AT THE HEART OF THE ROAD TRANSPORT INDUSTRY.

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WHEELS OF INDUSTRY.

21st December 1920
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

"The wheel of wealth will be slowed by an diXculties of transport at whatever points arising, as a carriage is by the roughness of the roads over which it runs."—John Beattie Grazier.

One Shilling Per Head Fares.

The business of taxicab hirers in Wallasey does not appear to be in a very happy condition, and owing to the competition of the motor omnibuses run by the municipality and a consequent depreciation of patronage, an attempt !,s being madte by an association which they have just 'brought into being, to improve matters. Amongst the recommendations, which have been made to the Watch Committee is that better public facilities should be provided by the corporation far summoning a taxicab, and a special committee has been appointed to consider proposals.

• The communication to the Watch Come mittee, which wae .signed by Mr. John Reid, the chaixman and secretary pro tern, of the Taxi Association of Wallasey, states "The primary object of this Association is to -provide adequate means of cesnmurrication and transport fccr the residents of the borough of Wallasey, We guarantee to provide at least 20 cars, which will be available day or night. With the approvalof the Watch QOMmittee we are Willing to carry passengers between business hours (say, 8 a.m. to

• 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. to 7.30 pm.) to any part of the district at is. per head, not Jose than four persons."

No doubt, if the, Watch Committee gives encouragement to the Wallasey Association, the schema of fares proposed by the Association will foe= an interesting experiment so far as concerns the stimulation of patronage. Owing to the inconvenience suffered by TOSidents, due to recent breakdowns,. on the tramway services, taxi ownershave certainly done a wise thing in coming together and in the event of any further dielocation of the passenger services, will . be able to act se-operatively. It will be interesting to note how the operation of Is. per head syseem for taxis.eworks out.

Shell-Mex Ltd.

We are officially informed that the existing organizations for the sale of motor spirit and other petroleum products in the United Kingdom, hitherto represented by Shell Marketing Co., Ltd., and the Anglo-Mexican Petroleum Co., Ltd., will, as from. January 1st, 1921, be -combined under the title of Shell-Mee Ltd.

Industrial Development.

Reports from the Overseas Dominions and feriegn countries indicate the determination of those countries to develop their own -manufacturingi industries, and to treat their owninatural resources, at any rate to an extent that will -provide for their local needs.

Though the establishment of. these local industries, and the imposition of .tariffs for their protection in early days may increase competition -with British exporters, it shCuldr be borne in mind that,the tendencyito selideeelopment is opening up a considerable new market for British rnanufactering•engineers. . The propaganda work earned on by the British Engineers'Association,of 32, Victoria Street,, London, 1,1arings many inquiries forhaathiriery and plant from all partsesf the worlchto its office.s , .

• and to a certain extent these may be regarded as an index -to the world's C4 industrial development. Many of these inquiries are from people abroad who are anxious to develop local industries or to start new ones, but do not quite know who to get to help them.

Sentinel Sales.

rt is stated in the December number of the Sentinel Works Magazine, issued by the Sentinel Wagon Works, „J-441., that Mr. W. H. Wigley, the company's sales manager, will, on account of ill health,• sever his connection with the company

at the end of the year. Mr. Bonnyman the company's present London 'sales manager, will become general sales manager from the beginning of next year, and he will carry on the work which Mr. Wigley during the last eight years has so capably founded;

A Swiss Failure.

The failure is reported from Geneva of the Picard-Pictet Co. The liabilities of the concern are said to be upwards of one million sterling; 7,500 workmen will be thrown out of employment as a result of the failure.

Will readers please note that the next issue will be on sale on Wednesday, December 29th, which is one day later than usual.

In our issue for December 7th, in dealing with a recently issued catalogue by J. I. Thorrrecroft and Co., Ltd., we quoted the number of this book as 213, instead of 212. Those who contemplate writing for this production should make a note of this correction, which will obviate confusion.

Testing -Headlights.

We recently obtained details of tere.sting method of testing headl. particn'arly as regards their dal effect, originated and perfeCted by Hugh II. Gregory, con.sultffag eng to the Royal Automobile Club, ens salting adviser to the Metrop. Commissioner of Police.

