News of the Week
Page 28
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M.O.T. WARNS WOULD-BE HAULIERS
THE Ministry of Transport has issued a warning to ex-Servicemen concerning applications from them for goodsvehicle licences. It strongly advises them, in their own interest, not to buy vehicles without 'first consulting the appropriate Licensing Authority; otherwise they run the risk of having vehicles left on their hands and no licences to operate them.
A Licensing Authority will issue a licence only if an applicant can show that existing haulage facilities in his district are inadequate. This condition is necessary, not only in the interests of economy, but in fairness to existing hauliers and to those who are leaving the Forces and wish to resume their former businesses as hauliers. The Authorities have agreed that, subject to the circumstances existing at the time an application is made, the fact that a person was licensed at the beginning of the war to operate a certain tonnage of goods vehicles and has not disposed of his business by sale, will stand in his favour in respect of the licensing of a similar tonnage.
RADIO. TELEPHONY ARRIVES
RADIO TELEPHONE equipment suitable for use on road vehicles has been introduced by the Plessey Co., Ltd., Ilford, Essex. It is designed to rover the very high frequency ranges and comprises three units, one of which is a centre chassis housing the power pack and amplifier, and the other two
the transmitter and receiver. .
The transmitter and receiver units are fixed to the centre chassis and "fold over" as a book. Should one part of the equipment fail in use, a unit can quickly be replaced by a nontechnical user.
Power is normally taken from the vehicle battery. The current drain from a 12-volt battery is 5 amps. on "receive," with the transmitter heaters " on " to give immediate response, and 10 amps. on "send." The set can also he adapted for 6-volt operation. The equipment measures 8 ins. by 71 ins. by 91 ins., and weighs 161 lb. A loudspeaker is housed in a case measuring 71 ins. by 71 ins. by 31 ins., although headphones may be used instead. The complete equipment includes a small flexible aerial, a hand microphone or throat microphone, a control unit for remote operation, and cables, plugs and sockets.
EIGHT TO ONE
ON June 3, at Halifax House, Strand, London, W.C.2, the Appeal Tribunal will hear the appeals of Hay's Wharf Cartage Co., Ltd., and Fred Edlin, Ltd., against a grant by the East Midland Licensing Authority to W. J. Simms, Sons, and Cooke, Ltd. On the following day the appeals of the Southern Railway Co. and seven others against the Western Licensing Authority's grant to D. G. Ford, Ltd., will be heard.
C LICENSEES "NOT YET OUT OF THE WOOD"
CLICENSEES were warned that they were not yet "out of the .wodd," virlien Mr. M. Clark Halt, of the British Road Federation, addressed members of the Engineering Industries' Association in Coventry last week.
He declared that the Government would reintroduce the part of the Transport Bill dealing with C licensees if their operations made the working of the Transport Commission uneconomic.
He also alleged that London Transport had had an average of one strike per fortnight in some part of its undertaking, whereas since 1926 there had been few strikes in privately owned concerns in the road transport industry. SECOND THOUGHTS ON ROAD EXPENDITURE
A STATEMENT issued by the British I-1 Road Federation on May 21 welcomed the Minister of Transport's announcement that he is reconsidering the recent cuts in grants to local authorities for the purpose of highway maintenance.
"It is to be hoped that this restitution of the grants will not be limited to repairing the damage caused by the recent frosts and floods but will be extended to meet as well the original estimates put forward by local authorities," the B.R.F. said.
A special committee set up by the B.R.F. to investigate the question of the cuts in highway expenditure passed unanimously a resolution deploring a policy that had "been embarked upon without due consideration of the economic loss which will inevitably be borne by the general public through the slowing down of road transport, and the depreciation of vehicles and capital equipment.'
In total, the cuts represent 26.6 per cent, of the estimates for Class I and H roads, and 57.9 per cent for Class III roads. The total amount of the cuts is £5,699,204.
2,-000 VEHICLES FOR SALE lkAORE than 2,000 surplus GovernIV1 ment vehicles, including about 770 trailers, will be auctioned at Byram Park, Brotherton, Yorkshire, from June 9-12 and June 16-19. The sale will include mobile workshops, lorries, vans, tipping vehicles, ambulances, tractors, tankers, 'coaches, breakdown vehicles. and fire-engines. Messrs. Hollis and Webb, 3, Park Place, Leeds, I, are the auctioneers, from whom catalogues may be obtained.
NEW ALBION 4-TONNER
TO be known as the FT.7, Albion Motors, Ltd., Scotstoun, Glasgow, W.4, announces the introduction of a new 4-tonner to its present comprehensive range of goods vehicles.
It is powered by a four-cylindered 20-48 h.p. petrol engine and is 'available in two wheelbase lengths.