IMPORTS AND EXPORTS UPS AND DOWNS, The Board of Trade
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returns for September show that the value of commercial vehicles, cars, chassis and accessories imported during that month was £174,274, which represents a big fall on the figure (2312,518) for the comparable month of 1937, although it is slightly in excess of that for September, 1936.
The number of commercial vehicles exported in September was 251, compared with 237 for September, 1937. and although the rise was relatively small, the value of the exports increased appreciably, the figure of £101,478 for September, 1937, rising to £178,091. In the nine months ended September last 2,591 commercial vehicles were exported, their value being £1,175,787, last year's comparable returns being 3,041 vehicles and £835,403.
In the case of commercial-vehicle chassis, there was, once again, a big falling off, and the total of 831 for September last has to be set against 1,527 for a year earlier. The value of the chassis was also lower, although not proportionately to the decline in numbers, this year's figure being £181,055, contrasted with £246,570 for September, 1937. In the nine months ended September last 8,462 commercial chassis were exported, compared with 12,615 a year earlier, the respective values being £1,746,802 and £2,035,535.
Light Vans to Rally at Plymouth.
A commercial-vehicle rally will take place at Plymouth on November 2, in connection with Plymouth and Devonport Shopping Festival. The organizer of the rally (which will be confined t6 Morris light vans) is the Barton Motor Co., Ltd., Plymouth, which is the Morris distributor for South Devon and
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East Cornwall. Entries will be confined to 5-cwt. and 10-cwt, vehicles, and they will be inspected by technical representatives of Morris Motors, Ltd.; Cowley.
National Coal Convention.
The Fourth National Coal Convention, which was postponed on account of the crisis, will be held on November 23 and 24 at the Wharncliffe Rooms, Hotel Great Central, Marylebone Road, London, N.W.1, WHEN WILL DEFENCE COMMITTEE MEET?
At the moment of going to press we learn that, even now, there has been no meeting of the Defence (Road Transport) Committee of the Ministry of Transport to consider the lessons received from the transport chaos, which occurred during the recent crisis. Are we to assume that this Committee is already defunct, or, at least, mori bund? We would have thought it essential for a meeting to have been held as early as possible.
Branch Manager for Clearing House.
A well-known and old-established clearing house requires a manager for its branch in Birmingham. Previous experience in this connection is essential. Applications should be addressed to " Clearing House," care of the Editor.
Authorities Criticized for Delay.
Criticism of the delay of the Licensing Authorities in granting licences was made at Kirkcaldy Police Court, on Monday. .0n a charge of having used a goods vehicle in respect of which she held no licence. Mrs. Margaret Stark or Renton, coal merchant, Kirkcaldy, was admonished. Her son appeared and said' that his mother had sent for a B licence five weeks before they started to use the lorry. Evidently they had to wait eight weeks..
M. David Usher, prosecutor, said he had a great deal of sympathy with people in this position. He suggested that persons in such difficulties should apply to the chief constable. PERSONAL PARS.
MR. G. E. LAMBERT, managing director of W. and G. Lambert, Ltd., the Thetford concern of motor engineers and trailer manufacturers, is to be the next Mayor of Thetford.
Mn. C. J. SMITH, who is known to many in the North as " Sparks," has severed his connection with Simms Motor Units, Ltd., after 18 years of progressive service in a sales and managerial capacity, and is taking up a post with Globe and Simpson, Ltd.. as manager of that company's new depot at Preston.
MR. ARTHUR G. DENNIS, M .A. , LL.M., Ph.D., whose portrait appears on this page, was recently appointed to the boards of the Thames Valley Traction Co., Ltd.: Stratstone, Ltd., and
Ledbury Transport Co., Ltd. Mr. Dennis is well known as the legal adviser to Thomas Tilling, Ltd., of Crewe House, Curzon Street, London, W.1. Despite his many other activities, he has become quite well known as an author, having published two books—in 1934, Dennis and Corpe's Road and Rail Traffic Act, 1933, and, in 1935, Rees and Dennis Road Traffic Acts, 1930-36.
MR. F. C. CLARK, works manager of the Cunard Commercial Body Building Co., will, on November 1, take up an appointment as works manager of the new factory at Enfield of the Express Motor and Body Works, Ltd., a reference to which is made elsewhere in this issue.
MR. TREVOR MORG AN, -C • , J • F. , chairman of the West Midland Traffic Commissioners, is to succeed the late Mr. A. F. Nicholson as chairman of the Western Traffic Commissioners. Mr. Trevor Morgan, who was called to the Bar in 1920 and practised on the South Wales and Chester circuits, was awarded the Military Cross for services during the Great War. He is a Master of Arts and a Bachelor of Law.
