WHEELS OF INDUSTRY.
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"The wheels of weata will be slowed by all adigicalties of transport at whatever points arising, as a carriage is by the roughness of the roads over which it runs."—John Beattie Crozier.
A New Series of Bus Articles.
In next week's issue of The Commercial Motor, to be published, as usual, on Tuesday, April 13th, will appear the first of a series of important articles, written by one of the leading experts of the day, dealing with Bus Body Design and Construction. This series of articles is addressed to bus owners operating buses in different parts of the country and will be an extremely valuable guide to the types a vehicle available for certain uses, with a careful discussion of the function of the bus, the scope for each type, the question of materials, fittings and equipment, the matter of style and dimensions, etc.
Bus Rivals Reach an Agreement.
Intensely keen opposition on the Wisliaw-Glasgow bus route led to fares being reduced so low that it was almost impossible to make ends meet. At last an arrangement has been formd to solve the problem and the principal owners on this route, i.e., the Lanarkshire Tramways Co., Messrs. Hunters, Wishaw, the A.I. Association and the OX. Association, ,have agreed to raise the fares to a standard level. This should prove a big advantage to all owners concerned, inasmuch as they will all have a better chance of gaining a livelihood than previously. Arrangements have also been made with the Glasgow magistrates regarding routes and licences, and altogether a brighter outlook seems to be ahead.
National Benzole Pump Service. The National Benzole Co., Ltd., have under construction a number of pump service vans (one of them is shown in a picture which appears on this page), by the use of which they will be able to offer greatly improved service in connection with the maintenance and inspection of the large number of pumps retailing National Benzole mixture all over the country. For these vans the well-known 8-cwt. Morris-Cowley chassis is being used. The vehicles are of a pleasing design, and each of them has a model pump on the sides, with globes which are illuminated at night. The interiors of the • vans are so constructed, as to enable a useful range of equipment to be carried, this including one-gallon type pumps, pump-painting outfits, globes, various spare parts, and cases of fitters' tools. Special lengths of piping can also be accommodated. The vans are painted a shade of yellow, on which the words "National I3enzole Mixture" stand out clearly. The facia board above the canopy of the driver's seat also carries similar wording.
Each of the vans will be staffed by two qualified service fitters, and when the scheme is in full operation National Benzole pumps will be kept under close and regular inspection.
A Lecture on Bus Repairing.
An interesting lecture on the methods of repairing motorbuses employed by the London General Omnibus Co., Ltd., will be delivered by Mr, G. Rushton before the Birmingham and North of England centres of the Institution of Automobile Engineers on the following dates :--Birmingham, April 12th, at the Birmingham and Midland Institute, Paradise Street, at 7 p.m.; Manchester, April 28th, at the Manchester College of Technology, at 7.30 p.m. The lecture will be illustrated by a cinematograph film.
The Fenny Stratford Accident.
The report of Major G. L. Hall,. who conducted an inquiry on behalf of the Ministry of Transport into the circumstances of the motor coach accident at the Fenny Stratford level-crossing on December 8th last, was issued by the Ministry last week and is a very thorough and careful survey of the circumstances.
The report shows that the whole of the railway company's arrangements with regard to equipment and the manipulation of the level-crossing gates was in good order and they could not be considered as having been a contributory cause of the accident, while the same remarks apply to the railway company's servants and their actions.
The precise reason for the failure of the car to stop in time must, to some extent, be a matter of conjecture, says Major Hall, owing to the subsequent death of the driver, but it would appear that the accident must be generally attributed to one of two causes, that is, to some failure in the motor coach equipment or an error of judgment on the part of the driver, but there is reasonably satisfactory proof that failure of the brake equipment, if it occurred, could only have been due to a sudden breakage of part of the brake rigging, and not to wear or bad fitting of the brakes themselves. On the other hand, there is the evidence of the one uninjured passenger in the coach, himself a car driver of some years' experience, to the effect that he heard the brake drums squeak just before the collision, which. suggests that the rigging was intact. The insnector, therefore, inclines to the theory that the accident was due to an error of judgment on the part of the driver.
"Safety First" Association's Report.
The -second annual report of the National " SafetY First " Association has just been issued. It indicates that the outstanding feature of the past year's work has been the promotion of local activities by the formation of branch councils, of which nine are now in existence."These councils will be concerned mainly with street safety ,work on lines of that So successfully undertaken by the London "Safety First " Council, and it is anticipated that their activities will produce an equally satisfactory check on the increase in the number of street accidents in the respective localities.
An extensive educative campaign has been carried out during -the . past 12 months, and, with the co-operation of a large number of authorities and chief constables, a considerable amount of safety instruction in schools has been achieved. The various committees of the Association have in hand a comprehensive programme for 1026, prominent -amongst which will be a special poster campaign for pedestrians, children, cyclists and motor drivers.
The second annual general meeting of the Association takes place at Caxton' -Hall. Westminster, London, S.W.1, on April 13th, at 3 p.m.