In Public Service.
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Proposals and Purchases.
The Municipality of Athens is in the market for motor dust-vans.
Leigh (Lanes.) Town Council has appointed a committee to report on the purchase of a motor ambulance.
The Swansea Corporation is being asked by R. E. Jones (Garages), Ltd., to purchase a Albion lorry which has been on trial for some few months.
Kensington Borough Council will shortly " scrap" a Thornyeroft, steam wagon which it bought in 191)1. One of the council's existing petrol vehicles will be substituted, hut a motor sweeping machine is to
be bought in addition. It is also intended by the Council to test the use of motet's for the removal of ionise refuse.
Fire-Brigade Matters.
Teddington .U.D.C. has appointed a sub committee to visit the works ot Shand, Mason and Co., Ltd., Merrvw eat her and Co., Ltd., Dennis Bros., Ltd., and H. Simonia and Co., Ltd.
The L.C.C. Fire Brigade Committee has decided to accelerate eao(erization, and to spend the 210,000 which is allocated to the financial year 1915-1916 `` soon after the commencement of the financial year." In consequence of this decisiou, tenders for the appliances 1611 he invited at an early date. Edison Buses for South Shields.
The 22-seated Edison battery veliiele which we illustrate is one tif two ordered as" feeders" for the local tramways at South Shields. The route is about 11 mile in length, ;toil includes two gradients. The motor, mounted on a sub-frame under the driver's floorboards, is oi series-wound, four-pole, totally-enctosed type, specially designed for this service, and a voltage of 65 ; the commutator is of extra-large diameter and width ; the shaft is on dust-proof, oil retaining ball bearings. Transmission is by means of a differential bevel layshaft, and thence to the rear wheels by side chains. The battery equipment, earrie.d under the seats, consists of 60 cells Edison A-8 type, giving an ampere-hour capacity of 300, and a radius on a single charge of 45 to 50 miles on hard level roads. Boosting charges at high rates, however, will increase this to 80 to 100 miles in a day. The total unloaded weight of the bus is about 8000 lb., of which 1800 lb. represents the battery.
A successful trial took place in London a few days ago, when a party of well-known electrical experts and Press representatives were conveyed through the busiest streets of the West End. A one-in • nine gradient was taken at satisfactory speed.
The receipts of the National Steam Car Co., Ltd., for the week ended 11th July, 1914, were £4928. This shows an increase of .21504 Over Lite corresponding period of last year.
The receipts of the Tramways (M.E.T.) Omnibus Co., Ltd., for the week ended 11th July, 1914, were :C9885, and for the Gearless Omnibus Co., Ltd., £440. These show an increase of .2,400 and a decrease or 2146 respectvely, as against the corresponding period of last stale Gazette.
Mr. F. N. Clover, of C-olwyn Bay, has been appointed to liquidate the North Wales Silver Motors, Ltd.
The Rapid Motor Omnibus and Haulage Co., Ltd., or 66, Broad Street Avenue, E.C., is to be veound UP voluntarily.
Tire Wal sail Bill.
The Walsall Corporation Bill duly passed the Committee of the House of Lords, immediately after the Middlesex Bid., and contained clauses authorizing a charge by the Staffordshire County Council and the Cannock U. l).(. at the rate of
per mile run, coupled with contineent contributions hi the ease of renonstruction or widening of highways becoming necessary within two years. Birmingham Watch Committee has decided not to license any taxicabs with double seats in the front. This rule will not be retrospective.
Char-a...banes Sales.
Dennis Bros., Ltd., of Guildford, reports continued briskness in both the demand for and deliveries of chars-à-banes. It is finding that as many as 10 of these vehicles are going out of the works in a single week at the present tune, despit,:J the supposed lateness 111 the season. Many of the deliveries are to meet repeat orders.
A Garage Fire.
