The Public-Service Congress in Paris.
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£225,000 in Public-Service Subventions. Costs of the P.L.M. Alpine Services.
Presided over by the Minister of Commerce, a congress dealing with public-service vehicles was inaugurated in one of the halls of the Grand Palais, Paris, on the morning of Wednesday of last week. The chairman of the organizing committee, M. Edmund Chaix, explained, in his opening speech, that public motor services had developed in _France to such an extent during the past two years that there was need of a congress to study the details of organization, to indicate to promoters of new schemes the best operating methods, and to laY down a basis of working which would avoid as far as possible the fluctuations and hesitations generally attending first efforts. The question of subventions, and the establishment of circular motor routes in picturesque country would also be considered by the congress.
Government Patronage.
The interest taken in this movement by the Government was shown by the presence of the Minister of Commerce at the opening meeting, and by the presence of delegates from the Ministries of War, Public Works, the Colonies, and also from the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies. In a report dealing with statistics on public motor services, M. Perisse pointed out that 34 or 35 out of the 86 departments, into which France is divided, had decided to offer subventions to public-service vehicles during the year 1913. During the year 1909 the amount offered in subventions to various public motor services in France was £7,680; for 1912 the amount was £113,920, and for the year 1913 it is estimated that the total will reach 2225,064. The number of public-service vehicles in France is rapidly increasing, but it is unfortunately impossible to obtain any authentic statistics regarding them. Unlike pleasure cars, which pay direct taxation, and are therefore controlled every year, commercial vehicles pay no direct taxes and only vague estimates can be made as to their number.
The Basis:of Passenger-Service Subvention.
At the second meeting of the 'congress, M. Poured, the assistant chief engineer of the P.L.M. motor service, one of the most important of its kind in France, gave particulars of the system under which subventions are granted by its company to the various subsidiary concerns undertaking motorbus services in the French Alps. An estimate is made of the annual ahost, taking into consideration the difficulties of the oad and the probable life of the vehicles in view of he particular road difficulties. An estimate is also inade of the probable receipts at the outset of the undertaking, and the subvention is equal to the amount necessary for the receipts to balance the estimated expenditure. If the actual receipts prove to be less than the sum estimated, the organizer of the service bears the loss. If the receipts are higher than the estimate the subvention is diminished at a prearranged rate, the balance of the takings remaining in he hands of the organizer of the service, ittle Hopes of Development With Motor Sleighs. On the question of baggage it was voted that, when he service of cars was maintained throughout the year, provision should be provided for the carrying of luggage. For season services, by sight-seeing ears, smaller provision should be made for luggage, but in the opinion of the congress it was important that a competition should be organized as soon as possible with a view to bringing forth the best means of carrying luggage on this class of vehicle. The question of motor sleighs was discussed, but it had
to be admitted that despite three competitions very little progress had been made ; even the best sleighs were only able to travel successfully over previouslyprepared snow tracks.
In a paper on mileage costs, M. Grolard stated that 90 centimes (9d.) per kilometre was the cost for a summer Alpine service of sight-seeing cars. This was based on five cars, each having a four-cylinder motor of 100 mm. bore and 140 mm. stroke, weighing 51 to 5i tons fully loaded (passengers and luggage) and running over roads varying in grade from level to 1 in 14. The detailed costs given are :— Cost for Five Cars.
[: Costs in Alpine and French Provincial Areas.
Mr. Grolard maintained that the cost per kilometre increased with the importance of the service, an opinion which was not shared by the other members of the congress. It was finally explained that this only applied to a season service, and that for all-theyear-round work the cost decreased with the importance of the service. The figures of M. Grolard dealing with the P.L.M. service in the Alps were accepted as quite correct for a summer service in a mountainous district.
One member of the congress stated that his cost was 10d. per kilometre for a 30-mile service in the Seine and Marne district ; when four lines were run simultaneously the cost. was reduced to 3d. per kilometre. Another member quoted Ild, per kilometre as the cost for an annual service in a level district.