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NEWS of the WEEK

LICENCE REFUND FOR IMPRESSED VEHICLES.

CROM the Ministry of Transport I comes the news that if a vehicle be impressed for outright purchase for the use of the Armed Forces, the licence disc is returned to the owner, who can then obtain a surrender value in the ordinary way.

The Minister of Transport has stated that in the case of veiicles taken for any other service he is of opinion that the matter can be satisfactorily adjusted in any payment made for the vehicle or its use.

Non-endorsement of Licences Discretionary.

AUTOMATIC endorsement of licences for technical offences, by many magistrates, was criticized in the House of Commons by Mr. Levy, this week. He said that certain Courts were disregarding their discretionary powers in this respect.

In reply, Mr. Peake, Under-Secretary to the Home Office, stated that it was the intention of Parliament that endorsement should be the normal consequence of a conviction unless for any special reason the Court should think fit to order otherwise.

Position of Travellers' Cars in War time.

NMANY retailers and commercial 1Y1tra,vellers are happy at the hint, given by an official at the Ministry of Mines, that they can rely on petrol supplies during war-time if they find it necessary to use their private cars for business and commercial purposes.

The official has said " You can take it from me that in the formulating of plans for conserving and controlling supplies of petroleum during war-time the private car has been looked after. It is recognized that the car is needed for business purposes these days, and as we shall strive .-to carry out, during war-time, the slogan business as usual,' provision has been made for all cars used for business purposes."

Fish-haulage Appeal Filed.

I T is announced that the London and North-Eastern Railway Co. is now appealing against the decision of the Northern Licensing Authority in renewing licences of North Shields fish hauliers, carrying fish to London. It is expected that the appeal will be heard in London, about the end of October.

The L.N.E.R. alleges that road hauliers are compelled to exceed the speed limit to reach London on time for the opening of the fish market. Nearly 20 road-haulage concerns in the north-east are involved in the matter. When the applications for renewal of licences were heard, in February and March last, the L.N.E.R. was accused

A26 of "spying " and " using dirty evidence " when it admitted that it had had observation posts along the route to London to check the speeds of road vehicles.

It was also complained that the L.N.E.R. had raised the question of speed without giving any previous intimation to road hauliers that it intended to do so.

Comparative Increases of Licences.

THE following interesting statistical comparison of A. B and C-licensed vehicles authorized at September 30. 1935, and June 30, 1938, has been supplied by the Minister of Transport at the request of Captain Strickland:—

Big Boom in Cement Transport.

r-IN Friday of last week the boom in I./the cement trade was reflected at a case before Mr. Joseph Ferndale, North Western Deputy Licensing Authority. Mr. A. Clayton, of Manchester, was granted a vehicle of 3i tons to carry for the Cement Marketing Co., Ltd., and for the Neuchatel Asphalt Co., Ltd., within 15 miles of base, and from Hope, Derbyshire, cement works to building and road-making sites. Evidence for the applicant showed that the jump in tonnage for one firm alone was from 250 to 650 tons a day.

MINISTER OPPOSED TO C LICENCE RADIUS RESTRICTION.

AN important point was raised in Parliament by Mr. Lyons. He asked the Minister of Transliort if there was any growing practice amongst trading concerns to utilize C-licensed vehicles for the movement of traffic in bulk loads over considerable distances and to make return journeys unladen. He also suggested the introduction of legislation to confer powers upon Licensing Authorities to attach further conditions.

Captain Wallace replied that Licensing Authorities had not called his attention to any increase in this practice and he did not think any action on his part was necessary.

Cry for Regulated 48.hour Week.

AT a conference convened by the Transport and General Workers' Union to report on the work of the Wages Boards (Central and Metropolitan) last Saturday, delegates representing 50,000 haulage workers in the Metropolitan Area unanimously demanded a regulated 48-hour week.

The delegates resolved to support the Union executive in any action it might deem necessary to enforce the Union policy. OPERATOR LIABLE TO FINES OF .£5,580.

