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The Wheels of Industry.

10th December 1914
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

This journal, dealing as it does with the "Chariots of War," no less than with the "Wheels of Industry," is now of national importance. Its interests embrace impartially the transport wagon and the parcelcar, the steam wagon and the ambulance.

Proposals and Purchases.

The. 'Walsall Guardians are being urged to buy a motor ambulance.

Coventry City Council is still discussing the purchase of a motor ambulance.

The Isle of Wight R.D.C. is about to spend 233,000 on the improvement of its main roads.

The Cleansing Committee of the Aberdeen Town Council is now calling for tenders for five new motor wagons, with all gear drive, for the transport of refuse.

Liverpool City Council has, by 35 votes to 19, iefused to endorse the recommendation of its Electricity Committee that new motorbuses should be purchased to replace others which had been requisitioned for military purposes.

The L.C.C. invites tenders for the

constri etion of five, and alternatively of ten, petrol-driven motor escape-vans, and of five, and alternatively of ten, petrol-driven motor fire-engines. Tenders must he lodged by 11 a.m, on the 22nd inst.

New Registrations.

Hockley Motor Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (25000), with its offices at 126, Barr Street, Hockley, Birmingham. To carry on the business of manufacturers of motorcabs and other : vehicles.

Road Wagons, Ltd. (R1000), with its office at 32, King Street West, Manchester. To carry on the business of agents for, manufacturers of and dealers in traction engines, steam wagons, steam tractors, etc. First directors: J. T. Ramsdale and S. F. Polion.

British Tires.

• Our first. leading article this week deals with the topical subject of "Exploded tire Beliefs." We make a preliminary reference, in addition, to the manner in which British manufactuers have risen:to the occasion and have met the huge demands for solid-rubber tires from the British War Office, Fnglish Commercial owners, and French and Russian purchasers, contemporaneously' Skith their having also to meet the sudden inrush of new demand due to the total cessation of imports from Germany. We have also to record the --fact that supplies of rubber are plentiful in this country, whereas therare badly wanted in-Germany and Austria.

Erratum. For " savoy " in the third paragraph of " Out and Home" (page 254 of our last issue) read "savage."

Inst. A.E.

A meeting will take place tomorrow (Friday), at 7.30 pm, in the hall of the Y.M.C.A., Dale End, Birmingham, between makers of steel castings, stampings, forgings, etc., and automobile manufacturers, in order to discuss certain difficulties connected with the supply of automobile parts.

Government Orders.

Apart from the extreme demands upon 16 factories, the names of which we give in Answer to Query No. 2498 in this issue (page 278), we may record that the Star Engineering Co., Ltd., of Wolverhampton, has 200 lorries on order for the French Government and official instructions from the British War Office to reserve for it all the Star vehicles over and above the French order that can be produced ; the Austin Motor Co., Ltd., of Northfield, Birmingham is supplying three-ton lorries to the British Admiralty, as well as having a large order for Russia in hand; the Alldays and Onions Pneumatic Engineering Co., Ltd., of the Matchless Works, Birmingham, has orders in hand for the Admiralty and the Belgian Government. The Siddeley-Deasy Motor Car Co. Ltd., of Coventry, has completed a large order for the Russian Government. Thirty of the Clarkson steam omnibuses The Craw1ey-F-Bizievey now-skid attachment, as fitted to a rubbertired National steel wheel.

belonging to the National Steam Car Co., Ltd., have been converted into lorries and taken over by the War Department.

Men Wanted.

A number of good machinists and fittels is wanted at once for engagement in civilian motorvehicle and allied factories. Applications from suitable men to this office, personally or by letter, will be promptly dealt with.

Wood-Milne Tires.

The removal of the depot for Wood-Milne tires, so far as concerns the requirements of the West of England and South Wales, has been effected from 36, Narrow Wine Street, Bristol, to 141, Victoria Street in that city. This change has been necessitated by the increased demand for Wood-Milne tires in the area which the depot serves. The new offices, stock rooms and showrooms, are in a prominent situation ; they will form a new centre of dissemination for much information concerning WoodMilne tires—amongst which are references to the record of over 80,000 miles for one which is still running on a London motorbus. The company is also catering largely for the heavier steam-lorry tires.

Our Fund.

