TILLING AND B.A.T. INTERESTS BEING SUB-DIVIDED
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THE directors of the two parent companies have come to the conclusion that greater efficiency will be attained if the business of Tilling and British Automobile Traction, Ltd., be divided into two parts. Arrangements are well under way for the formation of two companies, one, the B.E.T. Omnibus Services, Ltd., and the other, Tilling Motor Services, Ltd. The former will be controlled by the British Electric Traction Co., Ltd., and the latter by • Thomas Tilling, Ltd., and when the scheme is completed each company will have acquired the *whole of Tilling and British Automobile Traction, Ltd. 's, holdings of ordinary shares in approximately, half of the bus concerns in that company's group, together with approximately half of the remaining assets of the company. Tilling and British Automobile Traction, Ltd., will be liquidated, and shareholders will receive for each share of £1 two. 10s. shares of the same category—one in each of the two new corn panics.
WHERE PAPER COULD BE SAVED THERE still appear to be many 1 avenues not thoroughly explored so far as the saving of paper is concerned. For example, we continue to receive many notices, some for display in buses, etc., others just items of news regarding various matters, such as collections for charities and other organizations, most of which couldbe greatly condensed and issued on smaller sizes of paper. Ordinary circulars for advertising and selling purposes are, of course, banned, but there must be thousands of official or semi-official documents which could still be cut without lessening their value in the process. We may also ask if it still be necessary for Ministers to send around' announcements that they have appointed certain people as private secretaries and assistant secretaries.
CONTROL OF " FLASHING " FROM TROLLEYBUS WIRES
D OTHERHAM Passenger Transport 1N-Department has adopted the 'idea which the Bradford municipal transport undertaking initiated about a year ago for the prevention of flashes on overhead wires .of trolleybus routes during the black-out. Green "cat's eye " studs are placed in the road in the vicinity of insulators which cause" flashing," as a warning to drivers to cut off the current when approaching these .points. The Ministry of Transport has recommended the general adoption of the idea.
• INADEQUATE BUS SERVICES IN NORTH STAFFORDSHIRE
THE Parliamentary Secretary of the Ministry of War Transport was asked by Mr. Ellis Smith in the House recently a series of questions on. p.s.v. facilities in North Staffordshire. He said that improved tranSport was an urgent necessity in -this area, and that a great.-strain had been put on the workpeople during the past winter.
Mr. Noel-Baker replied that the North Staffordshire Consultative Corn
mittee had last met on January 26, 1942. Since then a working committee of operators had been dealing with complaints and preparing a plan for co-ordinated services. Additional buses had been drafted into the area. The spare parts position had been improved, and additional staff had been provided for operation and maintenance. The result of these measures had been a substantial improvement in the services, but further efforts would be made to ensure that transport arrangements would be adequate. For this purpose Mr. Noel-Baker recommended staggering of working hours in the pottery industry.
BODYBUILDERS' BIG CHANCES AFTER THE WAR
POST-WAR prospects for vehicle builders were discussed by Mr. Frank H. Lockwood, of Lockwood and Clarkson, Ltd., the Leeds coa,chbuilding concern, in his presidential address before the National Association of Vehicle Builders, .Forecasting that after the war the needs of transport in .this country will be greater than ever before, Mr. Lockwood urged that vehicle builders should plan ahead in reatiness for the greatest opportunitywhich they had ever had. They must visualize the problems which would confront them, and formulate constructive ideas for dealing With them. ' Remarking that the Association had emphasized that there was no need, • under existing conditions, for-members to grant extended credit, Mr. Lockwood said that the number of debtcollection cases handled by the Association on members' behalf was less 'than 10 per cent, of the pre-war figure., He suggested that the days of long credit should never be allowed to returns
Mr. Herbert Wood, of the firm of Messrs.' Robert Mayo, motor bodybuilders. Bolton, vice-president of the Bolton branch, was elected •nalional president to succeed Mr. Lockwood. RIBBLE'S REVENUE SHOWS BIG ADVANCE I N the year ended March 31 last, the
revenue of Ribble Motor Services, Ltd., amounted to £2,047,710, whereas in the previous year it was £1,837,444. The net profit was lower at £139,150 (£230,034 in the previous year), largely due to expenses and charges, including taxation, having risen to a marked extent.
The. final dividend on the ordinary shares is 6 per cent., making 10 per cent, for the year, which is the same distribution as in the previous year. The amount to be carried forward is £75,127, against £68,976 brought in.
CONTROL OF TOWN GAS?
WHILST doubt still exists as to the use that will be permitted of town gas, a statement was recently made by Mr. Noel-Baker, which throws some light on the situation.' He said that it was the intention of the Ministry of War Transport, which had been in consultation, in the matter with the Ministry• of Fuel and Power, to utilize coal gas as a means for driving road vehicles in areas where local surpluses of gas from time to time existed. It would probably be found necessary to control conversions by some, form, of licensing, and it might be necessary to ration supplies of gas.
ELECTRIC WELDING IN MOTOR . CONSTRUCTION
AT a general meeting of the Institution of Automobile Engineers, to be held on July 7, at the Royal Society of Arts, John Adam Street, London, W.C.2, at 6.30 p.m:, Mr. W. Simmie, of the Pressed Steel Co., Ltd., will read a paper entitled " Electric Welding Processes in Relation to Automobile Construction." The paper deals with the three methods of electric welding which are in general use for body construction.