What the Driver Didn't Know
Page 49
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THE other week I was asked to investigate a load of building materials which was missing. After a long and painful series of site meetings, works discussions, followed by assistance from the police, the driver, a regular employee, admitted " flogging " the goods in a café. Temporary difficulty with hire-purchase payments resulted in his taking a risk when confronted by the spiv who sidled up in the café and for a few pounds requested the ignition keys of the vehicle.
The arrangement was that the vehicle would be driven some distance away, the load transhipped, and the vehicle returned "around the corner" for the driver to collect. A faked signature on the delivery note threw everyone off the scent for some weeks, but finally the processes of the law caught up with the driver, but not, alas, with the middle-crook or the receiver.
Obviously, the relationship between employers and driver was not entirely good. The driver could, I learned on investigation, have obtained a loan from his employers, repayable over an extended period. He was not aware that such a facility was available if he made a request. Instead, he panicked over the action likely in connection with his hire-purchase.
Basically, I place more blame on his employers for the course of the events than on the unfortunate driver. They had never issued instructions of any kind that in no circumstances were the ignition keys to be handed to another person. except under the orders of the police. I believe that there are many operators who have failed to take this and other elementary precautions in their own, their drivers' and frequently their customers' interests.
Some of us are acutely conscious of the importance of security, but I wonder whether we are overlooking a number of basic essentials, and becoming careless about some of the little things which matter?
Southend-on-Sea. TRUNKIE.
The Man Who Saved Leyland
IN the profile of Sir Henry Spurrier published on July 8, I you did not mention that after the 1914-18 war Leyland Motors, Ltd., had a difficult time, and in about 1923 owed a great deal of money, particularly to the Midland Bank. My late father, Mr. A. A. Liardet, was deputed by the bank to get Leyland Motors out of their difficulties. One of the first things he did was to institute strict economy measures. Without my father's great ability there might now be no Leyland company.
Kingswood, Bristol. GERALD A. LIARDET.
[On Mr. A. A. Liardet's death. Sir (then Mr.) Henry Spurrier wrote the following appreciation of him:— "Mr. Liardet was appointed general manager at Leyland in 1923, and he soon became known to all as 'G.M.' Before his arrival Leyland Motors had been very much a 'family affair,' knowing few. if any, strangers as additions to the staff. Times were hard and the company was just beginning to recover from financial difficulties. Every one of us wondered how the new man would shape. We had not long to wait before finding out. He appointed me his personal assistant. and T was therefore in the favourable, or possibly unfavourable, position of hearing the story from both sides. I formed my own conclusions quickly. The experience was in many ways on a par with the appointment of a new headmaster at school— within a few hours, almost, the boys know instinctivel: how far they dare go. We all knew we could go as fai as we were allowed and no further: there was no doubt in anyone's mind on this point. From the very first he set such a personal example in ceaseless energy and hard work that he won the admiration of all of us. But by far his greatest asset was his own forceful personality; he was a barn leader, fearless and decisive, but with it all very human and understanding. Within no time at all he had converted us from an organization of rather cliquish departments into a happy team whose sole objective was 'Leyland.' We had a wonderful run under his leadership; the company became firmly planted on its feet again, and its development within and without was progressive and according to plan. I was in my early twenties when he came, and I remained with him as his assistant, with ever-increasing responsibilities. until his appointment as managing director in 1942. There are many others at Leyland today who have benefited from his leadership from thc start, and they will agree with me that most of what we all have learnt is of his teaching. The spirit he inculcated remains as a permanency. Neither we as individuals nor Leyland as a company would be where we find ourselves today, but for 'G.M.' "—En.]
Is Britain Behind the Times ?
mAy I warn authorities contemplating the purchase of
costly refuse-collection vehicles? There is a tendency on the Continent to use an expanding paper sack which improves the use of manpower by 100 per cent. and enables ordinary vehicles to be employed. It has taken Britain more than 10 years to become dustless-vehicle conscious just at a time when an entirely new system is being developed elsewhere. Why must we always be 10 or 15 years behind others?
Portslade. GEORGE FLEXER, Managing Director,
James and George Flexer, Ltd. [James and George Flexer, Ltd., make sacks and bags.—Eo.]
Agents Expect Too Much Profit
ITH reference your report on the difficulty of securing tenders for the construction of mobile libraries (July 15), we are not at all surprised at the refusal of coachbuilders to build these special bodies. We, when tendering. experience the same trouble in having to cover motor agents for something like 20 per cent. This is more than the coachbuilder can make on this type of work. The answer, of course, is for the agents to be satisfied with chassis discount and for the bodybuilder to be contracted direct with the customer for bodywork.
Blackpool. A. E. KITCHENER, Director, K.W. Bodies, Ltd.
A Plea for Flashing Indicators
mAY I beg of your opeiator readers whose vehicles are not so equipped to fit flashing direction indicators at the rear, and to tell drivers to use them whenever necessary.
London, N.W.11. SHORT-WIIEELBASE MOTORIST.