WHEELS OF INDUSTRY.
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" The wheels of uzsaith will be slowed 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.
The Royal Commission on Transport.
We are informed by the chairman of the Royal Commission on Transport that the Commission will meet in public at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, January 16th, in Committee Room E, House of Lords, to hear evidence to be given by, or on behalf of„ the National teion of Railwaymen, the Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen, the Railway Clerks' Association, Lord Motskewell, • the Hon. Sir Arthur Stanley, GBH.. C.B„ M.V.O. (as chairman of a conference of motor organizations), the Automobile Association and the Royal Automobile' Club.
The eommission will resume at 10.80 rem., on Thursday, :January .17th, and at the Same hoer on Friday, January 18th.
More U.A.S. Bus Acquisitions. .
We recently referred to the fact that the. United Automobile Services, Ltd„ had completed negotiations for taking over a number of small bus undertakings working in the Tyneside neighbourhood. We now learn that the company is making headway in the East Northumbrian area, and has also acquired three small ecncerns working services from Whitley Bay, these being the Crescent Motor Services, the Venture Motor Services and the Red Line Motors, who jointly own about ten machines.
The Diesel Engine Users' Association.
As from the beginning of the year the new headquarters of the Diesel Engine Users' Association have been established at 307, Abbey House, Wgstminster, London, S.W.I. The new honorary secretary of the organization in London is Engineer Captain J. Hope Harrison, R.N., whilst the newly appointed honorary treasurer is Mr. F. A. Greene. Mr. C. 0. Milton, who has been associated -with Mr. Percy Still in the capacity of joint honorary secretary for the past two years, will continue in that capacity.
The Board Of the Western National.
In our issue for last week we referred at some length to the agreement arrived at between the Great Western Railway Co. and the National Omnibus and TransportCo., Ltd., under which a new concern, known as the Western National Omnibus Co., Ltd., has been formed with a capital of £1,000,000 to co-ordinate the passenger services Of the two organizations in the West of England. It is now announced that the capital of the new concern is divided as to £600,000 in 6 per cent, cumulative preference shares of £1 and £400,000 in ordinary shares of the same value.
The first directors of the company are as follow :---Sir John Jarvis, Bart., chairman (the chairman of the National Omnibus and Transport Co., Ltd.), Right Hon. Lord Mildmay of Mete (a director of the G.W.R.), J. Milne '(assistant general manager, G.W.R.), R. Cope (chief accountant, G.W.R.), rt. U. Nicholls (superintendent of the line, G.W.R.), H. C. Merrett, char
020 tered accountant and a director of the National Co., W. J. Idea and B. Smith, the two lastnamed being managing director and general manager respectively of the National organization.
. United Service Transport Report.
The report of United ServiceTransport Co., Ltd., which has recently been issued for the year ended September 30th last, shores a net profit, before Providing for depreciation; of £40,879, as against £36,177 for the previous year. After providing for depreciation (£26,518) and paying an S per cent. dividend on the preference shares for the year, there remilins a balance of 16,884. Of this sum, £6,500 is to be placed to the reserve account, and after the payment of a dividend of 8 per cent.
on the ordinary shares a balance of 185 will remain to be carried forward. A member of new vehicles has been added to the company's fleet during the year at a capital expenditure of £26,976.
A Northern Motorbus Amalgamation.
In its report to the Ulverston Urban District Council, the district joint omnibus committee stated that the Furness Omnibus Cc., Ltd., had purchased the Lonsdale Pullman buses and a predominant interest in the Barrow Bus Ltd., and had asked for sanction to the merging of the three companies into the Furness Omnibus Co., Ltd. It was recommended that this be agreed to subject to certain conditions.
A Hebble Service to London?
It is stated that the Hebble Bus Co., of Halifax, who run a number of bee services in the West Riding, are applying to the Halifax Watch Committee for licences in connection with a service to be run between London, Manchester, Liverpool and Scarborough.
Passenger Capacity of Renault Chassis.
