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WHEELS OF INDUSTRY.

"The 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."—John Beattie Crarisr.

Transport for the Army.

We are interested to learn that a paper, entitled "The Development of Mechanical Vehicles for General Loadcarrying Duty in the Army," will be presented for reading and discussion on Friday, March 11th, at 6 p.m., at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Storey's Gate, St. James's Park, London, S.W.1, by Capt. C. H. Kuhne, D.S.O., 0.B.E., lt.A.S.C., Secretary of the Mechanical Transport Advisory Board.. The paper will be illustrated by lantern slides and a cinematograph film, and it will also be read at the College of Technology, Manchester, on Thursday, March 17th, at 7 p.m.

Halley's Reconstruction Scheme. In a circular to the shareholders, the Chairman of Halley's Industrial Motors, Ltd., states that it has been decided to proceed with the proposed reconstruction of the company. We referred to the proposed plans for recoastruction in our issue dated February 8th. A new company is now to be formed under the title of Halley Motors, Lid., or other appropriate name.

Trade creditors have agreed in principle to accept 5s: in the in _cash and the balance of their claims in £1 fully paid preference shares in the new coinpally. Creditors for amounts not exceeding £20 have agreed to accept 10s. in the £ in cash. Holders of the 8 per cent. notes have agreed to accept in settlement fully paid preference Bhares to an amount equal to the amount of their claims.

Theatre Coaches to London.

The development of long-distande motor-coach services is creating a useful source of revenue for the London theatres. Holes Motors, Ltd., of Portsmouth, an enterprising road transport concern, has started a service by four Studebaker buses which run on one day each week to London, the inclusive fare being. 25s. The first journey was made a. few days ago, when a party of 23 people journeyed to London, where they had dinner and, later, proceeded to Drury Lane Theatre. The return journey is made after the completion of the performance, and Portsmouth is reached between 2 a.m. and 3 a.m. Bookings for each of the runs announced has been most promising.

National Omnibus Report.

The report of the National Omnibus and Transport Co., Ltd., for the year ended December 31st last shows a profit of £72,193, to which has to be added a sum of 4,663 brought forward from the previous year. Of the total sum, £35,000 is being placed to reserve, and the payment of a final dividend of is. 6d. per share (less tax), making 2s. for the complete year, will absorb £17,166. After these disbursements have been made, the balance is £24,690.

It is further proposed to transfer the following reserves: General reserve, £10,000; insurance contingency reserve, £2,000; receivable for sale of running rights, £7,500; and these sums added to the amount brought forward give a

total of £44,190. By capitalizing a sufficient sum to issue to the present shareholders one new £1 fully paid 7 per cent, cumulative preference share for each five ordinary shares now held will involve £42,916, and leave to be carried forward a sum of £1,271. The profits shwa are the largest in the history of the company.

The " C.M." at the Leipzig Fair. The Commercial Motor_ and its associated journals will be included in the exhibit of the Periodical Trade Press and Wepkly Newspaper Proprietors' Association at the Leipzig International

Industries Fair being held from March 6th to 12th. The exhibit will be included in the British Empire section of the Fair, and copies of the journals will be obtainable at the stand.

Take Care at Manston.

The chief technical officer of the Royal Air Force School, at Manston, Kent, notifies that a large number of MT. drivers will be training in the Isle of Thanet from now onwards. The vehicles employed will bear the words "Instructional Drivers," and road users are asked to exercise care when passing them.

Vulcan's Profits.

The balance-sheet of the Vulcan Motor and Engineering Co. (1906), Ltd., has just been issued for the year ended August 31st, 1926, and it shows that the net profit made by the company in this period was £5,325, after deducting £24,247 for interest and £3,000 as a reserve for income tax. After deducting the net profit, the debit balance stands at £480,704. The balance-sheet shows stock on hand and work in progress of a value amounting to

£284,289. In August, 1926, second debentures to the value of £50,000 were released to the company, making a total redemption to date of 14100,000.

A Railway Official and Road Transport Competition.

At a recent ordinary, general meeting of the Metropolitan Railway Co., reference was made to the extensive road competition for both passenger and goods traffic with which the company had tocontend. It was stated that the expenditure on roads has become an ellermous annual charge on the revenue of the country, and it was said that only 32i per cent, of the total amount expended was received by way of motor taxation, the remaining portion having to be borne through the rates, to which the railway companies are large contributors—an argument which was refuted in our editorial notes of last week.

