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WHEELS OF INDUSTRY.

"2" he wheels 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."---dohn Beattie Crozier.

S.M.M. and T.'s New President.

The new council of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders held its first meeting a few aaye ago and unanimously elected Colonel J. SealyClarke president of the Society for the ensuing year in succession.tO,Mr. Hamilton M. Hobson, who has held that office during the past twelve months. Colonel, Sealy-Clarke has been connected with the Society almost cities its formation. He acted as hon. treasurer and chairman of the Finance Committee for the year 1922.23, and he was a vice-president of the Society during 1923-24. He has been chairman of the British Rubber Tyre Committee since its formation in 1921 and has held also the offices of chairman of the Committees of the Pneumatic Tyre Section and Solid lyre Section.

The new president also occupies the chairmanship of the British Rubber 'Fy, Manufacturers' Association, and he is also acting chairman of the British Rubber Tyre Manufactureas' Research .Association.

-The Society's new vice-presidents are Sir William Letts, K.B.E., and Mr. J. K. Starley.

Southdown's Satisfactory Services.

The rep-irt of the directors of Southdown Motor Services, Ltd., shows that the,net profit on the company's passenger..vehicle services for the past year was £42,644, to which a sum of £15,825 brought forward had to be added. After deduction of a sum for corporation profits tax and a smaller item written off th& goodwill of businesses purchased during the year £56,505 remains. The reseive account benefits to the extent of £10,000, whilst an' interim dividend of 71 per cent. has absorbed £13,125, and a similar final dividend will absorb a like sum and leave £20,255 to be carried forward. • At the tenth ordinary general meeting of the company, when the report and statement of accounts were adopted, it was mentioned that the Southdown business continues steadily to increase. The fleet of vehicles now totals 210, and these buses and coaches operate on 563 miles of route. In the year under review the company's vehicles carried over 11 million passeegers.

The Lower Thames Tunnel Project.

rhi,, Minister, of Transport., Mr. H. Gosling, 111.p., received a deputation a few days ago of the 'various local authorities interested in the Lower Thames Tunnel project. The deputation VinS introduced by Mr. G. Isaacs, M.P. All the speakers, including Sir Alexander Richardson, Sir Wm. Bull, M.P., (Jul. Cornwallis (Kent C.C.), Rear-Admiral M. F. Sueter, M.P., Mr_ P. Hoffman, M.P., and Colonel Pitt, spoke in support of the proposal which they stated was necessary for the development of the Lower Thames and for the trade of Essex and Kent and adjoining counties. It was also urged that the tunnel would be an imtnense factor in the development of the Tilbury Docks and of the localities in the neighbourhood and in the solution

016 of. the London traffic problem, besides being of very great importance from a strategic and military point of view. Mr. Gosling informed the deputation that he was greatly in favour of the scheme, which he thought was urgently needed for traffic purposes and would help to relieve unemployment. He stated that, the Ministry had engaged an eminent engineer to make investigations and to submit a report as to the most suit. able site, and that so soon as the best possible scheme had been prepared a conference would be held with the local authorities concerned with a view to putting the work in hand so soon as the necessary preliminaries have been discussed and settled.

B.A.T. Traffic Receipts.

The traffic receipts on the passenger motor vehicles comprising the British Automobile Traction Co.'s group amounted to £118,311 during four weeks in the month of May. The aggregate re. ceipts for the 21 weeks of the year total £538,484, a figure which represents an increase of £98,470 over the corresponding period of last year.

American Imports and Exports.

Seventy-two motor vehicles and chassis, valued at 108,516 dollars, were imported into the United States during April, against 47 vehicles, valued at 75,161 dollars, in April, 1923. Exports of commercial vehicles and buses '(electric excepted) in the same month totalled 2,764, valued at 1,745,443 dollars, of which Sweden took 640 vehicles, japan 289, Mexico 192, Canada 184, Australia 166, British' Africa 90, British East Indies 39 and the United Kingdom 22.

