WHEELS OF INDUSTRY.
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"The wheel of wearth will be slowed by all difficulties of transport at whatever points arising, as a carriage is by the roughness of the roads over which it runs."—John Beattie Crosier,
Tilling Report.
The report of Thomas Tilling, Ltd., for the year ended December 31st, 1919,, shows a profit for the year of £913,951, which, when added to the amount brought forward from the previous year, viz., £55,408, makes a total of £154,359. After making provision for several items detailed in the profit and loss .account, there remains for disposal a balance. of £133,709. A dividend oh the preference shares for the half year ended December 31st absorbs £8,72e0, and a dividend of 15 per cent, less tax now to be paid on the ordinary shares will absorb £23,164; this wild entitle the ,income debenture stock holders to additional interest at -the rate of 24 per cent. fur the year, amounting to £6,410. A sum of £15,600 is to be placed to the special reserve fund for properties, investments, etc., whilst £1,500 is to be added to the ordinary reserve fund. These various appropriations total in all £59,323, leaving a balance of £74,385 to be carried forward subject to any liability the may be for excess profits duty for the past year. .
Liverpool Motor Parade.
Further to our paragraph in last week's Issue we are given to understand that the Liverpool branch of the Commercial Motor Users Association has decided to hold a motor parade in September, and an able emernittee has been appointed to7carry--oet the arrangements. its personnel is Major-General S. S. Long, Messrs. Harper, Hall, .Bloomer (Warrington), Greene, Barnet, and Moore (Wigan). Mr. Whitnall, the secretary, states that the authorities have raised no objection to the holding of the parade, and they had been assured of' the good will and assistance of the headquarters of the C.M.U.A. in the matter.
The C.M.U.A. is taking up with the Birkenhead Corporation the question of anomalies in the ferry tolls whereby a petrol lorry loaded with light packages is charged the same rate for crossing the river in the ferry boat as the vehicle carrying to its.maximum capacity.
Clayton Progress.
, The most important feature at the 19th annual meeting of Clayton and Shuttleworths, Ltd., Lincoln, held last week, at which the managing director,' Mr. P. W. Robson, presided, was the statementthat the new Abbey Works and Clayton Forge were now well under way, and that it is to develop these works, together with their Titanic Works, that the new Clayton Wagons, Ltd. would be formed with a capital of £1;000,000. The demand for Clayton steam wagons, said the. chairman, which were first introduced in 1012, had now reached so large a volume as to require. the provision of extensive and specialized manufacturing facilities, and they were adapting the Titanic .Works for this purpose. -They hoped that presently they would be the largest and best • equipped works in the country devoted exclusively to the 'manufacture on a large scale of steam and electric commercial motors. .They 3332 had now over 1,000 Clayton steam wagons in regular service.
Major Peake congratulated the directom on the excellent progress of the company, and the report and balance sheet proposing a dividend of 8 per cent. (less income tax) was unanimously adopted.
• London Traffic Board.
'stir. Gilbert asked the Minister of Transport in the House of Commons one day last week whether he could announce the decision 'of the Government in regard to the report of the Advisory Cesmmittee on London Traffic,
"The Government have cotsidered the report," replied Sir Eric Geddes, "arid while accepting in principle the recommendation to set up a central traffic authority for London, have recognized
that complicated questions in regard to finance and the relationship of the authority to Departments of State and local authorities are involved. These require, and are receiving, close attention!'
Mexican Oil Exploration.
The Mexican Government, has awarded one of the largest concessions it has ever granted to Mr. E. M. Marlanel, of Ponce. City, Who has received a privilege extending over .20 years to explore and 'develop approximately .5,000 acres of oilbearing land in the State of Sonora. .
Bolivian Oil Concession.
The Richmond Levering Co., of New. York, have just closed a contract with the Bolivian Government for the exploitation of 2,500,000 acres of oil lauds in Eastern Bolivia, considered by experts to be the largest oil reserve hitherto undeveloped. The Bolivian Government will receive a substantial royalty On all the oil produced._
New Bartle Company.
JamesBartle and Co., -Ltd., the general engineers and bodybuilders of Western Iron Works, Lancaster Road, Notting, Hill, W., have recently been registered with a capital of £60,000 in £1 shares, to take over the business carried on as James Bartle and Co. .The permanent directors are: C. S. Windsor and •C. M. Benjamin.
Alcohol Exploitation.
