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News of the Week

R.H. (25) GOES TO MINISTER OF LABOUR

AFTER considering reports from the Area Wages Boards and objections which had been lodged, the Road Haulage Central Wages Board has decided to ask the Minister of Labour to make an Order giving effect to R.H. (25).

As already reported in "The Commercial Motor," R.H. (25) proposes increases in subsistence allowance covering a period of rest away from the home depot not exceeding 15 hours' continuous duration, and for workers who are temporarily transferred for more than a week. It is proposed also to bring milk workers within the scope of the Order. They will have a six-day guaranteed week, the regulated day being 7 hours 20 minutes.

SPECIAL BUS SYSTEM FOR OLYMPIC GAMES ENTRANTS

THE Olympic Games have set London Transport a big problem. Apart from handling heavy traffic to and from Wembley Stadium and other sports venues in and around London, a special organization has had to be set up to deal with the movement of competitors from the three main camps, 22 housing centres, main-line termini, airports and 21 sports arenas. Transport had also to be available, before the games started, for competitors already in England and in training.

Transport is being undertaken by private-hire buses and a miscellany of vehicles of all types. Vehicle maintenance and replacement programmes have had to be adjusted, and one bus of the later types has been borrowed from each garage having these vehicles.

There is a special office at Wembley to control these buses. In it is a largeA26

scale map on which is plotted every route that the buses cover and the position of each bus at a given time. The eight officials working there have contact with every part of the London Transport system and with Olympic Games officials.

To assist drivers in finding their way from any camp or sports centre, London Transport traffic experts prepared a booklet containing details of 531 routes. To overcome the language difficulty, all camps and sports venues are known by colours and the buses serving them display similar colours. Some of the buses carry drivers and conductors who can speak a foreign language. APPLICANTS PAY COST OF ADJOURNMENT

AFIER the applicants had . voluntarily agreed to pay £10 10s. costs to the objectors (£7 7s. to certain hauliers and £3 3s. to the Railway Executive), Ald. R. F. Lyne, Western Deputy Licensing Authority, at Bristol, last week, adjourned an application by Messrs. Northover Bros., of Pilning, Gloucester, for an A licence to replace an A defence permit for one vehicle. The vehicle concerned was kept at North Nibly, about 12 miles from Pilnlinr.gk Northover was unable to answer a number of questions put to him by the objectors, and said that his brother, who was more familiar with licensing, was on holiday. Mr. 0. Parsons, for the applicants, requested that the case should be adjourned so that the brother might be present and further figures prepared.

Ald. Lyne said that the applicants had , treated the Court with discourtesy, and pointed out that the objectors had been put to trouble and expense in attending the inquiry. After a brief retirement, it was stated that Messrs. Northover Bros. were willing to pay the costs of an adjournment, and would supply Aid. Lyne and the objectors within five weeks with copies of the figures to be produced at the next hearing. The case was accordingly adiournee SMALL HAULIERS "PILLORIED AND ROBBED" • " BY compulsory acquisition the small haulier is pilloried and robbed, whereas the large undertaking, e.g., a railway or colliery undertaking, is favoured or exempted from charge," states Mr. R. W. Sewill, national consultant to the Road Haulage Association, in commenting on the injustice of charging income tax on compensation paid for vehicles of undertakings compulsorily acquired under the Transport Act, 1947. One of the subjects in dispute arises from the "balancing charge" under Section 17 of the Income Tax Act, 1945.

Mr. Sewill states: "The vehicles of an acquired undertaking are to be valued at the replacement value less one-fifth of the value for each year of expired service. On the surface this appears reasonable, but the recipient of the price immediately becomes' liable to tax on the difference between such value and the written-down value for incometax purposes.

"As an example, a haulier bought a vehicle on January I, 1943, for £2,000, and its written-down value for incometax purposes by June, 1948, would be about £100. A new vehicle of a like type costs to-day, say, £4,000, and using the formula prescribed by the Transport Act, gives a value for compensation purposes of about £1,300. The wear and tear previously allowed is £1,900 (£2,0004100), and consequently the haulier will be called upon to pay tax at 9s. in £ on £1,200 (£1,300-£100), or £540. In effect, through no fault of his

own, he is compelled to accept' price ,,.

B.T.C. SCOTTISH BILL

ABILL to confirm a Provisional Order made under the Private Legislation Procedure (Scotland) Act, 1936, to give the British Transport Commission power to construct works and acquire additional lands in Scotland, has been introduced. It is entitled the British Transport Commission Order Confirmation Act, 1948, and includes provisions to protect the interests of Fife County Council and Edinburgh Corporation. HEPWORTH AND GRANDAGE iN NEW ZEALAND ABRANCH factory is to be opened at Auckland, New Zealand, by Hepworth and Grandage, Ltd. After making arrangements, Mr. William Hepworth, managing director, is on his way home from New Zealand_

A company has been registered under the title Associated Engineering (New Zealand), Ltd., with a capital of £100,000. Resident directors will be supplemented by directors of the parent company.

