SPEED-LIMIT PROTEST BY MOTOR LEGISLATION COMMITTEE.
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A letter to the Minister of Transport from the Motor Legislation Committee expresses grave concern at the position which is likely to arise if the 30 m.p.h. speed limit be brought into operation on March 18. Within the London Traffic Area, the action of the Minister in de-restricting a number of important roads has clarified the position, but outside the situation appears to be most confused.
Local authorities are, in some cases, proposing to apply the speed limit generally on all roads in their areas; in other cases, the authorities have not reached any final decisions regarding roads which they intend to restrict or de-restrict.
The committee considers that the general application of a speed limit to roads which are unbuilt upon, unlighted and in many cases have double tracks, wonld create a sense of injustice at a time when co-operation, care and consideration on the part of all road users are essential.
Exide's Eastbourne Convention.
The annual convention of the Chloride Electrical Storage Co., Ltd., will he held at Eastbourne from May 28-30. the headquarters being at the Grand Hotel, where morning sessions devoted to business discussions will be held. The convention will be opened' with an address by the chairman, Mr.
D. P. Dunne, managing director of the company.
Fire-engines Wanted in Egypt. • The Ministry of the Interior, Cairo, Egypt, is calling for tenders, which have to be presented in Cairo by March 28, for the supply of two motor fire pumps. 'Those concerns in a position to offer products of United Kingdom manufacture may obtain further details from the Department of Overseas Trade, 35, Old Queen Street, London, S.W.1. reference GY14875 being quoted.
Brown Brothers Capital Increase.
Brown Brothers, Ltd., the wellknown concern of motor factors, has declared a final dividend of 7i per cent. on the ordinary shares of the company, making 10 per cent. (less tax) for the year ended January 18 last. By reason of the expanding nature of the company's business, the directors have decided to increase the capital by issuing one new ordinary share for each five £1 ordinary shares held, at a premium of 10s. per share.
Empire Products for British Highways, The extensive use of Empire products in British road construction was mentioned by Mr. Loren L. Brown, Timber Commissioner, British Columbia, at the fourth annual dinner of the London and Home Counties Division of the Institution of Highway Engineers, in 'London, last Friday. British highway engineers had, said Mr. Brown, perfected the art of wood paving and c22 British Columbia pine had been found to be an ideal material for this purpose. Councillor J. Sperni, chairman of the London and Home Counties Division, said that practically every London borough used Columbian pine wood blocks for road construction. Highway engineers had, he said, attained professional status through the work of the Institution and the importance of their work was generally recognized to-day.
Conciliation Agreement Must be Observed.
A warning to A and B-licence holders that failure to observe wages agreements would be treated as a relevant ground for objection to applications for licences, was given, last week, by Mr. Archibald Henderson, the Southern Scotland Licensing Authority. A DOUBLE-ENDED SPANNER WHICH RATCHETS.
Craft Plugs, Ltd., S. Department, Thames House, Milbank, London, S.W.1, is marketing a novel type of -double-ended spanner, known as the Master, which, by a slight alteration of one of the gripping faces, affords a ratchet action on the nuts on the return motion. This is claimed to permit working at double the speed of the ordinary spanner, whilst the space required for operation is less, and there is no need to remove the spanner from the nut at each movement, with the consequent loss of time in again locating the nut where it is difficult of access or cannot be seen, whilst partly worn nuts do not have any detrimental effect upon the ratchet action, and slip is less likely to occur.
The spanner is in one piece without pawls, and the ratchet action is secured by cutting off the extreme edge of one jaw and recessing the face below this point, so that it is slightly out of parallel with the opposite face and the nut is, as it were, wedged into the spanner. On the backward stroke, the spanner lifts over the hexagon faces of the nut only Sufficiently to clear :the corners.
Road-accident Returns.
The Ministry of Transport returns of persons killed or injured in road accidents during the week ended -February 23 show that in England 79 persons were killed and 2,927 injured, whilst 23 died as a result of previous accidents. The figures for Scotland were 13 killed and 322 injured, and for Wales 4 killed and 102 injured.
Shipping Guide for Hauliers.
The following is the number of ships arriving at the London docks, wharves and jetties named, from March 8-19 inclusive :—Docxs :—King George V. 5; Royal Albert, 10; Royal Victoria, 4; Surrey Commercial, 8; West India, 1; East India, 3; South-West India, 4; Tilbury, 10; Tilbury Stage, 3;
5; London, 2. WHARVES :—Hays, 5; Middleton's, 1; Tilbury Jetty, 2; Purfleet, 1; Regent's Canal, 1.
The R.A.C. and Protests from Cyclists.
In a recent letter to the Press the secretary of the Royal Automobile Club expresses surprise at a communicatirnv circulated widely by cycling interestS; calling for the proper enforcement of the existing law which provides adequate penalties for road offences. Ile adds, however, that it is only the ens forcement of the law relating to motorists with which they are concerned. It has never been the practice of the R.A.C. to attack the non-motoring classes of road user, but if the laws relating to cyclists were to be enforced as strictly as those applicable to motorists, the Courts would be choked with summonses.
With regard to protests against paths for cyclists, every argument against this sensible imitation of Continental methods could be used with equal force against the construction of footpaths.