WHEELS OF INDUSTRY.
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The wheel of wealth will be slowed by all digicultie. s of transport at whatever points arising, as a carriage is by the roughness of the roads over which it runs."—John Beattie Crozier.
Licence Renewals.
We have noticed that quite a large number of commercial motor vehicles, goods and passenger,are licensecF-'by the quarter, and it is now announced that January to March quarterly licences can now be renewed at any Money Order post office within the area of the county, county borough, or burgh with the-council of which the vehicle is registered, or at the council's registration offices, on presentation of the renewal declaration form and the registration licence hook, payment of the appropriate duty, and, where renewal is effected at a post office, surrender of the current licence. The renewal licence card will be valid from the date of issue. The last provision overcomes the difficulty of being licenceless between the surrender of the one licence and the first day of the next quarter.
New Licences.
In the case of vehicles which it is required to licence as from March 25th for the ,ensuing quarteg, we are informed that no licencewill actually be issued until March 23rd. In the case of new vehicles, where an identification mark is required, special attention should be drawn to this fact. Councils are being requested in such cases to allot identification marks at once, so as to enable the applicant to procure the necessary number-plates to affix to the vehicles. Unless early application is made, calmcils may not be able: to deal with all applications before Easter.
Reprints on Overhauling.
With reference to our series .of articles on the overhauling of commercial motor chassis, we are able to say that these have proved highly popular and that the schemet for their wide dissemination has been successful. We find that the articles have appealed to the manufacturers, because they are able to put'into the hands of agents and repairers information to the passing on of which there are many barriers. To agents and repairers the articles are of value because they render available a .nass of carefully prepared information which was not known to exist, presented to them in a form readily understandable. To fleet managers, garage foremen, and drivers responsible for the maintenance of their vehicles, the articles have proved quite invaluable for much the same reason. There is also the subtle point that it is not admitted that a manufacturer, can often teach the repairer or the garage foreman anything, but the information appearing in a public print is far more readily accepted—the sense of independence comes in here, of course.
'We have arranged to keep a stock of reprints of the articles and to supply any reprint (on heavy paper) at 6d. per copy. To each inquirer for a reprint or a set of reprints we supply, free of charge, a stiff binding cover' with facilities for quick binding and for indexing.
We shall be glad to receive applications from agent repairers, fleet managers, and others for these reprints and covers at 6d, per reprint. The first B16
supply, generous as it, was, is nearly exhausted, and a second supply is well in hand. Letters should be addressed, Manager, The Commercial Moto, 7-15, Rosebery Avenue, London,E.C. 1, and, to reduce correspondence, remittance for as many reprints as-"arewanted should be enclosed. So far, 11 articles have appeared, and an erjual number are in hand. On receipt of, say, 10s., 20 reprints will be sent as and when, published, and when the series,gets beyoud the figure 20, a further remittance, will be asked for.
The chassis so far dealt with are as follow :—(1) Thornycroft, J type; (2) Daimler, C.C., C.D.., Y., C.B., :CJ., and CsK, types ; (3) A.E.-C., 4 ton ; (4) Dennis, 3-4 ton; (5) Foden steamer ; (6) Ma,udslay, 4ton and 5 ton; (7) Albion, 3 tan ; (8) Orwell electric; (9) Hallford;' 3 ton, 4 ton, and 5 ton n (10) Guy, 2-2i ton; and (11) Tilling-Stevens, T.S.3, petrol-electric. A reprint of the articles on "'Testing:the Overhailled Vehicle "is given free with No. 8 of the series.
The Crystal Palace Show of Second-hand Vehicles.
Since the insertion of a paragraph under this heading in our Mlle for February 15th, certain alterations have ba-en made in the entry fees, as the former were considered somewhat high. For commercial vehicles up to 30 cwt., the fee will now be 5 per cent. up to the first £150, and per cent. on the balance, the minimum fee being 150s. ; on commercial vehicles of over 30 cwt.., the fee will be 5 per cent. on £175, and 14 per cent. on the remainder, with the same minimum fee. The selling commission is 5 per cent, on the ..price realized in all classes. An extra charge of 2s. 6d. will be made for washing the vehicle on its arrival. Each vehicle will receive expert examination, several wellknown engineers having consented to act as examiners.
