Trolteybus Conversion Attacked
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"THE order for the first of the 1,500 Routemaster buses has been given, but the first batch of them will not come into service until 1959. I hope that the Government will be acquitted of any undue complacency if 1 say that we certainly hope that long before 1959 oil supplies will once again be normal."
This was stated in the House of Commons last week by Mr. Hugh Molson, Joint Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Transport, after Mr. A. Palmer (Lab., Cleveland) and Mr.
G. Nabarro (Cons., Kidderminster) pressed for Ministerial intervention to reverse the decision of the London Transport Executive to convert its trolleybus system to oil-engined buses.
Mr. Palmer thought it undesirable that the whole London bus system should be dependent upon imported fuel, and Mr. Nabarro argued that electric traction enabled power stations to work more efficiently. Mr. Molson upheld the Executive's decision.
B.M.C. 15-CWT. OUTPUT STRAINED
PRODUCTION resources of the British Motor Corporation are being strained to the utmost to meet big home and export demands for the Morris J2 and Austin A152 15-cwt. models, states Sir Leonard Lord, chairman, in his annual report.
He foresees difficult trading conditions for another year or 18 months. Any further increase in costs of materials or in wages will have a profound effect on sales and earnings.
All 'previous advances in productive capacity have been quickly justified, Sir Leonard claims. "The world is still hungry for motor vehicles and what we are now spending can be considered as a premium necessary to insure the future."
S.D. ORDER BOOK FULL
ORDERS on the books of Shelvoke and Drewry, Ltd., are sufficient fully to occupy the works well beyond the end of the current year, reports Mr.
H. Shelvoke, chairman, reviewing accounts for the past financial year.
Consideration is being given to raising £500,000 by the creation of 1.1m. ordinary 5s. shares.
Demand for municipal vehicles continues unabated, whilst sales of Freightlifter fork-lift trucks last year were nearly double the total for the previous 12 months.
MONOPOLY INQUIRY
THE supply of "certain electrical equipment for motor vehicles" is to be referred to the Monopolies Commission. Under the Restrictive Trade Practices Act, 1956, the Commission are to be concerned with inquiries into monopoly where one concern are responsible for a third or more of the supply of particular products.