A fire broke out at the depot of Lacy mid Co., Ltd., Eccleston Place, S. W.. on Thursday of last week. A considerable amount of repairs to motoreabs is done at this depot, and some 80 vehicles were on the premises at the time. Whilst damage to the extent of about i:2000 resulted, this was confined to a portico' of the garage and the. works office, and work in hand will not ho delayed Motorbus Parties, The Private Hire Department of the L.G.O. Co., Ltd., has issued with its latest monthly glade a leaflet dealing exclusively with the hiring of motorbuses and chars-abanes for private parties, eau. We notice on perusal that a motorbus can be hired for a period not exceeding three hours for one guinea, whilst for a whole day, except on special occasions, the charge is three guineas. A number of suggested itineraties is giN en ; thew) should be helpful in the choice of a suitable outing. This kind of traffic is now considerably on tile increase, and it forms a most comfortable and inexpensive means of travelling for the sightseer.
Southampton Town Council is negotiating with Messrs. H. G. and F. G. Sharp, of London, with reference to the inauguration of a motor service between Southampton, Eastleigh and London.
L.C.C. at Wandsworth.
An interesting case came before Mr. Justice Joyce, in the Chancery Division, on the 9th inst., when the Trustees of a Baptist Chapel situated in the middle of East Hill, Wandsworth, obtained an injunction to restrain the L.C.C. from obtaining possession of the porch, railings and land in front of the chapel for the purpose of widening the road for the laying of a tramway line. The evidence showed that the proposal of the Council was to lay tramway lines close to the kerb, but the Court held that there would be interference with the access if the projected scheme were followed.
New Registrations
General Omnibus Supply (Mann. factoring Co.), Ltd., with its registered office at 83, Pall Mall, S.W.-£26,000.
The Northampton Motor Omnibus Co., Ltd., with its registered office at Pike Lane, Northampton.- £1000. First directors : W. T. Grose and P. J. Grose.
Tonbridge Taxicabs, Ltd., with its registered office at 150, High Street, Tonbridge.-£1000. First .directors E C. Baker, H. C. Beloe and F. Trotter, New Central Omnibus Co,, Ltd., with its registered office at 9, Grosvenor Road, Westminster, S. V. 1100. First,directors : W. JoynsonHicks and J. C. Mitchell.
Terms at Cambridge.
TheWatch Committee of the Cambridge Town Council has had referred to it the following pro-posals for an agreement with the Ortona Motor Co., Ltd., in respect of a complete local motorbus ser7 vice:—(1) a, minimum payment 133. the bus company to the corpora-. tion of £100 a year ; (2) for every halfpenny reduction from Is. 00. per gallon in the invoiced price of petrol, or other equally efficient spirit, an additional sum of 150 a, year, rising to a maximum of 1300 a year ; (3) the right of the motorbus company to erect posts at; approved places in the streets advertising the times of running the buses.
Motorbus Trips la and near Paris.
-TOur Paris correspondent writes: `...`,Notwithstanding the monopoly which it enjoys in the city of Paris, the General Omnibus Co. is showing considerable enterprise in the organization of pleasure services to various resorts within 50 miles of the capital. There is a bus service every Sunday from the Gare St. Lazare to Chantilly and Compiegne, respectively 21 and 43 miles
from Paris. Another service is run to Buc, famous for its autodrome, and also to the pleasant Chevreuse Valley, about 20 miles out of town.
" There is a considerable amount of elasticity in the organization of these services. The time of the start of the first bus is announced, and according to weather conditions and the number of passengers present the supply of buses is increased. The ordinary motorbuses are used without any other modification than the changing of the direction boards. These motorbuses are made available by reason of the falling off in volume of the ordinary city traffic on Sundays and holidays_ " In addition to -these more or less regular services, the General Omnibus Co. is making a feature of renting out buses by the day for the use of athletic and other clubs making excursions into the country. There is really little competition in this field, for although Cook's, the American Express, and a few others run char-à-bancs services to Versailles and Fontainebleau, they only touch a foreign clientele. The bus company caters for the French public, who have been neglected; except by .the horse-drawn wagonette proprietors. These latter must almost inevitably be forced out of business.. Even the wagonette wed, ding services, which appeared to be their particular perquisite, is being taken from them by the city motor. busees The variety ard extent cf._ use in Paris promises even to outstrip the results in London."