The following are on the short list for the post of transport-maintenance
superintendent to South Shields Town Council:—Ma. W. H. BARKER, assistant engineer to Ribble Motor Services, Ltd.; MR. E. V. Dvsorr, Huddersfield Transport Department; MR. W. R. THOMPSON, electrical engineer to Rotherham Corporation; and Mn. R. WICKS, of Rotherham Corporation. The former superintendent was MR. T. WAILER, who has gone to Hong Kong.
COUNCILLOR ARTHUR WATTS, a Beverley haulage contractor, has been invited to be Mayor of Beverley during the next municipal year.
Mn. ROBERT TAYLOR, general secretary of the Scottish Horse and Motormen's Association, is leaving to-morrow for a six weeks' tour of Soviet Russia, where he will study trade union, co-operative and transport services.
In a recent issue we made mention of the fact that MR. F. W. DavrEs has lately left Reo Motors, Ltd., and joined Reo Motors Export Co., of Lansing. U.S.A., and he is shortly taking up his new sales appointment in South Africa. A few days ago he was the guest of honour at a dinner given by Reo dealers, when hereceived a presentation. Speeches were made by several of them, including Messrs. Lund (Otley), Scott (Gloucester), Whitehouse (Liverpool) and Weir (Leicester). Mr. W. G. Cairns, managing director of Reo Motors, Ltd., paid tribute to Mr. Davies's sales ability.
CLERKS FOR LORRY DRIVERS?
When Seymour Brothers (Stockton), Ltd., Newcastle-on-Tyne, was charged at Newcastle Police Court, last week, with failing to see that proper records were kept of hours worked by drivers. Mr. T. H. Campbell Wardlaw, defending, said that the law on this question was fantastic. He suggested that the time was approaching when each driver would have to take with blue a clerk expressly to fill in forms.
Mr. Campbell Wardlaw also protested against the law which held employers equally responsible for the maintenance of the records kept by their drivers. There were 25 summonses against -the company, whilst four drivers were also charged with failing to keep records. The Bench announced that its decision would be given at a later date.
Canadian Industry Prospers.
Statistics for 1937 show that motorvehicle production in Canada totalled 207,463 units, valued at 123,757,293 dollars—an increase of 27.9 per cent. in number and 29 per cent, in value during the 12 months. The production of " trucks " advanced from 33,790 to 54 ,4l7.
Export trade in Canadian-made vehicles and parts was about 16 per cent. greater in value in 1937 than in the preceding year. Shipments of " trucks " increased from 13,219 to 22,066.
In 1937, the number of motor-vehicle licences issued in Canada was 1,319,702. Registrations were the highest on record, there being one motor vehicle to every 8.4 persons. PRESENTING APPLICATIONS TO ADVANTAGE.
Because the operators had not produced proof of need, two applications were dismissed by the deputy chairman of the Western Traffic Commissioners, Dr. Dawson Sadler, sitting at Exeter Guildhall, last week. One of the applicants produced a letter in support of his application, but no witnesses, and the other applicant produced neither letters nor witnesses.
Dr. Sadler stressed that the first thing to be proved was the need for a vehicle, the second that the need was not being satisfied by someone else, and the third that even if no one else had the business there were not enough people licensed who could do it. Although he dismissed the applications that day, he added, that did not stop the applicants coming forward again, and he advised them to obtain the assistance of someone acquainted with the practice of the court in order that their cases might be properly prepared.
Ten-minute Service at Dealer's Depot.
Another addition to the modern depots for Ford sales and servicing was made a few days ago, when Viscount Chetwynd opened the new premises of Stanhay, Ltd., The Vine, Sevenoaks, A feature of the workshops is the installation of Ten-minute Service equipment, this being the first installation of the kind in the smith of England, outside London. Showrooms. workshops and stores cover an area of 12,000 sq ft. and provision is made for servicing and repairing commercial vehicles, tractors and cars.
Transport Education in Yorkshire.
With a view to widening the influence of the Yorkshire Transport Society, an educational organization founded in Bradford a year ago, it is proposed to extend this winter's syllabus by holding meetings in Leeds, Halifax, Huddersfield, Wakefield, Irarrogate and Keighley. The winter session had an excellent send-off last week, at the society's new headquarters, the Bradford Technical College, when Mr. Stanley Scott, the lion, secretary, gave a lantern lecture entitled "One Hundred and Sixty Years of Mechanical Road Transport."