The method. of testing has adopted as standard by the R.A.C... are wain to carry out officially eel tests with headlights, the venditios entry being as for the R.A.C. cet trials. The tests show the distance the car at various positions at whii object.; which is normally hard t. upon the road, can -be ,picked up, also a measure of _the cleeeling effe the headlights. • We hope to be able to include

The A.R.T.C.H.

The quarterly meeting of membe the Association of Read 'Transport C tug Houses will be held at the .D gate Hotel, MancheSter, at 5 pm Tuesday, December 21,s;, 1920, fell by a meeting at 6.30 p.m. of repres tives of all road transport del houses or freight exchanges at pr operating in Great Britain who deal become associated with the A.R.T.

In this connection attention is d: to the following .resolution which passed at a represeatetive martin National Transport and. Trade Ass lions recently:— "That advisory confereneea c in London every three months, at si reprntatives of the following b. should be invited to attend :—Ass thin of British Chambers of Comm Association of Road Transeort Clem Hou-ses, Automobile Association Motor Union, Commercial Motor Association, Federation of British dustries, National Alliance of Corn cial Road Transport Associatione Federations, National Union of E and Motor Vehicle Owners' Associat.

"Suchconferences to discuss various points arising on the prac working of road transpott, end to r suggestions to the Association of I

• Transport Clearing Houses for the pros-ement and ..development of transport, and, if thought fit, to car the recognition of particular indivi clearing houses or fusion of •clea houses, as submitted by the Assoek of Road Transport, Clearing Houses

Clearing houses or freight excha which intend to be repreSented at second meeting are requested to . snunieatel with the secretary, Ass. lion of Read Transport Clearing Ho' The Albany, Old Hall Street, Liver]

An Austin Offer.

The Austin Motor Co., Ltd., arc a ing £10 to the farmer who supplies correct answer to the question " V does ploughing, actually ceSt? " competition is likely to arouse intens terest, as every elenient of ploug expenditure has to he taken Into sieferation—labour, horse 'feed, insects veterinary expenses, shoeing, etc. closing date is January 10th, 1921.

Personal Pars.

A. lienty Thorne has recently appointed to the position of sake ger to Halley 's lInchetrial Meters, for Scotland. Mr. Thorne has been :eted with the .commercial-vehicle try for the last 12 years, (luring time he has held various poeitions the Albton Motor Car Co.: Ltd., he Westfield Auto Car Co., of Mine previous to which he served his in the Artol-Johnston works when were located in Paisley. During .ar he held commissioned rank in the 1 Engineers, and was ultimately led to the Anti-Airciaft Forces irl d.

. C. NoeI-Storr has been appointed ging director of the Capac Co., Ltd. as had much experience in canner,with the construction of internalustion engines, dating back to 1902, le has held positions with a number Wing manufacturers chiefly in con. >n with carburation, ignition, and ustion. In 1907 he joined the .es Iron Works, Shipbuilding and leering Co. as technical expert. He had four years' experience in obig 'maintenance and service expertwith a London and provincial

in and subseeuently joined S. ',Ltd., in 1912 as technical ear in connection with the Solex retter. At the outbreak of war as appointed works manager in ction with the manufacture of Wolf electrical tools, which on be retained until the armistice, which he remained consulting ear to the company until June, 1919. me imitation of the Capita Co. in he was appointed technical met-, after which, he became general ger in November, 1919, and, as ly stated, managing director in nber, 1920. He a responsible for esigm of all present types Of Capac retters and accessories, and is tee of several of the Capac features.

regret to learn of the death of 3enjamin Holt, which occurred at ton; California, on December 5th. jolt was the president of the Holt lecturing Co. (Inc.),. and he was tventor of the chain-track machine a as the Caterpillar, which was

supplied in large numbers to 'the Allied Governments during the war. Mr. Holt was born in Concord, New Hampshire, :U.S.A., but quite early in life migrated with his brother to California, where the business of Holt Bros. was established, that business eventually .becoming the Holt Manufacturing Co. The company, of which Mr. Holt was the active head, has grown slowly but

surely. Its progress has proceeded steadily on sound conservative lines, first to meet the needs of the American farmer, and, secondly, to retain its prestige in the face of adverse circumstances. California' with its wide diversity of agriculture, does not afford a, rich field or a machinery manufacturer who deals only in quantities; nevertheless, the products of the company found a ready market. .