The management will be notified by the seller of any reserve price, but this will not he disclosed until the last day of the exhibition should the vehicle then be unsold.
We understand that arrangements have been made with the Ministry of Transport whereby unlicensed motor vehicles for the show caliAe driven from :n31 Part of the country to the Crystal Palace.
Entry forms can he obtained from Mr. W. Glass, Walter House, Bedford Street, Strand, London, W.C.
Committee on Civil Aviation.
The Secretary of State for Air, when introducing the Air Estimates in the House of Commons on March 1st, stated that he intended to set up forthwith a committee to make proposals for immediate action in regard to the assistance necessary for the maintenance of air. transport on the cross-Channel service.
Mr. Churchill has appointed Lord Londonderry (chairman), and Sir Frederick Sykes and Sir James Stevenson as members of this committee. Several meetings have already been held with leading members of the industry.
The Flaw in the Act.
In consequence of an opinion given by the highest legal advisers, the local authorities have been informed by the Ministry of Transport that, upon application tor a licence for any vehicle on the horse-power basis, the registration authorities must issue a licence accordingly, provided the owner declares, at the time of application, that he is desirous to use such vehicle during the currency of the licence for purposes other than the conveyance of goods in the course of trade. In the event of this being done, the owner will be entitled to a rebate of 25 per cent, in the case of
pre-1913 engines. 'The . registration authorities can, of course, proceed against the owner of such a vehicle if, during the currency of the licence, the vehicle has not, as a matter of 'fact, been used for purposes other than the conveyance of goods in the course of trade.
Solite weeks ago the contention was raisedin theasage of "Transport Tips for Tradesmen," which is a regular and much appreciated feature of The Commercial Motor , that if a commercial motor vehicle was not " used solely for the -conveyance of goods in the course of trade " the owner could, if he so chooses, register it under paragraph 6 of the Schedule (" Any other vehicle ") and could then only be called upon to pay the licence fee on the basis of £1. per horsepower, having also the right to the concession of 25 per cent. of the duty should the engine of -the vehicle have been constructed prior to January 1st-, 1913. Unfortunately, there are many defects in Schedule 2 of the Act, as, for instance, the case of a fleet of a dozen lorries with but a single trailer, which might be attached to any of the lorries. In respect of this one trailer, twelve licence fees must be paid I The defect to which we now wish to refer is the use of the word "solely " in the phrase above quoted. The owner of a vehicle constructed or adapted for use, and used primarily and mainly for the conveyance of goods in the course of trade, has only to desire to use' it once in a. licensing period (a quarter or a year, as the case may be), and actually so to use it, as a passenger-carrying vehicle, and, in theory, he could not demand its inclusion, or be compelled to include its under the category of a goods vehicle used " solely ' for goods conveyance. Then, if the horse-power was below 10 for a vehicle of iffit more than 12 cwt. unladen or below 16 for a vehicle of not more than 1 ton u.w., or below 28 for a vehicle of net more than 3 tons u.w. (we do not quote all of the types), it could be registered and licensed on the basis of £1 per horse-power to the owner's advantage. Or, if the horse-power was slightly over those figures, but could be brought below them by the 25 per cent. reduction on account of age, the owner would again reap an advantage by so registering. The case was taken up by the Motor Legislation Committee, and the Ministry of Transport agreed to state a case for the consideration of the Law Officers of the Crown, who have now come to -the decision announced above.
Alcohol from Coke Oven Gas.
The experiments which have been made at the Skinningrove Iron Co.'s plant in the production of alcohol from coke oven gas were described at a meeting of the Cleveland Institution of Engineers held in Middlesbrough last week by Mr. Cecil F. Tidman, of the Skinnirtgrove Iron Co.