We have been asked by Renault, Ltd., Westfield's Road, -Acton, London,. W.3, to point out that the Renault R.I. Short, ILI. Long and 8.1. Long chassis are suitable for bodies to accommodate. 22, 26 and 31 seats respectively, aS opposed to the figures given in our tables of specifications..
A Large Scottish Motorbus Combine.
For souse time past negotiatiens have been proceeding for the purpose of acquit'. ing and amalgamating _a large number of the most important motorbus concerns in Scotland. anti out January lilt a successful conclusion was reached in Glasgow. As a result of these negotiations approximately 320 vehicles hini! been acquired on behalf of London interests, and it is understeod that within the next few weeks a public company will be floated with a capital of 1750,000 . There pre about seventeen bus concorns involved in the athalgamation, many of which have been established for
several years. The number, it is said, includes leading concerns -in Glasgow, namely, Messrs. Rankine Bros., one of the .oldest-established bus _ companies, Messrs. The Southern ' Bus Co., A. and R. ',Graham, 'Ltd., • D. Dawson,:, Ltd., Messrs: -Baxter and 'Son, -I1. Wb a treong,he Messes. R.•and W.: Yergeene, Ayrehire Pullman. Service, several
eon
derns in Fifeshire and smaller units .;st the West of Scotland. e
This -May be regarded as the larg,est busmerger accomplished iii cotlaecl since the motorbus boom in 1925.
Henry Ford's Offer to Egypt.
Caiio," we learn that the EgYPtiae1Government is examining a proposal made by Mr. Henry Ford that he should -Construct; at his OWD expense, a macadamized road 155 miles long anywhere in Egypt and undertake its upkeep, in exchange for Which the Government will allow Ford vehicles to enter Egypt free Of duty. Atpresent, pending the enforcement of the new Tariff Law in 1980, an 8 per cent. ad valorere duty is paid on Ford vehicles entering the country.
Bus and Coach Proprietors Should Note.
Roadways (Preliminary), Ltd., is well advanced with its plans for the publication of a monthly time-table giving information relating to motorbus and motor coach services run to schedule throughout Great Britain and Ireland. The compilation of the time-table is proceeding apace and details of the various services in different parts of the country are being carefully col
lected, checked and tabulated. It is -just possible, however, that the time schedules relating to buses run on regular routes by some of the smaller proprietors have not reached the company, and we are _asked to inform such owners that details of their serviees should be sent without delay to Roadways (Preliminary), Ltd., Sentinel House, Southampton Row, London, W.C.1.
We gave some indications of the plans and intentions of the company in our issue dated November 27th. It can be mentioned that the present company is merely carrying out the preliminary organization for Roadways Publications, Ltd., in connection with which we understand a public issue of shares will be .made in the course of a few weeks.
B.O.C. Profits.
. The first report of the Belfast Omnibus co., Ltd. which covers the period for 17 months up to September 30th last, shows a net profit, after taking account of all expenses, including debenture interest, of £56,705. This sum has been allocated as follows :—To writing off plant and machinery at the rate of 15 per cent. normal, plus an additional 5 per cent (making 20 per cent, in all), £3,774; to writing 33 per cent, off preliminary expenses, £3:832 ; leaving a balance of £49,049. • It is proposed to transfer £35,000 to the motor-vehicle depreciation reserve and to carry forward £14,049. It is not proposed to recommend the payment of a dividend in respect of the period concerned, but the " directors are satisfied with the results so far obtained, and as the indications for the future are regarded as favourable they are hopefnl of declaring an interim 'dividend at an early date. It is mentioned that the board has decided shortly to issue further capital.
The Belfast Omnibus Co., Ltd., was registered. as a public concern on April 23rd, 1927, and its first bus services came into operation in June of that year. The company has made much Progress and now operates services over a large number of routes.
Not Favoured by Southampton.
A daily coach service is in contemplation from Cheltenham to Southampton, via Bournemouth, and the Cheltenham comfatny responsible for its conception recently applied to the Southampton Watch Committee for licences to ply for hire in Southampton. The committee, however, was not in favour of granting the application, being of opinion that existing services are sufficient.
