The Wheels of Industry.
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" The wheel of wealth 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.
Iroeeedings of Local Authorities.
Dartford R.D.C. is buying a steam tractor, at £500.
The Clayton-le-Moors U.D.C. is lesirous to purchase a motor newer.
The Littlebampton U.D.C. is inpiring for prices of motor firemgines.
Barnsley T.C. has been refused :J.G.B. sanction for a motor-firemgine lean.
The Admiralty has temporarily .equisitioned the Hendon U.D.C.'s notor fire-engine.
The Auckland R.D.C. has apiroaehed the Local Government Board in the matter of licensing mwers for motorbuses.
The Works Committee of the Holiorn Borough Council has decided o enter into a contract, for a furtier nine months, for the hire of a carrier-Hill road-cleansing ma:hine.
The Metropolitan Asylums Board as renewed certain electric-battery :ontracts with the Tudor Accumuator 0o., Ltd., for the maintenance If batteries, on the basis of lid. Per mile for a, 25-cwt. vehicle, and id. per mile for a 30-cwt. vehicle.
The Chichester City Council has lecided to delnarid a payment of 3d. per motorbus-mile in respect of a proposed service between Midhurst ,nd Chichester, for which service he Midhurst R.D:C. had given its ,pproval, free of any such condiions, for a minimum period of 12 aonths.
The Ash Parish Council has reolved to draw the attention of the Lldershot and District Traction ;1o., Ltd., to the running of motorRises ahead of schedule times on he serviCe from Aldershot to Black[own, and to the inconvenience to he travelling public which fre.uently results from this early runmg.
The Newport (Mon.) Town Colinil has referred to its Parliamentary kuumittee a letter from the Editor f Tin COMMERCIAL MOTOR calling ttention to the probable results, corn the point of view of the ratemyers in county boroughs, of the urrent and pending procedure of te county. councils of the country nder Section 20 of the. Local Govrnment (Emergency Provisions) .ct.
Glasgow Goes Forward.
We may remind readers that a pecial committee of the Gas Cornlittee of the Glasgow Corporation at the present time looking closely Ito all matters affecting proposals n. the use of coal-gas for roadAction purposes. Petrol Imports, The following are official figures for the imports of petrol into the United Kingdom in the month of September, 13,532,420 gallons, corn pared with 9,879,331 for the same month in 1915; total imports for the nine months ended the 30th September, 1916, 123,310,642, compared with 105,718,990 for the corresponding nine months of 1915.
Institution of Petroleum Technologists.
Mr. William Forbes-Leslie, M.B., F.G.S., drew attention in a paper before the InstitutiOn of Petroleum Technologists, at a meeting of that body which was held on Tuesday evening last, at the Royal Society of Arts, to the importance of the shale deposits in Norfolk and neighbouring counties, extending to Cambridge, Essex, and portions of Hertfordshire and Suffolk. The author is evidently of opinion that the development of these oil-shales
may have a considerable future•bearing upon Great Britain's home
produced fuels. The measures are known as the " Kimmeridge."
C.M.U.A. First-aid Outfit.
We learn from the Secretary of the Commercial Motor Users Association, Mr. F. G. Bristow, of 83, Pall Mall, S.W., that 20 of the Association's first-aid outfits were sold last week. These are priced at £1 each, carriage paid. The outfit was designed with the assistance of-medical practitioners, first-aid manufacturers, and owners of fleets of commercial motors. It is intended primarily for use on commercial motors, but it has been found equally useful on pleasure cars, in workshops, and for home, use. The contents are supplied in a stout, black, japanned tin ease, with separate bottle-sections, the external measurements of the tin being 9i ins. by 6i ins. by 4 ins. A card of instructions greatly adds to the value of the well-chosen contents. Our "Spare Part Bureau."
Mr. John Pollitt, writing from Central Hall Buildings, Renshaw Street, Liverpool, concerning the services which are rendered by our "Spare Part Bureau," states inter alia:--" The Bureau has a decided use, not only for the user, but also for the trader." This war-time service continues to give rise to numerous communications daily.
Conunercar Repairs in London.
It will no doubt interest many of our readers to be reminded that Commercial Car Hirers, Ltd., of Caxton House, Westminster, S.W., has been appointed official repairer to Commercial Cars, Ltd., of Luton, for Commerear vehicles in. and around London. Commercial Car Hirers, Ltd., is re-organizing its repair shop and extending its plant, at 112a, Junction Road, Upper Holloway, N. (telephone, 2390 Hornsey), where this branch of its work is undertaken.