Alcohol Fuel Corporation, Ltd., has been registered as a private tompany with a capital of £100,000 in £1 shares, to take -over, if thought advisable, the Nataite patents, rights, and trade marks in the -United Eing,doin, Canada, Cuba, Egypt, and elsewhere, and to carry en the business of producers, refiners, starers, suppliers, and cli_tributors of alcohol, petroleum, and otheroils and products suitable for internal-combustion engines. The subscribers are F. Samuelson and R. C. R. Poulter. The first, directors are not named. The registered office of the company is at 7, Princes Street, Westminster, S.W.
Transport Conference.
The National Council of the C.M.U.A. resolved in December last to hold a provincial conference at Blackpool on Saturday, June 5th.: Arrangements for the meeting are in the hands Of the NorthWestern Divisional Committee of the Association.
A public conference on road transport questions will be held in the afternoon under the chairmanship of the Mayor of Blackpool, and the speakers will include Sir Henry F. May-bury, K.C.M.G., C.B. and Mr. E. S. Shrapnell-Smith, C.B.E. The future organization of public passenger and goods road transport are amongst the topics-to be discue.sed at this important conference.
Motor Express Routes.
Tile -U.S. Government has been experimenting for three months with motor express routes. for the transportation of mails and foodstuffs. The results have been so beneficial, and have soconvinced the post office department of the poSsibilities of the motor lorry as it factor in transportation that Congress, in the report _ on these tests, has been asked to grant anadditional appropriation for the extension ofthe routes to other parts of the country.
The experiments were authorized by Congress last February in the Post Office Appropriation Bill, a sum of 300,000 dollars having been granted, and the proviso laid down that the testsshould be made by the Post Office Department to determinethe pricticability of operating motor lorries with a view to promoting"the conservation of food by expediting the collection and delivery of foodstuffs from producer to consumer, and also with a view to facili tating the delivery of fourth-class mall matter.
According to the report above mentioned, the revenue from the operation
of 'the frbe motor routes from July let to September 30th was 5.206,741 dollars, or 81 cents per mile, whilst the cost .of operation ranged from 15 to 25 -cents a mile. The lorries on the five routes , covered 903.8 mites daily, at an esti
mated annual cost of 67,500 dollars. The total distance covered during the period was 63,740 miles, and a total of 354 tons of mail matter, or approximately 118 tons a month, was transported.
Identification Marks.
As we stated in our last week's issue, the Metropolitan police authoritiee, are taking strict measures to see that motorvehicle number plates are unobscured. During the last few months many offences have been reported, and a istringent observation has disclosed the fact that the obscuration of number plates fitted to motor vehicles is on the increase.
We have every reason to believe that commercial-vehicle users have bees. somewhat, negligent in the matter of identification marks, and we would impress upon them now that unless they take steps to see that these marks on their vehicles conform to the requirements of the law they-are likely to be summoned.
We have ourselves noticed--Land this remark applies particularly to one make of yekicle—that the rear lamp employed for illuminating the rear number plate is very often set inwards a. sufficient dis tance to obscure part of the latter, thia procedure being necessary in order to allow the tailboard, in the case of fixed sided lorry bodies, to drop and thus prevent damage to the 'lamp. The remedy is obvious.
Liverpool Motor Haulage ' Contractors.
"I do not suppose in this country that there are any other trade ventures making less profit than the transport trade," said Mr. F. W. Cawsors at the first general meeting of the Liverpool and District Motor Haulage Contractors Association, held on Wednesday of last, Week, at the Law Association Rooms. The reason why, he went on to say, was because it was about the worst organizeit. So far in Liverpool they had done very , well. At the present, time they had in the Association a membership of 83, controlling 217 vehicles, capable of moving 300,000 tons of goods every year. There were about 250 motor haulage contractors in Liverpool, and their Association had a, membership of double the number of rstrntractors organized in either of the ether two local associations.. The Association was open to any haulier whose vehicles were running in, into, and out of Liverpool. Team owners were eligible provided they owned motor lorries.
Steps had been taken, said Mr. Caw-on, t-s link up locally and nationally. They had applied for membership of the National Alliance of Commercial Road Transport Associations and Federations, and they were expecting to hear any day now that they had been elected. They had also been in tolich with the Liverpool Cart Owners /Association and the Liverpool Commercial Motor Users Association, and suggested .setting up a joint committee to deal with all matters where there was common interest. Their Rates Committee had been compiling rates, computed after taking into account difficulties of the road and locality, and it was suggested that these rates should go before the Joint Committee, before whom they could advance reasons why they should be adopted, and ask them to endorse them.