The chairman, Lord Aberconway, said during the course of his remarks that " We do not claim any traffic monopoly, and we do not object to fair competition, but we say, without fear of contradiction, that road competition as at present carried on for godals and passenger business is not equitable and calls for immediate remedy-.if the railway companies are to continue to function successfully and to expand in such a way as to meet the growing needs of the community?'

Such statements may represent the railway side of the case, but are not likely to pass unchallenged by those engaged in the road transport industry.

British Vehicles Overseas.

The British motor vehicle has penetrated to all parts of the world, and those makers who have thought it worth while to cultivate overseas trade are now reaping the reward of their enterprise. Typical vehicles in use overseas are shown in the aceompanying group of illustrations.

The Shell Co. of Canada uses the 500-gallon Leyland tank wagon which is shown in the first picture. This wellknown company now OW119 a fleet of over 30 Leyland vehicles of this type.

The body of this tanker, which is particularly well finished, was built by the ' St. Lawrence Welding and Engineering Works, Ltd., Montreal.

The second picture is of two Dennis lorries forming part of a fleet which has recently left the works of Dennis Bros., Ltd., Guildford, for Nigeria, where they will be employed by. the. Keffi Consolidated Tin Co., Ltd., Bukurn. These are standard 2istonners, electricafly equipped and mounted on pneumatic tyres of 36-in. by 6-in. dimensions. Each of the vehicles has an end-tipping body, which is manually operated and raised through the medium of a screw built in two sections. Each body is of steel and has a capacity. of 112 cub. ft. It will be the duty of each vehicle to transport coal from the railhead to the mine, after. bringing down loads, of ore.

In the third illustration a Thornycroft type-Q 5-ton hinge-sided lorry and trailer recently supplied to the Shell Co., of South Africa, Ltd., is shown. This outfit is in regular service between Durban and Johannesburg. The products of the users were previously transported by rail between the port and their inland destination, but arc now being carried between the two places by this vehicle. This involves a journey of 410 miles over roads which, for a considerable portion of their length, are in poor condition.

An Experiment with Pneumatics.

At a recent meeting of the tramways committee of the Birmingham City Council it was mentioned that an experiment has recently been made in Birmingham with motorbuses running on pneumatic tyres, and that as a result of the tests carried out the general policy

of the committee will, in future, be to use vehicles fitted -with tyres of this kind. Ten new double-deck top-covered buses mounted on such equipment have recently been put• into service, and a further 15 buses on pneumatic tyres have been ordered.

A Fire-extinguisher Acquisition.

J. 13Iakeborougle and Sons, Ltd., Woodhouse Works, Brighouse, Yorks, tens us that it has acquired from “Nuswift" (Bradford) the sole manufacturing and selling rights of the Nuswift patent fire-extinguisher. The services of Mr. J. A. Goodall, the patentee, have been retained.

Scarborough Bus Association.

At a recent meeting held in Scarborough, when loettl ownersof motorbuses attended, it was decided to form A Scarborough and District Bus Owners' Association, and Mr. J. W. F. Tranmer, 5, Raincliffe Avenue, Scarborough, is to act as hon. secretary pro tem. The Next London Parade.

The annual parade of commercial motor vehicles organized by the Commercial Motor Users' Association will take place this year on Saturday, March 26th, in Lincoln's Inn Fields, W.C., where it has been held for several years past. This will be the twenty-first event of its kind to be held in .London, and such parades have as their object the encouraging of drivers to take an interest in the use and condition of their vehicles.

The Challenge Cup presented by the proprietors' of The Commercial Motor will be awarded to the winning team, whilst the drivers of these vehicles will be presented with the ShrapnellSmith Challenge Cup, each driver, in addition, receiving a cash award and a souvenir medal. The runners-up will also receive a cash award and souvenir medal, whilst the drivers of the third to fortieth teams, inclusive, will receive a cash award or be highly commended according to their position in the awards.

The British Electrical Development Association is co-operating with the C.M.U.A. in connection with the section of the parade set aside for elec Reporting on the new scale of taxation, the county surveyor of Warwick mentions that the licence duty to be Paid on the council's steam wagons has been increased from £24 to £60, and the effect of this will be an increase in the cost of working the vehicles of approximately 2s. 6d. per working day, or betweed 2d. and 3d. per ton of material hauled. It is anticipated that this will involve an extra expenditure of £1,450 per year.