Mr. Holt had passed the allotted span of three score and ten, and VMS actively engaged in his experimeatal workshop up to quite recently. He leaves a widow , and also three sons, who are actively engaged in .the.business.

Lieut.-Col. F. W. Leland, C.B.E., D.S.O., R.A.S.C., is the author of a. recently-published work entitled "With

the in Mesopotamia." He had charge of an M.T. depot, at home until July, 1916, when he was appointed A.D.T. for mechanical transport, and was given a few days' notice to sail for Meso. potemia. There he did good work, and, later, found time to set down, his experiences, which make good reading. His book is reviewed on page 621.

Berliner, Ltd., have opened service • depots in Birmingham, Manchester, Newcastle, and Cardiff, et each of which their special metallurgical process will shortly be in operation. The existence of these depots will save customers a., a distance the expense and delay of sending broken parts or scored cylinders up to the headquarters of Barimer in London.

In our. article on the British Wallis tractor, published On November 30th, we gave the gross weight of the tractor as 47 cwt. and the net) weight as 37 cwt. This should have read 36 eivt.; the 47 cwt, refers to the weight of the tractor as packed for shipment.

Napier Report.

The directors of D. Napier and Son, Ltd., report a loss of £59,541 fur the year ended December 30th, 1920, after charging depreciation, interest on debenture stckk, income tax, ete. Deducting a sum of 49,967, which was brought forward from the previous year's account, there remains a debit balance to be carried forward to next year of 449,574. The preference share dividends paid on December 31st,. 1919, and June 30th, 1920, amounting to 422,500, have been appropriated from the general reserve account (representing undivided profits), reducing that reserve to' 4122,500. The . balance-sheet shows creditors amounting to 4150,041 and debtors owing 430,312.

The 300th " F.V.P."

Our valued contributor, Mr. IL T. Nicholson, in this issue of The Commercial Motor reaches his 300th "Ford Van Pointer." He has hems contributing the pages on the Ford van for 2i years, and his' experience and our own go to show that the feature has been enormously appreciated. 'After all is said and done, the first essential of transport is its reliability; a close second is economy; and a near third is freedom from petty annoyances and greater troubles for the driver. The best factor in securing these essentials is knowledge on the part of the driver of the mechanism under hi$ charge. That "Ford Van Pointers " have helped towards the attainment of this knowledge is shown by the way in which the feature is used by fleet ownere and managers, garage proprietors, and others.

Lubricating Oils and Benzole. .

When benzoic is used as a fuel, it is found. that certain lubricating oils are deleteriously affected, and are thus quite unsuitable for use in such circumstances. It has been pointed out to us that thewell-known, brand of I.L.O. motor oils manufactured by W. B.' Dick and Co., Ltd., are refined and treated in such a way as to afford the maximum of lubrication under all conditions, whether

the fuel used is benzole or petrol. All oils deteriorate when used in an internah combustion engine, but on the quality or an oil depends its useful life.

French Fuel Supplies.

The French Government introduced a Bill in the Chamber on December 15th dealing with the internal arrangements for the distribution of petroleum. The preamble of the Bill sets forth the motive of the measure and lays special stress on the fact that. France cannot allow her interests to he compromised, as they would be if France restyled herself to foremen deinination in the domain of petroleum. No commodity, proceedLs the preamble, lends itself more readily than petroleum to manipulation by trusts. It. outlines the petroleum policy to be 'followed by the Government, which provides for the establiehment of adequate. stocks for the internal needs of the country ae well as for national defence; the development of oil production in France and her Colonies the encouragement and protection of industries cresting fresh eaurces of French supplies which should be subsidized; the encouragement of the building of a fleet of tankers ; the maintenance of relations with the greatest number of persons interested in the promotion of the refining industry. The war has shown the military importance of the existence on French soil of factories for refining crude oil.

Oil Shale Prospects in South Africa. • The increasing demand for mineral ail has led to great prospecting activity in various parts of the Empire, with encouraging prospects of commercial suczese and the discoveries at Kromhoek in the Wakleretroom district and elsewhere in the Transvaal and Natal are status-ally of particular interest to South Africa, for there, after many disappoint, moues extending over a long period and a large area, the cleeelopinent which has been made encourages belief in the ensfence of oil-hearing shale sufficiently rich to justify exploitation.