Following their meeting with those• two bodies, they might be able to arrange a joint meeting with the Manchester Haulage Contractors Association. They had not been slow in that direction, and at no very distant date, he thought, he could prophesy that the Liverpool motor haulage contractors would be able to
work on rates equitable to merchants and also remunerative to the haulier.
With regard to the question of return loads, it was a very vexed question, more complex even than that of rates. Certain experiments were being made, and when they were satisfactorily concluded, the Committee would communicate a scheme which they hoped would be satisfactory.
Mr. Cawson subsequently intimated
that in addition to linking up with Manchester, it was not improbable that they would ?be able to link up with some of the smaller associations elsewhere.
Mr. F. W. Cawson was elected president; Mr. C. C. Morton, vice-president; Mr. J. Foley, hon. treasurer ; and Mr. P. Taggart, hon. secretary.
Zephyr Developments.
The success attending the conduct of the well-known Lowestoft company of James, Talbot and Davison, Ltd., the manufacturers of Zephyr cars and Zephyr pistons, has induced the directors to form a new -company with a larger capital of £150,000 to carry on the business and to develop the sales of its specialities. The prospectus is particularly clean, the vendors taking the purchase consideration in shares, whilst there is no payment for goodwill. There is no promotion money, and the issue is' not being underwritten. Among the interesting announcements disclosed in the document is that Leyland Motors, Ltd. have taken on an agency contract for the cars and pistons for Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and the Balkan Peninsula._
Personal Pars.
Mr. Edmund Gormley, general manager of the United Motor and General
Insurance Co.,! Liverpool, has been elected chairman for the ensuing year of the Hoylake and West Kirby Urban District Council:
In connection with the operations of the Nottingham Chamber of Commerce, upon which motor manufacturing interests are well represented, no more practical work has been effected than that for which Mr. A. R. Atkey,
for the Central Division. of the city and a leading member of the motor trade, has been responsible; it being In accordance, therefore' with the fitness of things that at the last, meeting he was chosen as one of four delegates to represent the Chamber at the Empire Congress of Chambers of Commerce at Toronto on September 14th.
A few days ago Liaiooln lost one of its oldest and most respected citizens in the person of Ms. John Richardson, M.In,st. CE., Isf.I.M.E.' J.P., who died at his residence at, South Park after a long period of ill health made all the more hard to bear by loss of sight in late years. Mr. Richardson was chief engineer, managing partner and managing director of Robey and Co., Ltd., Lincoln, from 1864 to 1904. During his connection with the company he patented many improvements in engine construction, not the least important being one for the first really automatic valve gear ever applied to a portable engine. In the same year, 1873, he invented and patented the e,orabinations of a fixed engine and locomotive boiler known as the Robey undertype engine. Mx. Richardson was the author of "The Modern Steam Engine" and "Regulation of Steam Engines," two important widely-circulated text books.
Immediately on the outbreak of war Mrs. F. G. Bristow, wife of Capt. F. G. Bristow, Secretary of the Commercial Motor Users Association, returned from the country where she was spending a holiday and at once threw herself into the work of collecting and waging a list of vehicles, drivers, mechanics and mates available for war purposes. These lists, when compiled, were forwarded, at the request of the War Office, to various units throughout the country, and ultimately a special letter of appreciation was received from the War Office, thanking the C.M.U.A. for the valuable assistance it had rendered during ,a time of orisis.
She was also responsible during the wax
for the organization of the drivers' examinations, which were conducted without interruption throughout the war. She also took charge of the drivers' division.
She was also responsible for the whole of the detail work connected with the accounts of the Association.
In many other directions she was able to assist the secretarial staff at a time when such staff was reduced to a minimum. It, was in order that the National Council of the Commercial Motor Users Association could give expression to the appreciation of her work (the whole of
which, by the way, was performed in an honorary capacity) that it awarded to her the Association's Silver Medal snits ably inscribed. This was presented to her at the 0.M.U.A. luncheon recently, and most gracefully acknowledged by the
recipient in a charming, if brief, speech.
A Lorry Fire-engine.
One of the illustrations we reproduce on this page shows a. 2-3 ton Daimler lorry recently delivered through Messrs. Palmer Bros., of the Albion Garage, Wisbech, to Mr. Horace. Frierkl, who,
incidentally, is captain of the local fire brigade.