The new railway rates for goods traffic will bring about an increase of 5d. per ton in the cost of transporting road materials, and will involve the ceuncil in an increased expenditure of £2,900 per year.

More Six-wheeled Trolley-buses for Wolverhampton.

Wolverhampton Corporation has sent a repeat order to Guy Motors, Ltd., for ten 61-seater six-wheeled double-deck trolley-buses for service on the Penn Fields and -Sedgley routes. This order is the outcome of satisfactory service after many thousands of miles' running of the first pneumatic-tyred six-wheeled trolley-bus put in service, which was described in our issue dated January 18th last.

Clearing Overhead Bridges.

In our issue dated February 8th we referred to a special top-covered doubledeck bus which had been built so that it could clear low overhead bridges encountered on a certain route in South Wales. Its overall height was 13 ft. 91 ins. It is interesting, therefore, to learn that the latest covered-tap double-deck vehicles in use by the Berlin General Omnibus Co. have an overall height of only 4 metres,. or approxi

mately. 13 ft. 1 in. This has been achieved by making the headroom on the left side of the lower deck less than that on the right. On the upper deck the gangway is on the extreme left and the three-abreast seats, giving a lower head clearance; on the right. In the near future it is hoped to build similar vehicles with an overall height of 12 ft. 101 ins.

. Petrol-engine Development.

To-day (Tuesday), at 7.45 p.m., Mr. H. R. Ricardo will read a paper entitled.' "Some Notes on Petrol-engine Development" at a meeting of the Institution of Automobile. Engineers being held at the Royal Society of Arts, John Street, London, W.C.2. The paper deals with general considerations and with some of the experiments carried out with a view to determining the rate of flame distribution and pressure-rise within the cylinder during the ignition pro cess. Comparative tests of overheadvalve and side-valve engines will be referred to.

Mr. Ricardo will read his paper at . the Merchant Venturers' Technical College, Bristol, on March 7th ; at the Royal Technical College, Glasgow, on, March 21st; and at the Engineers' Club, Manchester, on March 23rd. •

Canada's Solid-tyre Exports.

According to figures recently circulated by the Canadian Bureau of Statistics, 1,271 solid rubber tyres of a value of 39,108 dollars were exported from Canada during December last. The number of tyres of this description exportedfrom the Dominion during the whole of 1926 was 9,711, of a value of 312,526 dollars, these figures comparing with 10,210 and 248,929 respectively for the year 1925. In December last the largest number of solid tyres was exported to Tapan, the United Kingdom coming next on the list and being followed by Jamaica.

Brown Bros.' Trading.

The report of Brown Bros., Ltd., the well-known motor factors, for the year ended December 16th last, shows a profit of £67,696, after making due provision for taxation, depreciation. and directors' fees. The amount for disposal is raised to £84,145 by the sum of £10,449 brought forward from 1925. The balance is to be appropriated by the payment of a dividend on the 71 per cent. cumulative ' preference shares, which will absorb £13,500 after deducting income tax (half of the dividend was paid on October 1st last) ; by transferring £24,000 to the reserve fund, and by the payment of a dividend of 10 per cent. on the ordinary shares, which will absorb 130,000 after deducting income tax. After these disbursements have been made, £16,645 remains to be carried forward.

Certain properties were sold during 1926 at prices above the values appear

jug in the balance-sheet, and the surplus therefrom has been carried to the reserve fund, which now stands at £168,000. The -directors propose to apply £100.640 from this fund for writing down the item in the balancesheet in respect of goodwill and patents, thus reducing this to £49,000. The balance-sheet shows a stock-in-trade of £173,191.

' Presses for Many Purposes.

We have" received from Hollings and Guest, Ltd., Thimble Mill Lane, Biriningham, a selection of ite latest illustrated lists dealing with hydraulic machinery and other specialities produced by the company. Several of these lists have recently been revised and brought up to date. One of them deals with various types of press which are available for fixing and rem oviug solid rubber tyres from the wheels of heavy

commercial vehicles. The company's tyre presses are made in several sizes, the heavy models incorporating suitable runways.

Training Tractor Drivers.

Under the auspices of the German Ministry of Food and Agriculture a school for the training of drivers of farm tractors and motor ploughs is being established at Zessen, near Konigswtisterhausen, by a new concern known as the Deutsche Landkraftfuhrerschulen G.esellschaft of Perlin. -It is stated that the school will he able to deal with a .hundred students at a time.

Makers of Valves. . .