The new garage on the Uttoxeter New Road, Derby, of the Trent Motdr Traction Co., Ltd., will be opened to-morrow (Wednesday) afternoon by the -Mayor of Derby, assisted by members of the town council. The directors of the company consider that they have, in the new building, one of the finest garages in the Midlands.

We are asked to make it clear that the 5-ft. overhang of -the 2-ton Garner overtype van referred to at the end of our article in last week's issue describing the method of giving access to the engine of the vehicle is the overhang from the centre of the axle.

Validity of Bus By-laws.

The whole question of the validity of by-laws made by urban district councils, under authorization of the Ministry of Health, and to copies of which are attached the Ministry's seal, with regard to theplying for hire of motorbuses, is to be taken to the High Court for decision. This step is the sequel to cases heard by the Merthyr Tydvil stipen.diary magistrate.

The point at issue is What constitutes the validity of a public authority's by-laws? Must the by-laws be mada in pursuance of an Act of Parliament?

Messrs. E. 3. Price, A. Wilkins and W. Gough, motoc omnibusproprietors of the Aberdare valleys, were summoned under the by-laws of the Mountain Ash Urban District Council for overloading buses in contravention of the regulations.

For the defence, it was submitted that the by-laws had no validity when framed by a local authority, except under -specific parliamentary authoriza

tion. It was contended that departmental sanction to frame laws was not sufficient in law in that no local authority held inherent powers to frame by-laws, which are only legal when made in virtue of some definite statute.

Mr. A. Pincombe, clerk to. the prosecuting U.D.C., adduced the argument that,-proiding the seal of a Government Department was attached to them, then the by-laws were legal.

The stipendiary pointed out that for the purposes of the cases under notice he would hold that the production of the by-laws was sufficient evidence of their validity.

The defending solicitor asked that his point should be noted—i.e., that he did not question the admission of the bylaws as evidence, but only their validity. He appealed, too, that only the owners should be prosecuted, and the summonses against the conductors dismissed; Eventually, however, a -conviction was registered against all six defendants.

It was intimated by defending counsel that the point -anent by-laws was to be taken to the High Court for a ruling.

More Motors for Westminster.

Westminster City Connell Highways Committee recommends the purchase of six 2a-ton motor lorries from Karrier Motors, Ltd., at a cost of £742 each. The council already has a fleet of lorries, consisting of 13 3a-ton Thorny. crofts, seven 2-2a-ton Daimlers and four 34-ton,Karriers.

Harper Bean Affairs.

A. Harper, Sons and Bean, Ltd., ask us to point out that the proposed winding-up of Harper Bean, Ltd., if decided upon, will not, affect either their financial position or activities in any way. The former are the manufacturers of the Bean car, and were founded in 1826, whereas the latter are a financial conipany formed at the end of the year 1919. A. Harper, Sons and Bean, Ltd., are a private company within the meaning of the Companies Acts, and their shares are not, and cannot be, quoted in the Stock

Exchange 'official

Devon Licences.

In a recent report compiled by the Devon County Council certain statistics relating to the issue of licences in Devon. shire are given. In 1923 the number of driving licences issued was 18,205, this figure comparing with 14,960 in 1922 and 12,068 a year earlier. So far as motor vehicle licences are concerned these have increased from 13,033 in 1921 to 17,23 in 1922 and 22,494 in 1923, whilst those issued in connection with horsed carriages have fallen from 11,813 in 1.021 to 10,223 two years later. The total sum received in respect of licences issued last year amounted. to £177,145.

Railway Company and Corporations' Bridge Bill.

The Newcastle and Gateshead Corporations Bridge Pill, which provides for a new crossing over the River Tyne, and which is being opposed by the London and North Eastern Railway Co., Ltd., came up for consideration a few days ago before a House of Commons Select Committee presided over by Sir John Brunner.

