NEWS of the WEEK
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PRICES OF PETROL AND OIL FUEL ADVANCED LAST Tuesday the Petroleum Board, with the consent of the Government, increased the prices of petrol and oil fuel, each being advanced by Id.per gallon; this brings the retail price of petrol to 2s. °id. Other oils are also being advanced in price by the same amount.
. Handbook to Help Producer-gas Drivers
0" obstacle that has, to some extent, impeded the progress of producer gas is the lack of special knowledge on the part of the men actually operating the vehicles which are dependent upon it for their propulsion. Petrol and oil drivers cannot immediately adapt themselves to gas technique, particularly if they be not very enthusiastic about gas to begin with, and, possibly, worse Qff, in some respects, than their confreres who are still earning their livings by driving liquid-fuel machines.
It is this time lag that constitutes the difficulty. During the period of learning, bad impressions are created, and, possibly, troubles occur. To improve matters, the acquirement of the necessary knowledge must be expedited.
Efforts are being made by ;makers and distributors of producer-gas apparatus and others to instruct operators and drivers in getting the best out of their plants, and one example takes the form of an excellent mantial that has just been brought out by Enness Gas Producers, Ltd., 19, Old Queen Street, London, SW.!.
It is a combined instruction book and spare-parts list and, Whilst it deals primarily, of course, with Enness equipment, much of its contents is of general application. The price at which this work is offered is 5s.
Following a brief description of the apparatus and its functioning, there is a section dealing with the care and maintenance of the generator, coolers, scrubber and mixing valve. The next four pages are devoted to instructions on operating the plant. These are practical and detailed; Then there is further advice on maintenance, referring particularly to joints, tuyeres, outlet grids, filtering media, the tuyere radiator and testing the system.
Six detail drawings and a general arrangement illustrate the foregoing, the fuels available are reviewed, and salient instruction points are summarized as " dos' " and " don'ts." Completing the book is a troublefinding chart.
H.Q. of British Aluminium Co.
AS from September 30, 1940, the temporary bead office of the British Aluminium Co., Ltd., will be at Oakley Manor, Belie Vue, Shrewsbury, Shropshire.
REQUISITIONING EXTENDED TO FOOD-TRANSPORT VEHICLES I T is announced by the Ministry of Food that motor vehicles normally employed by grocers and other fooddistributing concerns may be requisitioned to the extent of 10 per cent, of their tonnage for use with the Forces. It is probable that there will be further demands as occasion warrants. Those concerns should, therefore, see that their fleets are in good order, as present and future dernandS tvili decrease their available tonnage, and it is essential that all vehicles capable of being run should be kept in operation. PROTESTS ON MILITARY LORRY. HIRE RATES
rOMPLMNTS are being made in
Yorkshire concerning the rate of payment to lorry owners for the hire of vehicles by the military in the Northern Command.
According to information from a responsible source in the heavy woollen district, to augment the supply of hired vehicles, about two months ago lorry owners were offered hiring terms of 25s, per day per vehicle, without driver, as against the 20s. per day which, hitherto, had applied in the majority of cases. Our informant states, however, that in many cases in his district operators who accepted this offer have now been notified by the military that the rate at which these vehicles have been on hire is £1 per day.
As the period involves dates about two months back, the difference of 5s. per day amounts to a considerable sum in the aggregate, and protests have been made to the authorities concerned.
Australia Turning to Fuel Substitutes
THE Australian Government proposes to establish a directorate of fuel substitutes. The director, it is understood, will be a prominent business man who has had a long association with light and power industries. It is assumed that numbers of projects for the production of motorofuels from material available in the Commonwealth, which business and technical interests have been seeking to bring to the attention of the Government, will be reviewed by the new board.
Claims are likely to be made for the recognition of northern coal as a source of oil. A company is already in existence which is prepared to treat coal by a low-temperature carbonization process if granted certain Government guarantees.
Durham Municipal Haulage Rates Increased TURTHER increases in haulage rates have been agreed by Durham County Council for work executed on behalf of the municipality. This increase of 5 per cent, on the rates previously current is the third which has been granted by the council since the beginning of the war.