A. cable message received from Scotland at the local offices of the South African Corporation who are the owners, .stated thgt 60 tons Of Krorahoek shale yielded 31.18 gallons of crude oil to the ton.

Priceto that report Mr. James Wilson' who is engaged on research work at Durban in connection with the distillation of Coal and shale was so satisfied with his testing results that he predicted a revelation in South African railway transpott from the residue of the product after petrol and lubricating oils had been saved.

Motor Coach Repairs.

The Committee of the Yorkshire Char-a-bancs Section of the • C.M.U.A. arecompilieg a list of garages which are suitable for, and _whose proprietors are prepared to undertake repair. work. It is intended to provide every driver with such a list, so that in the event of a breakdown he can inunetiiately ascertain and •get into touch with the nearest approved repair shop. The divisional secretary, Mr. E. Harrison, of Bond Street, Dewsbury, will be glad to get into' communication with garage proprietors interested.

Industrial Standardization.

For scene considerable time past the British Engineering Standards Aasociation has been desirous of reorganizing its section which deals with automobile standardization, and it is interesting to learn that, with the cordial co-operation of the several influential. bodies concerned, tile sectional committee, reorganized ae the Sectional Committee on Automobile, Motor Cycle and Cycle NAB, held its first meeting at the Institution of Civil Engineers ' on December 13th. Mr. H. C. B. Underdown, President of the Association of British Motor Manufacturers, was elected chairmen, and Mr. T. H. Woollen, member of council of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, Ltd., and Lt.-Col. D J. Smith, vice-president of the Imtitute of Aattemobile Engineeri, were elected vicechairmen, Mr. Basil Joy, the secretary of the Institution of Automobile Engineers, being elected honorary secretary.

Tradesmen's Transpm

A deputation ias received la: North Staffordshire Tradesmen's elation from Plesks. Sutton and carriers, recently with regard to proposal to inaugurate a. meter trar service from Manchester to the Pot; Mir, Burgess, one of the represent of the company, said that if he assured of the support of traders . Potteries, a daily transport servi motor, with the. exception of Moe would -be started at the begituil February. Goode would be delivo the company's agents in the di who would deliver them to the cons At the latest goods would be del daily at three o'clock, but as they be despatehed . from Manc.hestt 6eiLraii_mex., many of them would arrive

The chairman, eehe favoured scheme, said that the matter INDI: discussed at a subsequent meeting

N.K.A. Bearings..

An attractively produced eatalogi compendium &Voted to the lee. manufactured by Northern-Ball Bea Ltd., has been issued by thie con It contains an interesting survey of Pig requirements, -and the cake] forming the basis of the clesii N.K.A. bearings,. A useful load graph accompanies each type of b dealt with.

Palmer Report.

• The repert of the dli enters c Palmer Tvre, Ltd., for the 12 n ended September 311th, -1920, sir piofit of 211,593, to which has added the balance brought forwer the previous year's accounts, i.e., making an available total of 21 Out of this sum a dividend at th of 12 per cent, per annum free of i tax is declared, which will absorb £ leaving a balance.of 241,174 to be forward. a report of the directors of Belsize 1'8, Ltd., for the year ended. SePair 30th, 1920, shows a profit of '97. After deducting depreciation ildings, plant, machinery, interest, and providing for a. special writing plant purchased for munition pur there remain a balance of i44. To this SUM must be added 30, which is brought forward from revious year's account, less £25.263 uditors' fecs and income tax, i.e.,

making a total of £72,111. interim dividend on the ordinary s at the rate of 8 per cent. per n, less income tax, was paid in and a dividend at the rate of ,6 per per annum, less income tax, was m the preference shares in Aegust, together, absorbed 29,800, Jean:62,311. Out of this sum the direrLave decided to pay a final dividend ie ordinary sharee at the rate of r cent. per aneum, less tax, for the ear ended September 30th (malttotal of 10 per cent, for the year), will absorb £8,400 and leave 111 to be earrixl forward,

Fiat Dispute Settled.

connection with the Italian taring dispute, which attracted attention a few weeks age, it will membered that ax s result of the istie claims of the men, Mr. Agnelli, Lehman of the board .of directors Fiat Co., offered to sell the whole' a Fiat works to the workmen, so hey could run this establishment on merative basis. 'The offer was re and Mr, Agnelli severed his coo n with the conmeny.

resignation seemed to make the ealise their mistake, for an impordelegation waited on their former and asked him to return to the of the company. The sanie mous request having been made at eting of the shareholders, Mr. 1i consented again to take up the reins, and is once more chairman of the board of the Fiat Co.