For the promoters of the scheme—the two corporations—Mr. E. Chateris, K.C., said that the facilities afforded by the existing bridges were totally inadequate for present-day requirements. The average traffic over the swing bridge at Newcastle was said to be 201 vehicles and 1,352 pedestrians per hour, and that, as the bridge took 7i mins. to swing and the number of swings annually was 5,593, it was closed to traffic for the equivalent of more than a month every year. There was no question as to the desirability of the construction of a new bridge, said Mr. Chateris, the points at issue being whether the promoters were at liberty to build a bridge for themselves on their own terms, or were they to construct it subject to terms which were to be imposed by the committee at the instance of the railway company.

It was an astonishing fact, Mr. Chateris commented, that in the 20th century the sole connecting toll-free bridge between the North and South of England should be the swing bridge at Newcastle. The great development of motor traffic rendered a new crossing imperative, owing to the grave congestion in the neighbourhood of the existing bridges. The railway company's revenue from the high-level bridge in 1923 was stated to be £4,400.

For the railway company, Mr. Tyldesley Jones did not dispute the desirability of the crossing from a public standpoint, but argued that, if private interests were interfered with, they should be compensated,. and asked for the insertion of a clause in the Bill providing that the company should be compensated for any diminution of revenue brought about by the construction of the new bridge.

Allen-Liversidge Dividend.

Allen-Liversidge, Ltd., advise us that they have declared a dividend at the rate of 12i per cent, per annum (less income tax) for the six months ended April 30th last. The transfer books of the company closed on June 28th and will remain so until July 11th.

British Buses for Australia.

It is stated . that Tilling-Stevens Motors, Ltd., and John I. Thornycroft and Co. Ltd., have each secured a portion of the contract for the supply of ten single-deck motorbuses to the Melbourne Metropolitan Tramways Board. The chassis are to be imported without the bodies, which are to be manufactured locally, and will be built to seat 30-40 pacsengers.

, International Transport Conference.

The nineteenth congress of the International Union of Tramways, Local Railways and Public Motorcar 'Transport Services met in Paris a few days ago. Representatives of Belgium, China, Denmark, Spain, France, Great Britain, Holland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Norway, Poland, Roumania, Sweden, Switzerland and Czecho Slovakia attended the congress, which was held in the Sorbonne. The question of the use of petrol-propelled vehicles on railways was among the subjects discussed.

American Production.

The National Automobile Chamber of Commerce of America reports that the output of motor vehicles in the United States for the first five months of 1924 totalled. 1,742,832. This is the largest figure on record for any similar period, and 94,000 above the total for the first five months of 1923. The output for May was 301,800 vehicles,which is 19 per cent, below the April figures, and 23 per cent, below the total for May, 1923.

New Buses for Tees-side. .

The Tees-side Railless Traction Board which, in the near future, is to take delivery of a number Of vehicles which can be used either as trolley-bases or petrol buses, is desirous of extending its area of operations, and is seeking permission to run buses of this type to Redcar, the popular coastal resort situated on the border of the Tees-side industrial neighbourhood, and also right into the centre of Middlesbrough itself, instead of only to the North Ormesby railless service terminus as at present. The Eston Urban . District Council has taken strong exception to the proposed extension so far as Middlesbrough is concerned, and has passed a resolution accordingly. -

Road Tests of the Morris Wormer.

Morris Motors, Ltd., of Cowley, Oxon., who recently introduced a 1-tots commercial vehicle, which was fully described in our pages a few weeks ago, have just conducted a series of road tests with a standard model of this pro

duction: The vehicle chosen for the tests was a van de luxe, and, fully laden, its total weight was tusi cwt. The trials took place at Sunrising Hill, one of the famous Edghill range, and the ' vehicle easily negotiated the notorious gradient and completed. the 1-in-6 climb with ample power in hand.

On the run down to Sunrising Hill from Birmingham, and with the same carburetter setting as was used for climbing the hill, a petrol consumption test was undertaken, when it was found that a gallon of fuel was being consumed for

Revenue from Runabouts.

Bournemouth Corporation has decided to allocate £300, equivalent to 4d.per Car-mile run, to the Beach Committee account i-. respect of the use of the Undercliff Drive by its runabouts.

