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News of the Week

6th October 1944, Page 22
6th October 1944
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

COLOUR SCHEME FOR GAS ' ..COMPANIES VEHICLES

IN the .gas industry consideration is being given to a colour plan whereby all vehicles used in connection with gas undertakings shall, after the _war, have a distinctive colour, so that they can be recognized as easily as the Post Office mail vans.

The public is being invited to assist in choosing a standard colour scheme and prizes will be awarded for the best suggestions.

ROAD TRANSPORT AND LIVERPOOL'S MILK SUPPLY

MORE than two-thirds of the total quantity of milk consumed in Liverpool each'day is brought into the

city by motor road vehicles. The figures given by the Medical Officer of Health for the city are:—Road vehicles, 41,650 gallons; railway, 9,740 gallons; produced within the city, 7,878 gallons.

I.T.A. ACTIVITIES IN LONDON AND BRISTOL

THE next meeting of the London branch of the I.T.A. will be held on October 14, at 2.15 p.m., at 12, Hobart Place, London, S.W.1. The speaker will be Mr. C. F. Shipp, and his subject, "Battery Powered Transport in Industry." All inquiries should be addressed to the hon. secretary (London branch), Mr. A. W. Ferguson, 12, Hyde Park Avenue, Winchmore Hill, London, N.21.

At the Grand Hotel, Bristol, on October 9, Mr. 0. F. Crabbe will address the Bristol branch of the LTA. He will talk on "A Post-war Solution for Transport."

TILLINGS CELEBRATES 40 YEARS OF ROAD TRANSPORT

nN September 29, 1904, Thomas %.-/Tilling, Ltd., was the first horse-bus .proprietor to embark upon the motorizing of one of its ejisting horsebus services. The concern was so confident in the motor bus that it had a Press preview and luncheon on the previous day, the vehicle concerned being a 34-seater Milnes-Daimler.

On Saturday last the Omnibus Society traversed the route from Peckham to Oxford Street in commemoration of the event, and, subsequently, held a meeting at which the difficultieS encountered in the pioneer days of the omnibus industry were discussed.

EXTENDED CONTROL IS T.U.C. POST-WAR PLAN I N its interim report on post-war reconStruction, the Trades Union Congress states that its economic programme, whilst designed to bring about certain minimum economic and social reforms as soon as possible, considers these only as part of a transition of the present system of unregulated private enterprise to public ownership or control.

The industries mainly affected; according to the report, are transport,

fuel and power, and iron and steel. Nationalization of the coal mines and railways is wanted, also co-ordination of other forms of transport and of the fuel and power industries under public control, such as by public corporations. It also suggests public regulation of mechanical and electrical engineering, motor-vehicle and aircraft manufacture, and many other industries.

These aims add emphasis to the many leaders which we have published over a period of several years, in which we have pointed out the approaching danger to private enterprise.

A TIP TO BODYBUILDERS

A MONGST the possibilities of ft plastics is that of employing them for the panelling of insulated bodies. In this connection one of Our friends, who is concerned with a laminated type with a special heat-insulating filling, wishes to get into touch with bodybuilders IA ho might be interested. Letters, addressed to " Insulation," care of the Editor, will be forwarded.

INSURANCE OF GOODS VEHICLES I NSURERS have agreed that the arrangements for covering goods vehicles while they are used within a group scheme, including the concessions previously arranged on certificates issued by D.T.O.s, shall be extended until December 31 this year. TAXATION BASIS AND OVERSEAS MARKETS

IN tl House of Commons last week, Mr. Moelwyn Hughes asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he proposed to take in the neat future to facilitate the manufacture and sale in this country of motor vehicles suitable to secure a large and expanding maiket oyerseas.

In his reply, Sir John Anderson, assuming that Mr. Hughes had taxation in mind, said that he was, not in a position to add anything to the * remarks contained in his Budget speech. "it is because I am very anxious to be satisfied as to what is the right system of taxation," added the Chancellor, " that I have not been in a hurry to make a pronouncement."

RAILWAYS PREPARED FOR FRIENDLY RIVALRY

ROAD-RAIL relationships were discussedcussed. byMr. H. R. Statham, of Leeds, district goods manager to the

L. and N.E. Railway, in a talk to Bradford Rotary Club, on September 29.

• Stating that all the more responsible road-transport operators realized that there must be give-and-take behveen road and rail, Mr. Statham said: " We are anxious to come to an agreement as to charging facilities, and to enter into friendly rivalry in services and developments."

Referring to the Government's wartime control of Britain's railway system, he stated that the railways wanted to go back to pre-war control. M.P.T.A. MEETINGS NEXT WEEK

THE deferred a.g.m. of the Municipal Passenger Transport Association will be held at 10.30 a.m. on October 10, in the Waldorf Hotel, Aldwych, London, W.C.2.

At 2.30 p.m.,. an extraordinary general meeting will be held to consider certain proposed changes in the articles of association. The a.g.m. will continue after this if. necessary.

Meetings of the Managers' Section will be held on the two following days.

SHOULD WE HAVE A SPEED LIMIT OF 35 m.p.h.?

LN reply to a question by Mr. Leach regarding the imposition of a 35 m.p.h. speed limit in this country in line with that imposed in America, Mr. Noel-Baker, Parliamentary Secretary, M.O.W.T., saidthat certain information received from the U.S.A. about the operation of the speed limit would

be considered by the Committee on Road Safety, with the object of assessing, so far as may be possible, its effect on road accidents. " I think it would be unwise," said Mr. NoelBaker, " to anticipate the conclusions which the Committee may reach."