Mr. Fornaca, the chief engineer, and. also one of the founders of the company, has also resumed his position as director.

British Mercedes Appointments.

We are asked to state. that Mr. H. N. Ziliwoed, who was for many years -with Milnes-Dainder Motors, Ltd. and the British Mercedes Motor Co., 'Ad.,. before The war, and later works manager to Gordon Watney and Co., has been reengaged by the British Mercedes Motor Co., Ltd., as works manager in place of Mr. C. H. Crowe.

The British Mercedes Motor Co. have also engaged as manager of their coach. workdepartment Mr. H. Tenfold, who for -many years, was associated with s Morgan and Co., Ltd., of Long Acre,

Ford Tractors_ in Germany.

In connecti'm with the report that the Ford Co. was in negotiations with the firm of Ehrich -and 'Clraietz, Berlin, for the establishment in Germany or works for the production of Dilator tractrirs, the Bee/in.:sr Zeilling learns f rum 'the; latter

firm that the report is correct. ..

It appears that the motors will be imported from America, but that the other rts of the tractoi'sevill he produced in ermany, according to Ford specifications. .The complete machines will then be assembled in German factories batik or bought by the Ford Co.: For the -time being only motor, tractors will-he manufactured, but the eventual-production of motorcars also is contemplatsd. During the first year only 10 or 20 tractor Sets will be turned out daily;.;laut it is hoped to increase this number considerably in two years' time.

An interesting afternoen, 3vas spent by the King's College Engineering SoCiety on, December 8th, whep the members _ visited the works of Automatic and Electric Furnaces, Ltd., 281283, Gray's Inn Road, and witnessed demonstrations of the Wild-Barfield automatic steel hardening .furnaces.

_COMMERCIAL . MOTOR. Holders for Licences.

Two errors occurred in the' prices for licence holders chntained in the hat _published last week. That manufactured by Cur Fitments, Ltd., 6, Hanover Square. London,. W., was priced at 10s. 6d.; this should 'have been giver. as 6d.

The fixed prices for the holders made by S. Smith and Sons (M.A.), Ltd., Great Portland Street,. London, W., are: Brass, 5s.; nickel, 6s.; or a special model to match the Smith speedometer, brass, 7e. 6d. ; nickel, as. 6d.

Holders suitable for eommereial vehicles are also made by the following concerns: The Capae Co., Ltd. 2, Woodstock Street, Oxford Street, London, W., in polished brass or nickel plate, 8s, poet free, or over the counter 7s. 6d... James H. Randall and Sons, Green Street Works, Paddington Green, London W.2, in •alluminium with back and Pecestel, 2s.'i6(1. each, ic one dozen lets. Other commercial models are also made in iron, brass, or aluminium at ices ranging from 10s. to 2s. 6d.

[ugh, .Road, .Tyseley, Birmingham commercial vehicle 'pattern, 4s. 6d. Sheffield Small Tools, Ltd., Chesterfield Road, Sheffield, black enamel, as. 9(1. and 3s. 9(1.; brass, 3s... 6(1. and 4s.. 3d. J. A. Riley, 73, Weanian Street, 'Birmingliagn. ;Fuck and

Blakemore, Coventry. Kenyon and Torrane 399, Great Western Street, Manche:ter, commercial model, 7s Post

Iris. &disci/ and Sons, Great Portland Street, London, W.1, price Is. 6(1.; or cheaper model witboin bracket, .. 4s. 6d. Beckett, Layeock . and '_Watkiinson, Acton Lade, N.W.10, in nickel plate, brass or Week, 6s. each; Central Aircraft Co., 179, High RoacVKillaurn, N.W.6, for side of vehicle, in brass 4e. 9d., in nickel 5s. 6(1. for windeureen in brass 5s, 3d., in niekei 6s. 3d.

The price of the Richardson light delivery van has now been fixed at 2275. The engine fitted is a V .tvein-cylinder 10 h.p. Precision of 85 nati. bore and 96 nun, stroke.