Rotherham and Railway Bus Services.
The chairman of the tramways committee of the Rotherham Corporation has reported on an interview that had taken place with the representatives of the London and North-Eastern Railway Co. and the London, Midland and Scottish Railway Co. on the question of the companies running buses in the Rotherham area. The committee discussed generally the questions involved by this proposal, and it has been suggested that the chairman and vice
chairman, together with the town clerk and tramways manager, should confer with the railway companies on the matter and take all steps they may deem desirable to protect the interests of the corporation.
The René Thomas Spring-spok&i. Steering Wheel.
A spring-spoked steering wheel should alleviate-considerablY the strain imposed upon the drivers of heavy vehicles, although this form of steering wheel has not yet made: itself popular with commercial vehicle makers. The wheel invented by Rene Thomas, the famous French motorist, is stated to have undergone many tests and proved
itself efficient. •• • The wheel is formed of superimposed plates of special spring steel, each cut from a single Plate and fixed together at the. centre by a hub and steel disc.
The rim of the plates is covered with wood cut spirally from a single piece and fixed by waterproof cement. This wooden rim covering is then coated with black celluloid and polished.
• The method of construction employed by Rene Thomas is patented throughout the world.
The standard diameter of this make of steering wheel is 17k ins., and the retail price is £3 3s. It can be obtained from the London Motor Accessories Co., Shakespeare House, 40, Leicester Square, London, W.C.2.
American Upholstery Materials for the British Market.
The Paetosote Co., Inc., of New York, has appointed G. D. Peters and Co., Ltd., the well-known specialist in supplies and equipment for various types of vehicle, of Slough and Westminster, London, as their agent for the sale of Pantosote upholstery materials in Great Britain and Ireland.
We regret that iu the paragraph appearing in our issue for last week dealing with the progress of Coventon's, Ltd., the name of the company was incorrectly spelt.
A Bus Driver's Defence.
A novel point was successfully raised by a bus driver charged with speeding at Bruff, Co. Limerick. It appears that the method of checking speeds adopted by the Civic Guard was as follows :—A police officer at Limerick and one at Bruff synchronized their watches over the telephone. The Limerick officer noted the time a bus had left, and at Bruff its time of arrival was observed. In this way the time taken to cover the distance between both places was ascertained.
" The bus driver, pointed out to the court that if an offeuce had been committed, the offence commenced at Limerick and finished at Bruff, and the court had no jurisdiction over the
Limerick area. The district justice adjourned the case for consideration and when the court reassembled announced his decision in favour of the bus driver.
Newport's Applications.
Mr. A. H. Thomas, chairman of the Newport Char-h-bancs Proprietors' Association, appeared recently before the St. Mellons Council to oppose the application of the Newport (Mon.) Town Council for sanction to run -buses carrying private parties through the St. Mellons area. The council also asked to be allowed to ply for hire with buses between Newport and Pye Corner, Bassaleg. Mr. Thomas urged the rights of traders to undertake private-hire" work. The Newport authorities were refused sanction to both of their requests.
A Position Required.
We know of a man who possesses an intimate, direct and long-standing acquaintance -with the principal bus and coach proprietors, both municipal and private, throughout the United Kingdom and Ireland dud with most of the principal agents.
He has organized and successfully controlled nearly every phase of commercial-motor selling and holds to-day a highly paid and responsible position in a most important bus and lorry" manufacturing organization. He will shortly relinquish his present position, and, therefore, seeks a first-class appointment. Letters addressed to "Expert," care of the Editor of this journal, will be forwarded to the proper quarter.
Refuse Collection at Northampton.
The cleansing committee .of the Northampton Corporation has given further consideration to the question of house-refuse collection and is arranging for a week's demonstration of their systems to be given by two concerns. The Coach Services Association.