The progress towards the completion of our first 21000 is recorded elsewhere. We have already received voluntary offers of .further help, from donors to the first thousand pounds, for payment early in the New Year, as a mark of approbation for the excellent manner in which this " Campaign Comforts" Fund is being conducted, in order to start the second thousand. We can quite imagine that not a few makers who will rank for approximately one per cent. of the first complete 21000, in respect of a first contribution of 210 10s., will not regard it as anything but a pleasure to continue that basis in relation to the Fund.

When we in October accepted the duty of collecting money and comforts for the A.S.C., M.T., there were fewer than 10,000 men with the columns ; the total is now in the vicinity of 15,000, and going up as fresh division& go out. ft will be observed that we specially ask for additional help in the matter of knitted helmets (with ear openings), scarves and cardigans, whilst not relaxing our expectations in regard to cash with which to buy gloves. We can buy gloves better than individual purchasers.

Wheels a Industry.—con.

The 2nd (Reserve) London Divisional (T) T. and S. Column, Duke of York's Headquarters, Chelsea, London, S.W., requires about 150 car and lorry drivers, also a few good motor fitters. They must sign for foreign .service, and be over 19 years of age. Pay and allowances at Army rates. The eighth annual meeting of Belsize Motors, Ltd., was held in Manchester on the 2nd inst., Mr. G. P. Dawson, chairman of the company, presiding. The gross profit from trading account, for the year ended the 30th September last, was £38,578. The final dividend on the ordinary shares made the rate for the year 7 per cent, per annum, leaving £11,036 carried forward. One of our photographs reprdduced herewith shows a hatch of 18 Hallfords which have been recently delivered from the Dartford works of J. and E. Hall, Ltd. This concern, of course, as our readers are well aware, has been working day and night for the War Department since hostilities broke out. A consignment of HaIlford vehicles leaves the Dartford, works every week for the various transport concentration depots.

Capturing German Trade.

Apropos our leading. article of the 26th ult., under the title of

The Problem of Effective Action to Capture German Trade," we observe that our contemporary "The Railway News," in its issue of the 5th inst., refers back to the neport of the Royal Commission of 1886 on Depression of Trade and Industry. That report, dealing with the increasing severity of German trade nearly 30 years ago, Rtates that reports from abroad " show that in every quarter of the world the perseverance and enterprise of the Germans are making themselves felt. In the actual production of commodities we havenow few, if any, advantages over them ; and in a knowledge of the markets of the world, a desire to accommodate themselves to local tastes or idiosyncrasies, a determination to obtain a footing wherever they can, and a tenacity in maintaining it, they appear to be gaining ground upon us."

Action to Recover Value of Heifer.

An action of some importance was heard by Judge Maekarness, at the Redhill County Court, on the 25th ult. The East Surrey Traction Co., Ltd.., was sued by a farmer named William Clifton in respect of the loss of a heifer on the 16th September. The evidence showed that a son of the plaintiff was driving three heifers to Redhill market, and that one was run over and killed by a motorbus belonging to the defendant company. The driver of the motorbus, Charles Williamson, called for the defence, stated that he had slowed down to five miles an hour, behind a parcels van going in the same direction. The van passed the cattle, and one of the heifers ran on the path, whilst two remained in the road on their proper side. The road was clear, so he released his brake and proceeded, but the heifer on the path came round in front of the other two, which jostled it, and it slipped under the hind wheel of the bus.

His Honour held that the facts which were 'put forward by the plaintiff did not amount to negligence an the part of the defendant company or its servant. The, incident was one of those unavoidable accidents which would happen when a vehicle was passing cattle, and there must be judgment for theedee fenelant company.

Wheels of Industry—con.

Stevens' Works Busy with Geared and Petrol-.Electric Chassis.

The recent plenitude of orders from Allied Governments has lately spread to Maidstone. On a visit there this week, we called on W. A. Stevens, Ltd., and discovered a most pleasing state of activities, in part due to a preliminary order for 100 chassis from the services referred to above.

We found the staff in the act of removing to new and beautifully furnished offices on the opposite side of the road, and learned that the old place was to be demolished to make room for works' extension.

In addition to the above large order for two-ton chassis, we were informed that an unprecedented demand for the other models has also to be met, and overtime is now the order of the ?lay. An immediate prospect of 16 deliveries per week of all sizes is in view.