Mr. Friend uses this lorry for daily service between his warehouse and the station, whilst at nights he has arranged fac it to be used at the local fire station, where At is available for transporting the local *o brigade and hauling their steam engine to. any outbreak of fire that. may oceur. For this purpose the lorry is fitted with a hand rail and provided with the necessary coupling attachment. The photograph was taken a few weeks ago on the occasion of a trial run through Wisbech St. Mary and Leverington.
The body for the lorry was constructed by Weeks and Son, who also adapted it to the special purposes fee Which it is now being used.
On both its daily service and its improvised duty we understand the lorry is giving good service.
Rousing Yukan Employees.
The problem of housing employees is a very serious one to all Manufacturers at. the present day. The shortage of blouses is acute, and nowhere is it more so than in the centres of industrial activity. The Vulcan Motor and Engineering Co., Ltd., of Southport, are working at high pressure, -and they have met with serious difficulties in providing accommodation for the large number of workmen now employed by them. Whenever a suitable house in the neighbourhood has come into the market, they have bought it, if they inn obtain possession, but such opportunities are rare and the prices have been very high. A social service scheme has now been bunched by the company, an estate pur chased, and a. housing scheme is in process of development. A start is being made by building 25 houses, and it is hoped to build 250. so soon as possible, in order to cope with the demand for accommodation by their employees.
Lorries in Spain.
The use of commercial, motor vehiefets has increased with great rapidity in Spain during the last few months, and three, four, and five ton lorries have become 30 common that they have ceasedto attract the attention which they would have roused a year or so ago. The planing of second-hand French and other war used lorries on he market in large numbers, at more or less attractive prices, has been a strong factor in the encouragement of motor transport, despite the bad ,state of the roads and the high running costs. As a result of this development a number of new British lorries have bcen sold recently, and it would appear that openings for the sale, of new lorries of reliable makes are likely to become stilt more favourable in the near future, as the advantages of motor transport become evident to Spanish commercial houses.
The Associated Equipment Co. notify us that by reason of the general increase in cost of material and production, thy are obliged to fix the selling price of the. A.E.C. three-four ton chassis at £1,300.
The Japanese Market.
According to recent advice s from Tokyo there is a good mar.ket for British niOter vehicles in Japanese cities.. The Tokyo Street Motor Car Co., organized in August, 1918, now has in opera tion 150 motorbuses, 57 commercial lorries, 43 vehicles for hire, 10 extra passenger cars for training purposes, arid 1G• light lollies for the company's own use. This makes a total of 270 moor vehicles purchased by one concern since late in 1918.
It has often been said that there will not be an (Telling in Japan for British motor vehicles until the streets have been widened and paved, but the fact. that one Tokyo company is able to operate a considerable number of vehicles may be indicative of the prospects in other Japanese cities.
London Licence Yield.
During 1919 {the L.C.C. reports) the value of. carriage licences taken out in London was £154,770, an increase of £90,095. In 1913, the last pre-war year, the carriage licence duty amounted to.,
or £11,351 lees than in 1919. The increase is no doubt due to the .growth of the motorcar industry. The amount to be paid over to the Road Development Fund is £99,409, being Sr. increase of £90,045 as compared with, • the year 1918.
An Evil and a Remedy:
In Warrington there has been considerable competition for loads, and much no
has followed. Plauliers are now talking of organizing themselves Mtn an association.
The Motorbus in Lancashire.
Whilst the char-a-hanc:s boom continues, so far as private enterprise is coneerned in the North of England, the local authorities are more and more inclining to the inauguration of znotorhus
services. The old prejudice as to the monopoly to be held by the trains is passing away, and the British Commercial Lorry and Engineering Co., Ltd., of Manchester, 'hes just delivered three buses out of a large fleet with which it is providing the South Lancethire Tramways Co, who operate in the Atherton, Leigh, Tylde8ley, and Bolton area. These are of the single-decker type, similar to those vaiich the company have supplied to the Stockport Corporation, and which were illuttrated in the Conimnrcial Motor of November 4th last.
Mr, A. L. KnoX•Gilehrist, the direc • tor, is fitting the bodies to the A.E.C. chassis at the coach works at Whalley Range. Fortnnately, he has experienced no such shortage of skilled labour as has been the cause of delays at many places. By wisely encouraging the workers to earn goad money he has attracted a loyal body of men, hence the success of the concern in fulfilling the many orders they have had for motorbuses for corporations.
He is also supplying private services, and has just delivered an attractive motorbus to the Irlam Motor Garage Co., who have established a useful service in that district. Irlam is on the high road from Manchester to Warrington, and great industrial developments, as well as housing schemes are actually in progress in the area.