I.A.E. Activities.

Two interesting papers were recently read before the members of the Institution of Automobile Engineers. 01143 was .entitled "Roads and Vehicle Maintenance," and Fee read by that. kell-known engineer Col R. E. Crompton, C.B. The other was entitled "The Combustion of Naphthalene Solutions in Itternal-oornbastion Engines," and was iead by Mr.

L. S. Palmer. .

In the first paper the author dealt with the manner in which -wear takes place in roads, and the means taken to deal with this wear were sketched oat, the provision of kerbs at the side and sunken kerbs in the centre of the roads being put forward as the best present-day practise fear preventing roads from spreading laterally. The anther is of the opinion that little is known regarding the reduction of road wear which can be effected by vehicle design,, and he put forward a strong plea for experiments to ewer, thin the impact force of a. 'wheel striking the road after being lifted by an Obstacle.

In the second paper the author gave the result of some experiments which were carried out with a view to obtaining an efficient cheap fuel of high ealo-, rific value, and to investigate the possibility of the internal combustion of solid fuels by means of solution. The results appear to show Jihat, the mileage per gallon increased only from 104.9 for puke benzole to 107.8 •foe a 15-25 per cent. solution, of naphthalene . with benzoic. Incidentally, 15 per cent. proved the highest percentage found practicable without choking the carburetter. • .•

Tyre Pressure Gauges.

Users of pneumetic-letred delivery vans will he interested in the Schrader Universal tyre pressure gauge. If a user wishes to get the best service from his tyres he ears only do so by ascertaining the correct pressure at which to inflate them, and the be-at device for this purpose is a pressure gauge.

The Schrader tyre-pressure gauge is made sd that it may be used -either for

testing tubes fitted with the old tyPe tare-piece tyre valve, with the "dolly" or rubber-headed pin as "stop," or for teetting tubes fitted with the Schrader type of valve, the single-piece ", Selma, der Universal," which, because it has no joints to leak, and the mechanical efficiency of the "inside" or spring check, is nOw generally recognized as being a great improvement on the old "dolly" valve.

British Interest. in Mexican Oilfields.

AdVices received by the State Depart. inent from Mexico forecast, complications in that country in consequence of the action of the provisional Government in granting scores of oil exploration and exploitation permits in the federal zone, notwithstanding the American protests of last August.

• It is stated that virtually all the newly acquired rights have been transferred to British oil corporations by the indivrduals to whom they were -granted. Most of them _have been acquired by the Aguila and Corona companies One of the members of the staff of this journal has recently had tinder test a sample of Dockham's oil, and he oxpresses himself as extremely satisfied with its efficiency.This oil, which is made by Alexander Dackham and Co., Ltd., of 4, Broad Street Place, London, E.C. 2, is a favourite with many. users

of commercial vehicles, .

The Albion Co. have just received an order, through theie agents in South Wales, It. E. Jones, Ltd., from the Neeth Urban District Council, for eight 30 cwt. tipping wagons. A further and repeat order has also been received direct from the Union Petroleum Prod-acts Co., Ltd., for -eight, 50 owt. 'chassis. This addition means that this company have now purchased 67 Albion vehicles A proposal to purchase a motor lorry has been referred to a committee of the Teignenouth

Local Proceedings.

Wigan Town Couneil is to obt loan of £1,970 for the purchase motor fire.engine. . . • Rishton (Lancs.) Urban District cil has obtained permission to In £900 for the purchase Of a motor Leyton Urban District Council purchased a Ford one ton chassi £230 from International Motors, I Application for sanotien to lzm _£1,750 is being Made bji ..kehton-u Lyne T.C. to cover the cost of a. fire-engine.

Martley R.D.C. requires a tract° two tipping wagons, and is to as] Mindetry of Transport for a. grant ts third of the cost.

The Maudslay Motor Co. ham tained the contract, valued at £7,6`, supply four single-deck buses to Coventry Corporation.

Swansea C.,orporation Highways mittee has given consent to the nil by Mr. Isaac Jenkins of a motorbu vice between Bishopston and Swan;

In view of the ever-increasing : traffic on the Lamesley road the-Dr County Surveyor urges the wideni Lamesley Bridge over the River T., Mansfield • T. C. has received sat to borrow £1,800 for the purchase motor fire-engine, and Doweotoft• £348 for a Ford vehicle for tin brigade. , The Health Committee of the Glt Corporation has asked the city eel to accept offers for supplying an stalling an underground tank fry stdrage of petrol at the Robro Hospital.