Production in the initial stages will be limited to piston rings, but later, pistons, gudgeon pins, cylinder liners and valveseat inserts will be manufactured.

TIMKEN LAUNCHING OUT

D EPRESENTAT1VES from 30 counl‘tries will attend a series of conferences to be held at the end of this month by British Timken„ Ltd. The company has already embarked on a large expansion programme, involving a big increase in capital, to meet not only home needs but to enable the company to obtain a substantial share of foreign markets

RADIO CARS GUIDE SCAFFOLDING CONVOY

RADIO cars were used recently by Scaffolding (Great Britain), Ltd., to guide a convoy of its lorries carrying an exceptionally bulky load of scaffolding from Wimbledon to Wembley for the Olympic Games.

The load consisted of a tubular-steel mobile-camera tower, more than 20 ft. high, together with two other towers. each 10 ft. high—all specially built by the company for the use of newsreel cameramen. To get the towers on to the lorries was a difficult operation, and it was necessary to allow a large amount of overhang on each side.

Special police permission was obtained to drive the convoy through London in daylight. The entire journey, from Plough Road, Wimbledon. to Wembley Stadium. was accomplished in 65 minutes.

TWO-WAY RADIO BUSES

RECEIVERS and transmitters for Ilstwo-way radio operation, so that driver and depot can maintain constant contact, are incorporated in the new buses recently put into service at Recife, Brazil, by Pernambuco Autoviara, Ltd. The machines are claimed to be the first public service vehicles to be thus equipped in that coufitry. They have White 12-cylindered engines and 44seater bodies.

SALES EXPERT AVAILABLE

VVE know of a man with an early training in engineering who is seeking a position in sales promotion or publicity, having been connected with these since 1920. He has been publicity manager for one of the largest vehicle manufacturers, and during the war was attached as a public relations officer to one of the Ministries. He has built up successful sales organizations from scratch. Letters should he addressed "Publicity," care of the Editor.

BUSES OUTSIDE BOUNDARY?

SOUTH SHIELDS CORPORATION is seeking sanction to run buses into Jarrow as far as the Ben Lomond Hotel, the main traffic centre in Jarrow. At present the corporation's buses operate as far as the Beds estate, on the boundary of Jarrow. Jarrow is at present covered solely by the Northern General Transport Co., Ltd.

ALL ABOUT GIANTS

AUCH valuable information on AVI giant tyres is contained in a booklet just pubished by the Dunlop Rubber Co., Ltd.. St. James's House, St. James's Street. London, S.W.I. Its title, "Twenty Questions on Large Dimension -Tyres and a Few More on Size Markings and Ply Rating." is selfexplanatory

MORE ECONOMIC SURVEYS

AST Friday the Stationery Office LA published, on behalf of the Export Promotion Department of the Board of Trade, two further Overseas Economic Surveys dealing with Brazil and Egypt. Each costs 2s.

0,000,000 HAULAGE DEAL WITH B.T.C.

UNDER road haulage nationalization arrahgements, Aid. Charles Holdsworth, head of the Holdsworth and Hanson group, on Tuesday handed over. to Transport Commission representatives in London the whole of the shares in 18 companies, including the Bouts Tillotson organization, Holdsworth's, of Halifax, and Hanson's, of Huddersfield.

Aid. Holdsworth received from the Commission a draft for £2.000.000 on account. The deal is understood to involve a sum approaching £3,000,000.

LORRY DRIVER FOILED THIEVES: PRAISED IN COURT

ALORRY driver, James Cawdry, employed by Holdsworth and Burrill, Ltd., Bradford, was commended by the Norman Cross (Huntingdonshire) magistrates, in proceedings on July 27, for his plucky and successful resistance to a night attempt by a gang of four men to steal the lorry he was driving, and its load of suiting cloths worth £25,000, on the Great North Road.

Mr. Cawdry stated that during a journey from Bradford to London he went to help the driver of a black saloon car who appeared to be in difficulties. He was immediately attacked by this man, but knocked him down. Three other men jumped from a hedge and set on him, eventually pulling him to the roadside, but they made off when another lorry approached. He drove on a few miles and reported to a village policeman.

According to police evidence, within 20 minutes of this notification a patrol car received the information by wireless, and in another 20 minutes the black saloon car had been stopped on the Bedfordshire border.

The presiding magistrate said that Mr. Cawdry had acted in a most exemplary manner.