He showed that it is possible to obtain more than 1.6 gallons of alcohol per ton of coal carbonized, which means that from a carbonizing plant of 120 ovens something like 10,000 gallons per week of alcohol would be obtained, whilst at such a place as Skinningrove the amount of motor spirit .produced would be 18,000 gallons.
Work is still being carried on with a view to increasing the yield of alcohol, so that thc whole of the benzoic can be used up in the form of "a mixture consisting of 75 per cent, alcohol and 25 per cent. benzole. .
Experiments carried out on a motorbicycle gave the following results :—On No. 1 Shell spirit, 64 m.p.g. ; on a mixture of 50 per cent. alcohol and 50 per cent. berizole, 78.5 m.p.g. ; and on a mixture of 75 per cent, alcohol and 25
• per cent. benzoic, 74 m.p.g.
Henley's Report.
The report of the directors of W. T. Henley's Telegraph Works CO., Ltd., shows a profit for the year 1920 .of £240,003, to which has to be added £141,633 brought forward from 1919. After deducting directors' fees, debenture interest; and amount-written off for depteciation on buildings and machinery thete remains for disposal a sum of £334,661. Of this sum £18,432 is transferred to the reserve account, whilst income tax absorbs £45,524. After paying a. dividend on preference shares amounting -to £9,000 and an int-ea-int dividend on ordinary shares amounting to £20,000, plus a loss on the realization of Government loans and ri t a of £35,681 (which was partially met by the withdrawal of £30,074 from reserve, leaving a net loss of "£5,607), as well as an amount transferred to reserve against Government loans and securities still held of £7,560, there remains a balance Of £228,538. Pension funds absorb £5,000 of this amount, whilst £40,000 will be allocated to the payment of a final dividend on the ordinary shares, leaving £183,538 to -be .carried forward.
Inst. A.E. Activities.
The Institution of Automobile Engineers had a very •busy evening on March 2nd, commencing at 7.40 p.m. with an extraordinary general meeting, at which the alterations to the articles of association, to conform to the c,onclitime of the financial grant from the S.M.1.1. and T. were carried nern. con. This was followed by the annual general Meeting, and then came the ordinary general meeting, at which Dr. Hatfield -gave a. very valuable lecture on, the results of some experiments he had carried out on fatigue tests on automobile steels.
No time is being lost in extending the programme of work of the Institution, rendered possible by' the support of the Society of MotorManufacturers and Traders, and. on April 27th an important paper-en "Ball Bearings," by-Mr.H. L. Heathcote, will be read at a Special meeting of the. Institution at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.
It is hoped to hold six additional meetings during the Commercial Vehicle and Motor Shows at Olympia. At the anriu.al general meeting it was &nriounced that Mr. Geo. Watson had been elected president -for the session 1921-22, and Lieut.-Col. D. J. Smith, Dr. W. R. Ormandy, Mr. Doulas Leechman, and Major B. W. Shi-son had been elected vice-presidents, and. the following had been elected to..fiII the 15 vacancies on the council ;—Brig.-Gaa.
R. K. Bagniall-Wild, Mr. A. E. Berriman, Mr. Harry Brearley, Mr, H. G. Burford, Col. R. B. Crompton, Mr. J. H. S. Dickenson, Mr. L. H. Hounsfield, Mr. G. H. Lanchester, Mr. L. A: Legros, Mr. Max Lawrence; Lieut.-Col. J. S. Napier, Mr. A. J. Rowledge, Mr. G. J. Shave, Mr. H. Ker Thomas, Major Chas. Wheeler.
In the first five weeks of the year £5,876,000 was collected in respect of motor vehicle liCences, 3 per cent. of the total being received for quarterly Feences and 1 per cent, for drivers' licences.
Six and Nine Months' Licences.
According to a notice which was issued by the Ministry of Transport on March 9th, applications have been received by certain councils for permission to take out licences available from March 25th or from July 1st and expiring on December 31st, on payment of nine-tenths and sixtenths, respectively, of the annual duty, in order to avoid the necessity for . quarterly renewals. The Ministry have arranged that theaa six months and nine months' licences shall be issued in respect of vehicles to which quarterly licences are applicable.