" Where the Vulva-Come. From ", is the title of an illustrated folder which J. Makeborongh and -Sons, Ltd., Woodhouse Works, • Brighouse, Yorks, has just issued. This givf:s. in brief form details of the various types of valve prodeiced by the company, and clearly shows that it is in a position to meet the requiremeets of those who have occasion to use valves of any type. The company's works cover over 13 dotes.

Guy's Poster Competition.

In March last, Guy Motors, Ltd., inaugurated for the fourth year in succession its " Feathers in our Gap" Poster competition. Under the rules of this scheme, which are very simple, members of the Motor Agents' Association are invited to exhibit a poster (sent them by the company) in a prominent position in their shotivroorns until the end of the year, and if it is their intention to enter the competition the number of the poster has to be sent to Guy Motors, Ltd., Fallings Park, Wolierhampton. In due course the numbers are ballot,ed and the winner is entitled to the free gift of a 1-ton Guy chassis, the current price of which is /295.

The draw for last year's competition recently took place and was performed by Mr. Berry, chairman of the West Midland Division of the Motor Agents'

Association, when poster 1,911, which was displayed by Messrs. Agnew Bros., Main Street, Portglenone, proved to be the winner.

A further competition is to be run this year, and members of the

wishing to enter shouldwrite to the company at Fallings Park, Wolverhampton, when they will receive the necessary poster for display.

Doncaster's Bus Park.

It is announced that the Doncaster Corporation is making a start on the erection of a new bus park in the town off the North Bridge, to accommodate the vehicles running an service from the north. The depot will be constructed of concrete, at a cost of about £5,500.

• = Dennis Agents.

The Turpin Engineering Co., Ltd., Larder'. Road, London, W.3, advises us that it is now acting as agents for Dennis lorries, spare parts, etc., and that it has' aspecial organization for dealing ' with this work. . The company also makes a speciality of overhauling and repairing buses of this make. Horse v. Motor at Liverpool.

Liverpool Corporation is to be furnished with sound data as to the relative economies of horse versus mechanical

transport. Some little time ago the health committee decided, in view of the increased taxation on motor vehicles and the high costs of maintenance, to take into consideration, from an economy point of view, the desirability of employing horse vehicles in place of mechanical vehicles for short distances, say, up to five miles. The chief veterinary officer has been urging the claims of horses and the city engineer the advan

tages of self-propelled vehicles. The friendly duel is to be decided by a series of tests which will take place during July, August and September, and it has been arranged for the city treasurer to act as recorder.

Motors in French West Africa.

A short report, which deals with the increasing demand for motor vehicles in French West Africa, has been prepared by the Department of Overseas Trade from information furnished by the Commercial Counsellor at Paris, Mr. J. R. Cahill. 'United Kingdom manufacturers who are desirous of receiving a copy of UM report should communicate with the Department at 25, Old Queen Street, London, S.W.1.

Hauling a Giant Boiler.

The cumbersome load shown in an accompanying illustration weighed little short of 10 tons, including the trailer, which is the property of the L.M.S. Railway Co. The company being in difficulties as to the best method of delivering the load, the Efficiency Motor Co., Ltd., of Whiteladies Road, Bristol, came to its aid, and by so doing was able to demonstrate the powers of the Fordson tractor. Quite a large number of tractors of this kind is now frequently to be seen in the streets of Bristol engaged in the haulage of timber, flour and often ,Iteavy girders for building contractors. The giant boiler was actually hauled a matter of six miles from the railway station at St. Philip's to the Filton Laundry, which is on the outskirts of the city. .

Pneumatic Tyres from Canada.

In the year 1926, 1,152,070 pneumatic. tyre casings and 1,135,948 inner tubes were exported from Canada, these figures comparing with 912,265 and 3,011,865 respectively for the year 1925.

Churchyard as a Parking Ground.

• The London Traffic Advisory Committee has under consideration a scheme for using the churchyard of the demolished church of St. Olave's as a parking ground for commercial motors engaged in connection with the provision trade of the Tooley Street warehouses and wharves.

The extent of motor-vehicle business in Cape Town in 1926 was 30 per cent. greater than that in 1925.

Carlisle's Modern Methods.