The accounts dealing with the runabout service show a balance of £1,531, of which £631 is allocated as the net revenue charges, leaviug a balance of £900.

New fares are to be fixed as follow :— Bournemout.. Pier and Boscombe Pier, 4d. ; intermediate stage, 2d. ; children under 12 (any distance), 2d.

Lower Renfrewshire Roads.

It is stated by the road surveyor of Lower Renfrewshire that, despite the wet character of last year and the very frequent flooding experienced, the road surfaces generally were in excellent condition at the end of winter and beginfling of spring. The volume of motor traffic using the highway has steadily increased. For the maintenance of roads for the year ending May 15th, 1925, a sum of £54,120 is likely to be required; grants from the .Ministry of Transport will amount approximately to £19,910, leaving an expenditure of £34,210 to be made by the local authority.

• New Wirral Main Roads.

New main roads, 60 ft. • to 100 ft. wide; linking op the rural towns of Wirral; and giVing more direct access to7Wallisey and Birkenhead, are propaseir to beent,structed as part of an eXterisive scheme for town-planning oil the Wirral 'Peninsula. Existing, highways in the. Wirral will be widened, and the proposals also include an arterial road, giving I3irkenhead and -Wallasey direct access to Warrington and other Lancashire towns, thereby shortening the distance between these' centres by several miles. Wallasey will be provided with two new routes—a coastwise road from Leasowe to West Kirby, and a highway branching off from Wallasey Village through Bidston Marshes, and giving access to Wirral inland towns.

The joint committee of representatives.. of the Birkenhead and Wallasey

Town Councils, and other local authorities, has completed its first report dealing with the town-planning scheme, and is submitting this to the authorities concerned for consideration.

Right-hand Steering Essential. The Agent-General for Western Australia advises us that regulations made recently under the "Traffic Act, 1919," ofWestern Australia provide that all • • • motor vehicles shall have the steering

controls disposed-on the right-hand side. This provision does not apply tO• any .motor• vehicle licensed, in the State before the issue of the regulations, and it does not affect those vehicles owned and used by persons visiting the area for short periods.

Taxicab Equipment.

"Modernize Your Cab " is the title of a leaflet which has reached us from S. Smith and Sons (Motor Accessories), Ltd., of 179-185, Great Portland Street, London, W.T. Its purpose is to bring to the notice of taxicab owners and drivers the merits of the Smith lighting set and such fittings as speedometers, clocks, mirrors, pumps and jacks for use on hackney carriages of this type.

A Berliet for Bullion.

Many motor vehicles are now used los transporting bullion, but in most cases they are heavy-type chassis fitted with bodies of largo carrying capacity. The special type of vehicle which we illustrate on this page, is a much smaller edition of thr class of machine often employed for carrying valuable loads and

from which it differs in several points of

construction The body, which is not 'unlike a traveller's brougham in some respects, was built by Messrs. H. E. • Taylor old Co., of Cringleford, near Nor with, and mounted on a 15-cwt. 13erliet chassis to the order of a firm of precious metal smelters. The spacious box body to the rear of the driving compartment ta steel-lined, and all the joints are welded. It can only be opened by releasing a control device located within easy reach of the driver. The vehicle possesses a graceful appearance and is capable of a high turn of speed.

Tractors in Portuguese East Africa.

Although the tractor is not a profitable proposition in connection with corn cultivation in Portuguese East Africa, increase in cotton growing is stimulating a demand for these machines. About 20 were sold last year, all of American make. These were obtained either through agents in South Africa or through sub-agents in Lorene° Marques. The cultivation of cotton is now being undertaken on a large scale in Portuguese East Africa, and, as a very large proportion of the settlers in this country are British, some attempt should be madeon the part of home manufacturers to get a footing in this market.

Pembroke's Demands.

The Pembrokeshire Main Roads Committee has decided to circularize all motorbus and lorry owners in the Haverfordwest area calling attention to the damage done to roads by driving vehicles at excessive speeds, and stating that it is the committee's intention to remedy the evil by instituting police court proceedings if the present appeal is unavailin e committee has further decided that owners of petrol pumps who do not pay the fee agreed upon at the time of election of the pumps must take them down in the immediate future.