The Speed of Motor Coaches:
It is bighly desirable that the Ministry of Transport should make , some announcement at an early date concerning the present nominal speed limit of 12 miles per hour for chars-a-bancs. It is important that such announcement should.appear before Easter.
Engineering Apprentices.
Leyland Motors, Ltd., have for a long i time taken an interest n the education of engineering apprentices, and for this purpose the company have recently purchased Wellington House, Leyland, a fine old country residence delightfully situated, which has been fitted up as a residential training hostel for engineer apprentices at the bead works. We have recently received a booklet dealing with the engineering apprenticeship courses, -which make it abundantly clear that learners receive a thorough and well-founded training.
A Guaranteed Refund.
We are informed by the Star Engineering Co., Ltd., of Wolverhampton, that they will give a written contract tot all purchasers of their vehicles between February 1st and July 1st, 1921, on delivery of the machine, to thee effect that should an7..reduction of price take place during the period mentioned, the difference between the price paid and that then current will be refunded to the buyer.
Institution of Production Engineers.
At a meeting held at Cannon Street Hotel, London, recently, it was decidiid to form an. Institution of Production Engineers. There was a large attendance when Mr. Honer, the convener of the meeting, opened the proceedings: Affiliation was suggested with some other body; this scheme, however, did not meet with the general approval of the meeting, and it Nva.a ultimately decided by a large majority to proceed with the formation of a separate inatitution. A representative committee was appointed te draft rules, etc., and to report progress at a general meeting to be held on Saturday, April 2nd.
Mr. H. Scott Hall, tractor trial organizer to the S.M.M. and T., is desirous of compiling a list of agricultural machinery and implement agents, principally with a view to keeping them advised of progress in connection with this year's tractor trials and similar events. He would, therefore, be glad if all implement agents who read this paragraph would communicate with him at 83, Pall Mall, London, S.W. 1, so that their names may be noted in connection with this matter,
Thornycroft Service.
Users of ex-Army Thornycroft motor vehicles will be interested to know that at each of the repair depots established by John I. Thornycroft and Co., Ltd., in London, Leeds, Manchester, and Glasgow' large stocks are carried of all standard spare parts for Thornycroft type " 3' vehicles; the War Office model, of which some thousands were supplied to the Government, and havesince been sold into private service. In addition, these repair depots also carry supplies of underand over-sized parts for renewal of much-worn vehicles, such as over-eize pistons for fitting to rebored cylinders and under-size bearings for cTankshafts, etc., thus obviating the delays that frequently occur in having special parts made while users' vehicles remain idle. It may not be generally known that the advice of the company's inspection engineers who periodically visit all Thornycroft users is also available for owners of ex-Army vehicles if they will report to the company particulars of their purchases.
These facilities should be of great help to owners of ex-Arii4 Thernyerefts, and, in addition to-supplying spare parts, the company's repair depots are well equipped for overhauling and reconditioning these and all types of motor vehicles in the most efficient. manner.
Besides their own well-appointed repair depots, there are Thornycroft agents throughout the country, all of whom also carry good stocks of spare parts, such as are usually required for replacement purposes on all the fakir models of Thornycroft motor vehicles. Altogether, it is evident that users of these are receiving, every assistance from the rempa-:1y m regard to repairs and the sop ply of replacement parts.
Civil Aviation.
The fifth ordinary meeting of the Institute of Tra.nsport will be held at the Institution of Civil Engineers, Great George Street, London, S.W.1, on Monday, March 14th, at 5.30 p.m., when Major-General Sir F. H. Sykes, K.C.B., C.M.G.,' C.B.E. (Controller-General of Civil Aviation), will read a pa-per entitled "Civil Aviation."
A limited. number of visiters' tickets is available, application for which should be made to the hon. secretary (MT. IL E. Blain, C.B.E.), at the offices of the In
stitute, 2 and 3, The Sanctuary, Westminster, London, S.W.1.
The president (Lord Ashfiekl of Southwell) will take the chair.