Two previous increases were each of 10 per cent. All of them have been
brought about as the result of the efforts of Mr. Frank Milton, 'general secretary, Northern Area, A.R.O. . In communicating.this information to us, Mr. Milton acknowledges that he was considerably helped by .being able to use The Commercial Motor Tables of Operating Costs and various schedules showing how those costs have increased, the latter having been supplied to him by S.T.R. (The Commercial Motor Costs Expert).
Scottish Traffic Manager's Death
THE death has taken place at the age of 70 years of Mr. James Williams, traffic manager of Mutter, Howey and Co., Ltd., the haulage-contracting concern of Aberdeen. He was one of the best-known figures in transport circles in Aberdeen and the north-east. He had been in the service of Mutter, Howey and Co., Ltd., for half a century and was traffic manager for 30 years.
Good Support for A.R.O. Spitfire Fund
THE Yorkshire area's effort in aid of A.R.O.'s National Spitfire Fund received a splendid send-off at a meeting of the Yorkshire Haulage Sectional Board. Within three minutes members of the Board had subscribed £300 to the Fund.
PAPER BEFORE I.A.E. ON BEARING METALS psT view of prevailing conditions it has !been decided that the opening meeting of the session of the Institution of Automobile Engineers in London shall he deferred and due notice will be given when the revised date is decided. In the meantime, Mr. M. Melhuish, of Precision Bearings, Ltd., will read a paper entitled " Bearing Metals and their Suitability for Modern Requirements " before the following provincial centres of the Institution:— Coventry: October 8 at The King's Head Hotel at 7 p.m. Manchester: October 9 at The Engineers' Club, Albert Square, at 7.30 p.m. Birmingham: October 22 at The James Watt Memorial Hall, York House, Great Charles Street, at 7 p.m.
Mr. Melhuish's paper will 'be published in the October I.A.E. Journal..
Death of A.E.C.'s Irish Service Representative
THE Associated Equipment Co., Ltd., regrets to record the recent death of Mr. John Tyers who, since 1926, had acted as the company's service representative in Eire a-ld Northern Ireland. Mr. Tyers was 48 years of age. He joined the A.E.C. as a mechanic 25 years ago and was made service inspector, with headquarters in Dublin, in 1926.
HIGHER WAGES FOR C-LICENCE DRIVERS?
AOVES by the United Road Trans.1.V1port Workers' Association of England to obtain higher wages for roadtransport workers employed by Clicence holders were mentioned at a recent meeting of the Council of the Bradford and District Chamber of Trade.
The trade union, aim, it was pointed out, was to secure rates of wages and conditions of employment for C-licence drivers that are not less advantageous than those applicable to drivers employed by A and B-licence holders.
Discussion largely centred on the position of shopkeepers . holding C licences whose Van drivers are employed in this capacity for only part of the day, say four hours, and who spend the rest of their. working hours on other jobs connected with the shop. It was argued that these part-time drivers should not be regarded as in the same category for wages purposes as fulltime drivers.
The Council decided that the Chamber should take all possible steps to maintain this contention.
The application by the United Road Transport Workers' Association of England for higher wages for C-licence drivers is under consideration by the Bradford and District Commercial Vehicle Owners' Federation. The union has informed the Federation that, in all agreements which it has so far concluded with reference to C-licence drivers' pay, no rates of wages and conditions of employment less advantageous than those laid down for A and B-lieence drivers in the Wages Order R.H.4 have been accepted.
The application for a further increase in A and B-licence drivers' pay on top of the scales in R.H.4 now forms a new factor in the position.
Index to Volume 71
COVERING the issues from February• 10 to August 3, 1040. the index to Volume 71 of The Commercial Motor is now available. Its price is 6d. and a copy may be obtained from Temple Press Ltd., Bowling Green Lane, London, E.C.1.
Personal Pars M. W. S. FINLAYSON, former chief of Karriers Parcel Delivery, Ltd., Liverpool, is now devoting his wholetime services to organizing the Liverpool transport section of the Home Guard.
