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That was the year...
Page 13
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CM was launched in 1905; for our centenary year we're bringing you stories from years gone by. This week we're back in 1919 and 1969.
1919
The League of Nations was founded at the Paris Peace Conference; Benito Mussolini founded Italy's Fascist party; and the People's Republic of Munich was founded, only to be crushed the following month. The world greeted Nat King Cole, Eva Peron and Iris Murdoch. jack Dempsey became heavyweight boxing champion and Lester's grandad Ernie Piggott won the Grand National on Poethlyn.
What a bargain CM launched the "Running Commercial Motors for a Living" guide (yours for a bob) containing "most useful information regarding the costs of running and the fair charges in connection with lorries, vans, taxi-cabs and chars-a-bane, and agricultural tractors-. This was the precursor to our long-running series of operating cost tables.
Too much work...
A number of articles looked at "freight exchanges", suggesting that the Ministry for Transport should be responsible for the setting up and running of these enterprises. According to the Minister of Transport: "The loads offered far outweigh the available vehicle capaeity"Those were the days...
Left or right?
Vive la difference or entente cordiale? The editor discussed the issue of driving on the left or right, leading to a debate in CM'S letters pages about the rules of the road. CAT's view? "It will be urged that the universal adoption of one way or the other (the choice, however, to fall upon keeping to the right!) will make for universal convenience."
1969
Man landed on the moon and our current editor was born... enough said. Other memorable events included the Beatles' last public performance; the deployment of British troops in Northern Ireland; Leeds victory in the football league and Manchester City's triumph in the Football Association cup.
Red tape Back on Commercial Motor Brian Cottee was editor and the industry was facing its usual burden of increased legislation and red tape. Wisbech firm Knowles Transport was gripped by strikes; Gerald Knowles sacked all 60 striking drivers before de-licensing and de-insuring his entire fleet.
Maiden voyage CM was off to Jordan to see the arrival of an ERF/King Trailer artic at the Jordan Phosphate Mines Company. It was the vanguard of a 50-truck order; they were all delivered overland which entailed a gruelling 5,500-mile run before handing over the keys -"delivery mileage only guy"...
EEC flexes its muscles
"Tachographs for the EEC" screamed the headline as we warned that the EEC Commission wanted to make tachographs compulsory from January 1972 in all six states of the Common Market.
Ursa minor
Leyland launched the Bear 6x4 tipper/mixer chassis. A development of the Super Comet, the Bear had been on a diet, giving it a 5.5-ton chassis-cab weight.