BIRD'S EYE
Page 68
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VIEW By The Hawk Precision Machinery The Leyland Group is no stranger to large-scale thinking but the organization of a Presentation Ball for more than 3,000 people, staged at Blackpool last week, was still a major task. The occasion was the distribution of long-service awards to 1,509 employees who have served the company for 25 years or more. For 90 per cent of them gold watches were their chosen gifts, and each was engraved with the recipient's name. The total value of the awards was upwards of 170,000. Free transport was provided for each award winner and his partner, more than 50 Leyland passenger vehicles belonging to the Ribble organization picking up at street corners all over the mid-Lancashire area in a precisely planned operation.
Watch for Mr. Stokes Distribution of the gifts was carried out by a team of eight members of the 'Leyland board, led by Mr. Donald Stokes, chairman and managing director, who made the first presentation, this being to 88-year-old Mr. C. Basil Nixon, a foimer Leyland chairman and governing director. Mr. Nixon joined the company, when it was known as the Lancashire Steam Motor Co., just after the turn of the century, and, although retired, still acts in an advisory capacity. After receiving his own watch Mr. Nixon presented a gold watch to Mr. Stokes; four other directors, Mr. Webster, Mr. Tattersall, Mr. McHugh and Mr. Hosker, were also among the recipients. They were immediately followed, perhaps appropriately, by Mr. A. Gold of the time study department, whose score is 52 years. There was a brother and sister presentation for Miss M. Ashworth and Mr. F. Ashworth who between them have the remarkable total of 91 years' service with the Leyland organization.
Does the Cap Fit? Many of the guests at the convivial Western Area Dinner Dance of the RHA at Bristol last week got rather hot under the collar as they listened to the Lord Mayor's speech. CHr. K. Digby spoke some strong words on the subject of lorry exhaust fumes, poor standards of vehicle maintenance, half loaded lorries, and crawling "indivisible loads ". The RHA, said the Lord Mayor, "should take effective action; it is in your court!" Well, well, Western Area hauliers does the cap fit?
On this festive occasion, RHA president, Mr. A. R. tuft, made some telling points when he replied to the Lord Mayor's speech, but his comments on the subject of the poor rates paid to certain Contract A operators, and the tendency for Contract A-to-A switches to go through "on the nod" were highly topical in view of the current inquiry at Bristol.
Rarin' to GO It was unfortunate that the
time taken by the reading of the paper on articulated vehicles by John Dickson-Simpson at the Institute of Road n26 Transport Engineers recently did not leave any time for discussion on the points raised. With such a controversial subject as stability of artics included, there were many people at the meeting rarin' to go after the author had finished his part.
The evening was not wasted, however, by the people who had travelled a long distance hoping to make a contribution, and at the suggestion of the IRTE secretary an impromptu meeting ensued at a local hostelry. There John Simpson had some earnest discussions with such people as Graham Brant of York Trailers and Russell Doughty of Highway. Also present was F. Hales, the MIRA expert on artic stability. Fortunately the discussions were not as strong or as bitter as the liquid refreshment.
Costly Catalogue To expedite work in naval
dockyards the Admiralty accepted a contract in 1958 for cataloguing spares at a cost of E100,000. By May, 1963, the cost had risen to /2-8 m.—with more to come. Some list; some Parkinson—not, alas RN (Rtd.)!
Maybe the haulier who chalks his stock records on the garage door has got something after all!
The English are a tolerant race. That much was gracefully conceded by no less a Scot than Mr. Tom Fraser at the annual dinner of the Institute of Transport held in London last Friday. He did so when noting that he shared the speechmaking before this predominantly English assembly with an Irishman, Mr. Frank Lemass, the president.
Tolerance will certainly be needed by both providers and users of transport whilst waiting for Mr. Fraser's belief in the power of co-ordination to become a reality. Meanwhile, as one adviser's report follows another, the Minister reassured 600 members and guests that he had not overlooked the problem which would be presented by this great influx of information. That also would be co-ordinated.
Yet however beguilingly transport may be inveigled to hitch its fortune to a co-ordinating star, old habits die hard. Pity the table guide was such a tell-tale. How patently the old groupings still persist. If co-ordination is the answer then there is a lot of spadework.to be done. Gaelic Invasions