Bradford Licensing Committee farther considered an application b local Taxi Owners' Associatien ft creased. fares for Motor hackney riages and decided that it cannot S way to grant the request.

Glasgow Corporation has a mil mittee which is considering the qu of promoting the use of eleetricit nibtor vehicles. This sub-corm now proposes the pArehaie of an el passenger vehicle for the electricit parbment at a cost not exceeding £ Having had repots from chief stables retarding the. elastructio eliars-itleente and motorcars standi the streets, the Swansea Watch mittee has asked the borough en4 -to report upon the possibility Of at ing parking accommodation for vehicles.

"Safety First" Cornpetiti

With the (Abject of reducing number of traffic accidents' which in the Greater London area, the LA " Safety First " Council is in: drivers of all classes of vehicles to q for the " Freedomfrom Accirh Competition for drivers during 1921 object of the competition. 1: encourage, by the award of Mon.ey F badges of meeit and diplomas; driv all classes of road vehicles, incl tramcars, to exe:oise every care an cretion in the performance of

duties. .

Communications respecting the petition should be addressed to the Secretaries, London "Safety F Council, 2 and 3. Sanctuary, minster, London, S.W. L

!PROFITABLE BUSES.

ht on the Running of the Liverpool Corporation Buses.

LITTLE, just a little, light has

been shed on the financial position se Liverpool Corporation motor omniservices, in which some 50 vehicles employed, Confirming the conviction we have had for a long time that vehicles were being run at a heavy

'

fame, in view of the discontent at igiere they have ,reached, one does enticipate the satuaticn will be im scl one iota, for a further logs of mage must be taken into account.

3 reiterate the views we have pre

ay given of an expert in the runof motorbus services ;—(1) Liver has chosen the wrong typt, of le ; 12) the buses should be under uriadiction of separate management e electric tramways. The receipts the Liverpool buses work out at W. per mile.

VORD FOR THE WISE.

trning to Drivers Who are Asked to Invest Money.

'ITHOUT wishing to reflect upon any genuine concerns, drivers applying for positions with cornin which -they are asked to invest of money, cannot act too cautiously. an established !act that there is unemployment amongst drivers of -rans-port vehicles, end that alluring are sometimes made in local papers ieve men who have accumulated a :ash.

re was a case at Liverpool Pence a few days ago which points a rioter 'driver told the magistrates se answered an advertisement for drive* and Ise went to an office he saw the Man who was standing s dock. The latter stated that he ented a firm with a high-sounding Manchester, Leeds, London, and sld, and that they were opening a in Liverpool. Drivers were d, but they were required to take tares in the company, which had eta to convey meat from Liverpool ffield.

driver parted with •R5 on the standing that prisoner would ma..ke /lion for shares for him. Later, to who was acting for prisener, a fur95 was paid over, and receipts were but prisoner, instead of fulfilling qaointrnents with prosecutor, told o make inquiries for a garage at Liverpool or Birkenhead. Not being completely satisfied, the driver informed' the police, who found out the true circumstances and arrested, prisoner . at 'Manchester.

A charge of obtaining money by false pretences was preferred, and prisoner, who pleaded that when he first inter viewed prosecutor he thought a company would be started in Liverpool, and that prosecutor would be employed, was sent to prison for three months. The magistrates described the case as a contemptible way 'ofgetting money from a man who could riot afford to lose it.

. IN MESOPOTAMIA.

An Interesting Account of the Work of the M.T. in a Difficult Country.

IEUT.-COL. F. W. LELAND, C.B.E., D.S.O., has recently written a book, entitled "With the M.T. in Mesopotamia" (Foster Groom), which should be of interest to anyone who ha.s_sereed in the Mechanical Tram port of the R.A.S.Co and of particular interest to those who served in Mesopotamia. He deals at length with many of the domestic details of Army life,, and this is a point which will prove interesting to the man who likes, even in these days, to recall the incidents of an ad venturous time. Colonel Leland, as A.D.T. for Mechanical Transport in Mesopotamia was in a very fortunate position to 1;e able to write authoritatively on the subject of mechanical transport, but, unlike many commanding officers whose duty was solely at the base, he had many long trips into the heart of the country, and can tell some 'interesting little stories about them.