The Carlisle Corporation, which employs motor vehicles upon a fairly extensive scale in various essential services, has decided to increase its fleet, at an outlay of £2,880, by the purchase of two Kanter sweeping machines at a cost of 11,700, and two S.D. Freighters at a cost of £1,180. Mr. T. Ridley, chairman of the health committee, stated at the last meeting of the corporation that the S.D. Freighters would be used for refuse collection in the outer parts of the city. They are to replace six horsed vehicles. Horses will be used for the central parts only. Carlisle was a pioneer of the Karrier sweeping machine five years ago. Its original Karrier machine has given excellent service, and the two new sweepers will enable the municipality to give the city a more complete and frequent " washand-brush-up."

German Imports and Exports.

Official returns just to hand show that only 37 commercial motor vehicles were exported from Germany during November last, bringing up the total shipments durino.' the first 11 months of 1926 to 736 machines of a value of £429,400. At the present time the principal markets for German vehicles are Russia, Holland, Brazil and Danzig. The imports of foreign commercial vehicles into Germany in November last ilre returned at 66 machines, and at 1,449 (f169,350) for the first 11 months of 1926.

Lamps and Horns for Business Motors.

Mr. G. H. Smith, St. Stephen's House, Westminster, London, S.W.1; tells us that he has, by mutual consent, just terminated his long connection with Howes and Burley, Ltd., and is now looking after the interests in and near London of Bomford and Co., Ltd., of Birmingham. This company is giving special attention to the production of lamps and hum. of all types.

Leylands in Australia.

In our issue dated February 15th a paragraph appeared relating to fleets of British vehicles in use in Australia, In which the names of a number of prominent users of Leyland vehicles

were given. This list was prepared by Leyland Motors, Ltd., Australian Branch, Sydney, which markets Leyland products in the Commonwealth.

Brighton's Coach By-laws.

At the time of closing this issue for press, Brighton Town Council was considering the new by-laws drawn up to restrict the use of the front by motor

coaches. If the council adopts these regulations, vehicles of this type will oaly be allowed to stand or ply for hire between the hours of 9.45 a.m. and 11 a.m., 2.50 p.mand 3.30 p.m., 5.45 p.m. and 7 p.m. The council is cleo to abolish two stands opposite the Aquarium.

A New Irish Bus Company.

A new concern has recently been formed in Dublin, with a capital of ' £12,000 and the title of the Irish Omnibus Co., Ltd., to acquire the in, terests of the Clendalkin Omnibus Co., Ltd., Clondalkin, Co. Dublin. The new concern has already established services between Dublin and Naas and between Dublin (Aston's Quay) and Claudelkin. The company has placed orders with the City Wheel Works, Ltd., Pearse Street, Dublin, for a number of bus bodies, and with the Irish agents for Leyland Motors, Ltd., for a number of bus chassis.

Chesterfield's Ambulance and Patrol Services.

In its quarterly report Chesterfield Watch Committee states that the motor ambulance was requisitioned on 195 occasions, Incurring journeys to Sheffield, Staveley, Cutthorpe, Winorworth, Unstone, etc., the total distance travelled being 719 miles. There were 179 calls within the borough and 16 out-district calls. The patrol van was requisitioned on 342 occasions, the mileage travelled being 716. I A new pneumatic bolster bed has been fitted to the ambulance stretcher to: ensure greater comfort for patients, and both vehicles have recently been thoroughly overhauled and reconditioned by the fire-brigade staff.

Motors in Shanghai.

A traffic commission appointed early in 1025 by the municinal authorities of Shanghai has recently issued its report, from which it .appears that there are now 4,101 ears, 744 motor lorries and vans, 50 motorbuses and 58 trolleybuses in use in the city. The report adds that the commissioner looks to the motor lorry to effect the gradual elimination of all handcarts and of many wheelbarrows. Although the use of motor lorries will be encouraged, certain restrictions as to width and length of loads are considered to be necessary. The haulage of more than one trailer is also considered a danger.

Leylands and a Corporation.

We are informed by Leyland. Motors, Ltd., that the name of the Huddersfield Corporation was wrongly included in a list appearing in a recent advertisement of the company relating to Leyland Lions in service. Although this corporation has purchased Leyland fire-engines and fire-escapes in the past, we are told that it Is not its present intention to place orders for Leyland Lion models.

A New Mea Magneto.

An interesting dry-running automatic-advance device is incorporated in the latest model of the Mea magneto marketed by Magneto Concessions Co. (England), Ltd., 232, Deansgate, Manchester. There has been some trouble formerly with automatic devices, as the lubrication of the reciprocating parts has increased the possibility of hightension leakage, but the new device is arranged to run dry.

