in fhe schools on the subject of road safety. Lord ). Leathers, moreover, has • helped the R.S.P.A. to extend' its activities in various ways; it is specially emphasizing the danger to children in a propaganda campaign now being conducted.

• The B.B.C. is also arranging talks:-arid "-flashes."

MR. SEW-ILL HAS DATE AT • CARDIFF .

ONMarch 2, at the. Park Hotel. Cardiff, Mr. R. W. Sewill, national director of A.R.O., will address a meeting of the Association's menibers in the South Wades area. He will be deeling with such matters as the Government's latest scheme for the control of long-distance transport, the grouping of local hauliers, and the proposed amalgamation between .existing national road-transport asso

ciations. .

DEWSBURY'S DECONTAMINATION SCHEME WELL PLANNED

AS many as 75 per cent. of the haulage drivers employed by members of the ,Heavy Woollen District Transport Association have been trained to cleanse vehicles in the event of contamination by liquid gas through enemy action. Dewsbury Corporation, which has provided this training, is, in the near future-,. to open another' similar class for drivers.

It was also announced by Mr. Jackson, hon. secretary, that the provision of decontamination stations for the cleansing of vehicles in the town had been completed by the Association in conjunction with the corporation. Invitations to participate in the scheme, at a charge of 10s. per vehicle, had been sent out to 800 vehicle owners.

WAR HAS LITTLE EFFECT ON MUNICIPAL HAULAGE .COSTS

pAST year's costs for the vehicles run by the highways department of Worcester County Council show that, despite war conditions, the figures cornpare faVourably with previous -years. In the past year, the department's fleet of 16 • vehicles—all of themLeylands with the exception of one Thornycroft vehicle—worked an aggregate of 4,377 -days, dealt with a tonnage of 65,186, and covered 297,434 miles: The cost per ion for the fleet. worked out at 60.46d., Whilst the cost per ton per mile was 5.36d.. In arriving at these figures, wages of drivers and loaders, and cost of fuel, 'stores, depreelation, eepairs,. renewals and registration are included, as '‘rell as charges in respect

of insurance. • In its report the highways clTnatnittee mentions that the position with regard to spares, particularly for the older vehicles, further deteriorated during the year, arid some of these vehicles were, as a result, held up for considerable periods. CHIEF. ROADS BEING KEPT IN GOOD REPAIR WHAT steps were being taken to YY keep road surfaces in good repair, • asked Sir Adam Maitland in the House last week? Within the limits imposed by the shortage of labour and materials.

• replied Mr. Noel-Baker, the Government had been able to mare and maintain arrangements under which the important roads in the country were being kept in a reasonably good state.

PLYMOUTH TO BUY 12 AMBULANCES

LN order to bring Plymouth's fleet of ambulances for civil-defence purposes up to the standard required, the emergency committee of the city council has resolved upon the purchase of 12 new -vehicles, at about £250 each, to replace those machines that have become unsuitable.

DEATH OF MR. C. R. F. ENGELBACH IT is with deep regret that we 'announce the death of Mr. C. R. F. Engelbach, 0.B.E., which took place on Friday of last aveek. He joined the Austin Motor Co., Ltd., in 1922; and, although he retired from the position of works director in 1938. he remained a director of the company up till the time of his death He undertook a good deal of the reorganization of the works after the 1914-18 war. MINISTRY "HOLDS ALL THE CARDS" SAYS ASSOCIATION

LOCAL cartage rates 'for classes of traffic controlled by the Ministry of War Transport are engaging the attention of the Liverpool Cart and Motor Owners' Association. It has invited its members to give full information in respect of goods not quoted in the Ministry's schedule and for which it is thought a rate should be fixed. Members have been advised in these terms :—" It must be appreciated that, as providers of the traffic, the Ministry ' holds all the cards.' Members must help the Association to combat any uneconomic rates which the Ministry may be inclined to fix."


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