WFIENT John Lees and Co., Ltd., Iwo( and shoe manufacturer, Townend Factory, Maybole, admitted at Ayr Sheriff Court, last week, 279 charges in Con uection with the hours of employment of its drivers, it was stated that the company rendered itself liable to fines totalling £5,580.

An agent contended that the drivers were to blame. He said they had filled in their log sheets but had not shown the boors when they were not actually

driving, Sheriff MenzieS imposed a fine of £10.

Eight Hauliers Respondents to Rail.

LAST week, in London, the Appeal La Tribunal gave judgment for the railway company in a case in which eight haulage concerns were ranged against the London and North Eastern Railway Co. There were no costs.

The appeal (by the rail company) was against the refusal of the East Midland Licensing Authority to vary an A licence, The haulage concerns were Messrs. Ward Bros., Hutchby and Collumbell, Ltd., Messrs. W. and L. T. Shipman, Messrs. Birches Bros., Ltd., Mr, L. D. Brown, Mr. P. W. Clarke, Messrs. A. Laugh= and Sons, and Mr. A. F. Yates.

Northern Ireland Road Transport Board Makes Progress.

I N a comparison of trading results for the nine months ended June 30 last, with The corresponding period of a year age the Northern Ireland Road Transport Board states that the receipts in the pa ssenger section rose by £9,561, whilst costs went down by £9,610, showing an improvement of £19,171. In the freight section, receipts advanced by £9,606, whilst costs were lower by £8,482, so that an improvement of £18,088 was shown. The total revenue was thus higher by £97,259. In the year ended September 30, 1938, the Board sustained a loss of £76,206.

A ptogress report, lately issued by the Board gives figures of working for the three years ended September, 1938, It also shows that acquisitions comprise 1,126 freight concerns, 66 passenger concerns and 9 of the combined type.

Shipping Guide for Hauliers.

THE following is the number of ships arriving at the London docks, wharves and jetties named, from July 28 to August 5 inclusive. DOCKS: King George V. 9; Royal Albert, 10; Royal Victoria, 2; Surrey Commercial, 7; East India, 2; West India, 5; South

West India 1; Tilbury, 8; Tilbury Stage, 4; Millwall, 4; Royal, I; London, 1. Wissitviss: Hays, 6; Mark Brown's, 1; Butler's, 1. Tilbury Jetty, 1. Regents Canal, I.

Guy Vehicle-sales Increase.

AT the conclusion of its financial year, Guy Motors, Ltd., Fallings Park, Wolverhampton, announces an increase of 27 per cent, in the total number of new vehicles delivered, compared with the previous year. The vehicles concerned range from delivery vans to large-capacity lorries, motorbuses and trolleybuses, and military types.

The company's plant has recently been extended to.cope with the enlarged production programme. TRAVELLING PUBLICITY FOR THE ISLE OF MAN.

AT some time or another you may see either a Fordson or a Bedford van, which, from the display matter on the panels, will tell you that it is operated by the Isle of Man Steam Packet Co., Ltd., of Douglas, Isle of Man.

The purpose of running these vans is to publicize the Island and in addition to the driver, each vehicle carries a publicity representative. By this means. those responsible for the welfare of the Island, are able to arrange for more or less personal touch being made with prospective tourists and although, as will be appreciated, it is difficult to assess the worth of this type of publicity, the Isle of Man Publicity Board which shares the running costs of the machines with the operator, is of opinion that it is of great value.

We feel that the parties concerned are to be congratulated on their enterprise and for the appearance of the vehicles.

Canadian .Output Falls.

rINAL statistics for 1938 place auto

mobile production in Canada at 166,086 units, valued at 108,158,725 dollars, a decline of 20 per cent. in number and 13 per cent, in value on the corresponding figures for 1937. The commercial-vehicle output fell from 54,417 to 42,925 units.

Compendium of Welding Development.