FULL PROGRAMME FOR PARIS CONFERENCE

DETAILS of the Congres International des Fabrications Mecaniques, to be held in Paris from September 13-18, can now be obtained in booklet form from the publications division, British Engineers' Association, 32, Victoria Street, London, S.W.1.

Among visits to be made is one to the S.O.M.U.A. factory at Saint-Ouen. Delegates will also be able to visit the Renault works, which employs 35,000 people, and the Bernard factory.

IN A LINE OR TWO Twenty-four Plymouth taxicabs are to be fitted with lo-way radio. They are operated by Supercabs. Ltd.

A contract for 225 sets of prefabricated components for bus bodies has been received by Metal Sections, Ltd., Oldbury, from Bombay Provincial Government.

Twenty-four-mile drives round local parks, beauty spots and housing estates were run by Nottingham Corporation last Monday. to "let people see what they have to be proud of.'' This week Sir James Milne and six British transport experts began an inquiry on transport in Eire. Their object is to provide a scheme for a co-ordinated system of public transport.

HINT OF HIGHER FARES

REVEAL1NG a loss of £10,106 on the operation of the trolleybuses, last year, the annual report of Nottingham Transport Committee, presented to the city council last week, states "It is upon trolleybuses that the major burden of any future fare increases will fall, due to the very low rate of fares at present being charged on these vehicles."

ULST ER AUTHORITY TO MAKE VEHICLES?

DOWER to build vehicles, given to the I Ulster Transport Authority under the new Transport Bill, was questioned in the Ulster Senate on July 29. Replying to critics, the Minister of Commerce, Sir Roland Nugent, said that the clause contained only powers which the Northern Ireland Road Transport Board had had since it was formed and the railway companies had had for many years. The Authority could manufacture only for the purposes of the undertaking. It could not go into the general market, although it could build for Belfast Corporation.

It would be extremely wasteful not to use the workshops available for repairs for a reasonable amount of manufacturing.

In a speech to Stafford Rotary Club on July 29, Major J. R. PercevalMaxwell, D.L., M.P., Parliamentary Secretary to the Northern Ireland Ministry of Commerce, said: " I wish to emphasize that the Northern Ireland Government believes that full development of traction by internal combustion can be guaranteed only if a considerable body of privately owned transport is continued in existence."

OVERNIGHT PARKING INQUIRY

OVERNIGHT parking of goods vehicles in Bootle is receiving attention by Bootle Corporation, which has asked for a meeting with representatives of the Road Haulage Association to discuss steps to meet the complaints received from residents. During discussion at the R.H.A. meeting in Liverpool, it was stated that free parking was already provided at Birkenhead and Warrington. Association representatives are to have discussions with Bootie Corporation.

I.M.I. INSTITUTES ASSOCIATE CLASS

rERTAIN changes in the articles of

association of the Institute of the Motor Industry (Inc.), 40, Queen's Gate, London, S.W.7, bring into being a new associate class of membership. Decisions of the Council following this move are that associates shall be persons elected by the Council and not considered as qualified for corporate membership, but who fulfil the following conditions:—

(a) Are not less than 25 years old on application. (b) Have had at least 5 years' continuous employment in a responsible position in the motor industry or in other branches of science, engineering. etc.. which, in the view of the Council, are ancillary to this. (c) Satisfy the Council' that their admittance as associates will promote the declared objects of the institute and the well-being of the industry. (d) Obtain nomination for election by not less than three corporate members and in such form and subject to such conditions as the Council may determine.

They will pay an entrance fee of twa guineas and an annual subscription of the same amount.

WHO DOES KNOW?

WHnEN asked in the House of Corn lons to furnish details of the arrangements under which commercial vehicle manufacturers had undertaken to give preferential deliveries to farmers, Mr. G. R. Strauss, Minister of Supply, said that, at the Ministry's request, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders has asked its members to give

priority to essential industries, including agriculture, Mr. Wingfield Digby replied that, when telephoned, the S.M.M.T. knew nothing of the arrangement. Mr. Strauss replied that about a year ago the Society was approached and agreed to the arrangement.

Prices ranging from £70 to £120 each were paid for 146 20-ton 16-wheeled trailers at an auction sale in Glasgow, on July 28, of Government surplus stores. BUSES TO RUN UP THE GREAT ORME

AS the result of a deputation from Llandudno Town Council, which met Mr. L. J. Callaghan, Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Transport, the Minister has reversed his decision not to approve the corporation's purchase of buses for a service up the

Great Orme. Vehicles • specially designed to climb the steep gradient have been ordered.

INDICATORS ON RUSES?

IN a written answer in the House of I Commons, last week, on the installation of traffic indicators on buses, Mr. L. J. Callagan said that the Minister of Transport had the matter under consideration.