In introductory remarks, the president, Mr. C. R. Tattam (general manager of Bradford Passenger Transport Department), voiced satisfaction at the Society's progress during its first year. Suggesting that transport in gereral is the most important industry in the world, because without it no other industry could function for any length of time, Mr. Tattam said it was a most astonishing thing that, notwithstanding the vital importance of transport, nobody ever wanted to pay for it. Because of this reluctance to pay economic prices for transport, pas senger fares and goods rates were often reduced to such a low level that some undertakings could not operate profitably.
Referring to present-day experiments in the use of gas-producer vehicles, with
gas made from charcoal, anthracite and almost every kind of waste vegetable matter, Mr. Scott said; " Perhaps transport managers may still see the day when passengers will cease to write in the daily Press about exorbitant fares and. instead, arrive at the garage with a load of vegetable waste, for which they will get a chit for so many free bus rides on the new waste-burning buses! "
New Rust-prevention Surface.
An interesting process, under the title " Royal," for the prevention of rust has been introduced by International Corrodeless, Ltd., Windsor House, Victoria. Street, London, S.W.1. The process partly depends, in common with many others, on the deposition of stable metals on the base metal, but it differs in an important respect. Hitherto, the aim has been to deposit a thick layer of protective material, the depth being relative to the degree of perman
ence. In the Royal system a new character is given to the base-metal surface.
It is known that the more porous a surface may be, the quicker it will corrode, for the interstices hold the attacking fluids or gases and permit a favourable start of corrosion, whereupon further porosity occurs, forming a vicious cycle. If incipient attack can be repelled the defence is strengthened.
In the Royal process, this principle is carried out by electrolytic means, using a special bath and complex electrodes. Thus a mixture of metals—in effect, an alloy—is deposited on' the base metal, and by the use of accelerators which are believed actually to increase the speed of the impinging particles, the deposition is found to penetrate the metal pores so that they. are completely closed. When this has been effected by the.use of a mixture of metals, which are themselves resistant, the surface presented is claimed to withstand to a remarkable degree the formation of oxides or other' salts.
It is said to be unnecessary and undesirable to build up any appreciable metallic depth. Consequently, the dimensions of the articles treated are virtually unaltered. LESS TRADE BUT SAME FLEET REQUIRED.
"The man ought to be commended, instead of being threatened with the loss of a vehicle," said Mr. H. Backhouse, for the C.M.U,A., in pleading the cause of a carrier, who had taken the opportunity of the recession in trade to have one of his vehicles thoroughly overhauled. The case was one of a long list down for hearing at Manchester, last week, and Mr. Backhouse pointed out that in every case heard there had been a definite drop in the returns, but unless a man had lost some customers the fact that there was less textile trade and less to carry did not mean that the carrier could do with fewer vehicles.
The applicant, Mr. A. Hancock, trading as J. Hancock at Ancoats, Manchester, assured Sir William Hart, North-western Deputy Licensing Authority, that the requirements of the customers could not possibly be met without the extra vehicle. When there was only a 3-ton load it required a vehicle, just as did a 5-ton load. The licence was renewed,
, New Road to By-pass Chichester.
Traffic congestion in the centre of Chichester is to be relieved by the construction of a by-pass, work on which is now commencing. The new road— nearly four miles long and 100 ft. wide —is estimated to cost £200,000, and a grant towards the cost has been made from the Road Fund. Dual carriageways, each 22 ft. wide, will be provided, being separated by a 10-ft. central reservation, whilst there will be 9-ft. cycle tracks and footpaths.
Of Interest to Storekeepers.
Those concerned with the keeping of stores and spare parts will find much of interest in the new hook, " Stock Records," published at 2s. 6d. by Moore's Modern Methods, Ltd., 12, St, Bride Street, London, E.C.4. Many rulings are illustrated so that readers can adapt one or other of the forms to meet their requirements. MANNER OF RAIL WITNESS "UNFORTUNATE."
Holders of A licences in Leicester and district successfully objected, recently. to an application by the London and North Eastern Railway Co. for an additional vehicle of 2 tons 5 cwt. at the Leicester base. The objectors claimed that the railway sought to secure an additional A-licence vehicle for every 12 at present on the roads, as maintenance relief, but that such an additional vehicle, if granted, could be used in Manchester or Leicester.
Mr. A. H. Headley, for some of the objectors, declared:—" Not one haulage contractor on the road would dare nave the effrontery to stand before the railway company and say he had travelled from 5,000 to 8,000 miles per year, and on that basis claimed a relief vehicle."
Giving his decision, Mr. W. Dawson Sadler, East Midland Deputy Licensing Authority, referred to the manner of one of the rail witnesses as " unfortunate" when in the witness box. The railway company had said it did not want the radius of the vehicle to be restricted as it wished to be able to use it anywhere on its system. Figures produced did not, in his view, prove a need for one vehicle which was not be limited in any way. He was not satisfied on the whole of the evidence, and the application was refused.