A FINANCIAL SPREAD-OVER IN BLACKPOOL

IN peace-time Blackpool's transport undertaking is run at a loss of £6,000 a month for several months during the winter. To give the public an efficient service in the winter means taking £1,500 a week from the profits made during the summer.

CHIEF CONSTABLE AND HOLIDAY JAY-WALKERS

A DDRESSING motor drivers in the CI service of Blackpool Co-operative ,Society on September 27, and presenting accident-free certificates, Mr. H. Barnes, Chief Constable, said: " Of all the gormless folk I meet, the worst are those who come to Blackpool for their

holidays. It is a nightmare in the day-time to drive along the promenade. People stagger across the road looking neither right nor left, thinking they are on Ilkley Moor or a JO-acre field. and not bothering as to what is likely to happen to them." NO RETURN YET TO BASIC PETROL RATION

MANY members of the House of Commons last week fired questions at the Minister of Fuel and Power regarding the possibility of restoring the basic petrol ration. In his reply Major Lloyd George said that so soon as supply and other considerations permit, the present system of petrol rationing will be relaxed.

" The whole question," he said, " is being kept under constant review, but at the present thee conditions are not such as to render any relaxation practicable ' Representations on this subject are being made from many quarters.

FINED FOR TRANSFERRING PETROL COUPONS IN police court Proceedings under the 1 petrol rationing regulations, at Dewsbury last week, three haulage contractors were ordered to pay fines aggregating £210, with 12 guineas

costs. For defendants, who pleaded " Not guilty," it was stated that there had not been any improper use of petrol.

The defendants were: Mr. T. Watson Pickard, Scout Hill Garage, Dewsbury, fined £105 with 6 guineas costs; Bowyer and Jackson, Ltd., Mill Street East, Dewsbury, . fined £90 with 5 guineas costs; and Mr. P. Walker, Sunny Bank Road, Mirfield, fined £15 with 1 guinea costs. For the prosecution, it was stated that, at the time in , question, Mr. Pickard was group organizer for a number of road-haulage operators, and petrol coupons were, therefore, supplied to him for distribution to members of the group in accordance with the , amount of petrol allowed them. The complaints were that Mr. Walker had been banking coupons with Mr. Pickard; that coupons which Mr. Pickard issued to himself, as an operator, had been transferred to. Bowyer and Jackson, -Ltd., and cur. rendered by that concern, and that coupons issued to Mr. Walker had been surrendered by Bowyer and Jackson. Ltd.

Mr. Pickard told the court that he had kept Mr. Walker's coupons so that his (Mr. Walker's) men could obtain petrol when passing his (Mr. Pickard's) premises, instead of having to make special journeys. He also stated that coupons had been transferred to Bowyer and Jackson, Ltd., because the company wanted coupons of smaller unit value than those issued by the petroleum authorities for the use of their drivers on the road. BUS DRIVERS' £15 5s. A WEEK IN GLASGOW CIGURES regarding the high earn ings of Glasgow Corporation transport employees were given at a meeting of the Corporation last week. Councillor E. Greenhill, convener of the transport committee, said that the highest earnings reached by employees during the year amounted to £15 Sc. in a week for bus driving and £14 5s.

for tram driving. He emphasized. however, that these earnings were abnormal, and that the department deprecated the long working hours

which were involved. The information was given in reply to a question by Councillor John Henderson.

In his reply, Councillor Greenhill gave, in addition to the peak earnings, the average earnings and the basic wage. His statement included the following figures:—Bus driver, highest individual earnings, £15 Sc.; average earnings, £6 16s. 9d.; basic rate, 91s. to 98s. Bus conductor (male), highest individnal earnings, £13 2s. 6d.; average earnings, £5 2s. 11d.; basic rate, 87s. 6d, to 95s. Bus conductor (female), highest individual earnings, £10 18s. Id.; average earnings, £5 2s. lid.; basic rate, 87s. 6d. to 95s.

Replying to supplementary questions, Councillor Greenhill said that the peak figures were so abnormal as to be often unique. The average earnings gave Vie truer picture. LACK OF BUSES COMPELS EARLY CLOSING WHEN reference Was made to winter VV slid/a-closing hours on Tyneside, at a meeting of the Newcastle and Tyneside Chamber of Trade, it was stated that shops would have to close at ' 4.30 p.m., the ..same as during last winter, owing to travel difficulties.

Mr. H. I'Anson, for the M.O.W.T., said that the bus situation, which had been serious for the past two years, was now definitely worse. Whole fleets of buses were deteriorating rapidly, few were being built, and the labour position, especially in regard to conductors, was worse than ever.

FORTHCOMING I.A.E. TALK

A N informal talk by Capt. G. E. T. Eyston, entitled " Motor Racing and Record Breaking," will be given at • the Institution of Automobile Engineers, 12, Hobart Place, London, S.W.1, at 3 p.m., October 15. SERVICE FIRST—PROFIT INCIDENTAL BLACKPOOL Corporation's transport manager, Mr. Walter Lull, was .asked at a recent Blackpool gathering: " What is the primary duty of a municipal transport department, profit or service? " His reply was: " In municipal transport the first object is sei vice. Profit is incidental. For 11 months, service is the chief thing, and for one month people. talk about profit —that morith is election time."


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