Mu. LESLIE SMITH, deputy chief officer of Sponborough Fire Brigade, is moving to Bridlington on appointment as chief officer of the fire brigade there. He succeeds Mr. R. Lofthouse. who has been appointed chief officer of Brighouse Fire Brigade; Institute of Fuel Meetings
(IN October 8, at 2.15 p.m., the 'a/Institute of Fuel will bold :a meeting in the Connaught Rooms, Great Queen Street, London, W.C.2, when Mr.. W. Boon, of the London and Counties Coke Association, will Tresent. a paper entitled " Some Thoughts pri Coke.'' The meeting will ,be. preceded at 12.40 by an informal luncheon.
At the same venue, on October 17, Mr. W. M. Selvey, M.I.C.E. (who has been Acting President) will present an address. This meeting also will be preceded by a luncheon.
Members of other Institutions will be welcomed at these meetings, andit should be noted that the Connaught Rooms has an approved air-raid shelter for 2,500 people,
The temporary address of the Mansion House Association on Transport is " Ritherden," Toys 1-1111, near Sevenoaks, Kent, the telephone number being Ide Hill 259. DELAY IN PETROL COUPON ISSUE FOR AGRICULTURE
IN connection with alleged delays in issuing petrol coupons to enable agriculturists to carry the harvest, Sir A. Baillie, in the House of Commons, asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he would investigate specific cases brought to his notice in order to avoid in 1941 any repetition of the shortcomings.
Mr. R. S. Hudson said in reply that he was not aware of any general delay, but he would have investigated any case which the Member cared to send him.
SPEEDING UP TRANSPORT OF FILM SPOOLS •
()N thegrounds of hardship caused to personnel, the North-western branch of the Cinematograph Exhibitors' Association has recommended Liverpool theatre proprietors to arrange for transport to be engaged for the collection and transport of firms to the Liverpool film renters depots after Wodnesday and Saturday night shows.
Complaint was made by the Transport and General Workers' Union of the late hours at which junior operators arrived home after taking the spools from the suburban theatres to the Liverpool film dumps.
It was stated that the expense of handing over the work to a film carrier would be compensated by the saving of overtime.
Viaduct Saves Stockport Congestion
NARROW and busy streets in the centre of Stockport will be avoidable from the beginning of October when a new road through the middle of the town is opened. Although only a quarter-mile in length, it will ease the passage of main east-west traffic, giving a direct links between Mersey Square and Lancashire Bridge.
The road, which is 45 ft, wide, plus footpaths, follows the course of the River Mersey, being carried on a viaduct supported by over 50 pairs of concrete piers which straddle the water. Work on the scheme has been in progress for over four years.
Copper Development Association .
Moves
-Ware informed that the Copper, Development AssociatiOn has removed its offices (formerly in Thames House) to Grand Buildings,
Trafalgar Square, London, W.C.2. Here the services and publications of the Association will be available to all, free of charge.
Many concerns and individuals are now being called upon to undertake work involving the use Of copper and its alloys, of which they may not have had much experience, and to them the Association can be of particular assistance.
The Association is a non-commercial organization maintained by the British copper industry. TAXI DRIVERS MUST NOT CHARGE MORE IN AIR RAIDS I T has come to the notice of the Com missioner of Police that, in some cases, cab drivers are charging More than the fares on the clock for operating during air raids. He has, therefore,. warned the taxicab trade that Scotland Yard will take serious notice of any cases where drivers refuse tb take passengers during air raids, except at special rates. Those plying for hire at these times must take passengers at \ the normal fares, It is important to note also that any driver who remains in his cab on a rank after a warning has been sounded will be regarded as plying for hire.
Air-raid Instructions to Drivers
ANEAT and useful booklet detailing how drivers ,should act during airraid warnings hasbeen issued by the London and Home Counties Haulage Contractors Association, Kelvin House, Lower Belgraye Street, London,_S.W.1, from which copies can be obtained. Incidentally, the notice has been approved by -the various Ministries concerned.
Colonel J. Baldwin,.Webb, M.P., Msing
ATE learn, with great regret, that V V our, 014 friend Colonel J. Baldwin
Webb, M.P.. for the Wrekin, is missing from the liner which was torpedoed last Tuesday when carrying evacuee children, escorts, etc:, to Canada. It is characteristic of Colonel Baldwin-Webb that he is reported to have been last seen assisting passengers into the boats.• During the war he hag done useful work in connection with the Anglo-French Ambulance Corps, of which he was secretary. .