On January 23rd the Coach Services Association (of Great Britain), Ltd., will hold a meeting at 230 p.m. at the Charing Cross Hotel, London, to which all coach operators are invited —it will only be open to stich persons. The object of this body is to further the interests of the passenger-transport industry, .particular reference being paid to pressing for the revision of the speed limit, a clarification of the law relative to plying for hire and a nationalisation of the licensing regulations in place of the local regulations now in force. It is proposed to keep. a close watch on legislation and to contest cases in the interests of the coaching concerns, as well as to co-ordinate the efforts of operators with a view to forming link services to connect the terminal and intermediate points of existing routes.
The chairman is Mr. G. Nowell and
the treasurer Mr. G. M. Finlay, whilst the parliamentary committee includes. Messrs. W. . H. Birch, A. Elliott, P. la. R. Harris and E. W. tiarris, in affilitten to the 'chairman. • The. entrance fee is 15 and the annual subscription 1.2 2s. The honorary secretary is Mr. K. D. B. Pocklington, and the. office§ are at Carlton -House, 12, ShephertW Bush Green, London, W.12. It is claimed that this body at present represents some '70 operating concerns.
Long-distance Bus-service Difficulties at Birmingham.
Certain difficulties have arisen at Birmingham. in -connection with long-distance services as a reault of the stipendiary convicting • three coach owners, whose vehicles pass through Birmingham, for plying-for hire Without licences,
In each of the three cases the watch committee had refused licences because it was felt that such vehicles passing through the city would add to street congestion, as all the motor-vehicle stands are already folly occupied.
The present prosecutions -were, however, instituted by the police. and not c22 by the watch committee, the official view being that applicants must secure premises in the city and start from them. Tho watch committee's attitude is said to favour local concerns, who, apparently, have no difficulty in obtaining licences. An appeal to the Ministry of Transport will, it is said, be made.
The Training of Drivers.
At an informal meeting of the London graduates of the -Institution of Automobile Engineers to be held on January 22nd, Mr. J. F. Ward is to read a _short paper on " The., Training -.of Drivers," which will be followed by 'a discussion on " Serviee and Repairs."
• A Long Transport Connection.
By the courtesy of The -Yorkshire Herald, of York, we: are able to publish on this page SW interesting illustration showing • a group of motorvana outside The Palace, BishoPthorpe. The vehicles, which are owned by Messrs.
Janice Bowman and Sons, of York, were commissioned for work in connection with the household removal work for Hie Grace the Archbishopof Canter-, bury, and loadsof furniture had to be transported to Canterbury andLam-: beth. Messrs. Bowman and Sons tell us that they have carried out the re=ovals work at the Bishopthorpe. Palace for over 100 years and the present partners of the firm have personally supervised the removals in-con-, nection with the last four holders of
the title.
Transport Operators as Candidates at Belfast Elections. • . Belfast bus operators who object to the traffic agreement -which prevents them plying for hire on the streets of Belfast have put forward three candidates for the municipal elections to be held in Belfast. The T3ord Mayor, Sir Wm. Turner, will be opposed in the Shankhill Ward by Mr. Robert Bell, 'described as a motor-haulage contractor ; Mr. Robert Owens, a motorcoach operator, will contest Duncairn Ward„. and Mr. John Gaston, a bus owner, is standing for Windsor Ward.
The Progress of Rubber Roads.
In a paper read recently in London by Lieut.-Col. T. H. Chapman, before a conference on rubber roadways, it was made clear that no claim was made that rubber would, or could, be applicable to every sort of road or condition of traffic. On the question of price alone its use would be limited as a road-surfacing material to the more important high-Ways in towns, and to special routes and areas where its Peculiar advantages Would be best realized.
In _referring to five types of rubberpaving block which had been tested, the lecturer said that the experiments had Shown that they stood the burden of heavy traffic extremely well.
He referred to the work which had been achieved in overcoming movement and creep in rubber under traffic and pointed to the fact that , experience would seem to indicate that the early difficulties encountered amongst which were the -anchoring. of the rubber and making it liedown, were largely the result of ignor
ance in compounding for that • particular purpose. • Carpeting, be added, was a much more expeditious method of paving than block laying. The one difficulty of rubber in this form was that of taking up seetions to obtain access to water and other services, and the subsequent relaying of rubber.
