The Motor Omnibus World.
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We are glad to learn that the New Arrol-Johnston buses are passing the police at each inspection.
We understand that the formation of the London and Port Talbot Motor Company, Limited, has not yet been completed.
Haley Public-Service Cars.
A number of Halley, public-service vehicles have recently been sold, one of these, a 2oh.p., 15-seated char-à-banes, having just been shipped for service in Ireland, whilst another will be. run between Wishaw and Newmains, N.E.
A Request for Details..
. Will any driver or other employee of an omnibus company furnish us with a copy of any financial statement or accounts that have been issued by the London Bus, Tram and Motor Workers' Union, together with any other printed matter in connection with this union, and more particularly those concerning its constitution and the rules under which the committee or committees have to be elected. We shall be pleased to return any papers that may reach us, and these should be addressed to the Editor.
Obstinacy at Hull.
Efforts to secure licenses for motorbuses at Hull continue to be of no avail. The Hackney Carriage Committee of the Hull Corporation, at its last meeting, declined to take any action on a request for further consideration by the solicitors to the local motorbus company, and also declined to receive a deputation on the subject. This undignified banging of the door by an authority which owns electric tramways is another argument in favour of the provision of a means of appeal when motorcar legislation is next in hand.
Road Traction Engineers.
The third meeting for the third session of this society will probably take place on Monday, the 27th instant. The next paper is to be on the all-important subject of roads, and this will be read by that well-known authority Mr. H. Howard Humphreys, Assoc.
M. lnst.C. E,, M . I. Mech . E., whose knowledge of the construction and maintenance of roads is second to none. Mr. Humphreys has on numerous occasions been called upon, in a consulting capacity, by the British War Office, whilst his services have been similarly utilised by many public authorities and others. Whether in town or country, the question of roads has a direct bearing upon the success of any transport undertaking, and we are sure that a large number of members and associates will attend on the forthcoming occasion. We understand that the rneetingmay take place, as in earlier years, at the-Hotel Cecil, Strand, London, W.C., for there is certainly a division of opinion in the ranks of the Society as to whether it is equally central and convenient to meet at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, at Storey's Gate, S.W. Accumulator Propulsion.
The contractors to the London Electrobus Company, Limited, the Tudor and the Gould Battery Companies, appear to be taking all possible precautions in respect of the proper conduct of the maintenance department in connection with their respective cells. An elaborate system of supervision and checking, with a view to the detection of any dead " cell, or one at the ter — minals of which the potential difference is below the normal, exists, and _the forms for recording the performance of each battery are admirably thorough. We reproduce one of these herewith,
The L.G.O.C.
Shareholders in the London General Omnibus Company will, at the next half-yearly meeting, probe rather more deeply into the causes for the company's present unsatisfactory position. They can certainly be reassured as to the great improvement in the engineering organisation, which is a credit to all concerned, but the same cannot be said of the traffic results, which are, strangely enough, something like 'W. per mile below those of certain other London companies. Owing to the dilatory action of the board, which even now does not appear to have a definite policy, this company was greatly handicapped and prejudiced in its preparations for facing the revolutionary changes Which have occurred during the past three years, and we do not see how its prospects can be materially altered, unless the manage'', or a managing director, is given free scope to take drastic action in many directions without further-delay. The Effect of Drink.
Many of our readers will sytnpathis. with a .driver named Thomas Greetham who, after waiting by his brokendowi motorbus for 41hours, during the re cent cold weather, was unduly affecte( by his taking four drinks of whisky with the result that he was convicted at Clerkenwell, before Mr. d'Eyncourt of drunkenness while in charge of motorbus. The man was again drivim the vehicle after it had been put it order. The sentence passed, that o imprisonment for a month, without tht option of a fine, does appear to be t severe one, but we are bound to en dorse it in the interests of the publi4 at large, and in view of the justice ol its intention—that it should. act as k deterrent.
The Road Car Strike.
Twelve hundred employees of au London Road Car Company ceased tc earn wages on the morning of the 20c instant. Drivers and conductors, to tht number of about Soo had previous') been paid a fixed wage per day, viz.; 6s.-6s. 6d. and 4s. 6d.-5s. respee. tively, and they were notified of a change to the journey system. Tilt change involved somewhat longer hours, but it was based upon the practice of other London companies, and we believe that its prime objects were : (a) the elimination of the " malinger. ing " driver who welcomes A breakdown as an opportunity to play; and
(b) to enable the company to keep better faith with the public in respect of regular service. The new scales are cafculated upon approximate rates of Nd. an hour for drivers, and 6d. an hour for conductors. In the event of a breakdown which is not due to the driver, full-rate pay is to be made to the point of such occurrence, and stand-by pay at the rate of 6d. an hour for the driver, and ,ad. an hour for the conductor. On return to the garage, the driver can assist the fitters, at 6d. an hour, or take a rest at his own expense. We deal with some aspects of the dispute on the first page of this issue, and we are satisfied that, provided, as we feel sure is the case, the engineering department of the Road Car Company is properly organised, the proposals of the management are both equitable and necessary. The longer the men stay out, the more will they damage themselves and their occupation—the former in pocket, and the latter in the esteem of the public. About two o'clock on Tuesday afternoon last, as the result of a directors' meeting, a notice was posted on the company's garages to the effect that any men who were still on strike by Thursday morning, the t6th instant, would receive back their licenses from the company. Evidences are not lacking, as we go to press, that they are beginning to perceive that they have taken a false step, and that the best thing they can do is to resume work, and to .approach Mr. Duff by constitu tional means_ Fitters, washers and others have ioiffered innoeently. Midland Railway Motorbuses.
The Midland Railway Company will shortly establish a motorbus service between Desborough and Rothwell (Northamptonshire), and it has purchased two single-deck vehicles, one each of the Maudslay and WolseleySiddeley makes, for the purpose.
A Tribute to the Driver.
Says the " Daily Telegraph " in a recent issue : " The Skill of the old bus drivers, quietly jogging their way along the crowded Strand, was for long the admiration of all who saw it, but it pales before the skill which the motorbus driver has developed with such extraordinary rapidity. He may be reckless sometimes and run things too fine in racing with his fellows ; but, as -a
rule, he drives amazingly well, and the public certainly ‘vill not wish to see him treated otherwise than With fair consideration.''
Polack Tires.
The rubber firm of B. Polack, Waltershausen, has been converted into a limited liability company, with a share-capital of 1,200,000 marks (Z,6o,000), iii virtue of articles of association drawn up on 20th December, 1907. The foundrs of the company are Max Polack (Waltershausen); Albert Keune (Wiesbaden); Director Hermann Witschel (Gotha); Willy Sreber (Gotha); and the Banker, Alfred Goldsehmidt (Gotha). The concern takes over the site of the old firm, B. Polack, also the business with all liabilities and assets, goodwill, patents, etc., Max Polack receiving in lieu thereof no shares at ',GOO marks each (.625,o(x)).
Falling Receipts.
We do not wonder that the drivers and conductors of horse-omnibuses in London have had the good sense to refuse to come out on strike, and that they have accepted a reduction. Three years ago, a horse-bus took .4:3 a day ; two years ago, one took £2 a day; now, many take only Li a day.
L.C.C. Tramway Men's Wages.
At a Lime when the question of wages is occupying so much attention, it is interesting to note that upon the L.C.C. tramcars, according to the liberal scale fixed by the old Progressive Council, practically the same weekly wage is paid to drivers and conductors, more than three-quarters of the whole of these men getting a minimum of 6s. 3d. per day of ten hours, with uniforms found, whilst they have to work a much less mileage than any London motorbus is required to maintain.