Driving Mirrors for Commercial Vehicles.
We have received from Etienne and Cie, 61, Great Eastern Street, London, E.C.2, manufacturers of the wellknown Stadium brand, of accessories, e sample of their new No. 30 Stadium driving mirror, which is specially designed for heavy commercial vehicle work. This Mirror embodies several novel and patented features which render it eminently suitable for the roughet usage usage to whielt a driving mirror can be subjected. The arm carrying the mirror is of ample strength, and is forged out at its upper end into a ball socket, into which fits the centre ball-ended pin forming a part of the mirror frame. This ball-and-socket joint renders the mirror capable of. being adjusted in any direction, and it is tightened by a locking
nut, which is provided with either a clip or screw plate fixing as required, and whichever type is,employed the nuts are effectually prevented from working loose by means of a brass locking plate. A further means of adjustment is provided. This is for the length of the carrying arm, which has seven position
ing holes. The thumb-screw bolding this arm in position is itself locked by a small spring plunger, eo that however much vibration may occur there is no possibility of the mirror becoming loose. The price of this distinctly useful accessory is 35s. for either type, and special terms will he quoted to the trade and commercial vehicle userson application.
No Need for Speed Limit.
In refusing the request of the West Riding County Council for a ten-mile speed limit along certain roads in the village of Pool, the Ministry of Transport states that in view of the freedom from accidents during the past 12 months and the comparatively email number in 1919, it would appear that the provisions of Section 1 of the Motor Car Act should be sufficient to cope with such danger as may be caused by the driving of motor vehicles at a speed in excess of ten miles an hour.
Parent Tyre Co.'s Dividends.
In consequence of the decision of the board of the Dunlop Rubber Co., Ltd., to postpone the payment of the prefer.. ence interim dividends due on February 28th, the .directors of the Parent Tyre Co., Ltd., have found it necessary to postpone the payment of the interine dividends usually paid upon that date.
The shareholders will have noted that as from August 31st next the dividend. upon the " C " preference shares, over 2,000,000 of which are held by the company, will' be increased from 7 per cent. to 8 per cent. per annum, and that an additional non-cumulative dividend of 1 per cent, will be payable out of prefits. remaining after the ordinary shares of the Dunlop Rubber Co., Ltd., have received a dividend of 10 per cent. in any financial year and the " A" and, "B" preference shares of that company an additional divided of per cent each respective[y.
Racehorse Transportation.
A well-known owner and trainer of horses in the north of England utilizes the Leyland machine illustrated on this page for the transportation of his horses, great distances being covered in this manner.
The body has been specially padded and ample room given for two horses to be carried at a time, The loading ie undertalerefrom the rear of the machine, the back falling down to form a gangway by which the horses may enter. The sides open in a similar manner and form exits for the animals. By this arrangement the horses may enter and leave their respective boxes without the necessity of backing or turning.
The illustration shrive this special body. mounted on e Leyland reconditioned four-tonner, and, owing to the exceptionally fine springing of the machine and . the great care which ha e been taken; with the body, the greatest comfort is. assured to the valuable animals which the body has been designed to carry.
Reciprocal Bus Service.
A motorbus service has been arranged between Birkenhead and Wallasey, and as an experiment each of the two municipalities is supplying one bus. One town will run a bus in the morning of one week and the other town will supply the bus in the afternoon. The f obi lowing week the order will be reversed-1 Any profit made by the respective authorities. will be kept, but if there is any loss it will be borne by them. This service will commence on March 19th.
Numbers by Night.
Sydney (N.S.W.) Municipal Council has been informed by the InspectorGeneral of Police, in regard to the illegibility of numbers on motor vehicles at night, that not only are the traffic police paying attention to the point, but police motorcyclists are also specialty detailed for this duty. A special inspection of lights on meter vehicles is made at police headquarters each week, and last year 783 vehicles were dealt with, and, the owners are required to re-submit their cars for further inspection until., the lights have been pieced in proper order. A number of prosecutions takes place each week for breaches of the revlathing respecting defective lights.