THE most successful papers in the competition which was inaugurated by the James F. Lincoln Arc Welding Foundation, the British office of which is at Thames House, London, S.W.!, have now been published in book form. There are 10 chapters, the first of which is devoted entirely to papers dealing with motor-vehicle construction and repair; each section has relevant illustrations. At the end of each paper is given the saving in cost which results from the use of welding.

The hook contains upwards of 1,400 pages and is a useful contribution to the development of welding. A total of 109 original studies on welding are embodied in the book, which is entitled " Arc Welding in Design, Manufacture and Construction." It is available at 9s. 6d, per copy (postage paid) from the Lincoln Electric Co., Ltd., Welwyn Garden City, Herts. TYRE" WHINE "ABSENT IN NEW DUNLOP PRODUCT.

CIllEF feature of a new tyre just 1...-,announced by the Dunlop Rubber Co., Ltd., Fort Dunlop, Birmingham, is that it does not " whine." The "whine," which is sometimes heard on straight-ahead running, has been cut out by a new arrangement of the studs. These are now -not only irregular in length, but those in one rib do not regularly correspond with those in the next. This arrangement eliminates the steady drumming on the road which produces a regular high note.

The new Dunlop Standard tyre, as it is known, has been tested for 16 months, over 400,000 miles of different types of road in this country. It has also been tried out for a further 400,000 miles, under a considerable overload, in the test house at Fort Dunlop. To give a sufficient margin of safety for all reasonable misuie, a tyre. which norfnally carries 9 cwt. at 36 lb. per sq. in. is tested under at least 15i cwt.

"London Transport's" Big Order for A.E.C.

OUTSTANDING amongst orders recentlycently received by the Associated Equipment Co., Ltd., Southall, is one from London Transport for 188 Regent chassis. These will be of the advanced design adopted by London Transport as the standard for its future fourwheeled double-deckers and, as well as being powered by a 0.6-litre directinjection oil engine, will embody such improvements as power-operated gear change and automatic chassis lubrication. The outstanding features of this new design of double-decker were referred to in our issue dated July 14,

Noise Limits on Motor Horns.

lkAAKERS of motor horns and the AVIMinister of Transport have reached agreement regarding the future limiting of the noise output of these devices. This follows negotiations lasting a year between the Ministry of Transport and the Society of Motor Manufacturers A28 and Traders regarding this subject. The Society has given an undertaking that after October 1 there will not be offered for sale instruments with a loudness, under specified conditions of test, exceeding 100 phone, except in the case of wind-driven instruments, for which the fignres will be 105 phone. Vehicle manufacturers will co-operate by fitting only horns which comply with these conditions.

As a result, the Minister has decided not to proceed for the time being with regulations on the subject.

Fine-limit Testing of Bulb Filaments.

SO as to ensure correct positioning of headlamp bulb filaments in relation to reflectors, a specially designed instrument has recently been perfected by the Notek Electric Co.,Ltd. The

new machine tests measurements through the whole of the optical axis and, by throwing an enlarged picture of the filament on a screen, enables both the hical distance and axial displacement , to be checked with fine accuracy.

It is claimed that the qualities' of non-dazzle headlamp design are negatived unless filament tolerance be finely, limited, and the new machine has been introduced to reject all lamps outside the company's limit of k mm., or one-third of the normal tolerance.

" O.C.P." Ambulance-trophy Winners, THE final of the " 0.C.P." St. John Ambulance Trophy Competition, which was „held at Edgbaston, a few days ago, was won by the Stafford Garage of the Birmingham and Midland Motor Omnibus Co., Ltd. The trophy is put up for annual competition by Mr. 0. C. Power, traffic manager of the company. Last year's winners, the Worcester Garage of the company, were only slightly behind the winners. The Lord Mayor of Birmingham. in presenting the awards, spoke of the keen interest taken by Mr. Power in ambulance work, and commended his efforts in encouraging employees in first-aid. INTERESTING LAW POINT ON BALLAST CARRIAGE.