The weakness of the ordinary magneto with hand control is that the lever is almost always left in the fully advanced position for normal running and the spark is occurring at a point where the full intensity is not obtained. The best point is, of course, where the fracture of the primary current at the make-and-break points occurs when the armature is in the magneto field of greatest intensity.

To overcome the engine pinking which might occur on certain gradients with the fine ignition setting, a hand control is also provided, and it is claimed that with this new magneto 13 per cent. more advance can be given and that the variations of ignition setting exactly correspond to the requirements of the various engine speeds, thus providing rapid acceleration, easy and safe starting and slower engine revolutions when necessary.

A London-Hastings Service.

Hastings Watch Committee has had a letter from the United Service Transport Co., Ltd., of London, stating that it has been engaged for several summers in operating a service between London and Hastings,. and applying for licences for two motor coaches of the latest Leyland model, which have already been licensed for public service in the Metropolis by• the Commissioner of Pollee. The company wishes to ply for hire from the motor parking station at the Fish market, in order that it may be able to link up at the Hastings end with its London terminus. It intimates that it has no desire or intention of competing for local traffic, but to cater for London passengers only, for which there is considerable public demand for the facilities it has to offer. The committee has considered the application, and recommends that the licences applied for be granted on the usual conditions.

Taxation by Petrol Consumption.

The highways committee of the_Marylebone Borough Council has considered a suggestion that the council should support the proposal that motor vehicles should be taxed on the basis of petrol consumption only, and that no tax should be imposed in respect of the power or weight of such vehicles. The committee believes that this is a matter which might usefully be considered by the Metropolitan Boroughs' Standing Joint Committee, and is to ask that committee to consider the desirability of supporting the preposal.

Important North Road Scheme.

At a recent meeting of the Kesteven (Lincoln) County Council, the highways committee reported having considered the plan for the proposed bypass road through Stamford, which it was estimated would cost about £35,500, and the committee expressed the opinion that the scheme would effect a great improvement.

A Guide to Car Purchasers.

The New Car Number of The Motor —about double the size of an ordinary issue—on sale to-day contains many practical articles on buying and selecting a new car. A novel feature is the Pictorial description of what is meant by " visibility." A supplementary section gives the specification and prices of all cars (all models) on the British market to-day. The price of this number is 4d. as usual.

Inspection of Public-service Vehicles in Ireland. Considerable interest is being taken in the new appointments about to be made in the Royal Ulster Constabulary under the Motor Vehicles (Traffic and Regulation) Act. A number of inspectors and assistant inspectors is required to see that the provisions of the new measure are carried into effect, and advertisements inviting applications for the appointments have already appeared in the Press. The Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Home Affairs in the Ulster Parliament stated, during the passage of the measure, that in making the appointments the authorities would have regard to a man's know ledge of motor engineering and his skill and experience, and that no other matter would be taken into consideration.

Types of EIectricar.

• Electricars, Ltd., Landor Street, Birmingham, has just issued a n!'w catalogue which deals with its various types of electric vehicle, these including vehicles built for road haulage and for a number of industrial uses. The catalogue gives a brief description of each type of vehicle, and through the medium of illustrations indicates the uses to which it can be put. Many Electricar models are used by municipal authorities, and in this connection the various refuse-collection vehicles which are dealt with should be of interest. The company has also issued a leaflet dealing with its special lowloading refuse-collection vehicles.

Cleansing Superintendents' Meeting.

Provisional arrangements have been made to hold a district meeting of the Institute of Cleansing Superintendents at Nottingham on March 4th and 5th. Full details will be issued in due course. A New Durham Bus Company.

In Durham County, in which many important motor omnibus undertakings run services over some hundreds of miles of roadway, another new concern has recently commenced operations. This is the General County Omnibus Co., Ltd., a company formed by eight members of the General Motor Services, an amalgamation of small men running services in the Chester-le-Street neighbourhood. The new company, which has its headquarters at Garage House, Birtley, Is to run services between , Newcastle, Chester-le-Street and Durham, over which route several of the members already run.

A Paper on the High-tension Magneto.

Mr. A. P. Young is to read a paper, which he has written in conjunction with Mr.. L. Griffiths, entitled "The High-tension Magneto, with Special Reference to its Design, Manufacture and Service," at a combined meeting of the Birmingham and Wolverhampton centres of the Institution of Automobile Engineers, to he held at the Chamber of Commerce. New Stitet, Birmingham, on March 14th.