Bird's Eye View
Page 83
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Lawyer's Paradise
By The Hawk
THE British Transport Commission do not appear to mind airing their domestic quarrels in public and paying for the privilege of doing so. For instance, British Railways objected to the recent applications by the Northern pool operators to vary their joint Liverpool-Newcastle and Liverpool-Middlesbrough express services. Two of the pool companies are owned by the B.T.C., three are owned jointly by B.E.T. and the B.T.C., and the sixth is independent.
A solicitor on the B.T.C. legal staff appeared on behalf of the railways at three hearings in Liverpool, Leeds and Newcastle. Presumably, the applicants' advocates were also appearing indirectly on behalf of the B.T.C. The legal profession should be the last to complain about prodigal expenditure in the traffic courts, but it seems odd that the B.T.C. could not have settled their internal differences out of court.
Sacrifice to Exports
WHETHER British operators like it tar not, there is a possibility that the sliding cab door for delivery vans is on the way out. The new Thames 10-12-cwt. and 15-cwt. vans have hinged doors, mainly because overseas operators are said to dislike the sliding variety. Another point is that, as hinged doors are provided on the lorry and chassis-cab versions of the Thames, it is obviously cheaper to use them also on the light vans.
Having such powerful influence, Ford may well be starting a movement away from sliding doors for delivery vans, which was begun before the war by the Morris-Commercial PV l5-cwt. model. The sliding door has so many advantages for multistop work that I suspect British operators will not willingly sacrifice their own interests to overseas trade.
Under a Bushel
ANY after-dinner speech by a chairman of a Chamber of Commerce is now guaranteed to contain a reference to European free trade and its implications. Obviously, it is causing a good deal of anxiety.
After listening to Mr. S. V. P. Cornwell, president of Bristol Chamber of Commerce, on the subject, I discussed the matter with Col. Arthur Jerrett, managing director of Guy Motors, Ltd. _ "Well," he said, "as I understand it—and I don't understand it at all, so don't take any notice of anything I say...." And he then proceeded to show that he knew as much about the subject as most of the people who speak in public about it.
Happy Medium
I GATHER that the long-distance hauliers' committee of the I Road Haulage Association are having second thoughts on the proposed code of conduct, the general provisions of which were outlined in The Commercial Motor on November 15.
Obviously, they must not aim so high that the code becomes unenforceable, but, on the other hand, it must make a serious contribution to the well-being of the industry. To strike the happy medium is a task not to be completed in a hurry.