WHEELS of INDUSTRY "The wheels Of wealth will be slowed
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by all difficulties of transport at whatever points arising. as a carriage is by the roughness of the roads over which it runs."—John Beattie Crozier.
G.W.R. Road-motor Plans for 1930.
Just over a year ago the first of the rail-road agreements, sanctioned under the Railways Road Powers Act, was announced, this being between the Great Western Railway Co. and the National Omnibus and Transport Co., Ltd., when a new concern, known as the Western National Omnibus Co., Ltd. was formed with a capital of £1,000,00b to operate road services in the west of England. Since that time the Great Western Railway Co. has acquired financial interests in practically all important road-transport undertakings operating in its territory.
It is now announced that the company has obtained a financial interest in the Bristol Tramways and Carriage Co., Ltd., whilst we understand joint negotiations with the London, Midland and Scottish Railway Co. are approaching completion for the acquisition of a 50per-cent. interest in the undertaking of the Birmingham and Midland Motor Omnibus Co., Ltd. The G.W.R. has planned a big scheme of expenditure for the present year, and amongst road equipment to be purchased are nearly 200 goods motors and 56 trailers.
Gully Cleansing Under Contract.
The borough engineer of Chelmsfordreports that the Mechanical Cleansing Service, Ltd., has been engaged in cleansing the gullies in main and other roads and the company's vehicles dealt with 782 gullies, the time occupied in cleansing and trapping being 5i days. The company states that the average amount of solid matter cleared from the 782 gullies was 110 lb. per gully. It says that it would undertake the clearing of the main-road gullies every month for a year for £15 per month.
The borough engineer suggests that the cleansing of gullies in the main thoroughfares would be best accomplished by mechanical means, and for this reason the highways committee recommends that the Mechanical Cleansing Service, Ltd., should be engaged to undertake the work for a year, on the basis mentioned.
A Mole-draining Demonstration.
A mole-draining demonstration, carried out under the auspices of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, was recently held at the Northampton County Council's farm institute at Moulton. For the purpose of the demonstration Hodgson, Darby, Ransome, Harper Stedman, Martin and Wells mole ploughs were used in combination with four different types of tractor, including the Fordson.
Two large fields were used, and in both of them the main drains were cut by the Hodgson equipment working in conjunction with the Pordson tractor equipped with a winch.
A discussion followed the demonstration, this being opened by Mr. S. J. Wright, of the Institute of Research in Agricultural Engineering, Oxford University, and was participated in by 020 Mr. H. N. Close, Mr. T. N. Cave and representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture, the performance of the different types of equipment which were tried out being reviewed at length.
Trolley-bus Plans at Torquay.
At a recent meeting Torquay Corporation resolved to sanction, under certain conditions, the tramways company's use of trolley-buses instead of the existing tramcars. One of the principal factors leading to this decision is the congestion caused in the main streets by the trams.
The agreement with the tramways company provides that the corporation shall have the option, after the expiration of 14 years, and at the end of every subsequent -seventh year, of purchasing the undertaking as a going concern.
New Vehicles Registered During • October, 1929.
A return just issued by the Ministry of Transport gives the number of new vehicles registered during October, 1929, as 19,925 of all classes, as against 18,900 in October, 1928. There has been a slight diminution in the number of new hackney vehicles as compared with the similar period of the previous year. Progress however, was made in goods vehicles, the figure being 5,105 for October, 1929, as compared with 4,135 for the same month in 1928.
Protests Against Nottingham Bus Bill.
Vigorous protest was raised, at the latest meeting of Nottingham City Council, against several clauses of that authority's proposed bus Bill. It was contended that the pOwers, if obtained, would confer a monopoly upon the municipality, and would severely damage the interests of private bus operators.
One dgy last week the council decided to obtain permission to borrow £35,000 for the purpose of acquiring more buses.
The Suggested Road Bridge at Queensferry.
In connection with the suggestion for building a road bridge over the Firth of Forth at Queensferry, the Minister of Transport, accompanied by the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry, received recently a deputation representing the city of Edinburgh, the burghs of Dunfermline, lnverkeithing and South Queensferry, the Fife County Council and the Forth Conservancy Board.
The Lord Provost of Edinburgh referred to the undoubted need for improved road connections between the north and south shores of the Firth of Forth. A report has been given to the effect that a bridge was engineeringly practicable, and its cost, with approaches, was estimated at about 0,000,000. The city of Edinburgh and other local authorities concerned felt, however, that such a bridge would be mainly for the benefit of through traffic and that the scheme should be treated as a national one. The Lord Provost did not wish it to be inferred, however, that the city would not be prepared to consider a limited contribution. Be did not favour the alternative suggestion for the provision of improved ferry facilities.
Lord Elgin, representing the Fife County Council and the Forth Conservancy Board, said that both these bodies were very doubtful as to whether spell a large expenditure on a road bridge could be justified. An efficient ferry service at Queensferry could be provided for about £500,000, and this, combined with a new road bridge at Kincardine, should give all the necessary facilities.
Replying to the deputation, Mr. Herbert Morrison said that up to the present he had been approached only on the basis that the whole cost should be provided from the Road Fund, which was entirely out of the question. He was much impressed by the alternative ferry and bridge scheme, which would provide both employment and relief to traffic at a much earlier date. He referred to a bridge at Alloa rather than at Kincardine. He suggested that the best plan would be for all the local authorities interested to get together and give consideration to the following points :—(1) The economic justification for the erection of a bridge at Queensferry; (2) the alternative, an efficient ferry service at Queensferry, with a new bridge at Alloa ; (3) the financial contributions which they might make.
Death of Mr. Henry Sturmey.
We very greatly regret to announce the death of Mr. Henry Sturmey, which occurred on Thursday, January. 9th. For more than half a century his name has been familiar to cyclists and motorists, for he was an accepted authority on cycles and motor vehicles, a journalist of world-wide repute and a voluminous writer on both subjects. Ile was active on the day before his death, at the age of 73, as the editor of our associated journal, The Motor, received a letter for publication on the morning of the day on which he died.