The motorbus will thus anticipate the tram—if it does not entirely prevent its extension to the dist-Hetes-quite an unusual circumstance . in the North of England.So convinced is Mr. KnoxGilchrist as to the suitability of the A.E.C. chassis for the roads around Manchester, that he is about to issue an interesting
Road Improvements in Notts.
It was reported at a meeting of the Nottinghamshire County Council, • ono day last week, under the presidency of Lord Galway, that the work of road improvements, throughout the wide area covered by the operations of the authority, continues to make substantial progress. .The net estimate for highway purposes for the ensuing year amounted to .277,627. The total length recently completed ender the road improvement scheme had been 20 miles, £48,000 having been received from the Ministry of Transport on amount of the work.
Drivers. of commercial and other moter vehicles tieing the Great North Road will be interested to learn that Muskham Bridge is to be replaced by a new etrue tune. Lord Middleton, who is under legal obligation to repair the bridge, 'which has been long in an unsatisfactory state, has agreed, upon being freed from further liability, to contribute £5,000 towards the construction of the new 'bridge, the difference in the cost being Shared by the County Council end the Ministry of Transport. The dangerous curve existing at present will be removed. under the new arrangement.
Rim Standardization.
,44, number of proposals to introduce a series of new sizes of rims and tyres has emanated from the British Rubber Tyre 'Manufacturers .Association, who, we understand, have arranged to relieve the S.M.M. and T. of etandardization work in.-respect of tyreaS and rime. One of the chief objects of the Associatien is to eliminate and reduce in number all nilnecessary sizes of rims and tyrees The latest proposal, however, is a complete reversal of this object, as it aims at the intrcdnetion of four different sizes.
American influence is undoubtedly playing a big pert in the development of tyre equipment, in Europe, and evidence is. readily forthcoming that the American straight-side tyre is gaining in popularity.
W. Goodyear and Sons, Ltd., Dudley, advise us that in order to deal with this trend of events they will shortly offer to manufacturers their wheel and rim products, either wood, wire, steel-pressed or disc, with rims to suit the straight-side
tyres. The plant and factory of the company are being arranged to meet these Changes.
The Neutral L.C.C.
The London. County Council has decided to take no action with. regard to a resolution of the technical committee appointed by the Advisory Committee on London Traffic, forwarded by the Ministry of Transport, that in their opinion a "left-hand" rule of the footpath is preferable to the existing " righthand" rule.
Local Proceedings.
l3irkenhead corpartation proposes to spend £720 on a petrol-driven road A second motor fire-engine is to be purchased by Ash-tomunder-Lyne Corporation.
Melford R.D.C. is to purchase an E38 second-hand motor road roller for £500, and a motor lorry for 2550.
Bleaford U.D,C. has .received sanction to borrow .£3,100 for the purchase of two tractors and four end-tipping wagons.
The Metropolitan Asylums Board has purchased from Messrs. Todd and Wright, Ltd., two new 25 h.p. Crossley arelaulanees at £1,200 each.
A conference of London Borough Councils has decided that the wages of motor drivers (all types carrying out running repairs) shall .be £4 68, 2d_ per week of 47 hours.
Penrith T.C. wants to borrow £1,850 ta purchase a motor fire-engine (mcluding the station :buildings), and £1,350 for a steam wagon, and is to apply fee the necessary ,Gueerrirnent sanction.
The Metropolitan Asylums Board has arranged to make the following purchases of Government vehicles: Two Lancia 30-wt. chassis, new, at £850 each, suit
able for 16-passenger omnibuses; two Daimler 20 h.p.. chassis', rebuilt by makers, at £600 each, suitable for ambulances-; one If-type 3-ton Daimler lorry (overhauled), at 2700, suitable for stores work.
Company Reorganization.
Owing to the large expansion of the business of Hays, Hunter and Standen, Ltd., the company have found it necessary eonsidetably to increase their capital and reorganize the company. For this purpose the company is being voluntarily wound up and a new company formed under the title of Hays, Harris and Standen, Ltd., to take over the assets and liabilities of the old company. There will be no break in the. company's business or change of management, and all creditors will be paid in full in the ordinary course of business.
The Milnshaw Motor Garage Co., Ltd., of Whalley Road, Acorington, have just installed one of Hollings and Guest's solid-tyre presses, which is new at the service of the commercial vehicle owners of the district.