Timber Hauling.
The group of illustrations which We reproduce at the bottom of this page was forwarded to Clayton Wagons, Ltd., by Messrs. G. Haigh and Co., haulage contractors, of Bootle, Liverpool, who use Clayton steam wagons in connection with timber hauling.
One of the pictures shows a load of pitch pine logs weighing 6 tons, the average length of the logs being 65 ft., and two logs comprising a load, The load of mahogany shown in the picture of a Cla,yton s...tairier and trailer weighs 12 tons, six lags comprising a load, whilst the third illustration shows •a wagon loaded with spruce planks weighing 5& tons. The distances covered on the journeys during which these photographs were taken were for the wagon •carrying pitch pine four miles, the vehicle carrying mahogany logs five miles, and the wagon transporting spruce planks four miles. Three journeys per day of each of these distances are usually undertaken by each of the vehicles when carrying loads of this description, which reflects c-ommendable credit on the efficiency of the Clayton steamer for this class of work.
SeottUh Bus Mileages. "
With reference to the paragraph on page 5 of the issue of February 22nd and to our comment on page 67 of last week's issue on the statement therein contained, WC have now received a letter from the chief engineer of the Scottish General Omnibus Co. Ltd., saying that an error actually had occurred in the original statement circulated by Messrs. Tit-Hag, Stevens, Ltd. It was apparently a typist's error, because a second one in the statement was okviously such. The original statement was to the effect that the buses Nos. 1 and 2, purchased of Tilling-Stevens about seven years ago, -bad been in regular service and had covered 463,074 and 440,036 miles respectively. The chief engineer to the 'Scottish
General Omnibus Co., Ltd., now says that the first figure 4 in each total should have been a 1, so that the totals should read 163,074 and 140,056 miles. We regret that we did not probe even deeper than we did before publishing die statement. • .
Birkenhead Buses.
Birkenhead Corporation is negotiating with the Bebington Council with a, riow to the extension of a bus service to Port Sunlight. This particular route is now losing 10d. per -mile, and if it does not pay when the extension is made the buses will be withdrawn.
Leeds and Taxi-hansoms.
Leeds Watch Committee has further considered the matter of licensing motorcycles and sidecars as hackney carriages, and has decided that suitable cycles and sidecars be so licensed, charges to be Li. for the first mile and 5c.I. for every additional mile, or 6s. per hoax.
The Life of a Tramway Track
In sanctioning loans for the extension of the Stretford tramways, the Ministry of Transport writes to the urban council that -experience has shown that the life of a tramway trade does not normally exceed 15 to 20 years, and that it is to be considered that loans in respect thereof should generally be repayable in such period.
.The Price of Delay.
In connection with the failure of Eleotriears, Ltd.—formerly the Edison ACC11Innlatora, Ltd.—to deliver tn time, in aecordance with contract with the Glasgow Corporation a number of electric vehicles, the corporation cleansing -committee now reports that the firm has .offered to pay 11,000 in settlement of the claim for non-timeons delivery, and The committee recommends acceptance of this offer.
Local Proceedings.
Two Paden wagons are to be par.. chased by Guildford R.D.C.
Whitby U.D.C. requires a loan to cover the cast of purchasing a steam wagon.
York Watch Committee has decided to purchase a motor ambulance' ata test of E450.
East Ham Corporation Works Committee recommends the purchase of a 2 ton 13urford lorry.
Perth M.O. wants to borrow L20,000, part of which it is proposed to spend on the purchase of motorbuses.
W.est Biding County Council has a scheme for the erection of a new central garage and stores, -at a cost of £6,500.
Leeds Watch Committee refuses to consent to a proposal of the Taxi Proprietors' and. Divers' Association for the limitation of taxicab lice-nces.
The advisability of Ordering two tractors at 21,450 each and a Ford tipping wagon at E250 is under the consideration of the Elgin Comity Council.
To prevent the duplioation of hospital accummodut.an in various parts of West Riding for tunall-pox eases, the .:outity Council proposes to get an ambulance SO that cases may easily be eon veyed where accommodation is available.
