LONDON INQUIRY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22722, 7 May 1937, Page 12

LONDON INQUIRY

DEMANDS BY BUSMEN TRANSPORT BOARD'S INCOME British Wireless RUGBY, May 5 At a hearing of the inquiry set up by the Minister of Labour, Mr. Ernest Brown, into all aspects of the bus dispute, Mi?. T. E. Thomas, general manager of the Road Transport Board, said the cost of the readjustment demanded by the men would be £650,000 a year. Lord ' Ashfield, the chairman, informed the inquiry that the Transport Board had failed to secure sufficient income to discharge its liabilities, holders of C stock drawing only 4 per cent interest instead of the standard rate of s£. If the board failed to fulfil obligations it must face possible legal actioi} for the appointment of a receiver. The inquiry is so far advanced that it is anticipated an interim report will be presented, to-morrow evening to the Minister of Labour. Evidence given to-day on behalf of the Transport Board was to the effect that average running time had been reduced since 1932 from 6 hours 26 minutes to six hours, while the average working time in the same period had dropped from 7 hours 24 minutes to 7 hours 4 minutes, and the average spread-over had been reduced from 8 hours 19 minutes to 8 hours 1 minute. The average speed had risen by 12 per cent. In the last two years, 5713 new 'duty schedules had been issued and upon these 794 complaints had been received. The board's inquiries did not support the suggestion that the drivers were injured by traffic fumes, nor that there was an undue proportion of gastric trouble among omnibusmen. TRAMWAY SERVICES MEN'"TO REMAIN AT WORK LONDON, May 5 A deputation of tramway and trolley-bus men waited on the general secretary of the Transport Workers' Union, Mr. Ernest Bevin, who later issued a statement to the effect that he had instructed the men to remain at work, as the executive tesired the present dispute to be limited to General London busmen. The men accepted ■jfchis advice.