Position in Switzerland.
The motor industry of Switzerland has made tremendous progress during 1915.
The value of touring cars and commercial vehicles exported in 1913 amounted to 13,300,000 francs, to 14,000,000 francs in 1914, and reached as high as 28,500,000 francs in 1915. On the other hand, the import of vehicles during 1913 amounted to 9,000,000 francs, this falling in 1914 to 7,000,000, and in 1915 to 2,250,000. France and Germany supplied goods of about equal value to Switzerland during 1915; the low figures reflect the state of both belligerent countries, if causes differ.
Gazette.
A general meeting of the Defoe Motor Haulage Co., Ltd., will be held at 34 and 36, Gresham Street, E.C., on the 8th prox., at 12 noon, to consider the report of the liquidator, Mr. Frank Rowley.
The under-mentioned joint-stock companies have been struck off the , Register and are dissolved :—AutoTaxicabs, Ltd. ; British and Continental Motor Co., Ltd. ' British Excelsior Motors, Ltd. ; Cygnus Motors, Ltd. ; Dent Motors, Ltd. ; Elswiek Autocars, Ltd. ; Express Motor Cab Co., Ltd.. Lancashire Taxicab Co., Ltd. Metropolitan Auto-Cab Co., Ltd.; Mildmay Motor and Cycle Stores. Ltd. ; Motor Coach Syndicate, Ltd.; Victoria Motor Tyre Manufacturing Co., Ltd. ; Weigel Motors (1907). Ltd. It should be borne in mind that some of the companies may be in course of reconstruction, Is a Taxicab a Char.-a-Bancs?
Mr. F. A. Wilkes, managing director of the Llandudno Motor and Garage Co., Ltd., informs us that the Board of Trade (Railway Department), 7, Whitehall Gardens, London, S.W., has replied as follows to an inquiry which he put forward dealing with the use of private-hire cars and taxicabs :— "With reference to your letter on the subject of the recent Defence of the Realm Regulation relating to the use of motor spirit for chars-hbanes and other like vehicles, I am directed by the Board of Trade to state that, while they have no authority to interpret the Regulation, it appears to them that, in considering whether any particular vehicle is one to which the Regulation applies, regard may rightly be paid to the question whether it is being used for excursions or trips in the way in which chars-k-bancs are ordinarily used, but that taxicabs or cars of the nature of ordinary private cars, even if hired from a garage, would not in any case come within the operation of ths Regulation."
Institution of Automobile Engineers: Opening of the 016-'1917 Session.
Mr. L. A. Legros commenced his second term of office as President of the Institution of Automobile Engineers by a very fine address delivered on the occasion of the opening meeting of the Institution for the session 1916-1917. The first and technical portion of the address dealt with automobile engines from the point of view of weight per horse-power. In dealing with this subject, Mr. Legros evolved a new method of treatment, basing his comparisons, on what he termed the effective radius of the engine, which
is determined as follows :—" If a gearwheel be supposed to be fitted to the crankshaft of the engine and to engage with a vertical rack, the effective radius for the engine at any particularspeed is the maximum pitch radius which this wheel can have to allow the engine to
climb the rack." A number of _ curves and diagrams were shown in which comparisons were made of this effective radius for various types of engines, made at different periods and running at a range of speeds. These were instructive indeed, although somewhat technical in their nature.
The second portion of his address dealt with education and the comparative neglect of the scientific side which has been a feature of our public schools, and which Mr. Legros holds responsible for ' the "apparent ignorance of technical and scientific matters amongst those on whom the responsibility for running this war has fallen." From that, transition to the next portion, early education and examinations, was easy. Mr. Legros
made several suggestions for the reform of examinations, and particularly those of the qualifying type. An amusing digression was that in which Mr. Legros explained how he himself. passed a drawing section of a certain examination, although, as he modestly affirms, neither then nor now has he any aptitude for freehand drawing, which wa.s the subject in which he was successful in passing at the first attempt. The status of the engineer and a reference to the prolonged efforts for his recognition in the Navy forms the major part of the next portion, which deals with employment. In the concluding portion, in which he dealt with the war conditions, Mr. Legros sounds a warning note and presses that attention to the problems affecting the relations ,between employee and employer be paid now so that subse• quent difficulties and troubles may not lead us to disaster. Mr. Legros more than once in his paper soundE a note of admiration for the farseeing qualities of a certain statesmen, lately. Minister of Munitions, whose name he does not mention.