LAST week at Chorley (Lanes) Police Court, Mr. Wm. R. Walker, Westhoughton, was fined Sc. for conveying ballast in an unstamped vehicle and 5s. for failing to carry a conveyance note. Mr. John G. Farrimond, Westhoughton. was fined 10s. for causing ballast to be conveyed and a similar amount for aiding and abetting the conveyancenote offence.

Defendants had pleaded, on June 30, that they took the ballast to the Euxton munitions site on the chance of a purchase and, therefore, the Act did not apply. The case was then adjourned for three weeks for the magistrates' clerk to examine the law on 'the matter.

The Bench now stated that it had come to the conclusion that ballast was 'conveyed in pursuance of an agreement to deliver ballast in such quantities as should from time to time be required, the quantity to be accepted or refused being determined at the time and place of delivery.

Fordson Convoy Covers 32,000 Miles.

HE fleet ot Fordson commercial vehicles, which is undertaking a tour of England this summer, has covered 32,000 miles in the four months it has been on the road. The convoy, which consists of eight special-type vehicles, ranging from a Utilecon 5-cwt. van to a furniture van based on a Thames 3-ton chassis, is visiting Ford dealers throughout the country. Over 30 main Ford dealers have already been visited, and nearly 5,000 individual calls have been made to local traders in over 50 provincial towns.

Germany's Fuel-saving Effort.

THE German Ministry of Woods and Forests has recently issued a series of regulations to control the preparation of wood and charcoal fuel for the rapidly increasing number of producergas vehicles in that country. The purpose is the prevention of waste. P.S.T.A. MEETINGS.

INFORMAL meetings of the Public Service Transport Association will be held on December 13, 1939, January 10, 1940, and March 13, 1940, at the Alliance Hall, Palmer Street, London, S.W.1; each of them will start at 6 p.m. At the first, Mt. G. H. Margrave, general manager of the West Ridiog Automobile Co., Ltd., will introduce a discussion on Section 19 of the Road Traffic Act of 1930.

New Utility Vehicles Based on Fordson Chassis.

PK:CI:RES reproduced on this page show examples of the new Touravan —based on a Fordson 10-cwt. chassis— for which Arthur E. Gould, Ltd., 290292, Regent Street, London, W.1, is responsible.

This new vehicle is of the utility type and is made in two forms. One is convertible in the usual way from a 7-seater saloon to a 10-cwt. van, with a clear floor space of 7 ft. 6 ins. The other is not only similarly convertible, but has a. detachable head over the rear portion allowing it to be converted into an open truck. The bodies are constructed with outside framing and finished in the natural colour of the wood, which is varnished.

Both conversions can be effected in

a few moments. The price of each type is.'225.

Popular Makes at Bank Holiday Agricultural Show.

AT this year's Uxbridge Show, which is held on August Hank Holiday by the Uxbridge Agricultural Association, there will be, amongst the many attractions, three large commercialmotor stands, where a full display of commercial vehicles will be staged. Ford eon Products will be shown by Norman Reeves (Motors), Ltd.; Morris products by Procters Motors, Ltd.; and Bedford vehicles by Gregory's of Uxbridge, Ltd.

PERSONAL PARS.

MR. GEORGE KENNING, J.P., wellknown as head of Kennings, Ltd., Morris-Commercial distributor, who has represented Clay Cross on Derbyshire County Council since 1922, has been elected an Alderman,

MR. L. RUTTENBURG, director and general manager of Consolidated Near East Co., Ltd.. the Leyland agent in Palestine, has arrived in England on a short business visit to the Leyland headquarters.

• MR. W. E. Humm-nzavs, manager of Leyland Motors, Ltd., in Canada, and MR. P. DE PLITRON, assistant to Mr.

Cockshutt, manager of Leyland •Motors (South Africa), Ltd., have lately returned to their respective countries after paying a short visit to this country.