1913 Finishing.
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A Very Brief Review.—By the Editor.
/t is necessary, in conformity with the greater demands ,yon our *pace, that our customary review of the year should be shorter than usual. We. e. have made a practice, at the end of each, year, of referring to chief occurrences in some detail: this year, however, we must content ourselves with offering to send direct information, on applicatiou, to any readers who mob' require supplementary facts. Any new readers, therefore, who may wish to be referred by its to particular issues or
articles, will please communicate their desires to the Editor at their convenience.
Agrimotors.
There were no British competitors in the annual trials at Winnipeg, due in a measure to feelings of dissatisfaction in respect of occurrences in previous years. The year has been noteworthy for the growth of interest in small cultivators, such as the Fowler-Wyles and the Bauehe. The demand for the heavier type of tractors, both from the Overseas Dominions and foreign countries, has been maintained.
Agents.
year has been marked by distinct evidences of keen interest and serious intentions, on the part of motor agents, to do their share on the commercial-vehicle side. A leading article on the subject (entitled " Where Shall 1 Deal? ") appeared in our issue of the 7th August, and this article was subsequently reprinted, with our permission, for circulation amongst the whole of the agents ot the country. The re-union of the Agents Section of the S.M.M.T., which took place during the continuance of the private-car show at Oiympia in November last, again served to bring the agent question prominently to the front, on the occasion of the annual banquet of that section, at the Holborn Restaurant. Whilst the older makers continue to rely in a large measure upon their own sales organizabions, makers who have newly entered or revived their industrial-vehicle branches are undoubtedly relying or arranging to rely upon agents.
Bodywork. There has been, in common with the sequence of events in the private-car world, a very remarkable increase of inquiry for effective hodywol'k to suit type demand, both for passenger and goods purposes. Examples of char-h-bases and saloonhits coachwork probably take the lead, but special features of exteiinr and interior fitting, including lighting outfits, have been excellently developed during the year by the leading houses which are concerned in these departments.
Cab-rank Telephones.
The Postmaster-Gerteral has proceeded with the installation of an additional number of -ca-b-rank telephones in London, at nab ranks which are not provided with shelters. The object is to encourage cab-drivers to take up their positions at a greater number of ranks, and also to diminish the nuisance it whistling for cabs. The installations cannot be used for the origination of calls, but only to receive messages.
Char-a,-bancs.
The developmeut. of the use of chars-a.-bancs has been fully up to anticipations: our issue of the 23rd October gave a summary of the situation in many seaside resorts-and in other centres. Double-purpose employment has bcert extended, and many carriers, who were originally in the business for goodshaulage purposes only, have turned their attention very thoroughly to the development of this remunerative seasonal trade. Numbers of owners find winter use for the chassis, but others prefer to lay them up for thorough overhauling and body renovation, and to be content with the profits that are obtainable during the holiday months only.
Commercial Motor Users Association.
Centres of this Association have been developed or established in the West Riding of Yorkshire, the North and East of Lancashire, and by the Manchester, Liverpool and Counties C.M.U.A, The Association organized its successful annual parade on Whit-Monda.y last, in London. Its Committee has been giving much -attention to a scheme for the listing of approved night shelters and depots for roadside supplies, and this scheme is now coming into operation. The Association secured in conjunction with the writer the approval of the L.O.B. for the use of a reversible steam engine as a. brake ; it has arranged various lectures for drivers, by l\-Ir. G. W. Watson; it has given considerable attention to various matters connected with legislation, including co-operation with owners in the Bradford district to secure the rejection of certain astonishing taxation proposals by the Bradford City Council.
Other incidental references to the useful work that has been done by this Association will be found in various parts of this review. In anticipation of the early appearance of its annual report, we omit many points now.
Costs.
The question of normal or abnormal costs has been discussed from time to time, and tables of representative averages have been published—as, for example, in our issues of the 29th May and 12th June The subjects of " Horse v. Motor" and "Motorbus v. Tramcar" have also been treated. We ha-ye given away, free of charge to applicants, a large number of our sheets of standard working costs for motx..;-r vehicles, and supplies of these are still available.
Electric Vehicles.
Practice and results in the U,S.A., with regard to the use of accumulator-driven vehicles, have formed the subject of important articles in our pages. It has become evident that concerted steps will be taken by electric-supply interests to provide and make known good facilities in Great Britain for the extended use of such vehicles; we have dealt with these current events in due proportion, and not without pointing out the difficulties which, in competition with either petrol or steam systems, lie before onr electric-vehicle friends.
