Land transportation (Bus Lines)

Title

Creator

James, L. G.

Language

English

Source

The American Chamber of Commerce Journal Volume XXIV (Issue No. 8) August 1948

Year

1948

Rights

In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted

Fulltext

AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL 294 is in violation of the provisions of PAL’S contract with FEATI. CAB referred the matter to the CAA for further study and recommendation. A ir transportation may be instituted some day between the Philippines and- Norway. This hope was expres sed by Minister Nicolai Aall, envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary of Norway to the Philippines, during the presentation of his credentials to President Quirino. He said (among other things): “Friendly intercourse, commerce, and shipping have during many years past bound together our two countries, both governed by the same democratic ideals. For years we both fought the same enemy for liberty and f<?r freedom of mankind. In fact, nothing has ever divided us except the factor of distance. But even this obstacle is now being overcome by modern air transportation,—so effectively proved by the pioneer services undertaken by your Republic.” Tf the activities of the CAA’s Office of Aviation EducaA tion are any indication of the people’s interest in avia tion, then the future of the nation in air commerce is as sured. According to Mr. P. C. Morantte, head of the aviation education office, school teachers all over the archipelago are swamping his office with requests for air age education materials and for instructional teaching aids. Aviation education is one cultural program which is now beginning to be undertaken by Philippine schools. The ultimate aim is not only to develop civil aviation in the Philippines but to make our nation air-faring. Fast trade and commerce need the highways of the sky, and the topography of the Islands demands that this mode of transportation be fully developed. Director Esteban R. Abada, of the Bureau of Public Schools, and Director Manuel L. Carreon, of the Office of Private Education, are cooperating with Mr. Morantte in carrying out the project of aviation education in all our schools. Up to this writing, approximately 250,000 brochures on aviation * August, 1948 education have been issued by the CAA office of aviation education to teachers, superintendents, educational di rectors, and others in the teaching profession all over the Philippines. An educational body on aviation education has already been created by the Director of Public Schools under the chairmanship of Superintendent Venancio Tri nidad of the Manila City Schools. This committee will find ways and means of infusing aviation matters into the course of study in Philippine schools at all grade levels. Land Transportation (Bus Lines) By L. G. James Vice-President and Manager, A. L. Ammen Trans portation Co., Inc. EXCESSIVE competition and the bad weather which prevailed in Luzon during the months of June and July have been responsible for an appreciable falling off in the revenues of all bus transportation companies operating in various areas of the Island. A number of small operators have either suspended their business or effected drastic curtailments. - This is a possible procedure for the operator whose fleet consists of anywhere from 1 to 10 or 15 buses and who makes no pretense of maintaining authorized schedules or of confining his operations to approved lines. He has practically no fixed overhead expense and it costs him little to "deadline” a portion of his fleet when decreased revenue makes it unprofitable to operate his schedules and lines ™ All-Ww mEHtUHY HERE is an All-New kind of motor car beauty! It’s not a “new model” looking pretty much like last year’s with its face lifted. It’s the All-New 1949 Mercury with longer, lower, wider lines in a new-as-tomorrow curved-arch silhouette... with a powerful V-type, 8-cylinder engine, designed and built exclusively for Mercury... with a new standard of driving comfort... with fine-car styling and performance usually found only in cars far above Mercury’s price class. Come in today... let us show you the all-new Mercury for 1949! PORT MOTORS, INC. (LOCATED AT MANILA TRADING & SUPPLY GO. - - - - PORT AREA) LISTEN TO ‘‘OUT FRONT WITH FORD” EVERY THURSDAY 7:00-7:30 P. M. over Station KZRH August, 1948 AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL 295 as authorized. He may do this with a part of his fleet and with the rest invade the lines of other operators where business is more profitable. He ceases to render a public service and operates without regard for laws or regulations, to the detriment of the public and that of his more responsible competitors who make every effort to follow fixed schedules and to conform to regulations as set forth in their certificates of public convenience. The Public Service Commission has authority to deal drastically with operators who fail to observe the provi sions of their certificates, but it has been unable to enforce this authority due to lack of funds with which to pay the cost of supervision of public utility operations. This is a situation which is difficult of explanation. Every truck and bus operator is required to pay an annual “Supervision and Inspection Fee” for each vehicle that he operates. This fee is based upon the tonnage of the vehicle and, with the buses of various types commonly in use, it varies from P20 to P40 per unit as an average. The records indicate that the Public Service Commis sion has collected such fees in a total amount exceeding P450.000 for the period January 1, 1947, to June 30, 1948. However, regardless of the fact that these fees are collected from operators for the express purpose of paying for the cost of “supervision and inspection”, only a limited por tion thereof is actually set aside therefor in the budget of the Department of Justice. The balance is apparently used for other government expenses. The Commission is without funds for carrying on this very important function. With a general decline in revenue and in public pur chasing power, the hundreds of temporary and irresponsible operators who crowd the highways will find it expedient to commit more flagrant violations' and give less regard to the regulations under which they are supposed to operate. Unless the Public Service Commission is provided with adequate funds (which have already been collected for the specific purpose of maintaining its supervisory func tions), the present chaotic conditions prevailing in the land transportation facilities of the country will become in creasingly chaotic, with the public and the responsible operators being the victims of the situation. The present trend of decrease in revenue is expected to continue for another two to three months, until the rainy season is over and the harvest season begins in the various areas concerned. In regions dependent upon co conut products as the mainstay of the general economy, the recent reduction in copra prices has also seriously affected the revenues of transportation companies. Minerals By Chas. A. Mitke Consulting Mining Engineer IN order to expedite prospecting and to open up a largely unknown Territory, the Canadian Government recently departed from its well known method of procedure and gave two large mining corporations “concessions”, grant ing each of them the exclusive right to prospect some 500 square miles on the south shore of the Great Slave Lake, in the Northwest Territories. KEEP Machinery Operating-R«bu5id Worn Parts With P&H glectro^® * Save time, and the cost of replacement parts by repair welding with P&H Electrodes. P&H offers types and sizes for welding all kinds of steels, cast iron, sheet metal, etc. — also for building up and for putting hard surfaces on wom parts. Using P&H Electrodes is your assurance of easier-to-use electrodes and high quality welds because they are made by one of the world's largest makers as well as users of arc welding equipment. Get your P4H Electrodes from your P4H Representative. P&H ARC WELDERS P&H alio makea DC and AC Aak your P4H dealer. P&H A CempMe Are WeMlag Service ■aim■nei■»■■■■ iinsagsaMBnmwTi pah welding equipment distributors ■aaammBBaRimmmamHiMiaiMmaw THE EARNSHAWS DOCKS & HONOLULU IRON WORKS Corner Tacoma 8b Second Streets, Branch at BACOLOD, Port Area, Manila—Tel. 2-68-48 Occidental Negros

pages

294-295

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