Motorbuses in the Hebrides.

In Lewis, Skye and Islay motorbuses are running regularly from end to end of each island, and the roads are being gradually improved to meet their requirements. From South Uist to Benbecula there is a good motor service, mainly in connection with the steamer sailings, and in North Uist the roads are largely used by buses of a small type.

In the Island of Mull very comfortable vehicles regularly ply for hire from various points and link up all the villages. A number of light chars-a.banes is also available for special runs and party excursions.

ChBrcoal Gas to be Tried in Sweden.

A new company, in which the Swedish motorcar firms of Scania-Vabis A.B. and Tidaholm A.B. are interested, has been formed at Stockholm to introduce charcoal-gas as a motor fuel into Sweden. This company will exploit the portable charcoal-gas producer manufactured by Holzgas Auto-Generatoren A.G., an Austrian concern. , The Holzgas producer is manufactured in sizes varying from 6 h.p. to 100 h.p., and 2,000 are stated to be already in use throughout the world. It is declared that the cost of operating a motor vehicle installed with this charcoal-gas produce'r is only 20 per cent, of that when pettol is Used as fuel.

A Berliet Show.

In connection with the Royal Show at Leicester, Messrs. Clulosv and Orton, the local agents for Berliet private and commercial cars, are holding a special display of vehicles of this make. In all seven models are on exhibition, five of tlins being industrial machines, which are represented by a 15-cwt. chassis which sells at, .2295, a 30-35-cwt. -chassis (2395), a 2-ton chassis (£595), a 5-ton chassis (2575) and an example of the Berliet-Carrimore 10-ton • tractor-lorry with a platform body, the price of which is 2950. The 15-cwt., 30-cwt. and 2ton chassis are all equipped with pneumatic tyres.

Traffic Control in South Wales.

Mr. David James, J.P., managing director, and Chief Inspector Kellwood, of the South Wales Transport Co., Swansea, have conferred with the Pontadawe District Council on the question of traffic control in certain parts of the council's area and at cross-roads. The danger spots were inspected and an agreement reached as to the procedure to be adopted with the company's buses. An agreement was also made that extra buses should run to Clydach on Fridays and Saturdays from Swansea.

No Light Railway for Broom.

The proposed new light railway from Worcester to Broom junction is not likely to fructify—at least, not yet. Meanwhile, a fruitful district awaits

transport facilities. Why cannot the roads provide it? • Licences for a Probationary Period.

With reference to the recently reported -suspension of licences -for • bus services granted by the Ogmore and Garw Urban District Council to the Garw Transport Co., the council has now reviewed its decision and granted the licences for a probationary period of three months.

Heavy Traffic on Welsh Roads..

Swansea Corporation has interviewed the Minister of Transport with a view to securing a grant towards the reconstruction of roads which have been badly damaged by motorbus and other heavy traffic. The Ministry intimated that no grant could be made out of the road funds, but it was indicated that the unemployment grants committee would be recommended to make a grant of 65 per cent. of the loan charges for half the period of the loans.

Seating Room in Buses.

At a meeting of the Llandudno Watch Committee a ,letter was received from the Clerk of the Peace calling attention to the Statute which enacts that each passenger in a motorbus is entitled to 16 ins, seating room, and pointing out that an endorsement on a licence purporting to authorize a certain number of passengers to be _carried standing would be ultra vires.

The Glasgow office of the Hoffmann Manufacturing Co., Ltd., whose headquarters are at Chelmsford, has been removed from 62, Robertson Street, to 192, West George Street.

An error in typing that should have been obvious occurred in our recent description of the new 10-cwt. Berliet. The hand brakes are internal-expanding as usual, but the word which inadvertently slipped in was "external." Let us put it down to the hot weather !