Financial.
The year has proved, and remains yet to be further demonstrated, the year of all years, to date, for -successful trading on the part of commercial-motor manufacturers. One of the oldest makers, Dennis Bros., Ltd., of Guildford, was offered as a going concern to the public, and the shares were taken up in a very satisfactory ix-tanner, at a time when other flotations were being badly left on the hands of underwriters. It is a matter of open knowledge, in well-informed circles in the industry, that other makers are contemplating flotations upon the basis of their 1913 results.
The success of the London allied motorbus undertakings has been maintained, and we have reported the results freni time to time. Smaller undertakings have suffered from competition.
Fire-Brigade Matters.
The success of the turbine pump has been again confirmed, and the business which has passed through the hands of the leading makers of complete engines of all kinds has been greater than ever before. The Overseas demand for Britishmade. goods in this department has been extremely good, and a feature of the year has been the increase nf interest in country and rural areas in schemes for the acquirement of such motor equipment.
Fuel.
The consumption of benzole has been encouraged, and sources of supplies have been widened. The claims of alcohol have undoubtedly been advanced, especially as the outcome of the Imperial Motor Transport Conference, which took place in July last, in London, although this fuel is of remote interest to present-day manufacturers and owners. Prices for motor spirit for commercial-motor use have remained materially below those which have been in force for private owners.
The conveyance of motor spirit by motor tank-wagons has been recommended by a. Home Office Committee.
Insurance.
A growing measure of interest has been evinced during the year, on the part of the leading insurance companies, in the matter of special policies and terms for owners of commercial motors of all types. Owners who are concerned with passenger risks continue to hear relatively-high rates.
Labour.
London motorbus and motor-carrying interests, and motorowning interests in different parts of the country, have, in common with the very general trend of events, made fresh arrangements with their men generally; modified eonditions, in respect of recognition and remuneration, have been very widely adopted, We wrote at length in respect of these individual readjustments, at the time of their acuteness.
L.C.C.
The Loudon County Council has never rested in its strivings to sccure for itself traffic powers in London. Its efforts were chiefly to be recognized when the House of Commons Committee on London traffic accidents was sitting.. That COM mittee reported strongly in favour of L.C.C. control, and of county-council control generally, but its report does nut appear to have been of much effect. it •ie, in fact, very geuerally discredited became of its one-sidedness and the range of its recommendations. The majority on the Committee. was able to persuade the minority not to give fair prominence to the effect on street accidents of the comparative newness of motorbus traffic, and of the greater mileages that were run during the " scare " period.
Legislation.
The County Councils Association has not been able to get forward with its proposals for new motor-vehicle and traction-engine legislation, although it has been very anxious to do so. Committees of the leading motor institutions have been watching developments closely, and the interests of owners have at no time been forgotten in this regard. The congested state of Parliamentary business accounts for the semi-official statement that no further motoring legislation of any kind is immediately likely.
Lifeguards.
One of the outstanding features of the year has been the almost-general fitting of side life-guards to London motorbuses. The use of such guards is of dual effect : it prevents any helpless person from getting under the back wheels, and. it affords any active person the opportunity to save himself. No satisfactory front guard has yet been forthcoming.
Makers and Models.
We have given first-published descriptions of a very large number of new models, and these illustrated descriptions have furnished irrefutable proof of progress during the year. Not only have established makers of long reputation in many cases added to their models, or substituted new models for earlier ones, but several important members of theoMotorear inuustry have thus intimated their definite intention to go into the utility-vehicle branehes. Many of our original descriptions have been reprinted for circulation in all parts of the world.
Military.
A series of orticLys was devoted to the subject of " The War Offico Subsidy Al nddle," We exclusively reported the January suleidytrials, and gave very full attention to the Manceuvres of September last and the last subsidy trials in October. The authorities are not relaxing their efforts to secure support iii commercial circles for their ungenerous and unattractive subsidy scheme, but .there was net a single commercially-owned subsidized motor lorry at the Mameuvres, probably because no provision to that effect had been made, and there was an undoubted shortage of State-owned lorries of the kind.
A feature of the year, an far as France, Germany and the United States of America are concerned, has been attention to and development of four-wheel-drive systems.
Motorbuses.
