From Our Berlin Correspondent.
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Hamburg motorcab drivers are forbidden to carry anyone on the boxseat, under a penalty of 36s.
The Munich Corporation has declined to license the heavy class of automobiles with iron tiring.; all " heavy weights " must be rubber shod. Apropos this city, seven big motorvans have just been acquired for the parcels post.
The Berlin Electric Cab Company : Shareholder Sues Bank.
I see that a holder of shares in the Berliner F.lektromobil DroschkenAktien-Gesellschaf t--familiarly known as the " Bedag "has instituted an action against the bankers Hugo and Heinrich Marx, in Munich, to recover money lost on his holding. This company, although its shares were marketed at a high premium when first issued, has never paid a pfennig in dividend, and its affairs appear to be going from had to worse. The defendants plead that the concern rested on a solid basis, that experts thought very favourably of it, and that the series of deficits could not have been foreseen. Further, thee state that, at the time of the flotation, there was no ground for distrusting the reliability of the finarciers who issued the shares,
Federation of German Traffic Associations and the Roads. In a petition to the imperial Parliament, the Federation of German Traffic Associations protests against the " dilatoriness and backwardness " of the authorities in putting the roads in a condition to accommodate the "constantly increasing development and expansion of mechanically-driven rail-less vehicles for the conveyance of persons and goods." German highways, declare the petitioners, must he strengthened to meet the growing demands upon them; too little attention, too, has been paid to keeping down the dust. 'Very true ! The main problem occupying Parliament just how is how to "raise the dust."
Roumania and Army Vehicles.
The Roumanian army is to have a special section, somewhat on the lines of the " Versuchs-Abteilung der Verkehrstruppen," entrusted with the office of carrying out practical trials with self-propelled vehicles suitable for military operations. In the event of satisfactory results, the War Office will go to the Government for a grant of money to make the necessary purchases. It is proposed to equip a part of the train with automobiles, and the military officials contemplate employing mechanical traction for the heavy guns. Respecting the heavy guns, the section in question will make a series of towing trials. There should be openings here for British makers, who might get in touch with Bukharest. Die Grosse Berliner Motor-orriniw busgesellschalt.
In the yearly report of the Grosse Berliner Strassenbaho Gesellschaft, the dominating tram company, the affairs of the daughter concern, Die Grosse Berliner Motoromnibusgesellschaft, are dismissed with a couple of sentences. As yet, report the directors, receipts have not " quite covered " working expenses ; but they have reason to believe that, if the city authorities would only sanction the running of the vehicles through busier streets, the lines could be made to pay. As a matter of fact, the Berlin General Omnibus Company is in possession of the best routes. Meanwhile, whatever becomes of the daughter concern, the parent company, which drives its cars on the overhead-trolley system, shows no sign of financial decay, having yielded net profits to the tune of £497,334, which give a dividend of 8..k against 8 per cent. in the foregoing year. Its rolling stock has risen to 2,494 vehicles, and, over its lines, which extend in a vast network throughout the length and breadth of Berlin, travelled in 1908 no fewer than 397,200,000 persons. Let one take these figures in connection with Berlin's population, which, including statistics foethe girdle of suburbs, may be estimated at 2,500,000, and it will be seen to what an extent the cars " occupy " Berlin. Further, let the extraordinary lowness of fares be considered, there being a uniform topfennig (134.(1,) fare for any distance in and around 020 minutes' run 0 the city; let the general comfort of the cars—aye, the luxurious fittings of many of them, the excellence of the organisation, and the working reliability of the system also be contemplated, and one inclines to the view that the field of action left for the motorbus in Berlin is not only restricted, but of a character offering no encouragement to great expecta
tions of profit. Were it not that the working concession will lapse to the city in a few years' time, I question whether the " Grosse " would have created the daughter company at all. As it is, the Corporation has already opened two new electric tramlines of its own, and is working them on a topfermig basis with splendid cars. Other municipal lines will doubtless follow, since the two lines in question. are yielding satisfactory receipts.
Subsidised "Trains" in the German Army.
At a meeting held recently at the Prussian War Office under the presidency of Lieutenant-Colonel Schmiedecke, representatives of the Association of German Automobile Makers, the leading home firms producing industrial vehicles, and. the Transport Service considered how motor " trains might best be introduced into the army. The War Office were convinced that the light " train," consisting of tractor and trailer, was of advantage to the army, and, in future, the acquisition of a trailer would constitute a sine qua non for the granting of a subvention-plaque to an automobile, the maximum weight of the latter being raised from 4,000 to 4,500 kilos., but without affecting the total weight of vehicle and load. Further, the meeting considered it advisable henceforth to fix a maximum allowable wheel-pressure in lieu of the maidmum load, and agreed upon a maximum pressure of 3.6 tons per wheel in the case of the rear pair. " Trains " would be expected to climb gradients of i in 7. Chain-driven tractors would have to possess, in 1910, a uniform type of chain, selected, on the ground of practical trials, by the Transport Service. Engines should be adapted to the consumption of " home fuels," especially benzol. The meeting held the tire questionof vital importance, and suggested the organisation of a prize competition for the most suitable tiring. The rope "snow shoes," or anti-skids, used this year by the Transport Service) had answered well.
With a view to encouraging the for_ rnation of working companies owning several vehicles, the military authorsties were prepared, under certain conditions, to grant extra subsidies to such companies, in particular if formed in districts where few industrial vehicles are to be seen. For igIo, an engine of 35h.p., at 85or.p,m., would be required, with an accelerator for increasing the rey4olutions by -it least too in the first two speeds. A proposal to standardise the wheels found favour, the first step being standardisation as to dimensions. The War Office also suggested that uniformity in the methods of attachingand detaching tires was de
sirable. All the foregoing matters are now under close investigation.