The Macolesfield ffeath Committee has :appointed --special sub-committee to consider the question of collection of house refuse by mechanical -traction. At present the Work :is -carried outhy a aye' ein of two-wheeled -horse-drawn carts.
With regard to its newly purobase.d Leyland motor fire-engine, the illaccles-. neld Corporation has decided to pass -payment of the contract price. El 730, and to take up the question of the additional elharge which has been demanded for increased cost of labour and materials.
PARADE SUPPER.
A Happy Sequel to the Recent Liverpool Commercial Motor Parade.
AS a result of the unique gathering of commercial motor drivers and second-men at a hot-pot supper given by the, Liverpool branch of the Gommercia, Motor Users Association, the mystic letters, C.M.U.A., will, no doubt, have a greater significance amongst the men —who are the actual. users—than ever before. The occasion was the distribution of the prizes awarded at the recent motor parade, and it was the first time that the owners and drivers of vehicles had been brought together -under social auspices. Mr. IL. C. Reynolds, chairman of the North-Western Division, was .present, and supported by the committee of the local branch.
In welcoming tbe.hunclred guests, Mr. R. H. Hail, who presided, said. tha,t. the parade was the first of its kind held Liverpool, and was, in fact, he believed, the first to be held outside London. The association intends holding another parade this year, and in the light of the experience gained and with every • one's co-operation, the committee anticipates that the next parade will he an even greater success than the last. For one thing, it is proposed to increase the number of classes, so that the older machines will not be competing against the comparatively new ones. The a.ssociation is most anxious that the drivers of the oldisr machines should be encouraged to take a pride in their vehicles, so that they should feel they have an equal chance of 'eargying off an award with the drivers of more np-todate machines. "In a competition such as this, the judging presents enormous difficulties, owing to the number and variety of points which have to be borne in mind, and it is scarcely possible to arrive at a decision which will please everyone. To the winners of the highest honours on the present occasion I offer my heartiest congratulations."
The Commercial Motor Users Association, Lose:lost of them, he was afraid, had been little more than a name, but he hoped that from that night they would more fatly realize its siiims and ohjects.and that they would all come to look upon:it with a kindly eye. It -sought to safeguard and promote the affairs of motor transport, and one of its most important functions -was to scrutinize elosely all Bills before Parliament affecting road transport and to take steps to see that the industry was not harassed by unfair legislation or taxation. Any Government action which would have the effect of crippling the industry or making it unprofitable would have disastrous-results for the drivers as well as the owners of commercial meters, so, to a large extent, all present that evening had interests in common. (AppIauee.) Mr. R. C. Reynolds, chairman N.-W. Division, presented the prizes, and spoke of the pleasure he was afforded to gee the consummation of the efforts he began last September, when he was one of the judges. He congratulated theedrivers on their 61.1COAS at thekbiggeet and best parade held outside London, and it reflected credit not only upon the organizers, but :upon those who took .part. in it. He would. like the drivers to interest themselves in the C.M.U.A., which, was working as much in their interests as in• anyone else's. He thought the time had Come when they would see more aye to eye with one another. The association
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did net deal with wages and labour matters : it was for nsere of the vehicles, and the user was as much the man who had charge of it as the firm that owned it. They had to look after all those things, such as municipalities seeking powers to control local traffic and, in the county areas, to close roads. If any of them had studied the history of road traction during the last 15 or 20 years they would know the difficulties under which users bad laboured, and many of them who had been driving for years knew those difficulties.
"I don't suppose there is a man sit.ting in this room," said Mr. Reynolds, "who has not suffered from the attentions of the police, and the.attentions of the police are an outward and visible sign of the attention the authorities are engaged in—I don't say intentionally—to restrict road transport and their failure to appreciate its value to the:community.
"Eight local authorities in Lancashire were desirous of getting powers to regulate local traffic, and in Liverpool the council sought powers to make :motors pull up bellind a tramcar. The way to regulate street traffic was not by stopping cars in the middle of the road."
