No Trident for 18 Months: New Plans of Thornycroft Organization
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IkAATERIALS will not be available to IVI put the new Trident-class vehicles into ,production until the spring of 1950, said Sir John E. Thornycroft, K.B.E., governing director and chairman of John I. Thornycroft and Co., Ltd., in his annual statement.
Sir John reported that a wholly owned subsidiary company, Transport Equipment (Thornycroft), Ltd., had been formed to take over the commercial-vehicle-manufacturing side of the business. This company has an authorized capital of £600,000 in shares of £1 each, of which 442,854 had been issued at a premium of £3 per share since the close of the financial year.
Firm Distinction • It is proposed also to transfer on August 1, 1949, the whole of the home vehicle and marine and industrial motor sales organization, and the Reading works, which is producing marine and industrial units. This change will have the effect of dividing the company's production aCtivities into those sponsored by the Admiralty (John I. Thornycroft and Co., Ltd.) and those sponsored by the Ministry of Supply (Transport Equipment [Thornycroft), Ltd.). The sales organization at present comprises depots in Glasgow, Newcastle, Leeds, Manchester, Birmingham, Cardiff and London.
The Thornycroft company's output of commercial vehicles for the past financial year was %lightly lower than in the previous year, because of shortages of material. Of the total production, 33 per cent, in value was expqrted, 38 per cent, having been sent overseas since January, 1946.
"Undelivered orders in progress for current types of chassis will utilize all the material allocations we expect to receive during the next 15 months," said Sir John. He added that during the year the company obtained an_ order amounting to about £634,000 Km the South African Railways for special types of road vehicle.
Sir John's statement included an analysis of how each £100 of income was spent. This showed that wages and salaries accounted for £43 16s. 10d. and materials for £40 Is. 5d. Only £2 its. 2d. could be reinvested in the business, and 15s. 5d. distributed to shareholders. "1 sin confident," he said, "that. impartial consideration of these figures will prove the impossibility, with the present high rate of
taxation, of utilizing any of the profits•shown to reduce selling prices."
Sir John added: "The penal rate of taxation on industry's profits is making it more and more difficult to put sufficient money to reserve, to provide cash for capital expenditure and to meet taxation, and at the same time show returns to the investor which will encourage him to invest further capital (savings) in the business."
At an extraordinary meeting of John I. Thornycroft and Co., Ltd., to be held on November 17, shareholders will be asked to pass a resolution "that the authorized capital of the company be increased to £1,050,000 by the creation of 300,000 new ordinary shares of £1 each."
THREE-LAYER ENGINE BEARING
fIRIGINALLY evolved for use in la aircraft and Tanks, a new bearing, introduced by Vandervell Products, Ltd., Western Avenue, London, W.3, during the war, is now being extensidly employed in oil engines. It is of the three-layer type, consisting of a steel strip, a copper-base -reinforcing alloy, and a soft alloy overlay.
SUNBEAM STILL TO BUILD AT • WOLVERHAMPTON -.
THE lease of Moorfield Works, Wolverhampton, has been extended, and the production of Sunbeam trolleybuses will continue there for many years to come. Mr. Sydney S. Guy, chairman and managing director of Guy Motors, Ltd., made this announcement when Mr. J. G. Legg, general manager of the Sunbeam •Trolleybus• Co., Ltd., chief executives and representative employees from each department, visited Guy Motors, Ltd., to nieet their opposite numbers.
As announced in "The Commercial Motor" on October 8, the Guy Concern has taken over the Sunbeam trolleybus business.
Mr. Guy said that the Sunbeam company had, at the present rate of output, sufficient orders for trolleybuses to keep the works busy for at least 12 months. The two companies were in no way competitive, although as far as possible they would arrange for standardization of parts and for joint representation for sales and service. The Sunbeam company would concentrate on building trolleybuses, and Guy Motors, Ltd., on constructing motorbuses and lorries.
NEW CAFE LIST ISSUED
ANEW edition of the "Directory of Road Transport eafes," price 6d., has been issued by the Road Transport Catering and Accommodation Joint Committee, 146, New Bond Street, London, W.I. It is classified by counties, towns and villages, and contains about 40 pages of entries.
The foreword states that difficulties in catering created by the war have not yet been entirely overcome, but marked improvements have been made. As a result of the efforts of the Road Haulage Central Wages Board, establishments in which 60 per cent, or more of the customers served are manual workers may be registered in Category 13 and become entitled to additional allowances of rationed goods, on the same basis as industrial canteens. •
FOUR APPEALS NEXT WEEK FOUR appeals will be heard next week by the Appeal Tribunal at Halifax House, Strand, London, W.C.2.
On November 9 the appeal of W. W. Whiting against a decision of the South Wales Licensing Authority will be called. On the following day the Tribunal will hear the appeal of G. H. Stammers and Sons, Ltd., against a decision of the South Eastern Deputy Licensing Authbrity. The cases for hearing on November II are those of Lewis and Co. (Sutton-by-Pass), Ltd., versus the Metropolitan Licensing Authority, and J. Steele (Datchet), Ltd., versus the • Metropolitan Deputy Licensing Authority.
HULL WILL LOSE £60,000 . IT is estimated that there will be a loss I of about £50,000 on the current year's working of the Hull Passenger Transport Department. To meet it, the department will probably use about half its reserves. There is stated to be no immediate prospect of an increase in fares.
NEW LR.T.E. CENTRE IN WEST ACENTRE in the west was being formed, said Mr. G. Mackenzie Junner, president and chairman of the Institute of Road Transport Engineers, at the third general meeting in London, last night. The council wished that the Institute should also be more fully represented overseas, particulariy in the Empire. The number of members abroad was steadily increasing and the council hoped that they would eventually be able to form centres.
At the same time, Mr. Junner pointed out that the scrutinizing committee. which had had to hold more meetings than any other committee, because of the large number of applications for membership, was determined to maintain a high level in the various grades. Frequently the council was advised to reject would-be members or to •offer them lower grades more appropriate to • their qualifications.
The Institute's employment bureau had proved of service to a number of members, some of whom had obtained ,important positions abroad, as well as in this country.
Mr. Junner criticized the low salaries sometimes offered to road transport engineers, despite their high qualifications and important responsibilities.
07,000,000 TO ROAD FUND IN the year ended March 31 last the 1 Road Fund received £17,074,000, of which £16,896,000 was spent. Highway authorities were given grants totalling £9,112,000. A sum of £13,369,000 was spent on maintenance and minor improvements, and E2.641,000 on major improvements and the construction of new roads.
At the end of the accounting year there were 183,051 miles of public highways in Great Britain.