Another Miner's Ambulance

Another North-country miners' welfare organization—that at . Shildon, County Durham—has taken delivery of a motor ambulance. The vehicle, supplied by Messrs. George and Jobling, of Bishop Auckland, comprises a handsome an well-equipped body, mounted on a 14 h.p. Wolseley chassis, and has cost about 2600. Two stretchers are carried, one being on runners to facilitate easy movement of dangerous cases, and there is accommodation for four sitting patients. A cupboard is fitted for first-aid equipTrent, and the vehicle is electrically lighted.

United Bus Service Expansion.

. Realizing the advantages of joining up more or less isolated market towns and stretches of _prosperous farming countryside, the United Automobile Services, Ltd., are making extensive developments to their existing bus-service facilities in the North Yorkshire and South Durham neighbourhood. Within a few days of putting into operation their new service between Northallerton and Darlington, this enterprising company have made another useful addition by the inauguration of a new service, joining up Richmend, the market town for the productive Swale valley, with Ripon, which forms the centre of another equally important North Yorkshire agricultural district.

The new service plies by way of Catterick, Sedate, Burneston and Wath. At the outset vhicles will run each .Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

Ex:cle's Excellent Service.

A two days' conference of Exide battery service agents was held last week, the venue arranged being the London County Club at Hendon, near London. Considering the hot weather then preveiling this was a capital selection, and at a dinner given on Tuesday Mr. D. P. Dunne explained that these service agents came. from all over the British Isles, and that the discussions with the factory .officials had led to complete understanding and efficiency. One interesting festure was disclosed— that every service agent, and there are 400 stations in this country, has atleast one man who has undergone a course of training at the Clifton Junction works of the company. The present writer has personal experience of Exide service extending over some years and can testify to its thoroughness.

Albion Tipper in New Zealand.

We reproduce on this page an illustra• tion of an hydraulic tipping wagon supplied to the Otago Harbour Board, New Zealand, by the Albion Motor Car Co., Ltd. The tipping gear consists of a Brornilow and Edwards pump and telescopic ram by means of which the body can readily be tipped to the rear. The pump is located below the driver's seat, and is connected by a roller chain to a shaft on a swinging arm, which is frictionally driven by the flywheel of the engine. It is . actuated by •engaging the leather-faced friction wheel with the flywheel. Oil is forced through the pipe to the ram, and the body rises •until the maximum angle of tip is reached when an automatic Valve by-passes the n. Tu return the 'body to its normal position, a hand-operated valve, which permits the oil to 'return to the reservoir, is used.

The tailboard of the body is hinged at the top so that after the fasteners holding it are loosened it opens auto• matically as the tipping action corn. nierices Hand-operated clasps are provided to secare the front of the 'body to the chassis and to prevent undue noise and vibration when the vehicle is travelling light over a rough road.

• Orders for Motor Ships.

• Complete details of all motor vessels ordered this year are given in the July number of The Motor Ship, and they provide striking evidence of the rapidly growing tendency towards the universal adoption of the internabcombustionerikmed vessel.

-A further article in this issue of The Motor. Ship deals fully with the pasSenger liner"Aorarigi," a 23,040-ton motor-driven vessel, and clearly indicates the great strides that are being made in motor ship development.

The Value of the Modern Ambulance.

The utility of a speedy and reliable motor ambulance in mining districts is demonstrated by the work performed by a Daimler vehicle purchased i9, October last by the Chilton and Windlesrone Crillieries First Aid Station. During its -first eight months of running the vehicle has conveyed 42 urgent accident cases to Newcastle, and Durham, as swell as 82 operation cases to various -hospitals, and unquestionably the' rapid transit provided has meant the saving of many lives. The vehicle was supplied by Messrs George and Jobling, of Dar

c20 lington, at a cost of £935, and the body, which can accommodate one stretcher and eight sitting patients, is mounted on a 20 h.p. four-cylinder Daimler chassis.

Similarly, the Medomsley and Eden Lodges of the Durham Miners' Association are purchasing for use from a joint station two fully equipped Vulcan ambulances, at a cost of over £1,000.

Parking at Bournemouth.