He thought that possibly some ...form of vulcanizing in situ would be devised to overcome this difficulty.
Midland "Bed" lo Run Long-distance Services.
Mr. 0. C. Power, traffic manager 'of the Birmingham and Midland Motor Omnibus Co., Ltd., recently refuted a rumour that negotiations Were on foot with a view to an amalgamation with one or other of the railways, and he said that the report was "totally inaccurate," . We are told that shortly this important company intends to operate daily road services between Birmingham and London, Birmingham, Manchester and Liverpool, and Birmingham and Bournemouth.
A Lecture on Canadian Transport.
To-day (Tuesday) Mr, John H. Stith, M.Inst.T., M.S.A.E., is giving a lecture before the Birmingham and district section of the Institute of Transport, of which he is vice-chairman and honorary treasurer, on "A Trip to Canada and Some Impressions of Canadian Transport."
A Plastic Metallic Packing.
A um type of packing for steam or water-retaining glands is known as Conneaut and is being introduced into this country from America by the Buda Company, England, Cecil Chambers, Strand, London, W.C.2. The basis of
this is babbit metal and there appears to be a quantity of graphite embodied during preparation. It can be supplied either in bulk in a putty-like mass ready for working into the stuffing-box with the fingers or in the form of rings to suit the pump glands of particular vehicles.
The claims made for Conneaut are that it is frictionless, will -not score a shaft, fills the entire stuffing-box and conforms with . the shape of a shaft already worn by other types of packing. This substance, we understand, has been tested over a long period by the makers of Buda engines in the U.S.A., Temporary Closing of Mersey Fern'. Motor haulage contractors and others using the Mersey ferry boats for transporting their vehicles from one side of the river to the other, should note that Woodside Ferry will be closed for traffic as from January 23rd, to permit the floating roadway to be reconstructed. This operation is likely to last about five weeks.
During this period a frequent service of goods and vehicle steamers will be maintained by *the Wallasey 'and Birkenhead boats to and from Seacorabe only by day and night. The present tolls via Woodside apply to the Birkenhead steamers via Seacombe.
A New Thornyeroft Depot.
In addition to its chain of service depots at Glaagow, Leeds, . London, Manchester and Newcastle, John I. Thornycroft and Co., Ltd., has now established a depot at Birmingham, where it has acquired the old-established business of T. C. Aveling and Co., Ltd., at 91, New Canal Street, a company which, for many years, represented Thornycrofts in the Midlands.
For some time past John I. Thornycroft and Co., Ltd., ha s had a sales office in Bir
miugham, and this will now be transferred to the above address, under the management of Mr. T. R. Rigg. Complete service facilities under the .compaey's direet control will now be available for the benefit of owners of Thornycroft vehicle.s iii, Birmingham and district. . Full stocks of spare parts will he earriel and arrangements have been made to that prompt repairs and overhauls can be undertaken.
• ' • • '
Free State Taxation Revenue. • During the first nine. months of the Present financial 'year—that is to say,. from' April 1st to December 31st-the Irish Free State' Revenue. Departnient. has received 129200 from motel; taxation, an increase , of 427,000 on the amount received in the same period of last year.
Second Thoughts at Leeds. :Leeds Watch Committee is .to reconsider the 'application from the Leeds.
Newcastle Omnibus Co., Ltd., for licences for motorbuses to ply for hire within the city. in connection with a service between Leeds and Newcastle.
Personal Pars. .
ir Eric Geddes, the chairman of the Dunlop Rubber Co., Ltd., has recently left London on a business trip to Australia and Singapore. Although the tour will occupy four months, 'sir Erie's stay in Australia will be of very short duration, only occupying eight days. Mr. IL L. Douglas, a director of the Dominion Rubber Co., Ltd., London, is
shortly leaving England to take up an important position at the head office of the company in Montreal, Canada.
• Mr. R. Leslie Kent has been appointed as engineer to the A.C.-Sphinx Sparking Plug Co., Ltd.' in succession to Mr. El. Cousins, who has resigned.Mr. Kent was formerly, with the Villiers Engineering Co:, Ltd., and his 'experience will be of considerable assistance in connection with developments and advisory work regarding A.C. products and their installation.