With its chapter on organization, Colonel Leland's book binds together, and from then onwards there are several passages which will prove of considerable interest to the man who has to look upoa mechanical transport as a business pro position. There are details in his book . which make it useful for reference to such a man, whilst there are many trans port vehicle reputations which stand to be improved or damaged by the honest criticism which his book contains.

Various types of vehicle were used in the campaign and many, different nationalities, white, yellow and black were to be found amongst the varied. types of M.T. drivers, andjt can be imagined that this doubled diversity introduced difficulties which called for Much persistent effort in their overcoming. The work at the base depots and the advanced M.T. depots, and the work done by the convoys from the autumn of 1916 to the close of operations is all gone into in a most interesting manner, and we have read the book through from beginning to end with considerable plea: sure.

The illustration of the book is well' lone. Photographs are scattered through its pages profusely, the thumb-nail 'sketches are humorous, and there are two excellent maps of Mesopotamia and the Middle East.

Colonel Lelared's volume naturally makes a particular appeal to those who bore with him "the burden and heat of the day," and we feel sure that as a Christmas present this little book, " With the M.T. in Mesopotamia," would be of great interest to many.

C.M.U.A. DEVELOPMENT.

New Division Formed for Benefit of Users in Devon and Cornwall.

THE Commercial Motor Users Asece elation has established a new division for Devon and Cornwall, in connection with its divisional scheme of organization. The decision to form such a division was takeii at a well-attended meeting of motor users from all parts of these two counties held under the presideney of Mr. Burden, Teignmonth Motel,

Teignmoutle, at the Rougemont. Hotel, Exeter.

The following were appointed the Divisional Committee, with power to add to their number :—Messrs. W. J. Burden (Teignmouth Motor Co., Teignmenth), W. R. Cutchey (The Grey Cars, -Ltd., Torquay), W. Dagworthy (SidMouth), J. Miller (Exmouth), G. B. White (Devon M.T. Co., Exeter), R. Paosniore (Okeharapton), S. J. Yea (Exeter), A. R. Dearman, (Devon Trading Co., Exeter), A. E. Brock (Messrs. Brock and .CO., Exeter), R. Dymond (Bideford), J. S. Mill (Devon Omnibus Co., Exeter), F Vaughan. (Plymouth), E. Webb (Ckehamptonl, C. P. Paine (divisional secretary, office 63, High Street, Exeter.. Capt.-F. G. Bristow, the general secretary f the Associatioa, then delivered an address on " Some Problems Affecting Commercial Motor Users."

In opening his address, he congratulated the Devon and Cornwall users in falling into line with other parts of the country in having formed a committee of their own members in order to deal with purely local matters. There were two or three problems -which were eXeri cisirtg the minds of commercial motor , users at the moment, and he thought that it would be of interest to those pre• sent, if he briefly benched upon them. He divided his remarks into three divisions ;—(1) The new Reads Bill; (2)-the fuel problem; 1,3) char-A-banes traffic.

So fax as the Roads Bill was concerned, he stated that on looking through the Bill the facts which were most proe miefent were the extremely heavy penalties that were to be ended from motor users for several minor offences and the very wide powers which the Minister proposed to take regarding the driving of meter vehicles on the highway.

The C.M.U.A. had been successful in 'getting a clause inserted in the Bill providing that commercial motor vehicles could be used in future for the conveyance in the course of their employment of persons who are in the employment of the person keeping the vehicle.

Captain Bristow, dealing with the fuel problem, warned the audience that. there was every indication that 'within the next two or three years a shortage of petrol, which was now becoming worldwide, would become even more acute, and referred to the prophecy made at a conference of the Empire Motor Fuels

Committee held at Olympia that by the end of 1922 another system of petrol rationing would be in operation. • He 'Inade the interesting announcement that no less than three-quarters of the vehicles in this country used imported fuels. The solution of these problems so far-as this

country was concerned was undoubtedly in the direction of development of alternative home-produced fuels.

The problem of char-&-bancs traffic as outlined by Capt. Bristow, is dealt with on page 636.


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