Recent Registrations. The Machine Gun and Motor Co., Ltd. (23000), to adopt an agreement with C. J. O'Regan, motor engineer, 15, Edith Grove, Chelsea, S.W.
Oliver Bushell and Co., Ltd. (23000), with its registered °ice at Harley Buildings' 11, Old Hall Street, Liverpool, to take over the business, of an automible engineer and haulage contractor. The Lambert Vaporizer.
In our description of the Lambert vaporizer, where we state "after a time the engine is made so hot that it becomes difficult ,.for petrol to be utilized,'' for " engine " read "vaporizer."
Alliays and Onions Smiths' Hearths.
We have recently received from he Alldays and Onions Pneumatic ;ngineering Co., Ltd., Great Vestern Works, Birmingham, the onipany's latest catalogue of miths' hearths, heating furnaces, nd sundry fittings. The booklet, thich comprises in all 52 pages, is emarkable for the amount of dc iii it contains, and for the horoughness with which the utility f each particular type of hearth or tting is described, and its partieuLr functions outlined. In every me—and this is noteworthyrices are given. It will be a used addition to the bookshelf of very works manager.
Activities of Scammell and Nephew.
In connection with our recent Keep Your Lorry Fit " article, o. VIII, which appeared on the Ith inst., and in which we dealt ith the Foden chassis, we had !casion to visit Scammell and ephew, Ltd., Fashion Street, oitalfields, E., for the purpose of ling a few photographs. The Dtivities of this London company .e now almost entirely devoted to ork of national importance. This eludes a considerable amount of Drk on the preparation of Foden s,gons for Government sub-conactors, provision of bodies for nv chassis, and the repair, overall, and maintenance of existing earn and petrol wagons. In respect of bodies, some fine anaples are to be seen on the preises. We observed also that some the latest-model Fodens, erndying several important improveants, were there for completion. Rubberine.
We understand that recent increase of business has been such as to compel Rubberine, Ltd., to look for new premises, the existing ones at Campsbourne Works. Hornsey, not being expansible. We understand that a site has at last been decided upon, and the new factory, which will be opened very shortly, is to be situated in Market Road, Caledonian Road, N.
The Knox E-Konomy Carburetter.
Most of our readers will remember the Knox E-Konomy two-fuel carburetter which was described in our issue of 1st June as part of a series of articles on two-fuel fittings and carburetters. Mr. A. L. Turnbull, the British agent for that carburetter, informs us that he suffered somewhat at the time from the flood of correspondence which was a natural sequence of our published description of the carburetter, as he was unfortunately at the time not in a position to cope with inauiries. That defect has now been
remedied to a very consideraide extent. Not only has itir. Turnbull definitely concluded an arrangement,with the patentees in. America whereby he has sole control of the patent and manufacturing rights for this country and for parts of the Continent, but he has a stock.
Anyone interested and with a chassis available for test would do well to communicate with Mr. A. L. Turnbull, at 34, Temple Chambers, Bouverie Street, E.0:, with a view to coming to some arrangement with him. We understand, furthermore, that Mr. • Turnbull is endeavouring to manufacture in this country, and is willing to consider any favourable offers from firms who can arrange to produce in reasonable quantities.
It may not be uninteresting to record how Mr. Turnbull came to be interested in this device. We gather that a friend of his in the States submitted to him, for test, a Knox petrol carburetter. This Mr. Turnbull fitted to the engine of his car in place of a very popular and economical carburetter. With the old arrangement, 26 was the number of miles per gallon which could be run ; after fitting the Knox, Mr. Turnbull discovered that he could do his week-end journey from town to his country house—a distance of 65 miles out and home—on one tin of petrol, quite a remarkable performance and showing a considerable improvement over existing conditions. He then considered taking up the agency for this petrol carburetter, but the imposition of the heavy duty on touring-ear parts, and, later, the prohibition to import such components effectively put an end to his activities in that direction. The paraffin carburetter, which is somewhat on the lines of the other instrument, was offered, and as the outcome of negotiations which followed Mr. Turnbull has obtained the rights.