Referring to the petrol-electric type of three-ton chassis, we were interested to observe that the whole of the transmission is tested en bloc ; the engine, dynamo and motor are all placed in a special frame, and coupled to a Fronde dynamometer, thus enabling the tester to tune up each component under varying conditions so as to get the best results.

Interesting U.S.A. Export Figures for Motor Vehicles.

With reference to the United States exports of automobiles, during the past fiscal year, Canada. bought 4377 touring cars and 247 lorries from that country ; Germany purchased from the U.S.A. more than France and Russia put together. The U.S.A. Department of Commerce has issued, through its Bureau of Foreign and Domestic -Commerce, a statement showing the distribution of touring cars produced in that country which were exported to foreign countries during the fiscal year ended the 30th June last. During that period, outward shipments, which included automobiles, engines, tires, and parts for the same, reached the very high total of .$40,000,000 worth. Following the outbreak of war, there was, of course, a remarkable decrease. Exports for August fell to 451 automobiles and "trucks," compared with 2004 in August of the previous year. It may be interesting, to tabulate the exports of commercialmotor vehicles from the U.S.A. during the past fiscal year :— A Torquay Ambulance.

Gibson and Holloway, motor engineers, 23-24, Torwood Street, Torquay, are equipping a special four-stretcher ambulance to the order of the Hon. Mrs. Burne, of Stoodley, Knowle. The cost is to be borne by a fund which has been raised by Mrs. Burne, who has converted her own beautiful mansion into a Red Cross hespitK1 for disabled officers.

Wheels of Industry—con.

Amongst our recent letters from the Front, we were pleased to hear from Capt. H. Lyon Thomson, A. S. C., who tells us how much THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR is appreciated, both at headquarters and throughout the many individual supply columns. Motor or Locomotive ?

The Horsham magistrates have set a good example in dismissing a summons, in the absence of the party summoned, when the police had made an error by confusing traction-engine and heavy-motorcar law. The case to which we refer concerned a heavy motor vehicle owned by Mr. Edward Taylor, of North Place, Guildford, who was summoned for allowing it to remain stationary on a certain arch on the highway. The defendant did not attend the court, but wrote a letter of explanation, and the Bench very properly dismissed the case, informing, the police that further action could be taken if it were thought desirable.

Confusion between the provisions of the Locomotive Acts and the Motor Car Acts, on the part of the police, occurs much too frequently, and owners of commercial motors are put to corresponding expense, for which they seldom if ever obtain redress. Any reasonable Bench of magistrates should be prepared to accept a letter of explanation, and we hope this attitude will become more common in the near future.

"The Regiment" Library.

"Active Service Hints," the third volume of "The Regiment" library, consists of an old campaigner's hints for bivouac, camp, and the trenches. It is equally useful for the young man training at home and the soldier in the fighting line. The fourth volume in the series, "Signalling and Map Reading Made Easy," is now ready.

Better Horseshoes.

The Roads Improvement Association has now announced the awards of its judges Committee in the Horseshoe Competition which it organized in conjunction with the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. More than 850 shoes from all parts of the world were submitted to the Judges, yet no shoe was found to be of sufficient merit to warrant the awarding of the full prize.

Premiums have been granted as follow :—Mr. P. B. Gray, of the Gray Horse Shoe Pad Co., The Hill, Sutton Coldfield, 221 for his rubber frog pad ; 215 15s. to Messrs. Joseph and George Deighton, of the Central Shoeing Forge, Harrogate, for their channelled shoe filled with tarred rope ; 210 10s. to Mr. . Thomas Delves, of Harrogate, for his flat shoe for bringing the horse's frog into action.

The winning device consists of a rubber pad, placed between the heels of the shoe, over the frog, and held in position by a thin strip of steel which is let into the foot surface of the shoe at each end.

In. pointing out that copies of the Judges' awards and report may be obtained from the Secretary to the R.I.A., Mr. Wallace E. Riche, 15, Dartmouth Street, Westminster, S.W., price 2d. post free, we desire to impress upon our readers the very great importance to them, qua the lessening of the destructive effect of horse traffic on modern roads, of their helping to promulgate a knowledge of the facts.


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