Good Work by Motor Sweepers.
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Interesting information concerning the work of the motor fleet of Liverpool city engineer's department is given in the annual report of the medical officer. of health. Four motor sweeping machines are regularly employed, each of which nightly sweeps approximately 38 miles of roadway.
The work of the city engineer's department consists of cleansing and watering 660 miles of streets within the city, the periodical emptying of ashbins,' street and court bins, etc. The quantity of domestic and trade refuse collected was approximately 393,011 tons and the quantity dealt with per working day was 1,413 tons. All the 660 miles of streets and passages, with the exception of a few on the outskirts of the city, are swept weekly, but the principal streets have daily attention.
In connection with street watering, upwards of 2,500,000 gallons of water were distributed during the season, in addition to the large quantity used for street washing.
Municipality Supports Green Line Appeal.
Support for Green Line Coaches, Ltd., in its appeal to the Ministry of Transport against the South-Eastern Traffic Commissioners' refusal to license a service through Esher, is to be given by the public health and general purposes committee of Esher and Dittons District Council.
Institute of Transport Examinations.
Mr. A. Winter Gray, Secretary, The Institute of Transport, states that the Gradnateship and Associate Membership examinations of the Institute will be held in London and other centres on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, April 28th, 29th and 30th, 1932. The latest date for the deposit of forms of entry, which can be obtained after October 1st next, is February 1st, 1932, but the date for the denosit is January 1st-if an exemption be claimed. Further particulars and copies of previous question Papers may be had (at the cost of one shilling per set, post free) from the Secretary, at 15, Savoy Street, London, W.C.2.
New Address of the M.H.C.S.A.
Motor-coach operators are reminded that as from August 1st the address of the Motor Hirers and Coach Services Association will be 12, Spring Street, Paddington, London, W.2, the telephone number being Paddington 9101. The new office is taken as a temporary measure and the address will hold good until further notice.
Southport's Profitable Buses.
During the year ended March 31st last there was a gross profit of £5,049 on the operation of the 22 motorbuses run by Southport Corporation. After meeting loan charges, the surplus was 12,814. Revenue totalled 121,103 and working expenses 116,054. On a Perim-mile basis the .average income was 10.378d. and working expenses 7.895d. During the year 15 Vnlcan double-deck buses were purchased at a cost of 124,490, whilst /4,930 was expended in connection with a new bus garage.
The total expenditure to the end of March amounted to 144,595, but the total capital outlay on existing assets is reduced to 140,185 after taking into account the disposal of four buses and, in respect of this amount, there is an outstanding debt of 132,709.
The balance of 13,714 brought forward, together with the past year's net surplus gives a total of £6,528 and, after paying off the cost of a bus, a balance of 14,928 is carried forward.
During the year the number of passengers carried was 2,524,417. In commenting on the change-over from trams to buses, Mr. T. J. Kendrew, the tramways manager, points out that the prospects for the future appear bright. A Romac Catalogue.
We have received from Romac Motor Accessories, Ltd., Romac Works, Edgware Road, The Hyde, London, N.W.9, a copy of the company's latest catalogue. Romac self-vulcanizing rubberrepairing materials continue to be most popular in this country and abroad, but a great variety of other goods is now marketed, these including a carefully prepared first-aid outfit to comply with the Ministry of Transport regulations, and sold at the low commercial
price of 15s. 1321
Preston's Bus Profits.
In the year ended March 31st, 1931, a gross profit of £6,293 was made on the operation of the buses run by Preston Corporation, the total revenue amounting to £26,558 and working expenses to £20,265. Sinking fund and other charges accounted for £3,814, the balance thus being £2,479. Adding a sum of £2,236 brought forward from the previous year and deducting £4,000 transferred to the reserve fund, £715 remains to be carried forward.
The vehicles covered an aggregate mileage of 382,087 and carried 4,240,821 passengers. The corporation runs a fleet of 19 Leyland buses.
The Value of Light Lorries.
Reporting with regard to haulage, the Northamptonshire surveyor states that during the year the county council pur chased five 2-ton louries to transport mobile units required in connection with the patching of unclassified roads. The vehicles were not obtained until towards the close of the year, but in a short time their usefulness became markedly apparent. They are also unlikely to damage the district roads, which would be liable to injury by a heavy wagon.
A Gully-emptying Contract.
The streets committee of the City of London Corporation recommends continuing the arrangement with the Mechanical Cleansing Service, Ltd., for emptying street gullies for a further period of nine months, at an estimated cost of 13,867.
A Private-municipal Agreement.
The transport committee of Bournemouth Corporation is in negotiation with', theaccountants respecting the method of arriving at the amount payable by the Hants and Dorset Motor Services, Ltd., to the council, in respect of the passengers carried by the cornpanY's buses within the council's area.
U.S. Exports Drop Over £3,000,000.