Lencion has continued to develop its motorbus resources : the year opened with 2726 vehicles in service, and promiees to close with that total iocreased to 3380. The increase will be approximately one of 650 vehicles in service, and more to come. Country services have been satisfactorily developed, and a wonderful degree of interest has at last a-serted itself in municipalities, iatid in provincial areas generally. The most recent example of this is found at Oxford, where the Town Council and various owners are involved in an interesting legal squabble. Upwards of 20 private bills have been lodged for consideration by the next session of Parliament, with the object of acquiring additional or new motorbus powers.
The last horse-bus was withdrawn from the streets of Paris on the 11th January, 1913. and the last horse-bus owned by Thos. Tilling, Ltd., of London, is to be withdrawn at the end of the present month, following the two-years-old completed lead of the London General Omnibus Co.
Petrol Substitutes.
A joint committee of the R.A.C., the A.A., and the S.M.M.T., has been established to consider schemes and receive proposals concerning possibilities in respect of petrol substitutes. The committee has not yet presented any report..
Railcars and Tramcars.
The demand for railcars of all kinds, principally for export, has been very satisfactory, although certain incidental deB12 mands have developed in connection with colliery and works requirements. The L.C.C. has initiated an experimental service with petrol-driven tramcars..
Railway Use.
A special series of articles in respect of road-motors used by the Great Western Railway Co. was published by us in June and July. Examples of exceptional use by railway companies have been numerous, and these owners have been influenced by their recognition of the facts that both " feeder " services and town collection and delivery can be undertaken with economy.
Regular "C.M." Features.
The well-aii:cepted regular features of this journal have been maintained. We refer to ; (1) Editorial opinion; (2) " One Hears (3) 'News and Comment " ; (4) "In Public: Service "; (5) " Opinions from Others " ; (6) " Answers to Queries "; (7) " The Purchase Department" ; (8) "Fur Drivers and Mechanics " ; and (9) "Patents Completed." Other occasional features, such as " Culled from Contemporaries," have appeared from time to time. The new features of 1913 have been : (1) "What Users Tell Us"; (2) " Small Users in Big Cities " ; and (3) " One Day's Work (third series)."
Roads.
Great attention has been given throughout the year to the 'important subjects of roads and traffic. The third International Road Congress was held in London last June, and the writer on that occasion had the pleasure of presenting the only paper from Great Britain On the subject of self-propelled public-service vehicles. The principal conclusions of the Congress were fully reported in our pages. The Road Beard has promised a considerable grant to the County Council el Middlesex, for the construction, of a new' western approach highway to London, and a disconcerting point, which has been disclosed in that authority's Bill, is the desire to charge motorbuses and certain other forms of
motor traffic for the use of the road. This point undoubtedly be fought by the owners of vehicles who have provided 75 per cent. of the money which is to be spent upon the construction of the road. The Royal Automobile Club has held several committee meetings specifically to discuss the laws in relation to roads and traffic, and their possible consolidation. After reference to the Legislation Committee of tbe Club, the matter has been entrusted to expert legal advisers for a report, and for the framing of definite and constructivE,' proposals. The Local Government Board has been taking active steps to encourage the proper development of arterial roads, and has promised to initiate group meetings of neighbouring authorities for the furtherance of this project.
Shows.
The Royal Show at Bristol, with its Overseas eeetion, and the Commercial Vehicle Show at Olympia, both in the month of July last, caused a considerable amount. of extra work to fall upon the industry, and also gave rise to much new interest. and business. Although only sonic 6000 more peepie attended the Olympia Show than attended the correspondiez show in 1908, a much higher proportion was of the buyine. class. Prince Arthur of Connaught opened the Olympia Show", and the proceedings of the Imperial Motor Transport Congress occupied several days while the show was open.
Tariffs.
We have had pleasure in bearing our share of the opposition to the discrimination against British manufacturers generally which has been shown by Portugal, and against the discrimination in Australia against steam-wagon makers.
Tires.
Both France and Germany have given important leads in the matter of specifying solid-rubber tires, to the exclusion of steel tires. The fall in the price of rubber, which exceeded all forecasts or expectations, has materially assisted owners in respect of their working costs.
Tractors.
The claims of the miniature traction engine, a machine of which type is usually called a tractor, have been again tending to come before haulage interests with beneficial effect. There is reason to anticipate, having regard to the lighter loads per axle that are possible with tractor haulage, that this branch of the industry will continue to benefitThere are indications that, subject to certain reasonable safeguards, a tractor will before long be allowed to haul two trailers without being classed under the 1898 Act. A correspondence under the heading of " Are Tractors too Powerful " has been proceeding in our pages.