The Interests of Masters and Men Identical "In fighting these and similar restrictions we are fighting the battle of the men as much as the battle of the owners. If you can't carry on your work with a minimum of interference and with the opportunity that is required, these measures will wreck those services to the community, which are the means of your wages being paid. • For that reason I hope you will do what you can to advance the interests of the C.M.U.A."
They were 'doing what they could fd 'provide adequate facilities for obtaining water supplies, and were trying -to set up a system of intercominunication throughout the counta:y between members, so that a driver in difficulty would be. able to telephone from the premises of any C.M.U.A. member to his ern!. player. Then they were trying to fix sip approved garages and places where decent lodgings could be obtained for the men. "We are trying to make commercial motto trade more profitable, more pleasant, and more useful," added Mr. Reynolds, "and I do contend that it is as much in "the interests of the owner as of the driver, because, after all is said and done, the interests of the two are identical.
"If you have any suggestions, don't hesitate to state them to your employer or get into touch with 'the secretary. They will be much appreciated. You man on the road realize what your needs are, and your suggestions should make the association more helpful and useful and help to remove the difficulties with which you are confronted."
'I congratulate you on the success of your parade and the obvious care you have taken in bringing your vehicles out. I was surprised at the degree of care which had.: been exercised in getting them into such excellent condition."
In awarding • a special prize of five guineas to Mr. R. Phillips, of G. Wall and Co., Mr. Reynolds said : "Never in my life have I seen a wagon which reflected more credit on a driver—whether it had been specially prepared or not." Silver cups, presented by Thornycroft fs and Leyls,nds, were awarded' to Messrs, Geo. Wall and Co. and Messrs. Fairrie and Co.
STANDARDIZED SIGNS.
An Appeal to Local Authorities by the Ministry of Transport.
ALETTER has been sent by the Ministry of Transport to the clerks of county councils and highway authorities strongly recommending that the proposed standard forms for direction posts and warning signs should he introduced by them as and when opportunities arise with due regard to economy, and, in particular, whenever they may propose to erect new direction posts and warning signs on roads: under their eontrol. It is a matter oi .common knowledge that, although the signs recommended by the Local Government Board in 1904. have been extensively adopted, a variety of ether signs and directions, both efficial and unofficial, have been placed by the sides of highways. The confusing information presented to-day by the variety and number of these signs has undoubtedly created a tendency among road users to disregard them. In the Minister's view this tendency can only be corrected, by the general use of an approved series of standard signs, to which road traffic would readily become responsive, with a resulting increase in' the convenience and safety of the travelling public. With a view to arriving at some definite proposals which would meet with general acceptance, the Minister requested the County Surveyors' Society, towards the close of 1910, to appoint a specialcommittee to consider and report on the general question of road signs and direction posts in the light of modern traffic development. The report of this committee was carefully considered by the officers of the Ministry, and the views of the more important associations of road users and motor organizations were sobtained. Certain definite proposals were then referred by 'the Minister to the Roads Advisory Committee, and accepted, as forming the basis of a scheme which might with advantagebe placed before all highway authorities in the country.
The selection of the points at which direction posts or danger signs should be erected will remain, as at present, within the discretion of the highway authorities, having regard to the characteristics of the particular roads and the nature and extent of the traffic on them.
Particular attention is drawn to a
novel feature in the proposals. The classification of roads es now approaching completion, and when the schedules reach their final form it is intended to distinguish each first and second class road by an individual number. Provision is made in the scheme for indicating the route numbers on the arms of direction posts, in the belief that the universal adoption of this practice would be of the greatest service to road users generally. Where the text and size of the lettering upon the arms of" an existing direction post are otherwise suitable, the route number could be conveniently added and secured to the end of the direction arm by means of a sleeve connector and eat-sorews.
In placing these proposals before highway authorities, the Minister feels that he can confidently depend. upon their support and co-operation, and he particularlywishes it to be understood that he is not advancing any wholesale replacement of serviceable signs at the present time, having regand.to the heavy 'burden of local rates.