Last April the United States exported 5,473 commercial motors and chassis, bringing up the total for the first four months of the year to 20,203 units valued at £2,134,885, as contrasted with 40,048 and £5,248,465 in the corresponding period of 1930, representing a drop of over £3,000,000.
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At the present time the principal markets for American vehicles, in the order of their importance, are Belgium, Sweden, Denmark, India, Japan, Spain and the Argentine. The major portion (13,519) of the vehicles exported are of the 1-1i-ton type. It is interesting to add that the four months' exports represent only 12 per cent, of the total American production.
Railway Lorry Services in Country Districts.
Hundreds of farms and villages, some as far distant as 10 miles from a railway depot, come within the working of the scheme recently embarked upon by the London Midland and Scottish Railway Co. for providing 439 regular motorlorry services from 113 stations to outof-the-way places. A fleet of powerful lorries, equipped with pneumatic tyres so as to avoid damage to farm build lags' conduits, is engaged upon this system of linking up farms and villages with the nearest L.M. and S. goods depot, thus expediting the collection and delivery of produce.
Personal Pars.
We are informed that Mr. Walter G. Thorpe, who for the past 11 years has bean the Australasian factory representative of Albion Motors, Ltd., has resigned his position and is open to consider other Australasian representation.
Mr. Y. E. Key, of John MacDonald and Co., King Street, Polokshaws, Glasgow, has returned from a visit to the factory of the Cleveland Pneumatic Tool Co., Cleveland, Ohio. John MacDonald and Go. is said to be the oldest foreign representative of this American concern and is licensed to manufacture CIeco products, including Cleco Gruss air springs for buses and lorries. Mr. Key went to Cleveland to discuss general plans for an extended sales campaign in the British Isles. He started 22 years ago with John MacDonald and Co. and is now one of the two owners of the business, the other being Mr. John Whitehead.
Mr. W. E. J. Broom, of Plymouth, has had the degree of Doctor of Philosophy conferred upon him by Bristol University. Mr. Broom, who took his Bachelor of Science degree three years ago, is now engaged with the AngloAmerican Oil Co., Ltd.
Bus Working at Yarmouth.
The revenue account for the buses run by Great YarmOutit Corporation shows that in the year ended March .31st last the income totalled £43,150 . and working expenses £28,211, the balance of £14939 being carried to the net revenue account, where it was reduced to 16,252 after meeting income tax, interest and other charges, including an amount of £6,001 for the bus renewals fund.
During the year the buses covered 781,881, miles and carried 5,374,118 passeiagers, these figures being big advances on those for the previous year. The corporation owns 26 buses.
Fewer Company Registrations.
Jordan and Sons, Ltd., a company of registration agents, of Chancery Lane, London, W.C.2, has sent us a list of company registrations which shows that between January 1st and June 30th, 1931, 135 public companies and 4,202 private companies were registered, the aggregate capital of the former being £6,380,672, and of the latter £21,348,880. Under the heading of " Motors " we note that two public companies were registered and 246 private companies.
Every column in the tabulated statement records a decrease as compared with the corresponding period in 1930, the aggregate decrease in the number of companies being 102 and in respect of capital £32,555,071.
Seats for Passenger Vehicles.
A brochure has recently been issued by G. D. Peters and Co., Ltd., 3, Central Buildings, Westminster, London, S.W.1, dealing with seats and seating for all types of coach and bus. Illustrations and particulars of different types of seat are given, some being suitable for regular-service vehicles and others for those vehicles engaged on long-distance or luxury service.
"North Western" Profits.
In the year ended March 31st last the North Western Road Car Co., Ltd., made a prat of £89,491. A 5-per-cent. final dividend is to be paid, making 10 per cent. for the year, plus a bonus of 5 per cent. The general reserve fund receives an allotment of £20,000, whilst £21,926 is carried forward as against 121,449 brought into the accounts.
Smart Work by London Ambulances.
The London County Council reports that during the year ended March 31st the London street ambulance service dealt with 43,746 calls, which is 432 feWer than in the previous year. The average time taken to reach the cases was 6.5 minutes, whilst the average time which elapsed between the receipt of calls and the arrival at hospitals was 13.6 minutes. The gtires, when one considers the conditions of Landon traffic, are nothing short of remarkable.
London Cabbies' Protests.
One day last week the London and Home Counties Traffic Advisory Committee received a deputation representing the interests of organized cab trades in London,, when Mr. Dickson, of the Home Office, presided. A protest was made against the regulations already in force and others which are contemplated, for curtailing the activities of the taxicab, one of the main tenets of objection being the restriction on the cruising of cabs in search of fares. The proceedings were conducted in private. The committee has agreed to consider the points raised and to refer the matter to the Minister of Transport.
Big Bus Profits at Leigh.
A very successful year's working of Leigh Corporation's buses is indicated by the returns covering the year ended March 31st last, a gross profit of £7,500 having been made. The corporation has decided to order a further three doubledeckers (52-seaters) at a cost of 11,640 each, and three chassis at a cost of about 1790 each.