I. of T. Plans Good Programme.
An interesting programme has been prepared for the 20th session of the Institute of Transport, for the year 1938-39. At meetings to be held in London, three lectures will interest our readers, these being one on January 9, entitled " Passenger Transport by Road in Relation to Railway Services," by Col. A. S. Redman, C.B.. another on February 13, on the " Interavailability of Tickets by Rail, Road, Sea and Air," by Mr. J. C. Chambers, and a third, on March 13, on "The London Passenger Transport Board 1933-38." by Mr. Frank Pick. In addition, a good range of lectures, covering a wide variety Of transport subjects, is scheduled to take place at a number of the Institute's local sections.
Big Government Contracts for Leylands.
Large Government contracts, estimated to exceed £100,000 in value, and comprising 78 six-wheeled chassis, six fully equipped fire-engines, and 100 unusually large A.R.P. pumping units have been placed with Leyland Motors, Ltd.
The new A.R.P. units will have twice the pumping capacity of those previously supplied to the Home Office. They will be capable of delivering 1,100-1,400 g.p.m., as against 700 g.p.m. of the previous machines.
The six-wheeled chassis ordered are of the four-cylinder Retriever type, specially designed for the War Department. The rear bogie is fully articulated and is designed to enable the vehicle to operate on cross-country work.
, The fire-engines will be light-type appliances, with 110 b.h.p. petrol engines, giving a pump output of 600800 g.p.m. It is understood that they will be stationed at Army depots in various parts of the country, and one or two may, possibly, be shipped abroad. Five of the machines will carry 50-ft. steel escapes, with sliding carriages, and the other will have a 30-ft. extension ladder. Extensive equipment is to be housed in the crossseated-type bodies, and each machine will carry a minimum of 2,300 ft. of hose.
Search for Oil Continues, The D'Arcy Exploration Co. is to sink a bore at Milton of Balgonie. Fife, in its search for oil in Scotland. A second bore is to he sunk at Balcurvie village, two miles away.
Makers' New London Office.
The London office of Tilling-Stevens, Ltd., and Vulcan Motors, Ltd., both of Maidstone, has been transferred to 114, Grand Buildings, Trafalgar Square, W.C.2, the change being brought about by the expansion of business.
150,000 Miles by Auto-Trucks.
Over 150,000 miles—a distance of three times the earth's equator—will have been covered by the Lister AutoTrucks in tise at the Empire Exhibition, in Glasgow, before the event closes at the end of this month. The vehicles-50 in number—have already carried over 1,500,000 people.
Shipping Guide for Hauliers.
The following is the number of ships arriving at the London docks, wharves and jetties named, from October 28 to November 6 inclusive. DOCKS :—King George V, 6; Royal Albert, 7; Royal Victoria, 4; Surrey Commercial. 8; East Anglia, 2; West India, 3; SouthWest India, 2; Tilbury. 9; Tilbury Stage, 4; Millwall, 7; Royal, 1; London, 1. WRARVES:—Hays, 2; Butler's, 2. Tilbury Jetty, 1. Regent's Canal. 1.
CHINA CLAY CARRIERS CHALLENGED.
The London, Midland and Scottish Railway Co. and two canal carrying companies opposed the regrant of a licence to Messrs. J. A. Dixon and E. Gray, trading as Messrs. Dixons of Scholar Green, with six motor vehicles, as coal merchants and hauliers. The case was listed for hearing at Manchester, last week, and the point was raised that Messrs. Dixons had been prohibited from carrying china clay and china stone from Cornwall to the Potteries, but were carrying what the trade called ball clay from Cornwall to the same customers in the Potteries.
For the objectors it was submitted that this was an infringement of the terms. For the applicants it was claimed that china, and ball clay were entirely different, but as the nature of the challenge was not revealed in the objections, in adjournment was necessary for the production of evidence from experts.
"Sacred Mountain" May Yield Oil.
Financiers in Tokyo believe that there may be oil under Mount Fuji, Japan's 13,000-ft. "sacred mountain.A sum of about £235,000 has been sunk by them in a company, which has started pumping operations at a depth of 1,500 ft.
Southend Road Modernization.
A further grant from the Road Fund has been made for the modernization of the London-Southend arterial road, within the Southend borough boundaries. The length of road for which the grant is made extends from Kent Elms Corner to Rochford Road—a length of about 2,400 yds.—and the total cost of the improvement is estimated at, £78,000. At present there is a single carriageway 24 ft. wide, but it is proposed to provide two 22-ft. carriageways, 9-ft. cycle tracks and footpaths. The work is to be put in hand immediately.