News of the week (continued)
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" WOULD NOT CRUSH COMPETITORS," SAYS RAIL OFFICIAL.
QPEAKING to members of Glasgow Publicity Club, on Friday last, Mr. William Yeaman, commercial manager of the Northern Division of the.London, Midland and Scottish Railway, said that no road-transport system could handle the country's traffic as the railways did to-day. If only road transport were available, city dock:s would become congested With goods within a week. Road transport; for example, • would find it impossible to deal. with the carriage of coal.
British railways, said Mr. Yeaman, had been built and developed under a monopoly. They were forced to accept all goods offered and could vary their carriage charges within only prescribed limits. They wished the existing statutory charges for goods conveyance repealed and desired to have the power to decide the charges and conditions for the carriage of merchandise. Given these powers, they would not" crush competitors, or differentiate between classes of trader. There was no danger of them driving hauliers off the roads and any attempt to treat traders in unequal fashion would simply lead to the roads being flooded with C-licence vehicles. • Railways' " Flimsy Allegations."
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I AM surprised that the railways are not overwhelmed with admiration at this re-duction of clearing-house traffic," said Dr.. W. Dawson Sadler, West Midland Deputy Licensing Authority, in over-ruling a railway objection based on alleged change of traffic by a West Bromwich -haulage
firm. The occasion was the second adjourned hearing of the application of Messrs. R. Harrison, West Bromwich, . for the renewal of their licence in respect of five vehicles.
At the previous hearing, which was adjourned for the production of figures indicative of applicant's inward traffic, evidence was given by Mr. Rossington, a director of the applicant firm, and of Messrs. Grimsby RoadwaYs, for whom Messrs. Harrisons carry return loads on their vehicles trading in the East Midlands area.
Protesting against the attitude of the railways, Mr. D. Skelding, for applicants, said that he had been made to feel that there was a serious criminal charge to answer. But what did his clients' offence amount to? Simply that, Itt the interests of economy, they had collaborated in the substitution of a system of co-ordination for the haphazard arrangement of clearing-house methods under which Messrs. Grimsby Roadways paid out -£2,500 a year to sub-contractors with whom they had no interest. Of that amount Messrs. Harrisons now received £750 a .year, The railways, said Mr. Skelding, bad B24 been quite unable to substantiate their flimsy allegations of change of traffic.
Dr. Sadler said that he was satisfied that there had been a change of traffic, but not a material change. There had simply been a diminution of clearinghouse traffic at both ends—Birmingham and Grimsby.
In referring last week to the railways and road agreement, we stated that every effort was made by both sides to reach fair and reasonable rates agreements. This should have read everyeffort will be made.
MINISTER (MIENS LUTON'S NEW SERVICE CENTRE.
r-IN Monday last, the Minister ot ‘../Transport, Mr. Leslie Burgin, formally opened the new service premises of Dickinson and Adams, Ltd., at Luton. Modern in all its features, the two-storey building has an approximate frontage of 200 ft., the ground floor, which has an area of 27,000 sq. ft., comprising extensive showrooms, stores department and vehiclevaleting facilities, such equipment as the Crypton engine analyser and the first complete tunnel wash in this country being installed.
This latter device is made under Italian patents by Tecalemit, Ltd., of • I3rentford. The complete unit enables vehicles to be washed in quantity at a quick rate and eliminates the need for manual hosing-down. Th lubrication equipment is also by Tecalemit.
The particularly bright interior of the premises is due largely to the use of Noral aluminium paste pigment, which, incidentally, reduces to a minimum the effects of corrosion. It is made by the Northern Aluminium Co., Ltd., and has been used on all the steelwork, including the ramp guard rails and staircases, and all exposed surfaces of structural girders.
The building has been so designed and constructed that two additional storeys can, at any time,. be added without affecting the existing structure.