Land transportation (Bus lines)

Title

Creator

James, L.G.

Language

English

Source

The American Chamber of Commerce Journal Volume XXIV (No. 1) January 1948

Year

1948

Rights

In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted

Fulltext

bus, taxi, and garage concessions, travel bureau, traveller’s banking offices, radiogram-service branches, barber shops, billets for transients, recreation-centers, etc. Among the most ambitious projects designed to bring revenues from non-aviation concessions at Nichols Field, are a housing-project for airport and airline personnel, and a modern version of the popular “cockpit” to be run on a jai-alai basis. A ir transportation activities, however, have not been limited to the activities of the Manila International Airport. With all indications pointing to Manila as be coming the hub of air travel in the Orient, airlines and allied enterprises have entered upon a new stage of planning for intensified operations. Croil Hunter, president of the Northwest Airlines, was a recent visitor in Manila, with Don,King, NWA vicepresident, and Wm. Stearn, NWA. Future plans include the use of strato-cruisers and direct lines between Manila and Washington. Pan American Airways has applied for permit to conduct domestic operations in Japan. Philip pine Air Lines has annnounced an increase of P4,000,000 in capital stock. A nother important visitor to the Philippines was Sir John Baldwin, British Air Marshal, who headed the British delegation, together with the British Minister in the Phil ippines, H. L. Foulds, and A. J. Moss of the British ministry of civil aviation. Following a four-week preliminary discussion, the ratification by the Philippines and the United Kingdom of the proposed air-traffic treaty is a practical reality. This pact will grant to each of the governments reciprocal com mercial aviation rights. The contracting parties informally sealed their negotiations on December 17 by affixing their signatures to the draft treaty. Those who initialed the document were Vice-President Quirino, Minister Foulds, Sir John Baldwin, A. J. Moss of the British ministry of civil aviation, and Lucas Madamba, legal adviser to the Philippines foreign affairs office. Among other things, the treaty is presumed to provide for observa tion of customs regulations, landing field arrangements, signals, and the right of transit among points. Two similar treaties are now being drafted by the Philippine Govern ment with China and Siam, giving a clear index to the importance of Manila’s position in international air traffic. Land Transportation (Bus Lines) By L. G. James Vice-President and Manager, A. L. Ammen Trans portation Co., Inc. CONSIDERABLE publicity has already been given to procedure followed by various District Engineers in issuing TPU registration plates to truck operators who have not yet secured authority to operate Public Utility vehicles. This has been done apparently with the knowledge and consent of higher authorities in the Bureau of Public Works. It has been publicly announced by an official of that Bureau that the Government has received substantial revenues from that source. On behalf of its membership, which considers the competition resulting from this procedure to be unwar ranted and illegal, the Philippine Transit Association re cently made representation to the Secretary of the Depart ment of Public Works and Communications, protesting against the practice. It appears that District Engineers have been accepting as authority to operate Public Utility Services the mere applications for this filed with the Public Service Commission though not acted upon. The would-be operator presents a copy of his application, whereupon the so-called “compromise registration” is effected and the truck-owner goes into business. Regularly authorized operators insist that this form of competition is ruinous to their business. While no com plete figures are ava^able, it is estimated that several thousand vehicles are now operating under “compromise registration”, hauling passengers and freight within the territories and upon the Ii>nes covered by legally authorized operators who are subject to the rules and regulations set forth in their Certificates of Public Convenience. The “wildcat” operator is not subject to any Public Service Commission supervision and pays none of the fees and special taxes on public utilities. The Philippine Transit Association in its protest called attention to the provisions of the law covering public utilities which specifically delegate to the Public Service Commission the authority to grant operating rights and provide penalties for violations of the law. The Secretary of Public Works and Communications within the past week has instructed District Engineers to discontinue, effective December 31, the “compromise registration” of vehicles intended for public use. Various legitimate operators have commented on the decision of the Secretary of Public Works and Com munications which thus apparently authorizes District Engineers to continue the alleged illegal issuance of TPU plates up to December 31, 1947. Under these circum stances, there will still be large numbers of trucks and busses in illegal operation until February 28, 1948, using 1947 TPU plates. Pre-war operators of long-established transportation businesses feel that they are entitled to the protection of the laws under which they are taxed, supervised, and regulated. Transportation companies are among the most heavily taxed of all forms of business. They are all seriously affected by the post-war competition which has been au thorized bv the Public Service Commission. This competition is, to a certain extent, legitimate in its operation, but the trucks and busses operating under “compromise registration” are essentially non-legitimate and non-regulated. Regular operators hope to secure a modification of the recent order of the Secretary of Public Works and Communications whereby all TPU plates here tofore illegally issued will be confiscated and the operations of the corresponding vehicles stopped. Gold By Chas. A. Mitke Consulting Mining Engineer TIE Philippines has been called the “cross-roads of the Orient”. Peoples from the north, moving south ward; peoples from the south, pushing north and east, all have come to, some passed through, these Islands, leaving behind them elements of their varied cultures. Some of the later groups were in their Bronze Age and were familiar with the Central Asian methods of copper mining and smelting. In the 3rd or 4th century, the Chinese are said first to have come to this archipelago. Many of them were interested in mining, although little is known of their mining efforts. At a much later date — during the 12th or 13th century — they are reported to have carried on a trade with the peoples of the Paracale region for gold. The Spaniards, in their turn, were indefatigable searchers for precious metals, here and in all the countries they conquered. Immense quantities of gold and silver were shipped to Spain during the height of the Spanish colonial period, and much of Spain’s greatness at that time can be attributed to the discovery of metals in the 15

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