Bus Progress in Bradford.
The Bradford Corporation has re. cently; started a 30-minute bus servicn to Leeds. The single fare is 8d. and the return fare 1s. 2d. This authority has on order. 12 new Leyland buses and 17 trolley-buses of the English Electric Co.'s manufacture. Work is 'proceeding on two routes now covered by trains to equip them for operation by trolleybuses.
Linking-up Important Tyneside Towns.
As an alternative to the scheme which has been discussed for several years, for the linking-up of the two important Tyneside 'townships of North Shields and South Shields by means rif a tunnel at a cost of approximately 13,000,000. the borough engineer of South Shields has now prepared plans for a bridge with spiral approaches, which would entail an expenditure of about £2,000,000.
The necessity of additional crossings over the river is becoming more urgent because, at,present, the nearest bridge to the month of the river is the New Tyne Bridge, some seven or eight miles inland. In consequence heavy traffic from the vicinity of the river mouth has either to make a long detour or, alternatively, is obliged to cross the river by ferry. The bridge plane provide for a 980-ft. clear span and a length between the spiral approaches. of 1,920 ft., whilst the width would be 60 ft. •
A Newcastle to Southport Service.
Southport Watch Committee has granted permission to the Northern General Transport Co., Ltd., to run a bus service between Southport and Newcastle on condition that eaeh vehicle is equipped with a speedometer, and that passengers and their_ luggage be. loaded . and unloaded inside a garage. A further condition is that passengers shall not be picked up in the borough on the inward journey or set down in the borough on the outward journey.
Buyers of Guy Vehicles.
Many of the prominent British con-17 mercial-Vehicle manufacturers . securing orders from the railway
companies as a result of their increased. road-trausport activities and, in this connection, we can mention that Guy Motors, Ltd., Fallings Park, Wolverhampton, has just received a large order for buses from the Great Western Railway Co, Harrods, Ltd., of London, is buying 12 Guy 25-cwt. chassis, whilst a similar number of chassis, but of the
30-cwt. type, is being purchased by the proprietors of The Evening Slanclarcl. The National Omnibus Co., Ltd., has placed an order with the company for a number of chasiis for 20-seater buses, as well as for 28-seater runabouts.
• Irish Imports" of Solid Tyres. '
The number of solid tyres imported into the Irish Free State .during the nine months ended with September last is officially returned at only 4,184, of a .value of £24,878, as c.ompated with 5,120 (£32,194) in the corresponding period of 1927. Great Britain is credited as ports of shipment with 3,6141 tyrea (£21,561). The Speed of Long-distance Coaches.
Some of the South Wales local authorities have given notice that they expect eoaches used on long-distance services, as well as all buses, rigidly to adhere to the 20 m.p.h. speed limit.
Rural England Coach Services, Ltd., which runs the Merthyr to London service, and the driver of one of the com pany's coaches were summoned at Abergaveuny Police Court recently for running a vehicle in excess of the 20 m.p.h. limit. The speed of the vehicle was stated to be 31 m.p.h. on one Monmouthshire stretch, and it was said that to observe the time-table the driver was bound to exceed the legal limit.
The driver was fined £3 and the com pany £10 and £5 costa. • Whilst it is imperative that all motor vehicles should he driven at speeds which are safe, particularly in towns and congested areas, local authorities must not he blind to the fact that the long-distance travel-by-road movement is growing apace, and that restrictive interference should not be allowed to hamper its 'normal development.
Employment of Belfast's Bus Workers.
It is announced that 60 drivers and conductors employed by the Belfast Omnibus Co., who, were paid afrreeently when the ecaupaay7s service on behalf of the Belfast Corporation was discontinued, .are to be re-engaged by the. company. It is understood that :they will be employed on the company's buses running on country routea, • Au agreement regarding wages and conditions put before the directors of the cotopanv is trcbe signed, says an official of the men's Trade Union, on January 16th.