REBUKE FOR APPLICANTS WHO DO NOT ATTEND.
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At a meeting of the Eastern Licensing Authority, at Colchester, a few days ago, the Authority .had some serious remarks to address to applicants who applied for licences and failed to attend the public inquiry when their cases were to be heard. Ile stressed that, in many of these cases, objectors were put to the expense and inconvenience of employing solicitors and spending time in the traffic court, only to be faced with the non-attendance of the applicant, and consequent automatic dismissal of the application.
The case in point was an application by Mr. H. Harvey, of Southend-onSea, who applied for a licence to operate a vehicle for furniture removal. Five objectors attended, and the Licensing Authority requested the solicitor acting for them to put one of the objectors in the witness box, so that he could have a record of the facilities which were, in fact, available for this class of work in Southend. It appeared that there were some 120 licensed carriers in the district, operating about 300 vehicles, and it seemed unlBtely that additional facilities would be granted.
Tees.side Chamber and Road Offences.
The transport subcommittee of the Tees-side Chamber of Commerce, in a report adopted by the Chamber, on Monday last, arising out of the Minister of Transport's request for information as to the prevalence of breaches of statutes and regulations, stated that breaches were not now made by reputable road-haulage undertakings, but there were still breaches by less carefully managed concerns. It was considered that the staff now employed in the detection of offences was adequate, but that to semixe a better observance of the regulations, more drastic action should be taken against consistent Offenders,
Concerning the use of trailers behind private cars, Mr. W. Oliver, representing the National Farmers' Union, said this facility was of vital importance to the farming community. Any drastic modification of the use of trailers would seriously affect agriculture. The N.F.U. would discuss the matter at its meeting today, (Friday). Satisfaction that it had been possible for an agreed report to be submitted by a subcommittee representative of all classes of licence holder and the railways, was voiced by Mr. a Harrison, chairman of the subcommittee.
The views put .forward in the report will be submitted to the Association of British. Chambers of Commerce.
Across the Andes with an Oiler.
A Swedish Volvo lorry, equipped with a Ilesselman oil engine:, recently made a record trip over the Andes from Buenos Aires to Santiago; thereby satisfactorily completing the trip over the difficult road between the two capitals, Which at places rises to 13,000 ft above sea level.
The Argentine representatives of the Volvo concern, the largest manufacturer of motor vehicles in Sweden. were requested to demonstrate the vehicle to the city authorities in Santiago .within a certain time. As no Volvo lorry was available in Santiager they
had to send a lorry from Buenos Aires before the time limit expired. 4 leery standing in the Customs was quickly overhauled and sent off, the 1,000-mile journey across the South American continent being covered without trouble.
The lorry consumed 335 litres of oil and the fuel cost was only one-third of that of a petrol-engitied vehicle of the same type, Mr. Szlumper's Smoked Glasses?
Mr. Gilbert S. Szlumper, general manager of the Southern Railway Co., speaking at the annual dinner of the Scottish section of the Institute of Transport, held in Edinburgh on Monday, referred to the appeal by the railways for a " square deal," and said that the sooner there arrived some real arrangement or understanding between the different forms of transport, the better it would be for the. nation. "d most sincerely look forward to a solution of the difficulties, such as they are," he remarked. " I, who happen to be a railway man, view the question through one pair of spectacles; the roadtransport man views it through another. Neither is able to say what is right."
It was a useless thing to go on warring, he added. He wattlei rather throw bouquets than throw mud. WHAT EXPERIMENTAL WORK ' ON ROADS HAS PROVED.
The eighth annual report of the Experimental Work on Highways (Technical). Committee„ dealing with the experimental work of the Roads Department, Ministry of Transport, vvas published a few days ago. The opening chapter contains a survey of the full-scale experimental work carried out by the Ministry during 1937-1938. The succeeding chapters deal, respectively, with concrete, cement-bound macadam, tar and bituminous surfaeings, thin surfacing coats, surface dressings and footpaths in rural areas. . A tabulated summary appended to the report epitomizes the various aspects of road design, construction .and maintenance included in the committee's programme, with reference to the relevant experiments.
A standardized form has this year been adopted for the reports cm individual experiments, It is hoped in this way to trace clearly the successive stages in the history of the different sections, and to facilitate comparison between experiments..
Many of the experiments which have been under review for four or five years' are now regarded as at an end and definite conclusions have been drawn wherever practicable. Skidding tests have been carried out periodically on several sections, and the results afford valuable comparative data regarding the behaviour of different types of surfacing.
The profilometer—a testing machine designed and constructed at the Road Research Laboratory—has been used to measure the riding qualities of a number of experimental sections. This 16wheeled machine compares irregularities in the surface.
Copies of the report may be obtained from H.M. Stationery Office, price 2s. 6d. (postage 2d. extra), Overloading to be Discussed.
The Midland Centre of the Institute of Consulting Motor Engineers will discuss overloading and lorry attachments at a meeting on December 6, at 7.30 p.m., at the Chamber of Cornmemo, New Street, Birmingham. The discussion Will be opened by Mr. C. W. Sheppard, M.Inst.C.M.E.