Bournemouth Corporation has now finally decided to fix the middle of Gervie Road, from its junction with Grove Read to St. Swithun's Road, as a position for the parking of motor coaches.

Specialized Control for Bus Services.

The Caerphilly (Glam.) Urban District Council has decided to give plenary powers of management over the municipal motor omnibus services to the manager, thus taking the control out of the hands of the omnibus committee. It was stated at a recent meeting of the council that the experience of committee management in several of the council's enterprises had not been a happy one, and that, by giving full control to a qualified person, it was hoped to improve the services and secure better results financially.

Fire Protection at Worcester.

The Norwich Union intends providing a new fire-engine for Worcester, but this does not relieve the city authorities of the necessity for providing adequate fireprotection facilities, and the matter is under consideration. A new engine is badly needed.

Paignton Bus Conditions.

Paigriton Urban District Council has renewed motorbus licences subject to a condition that the omnibuses shall not ply for hire on the omnibus routes Paignton-Brixhann, Paignton-Totnes, and Paignton-Torquay, except as part of a longer journey, or as additional omnibuses to meet exceptional traffic requirements . . Single-deckers for the Suburbs.

The London General Omnibus Co., Ltd., has notified the local authorities -concerned of their intention to operate a service of single-deck omnibuses between Streatharn and Coulsdon, via Mitcham, Hackbridge and Wallington, including the following roads :— Smitham Bottom Lane, Woodcote Grove Road and Chipstead Valley Road.

Local Proceedings.

Devon County Council has purchased a Ford lorry. Bolton Corporation is considering the organization of new motorbus services.

Bournemouth Corporation has purchased a motor lawn mower at a cost of £100.

Poplar Borough Council has purchased -a 30 cwt. Harrier lorry at a: cost of £498. • Swansea Corporation has purchased a weighbridge for heavy vehielee at a cost of £435.

. Teignmonth Urban District Council ie endeavouring to free the Sheldon Bridge from tolls.

A motor lawn mower is to be purchased at a cost of £60 for the Barnstaple Grammar School.

Trowbridge Urban District Council has authorized the stir feyor to purchase a motor lawn mower.

Willesden Council recommends the purchase of a motor mower at a cost of £85 10s. for use in the parks.

Brighton Watch Committee , has granted licences for 126 double-deck and 54 single-deck motorbuses.

Willesden Council's Works Committee recomniends the purchase of two 30-cwt. Albion lorries at a cost of £604 each.

Shipley Urban District Council has purchased a Fordson tractor from Messrs. W. Parkinson and Sena at a cost of £170.

The Tredegar (Mon.) Urban District Council has decided to borrow £1.500 for the purchase. of a•Leyland motor fireengine at a cost of £1,363.

A committee of the Coulsdon and Purley Urban District Council recommends the purchase of a 1-ton Ford lorry front Hubert Dees, Ltd., at a cost of £145.

Blyth Corporation has had a report as to the relative cost of motor versus horse transport, and asked the sanitary inspector to prepare a more comprehensive report.

The authorities at Folkestone are seeking special powers to deal with what is stated to be the abnormal number id motorbuses and coaches on the roads in their areas. .

Swansea Corporation has authorized the borough surveyor to accept tenders for the hire of 4-ton motor tipping lorries for a period of three months at a rate not exceeding 42s. per day.

A Castleford Urban District Council report mentions that the council has carefully considered the question of the use of motor vehicles and a fleet of five Ford banners is now daily engaged, di the removal of house refuse.

The Newcastle municipal authority, which owns one of the largest and most modern equipped fire-fighting brigades outside of London, has decided to erect a large new fire-station on a site opposite Marlborough Crescent, in the centre of the city.

The Penge Urban District Council is prepared to receive • tenders for the supply and delivery of a motor ambulance to their are-station, Croydont Road', Penge; S.E.20. Particulars of requirements, conditions and form of tender may be obtained from the • —• veyor, Col. H. W. Longdin, Town Hall, Anerley. Tenders must be delivered on or before July 12th.