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The Wheels of Industry.

12th April 1917, Page 11
12th April 1917
Page 11
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Page 11, 12th April 1917 — The Wheels of Industry.
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

"The wheel of wealth will be slowed by all difficulties of transport at whatever points arising, as a earrieige is by the roughness of the roads over which it runs."—John Beattie Crozier.

The M.T., A.S.C. Fund, An important announcement concerning the administration of our Campaign Comforts Fund for the M.T., A.S.C., will be published in our next issue. Receipts by the Fund's Treasury for the month of March were approximately £1000, and the receipts for the past winter have constituted a record which is considerably in advance of that fr the corresponding months of 19151916. When a few payments for the month of March which are slightly overdue come to hand, the cash receipts to date will be but little short of £17,000, exclusive of the value of gifts in kind. If we include the value of gifts in kind, the total of the income side of the Fund is now in excess of £20,0o, thanks to general support.

Mr. H. C. B. Underdown on the Industry.

We have read with much interest an article from the pen of Mr. H. C. B. Underdown, Chairman of the Commercial Vehicle Section of the Association of British Motor and Allied Manufacturers, in the Trade Supplement of "The Times" for April. " Mr. Underdown forecasts great after-peace purchases of commercial motors by railway companies, and the general utilization of commercial vehicles the world over to solve transport problems. He deals with the exceptional peculiarity of the position of British commercialmotor manufacturers, in that they have continued during the war, with but few exceptions, to turn out their own manufactures on an ever-increasing scale, and that their new huge output will have hereafter to be sold alongside a large reumber of returned chassis from the war zones.

It is explained how the excessprofits tax and the munitions levy have unduly hit such manufacturers by reason of the comparativelyrecent dates of the establishment of their businesses. Mr. Underdown then appeals for a temporary high tariff during the period of reconstruction after the peace, as an emergency measure, and bases his hopes for the future on the following main premises : maintenance of high and standardized output, to enable high wages to be paid, and to ensure continuous employment ; that laisser-faire must give way to " hustle " ; that in place of competition between maker and maker, there must be co-operation, organization, and specialization, in conjunction with a general scheme of collective action, financial and otherwise. Bosch Patents.

It is interesting and somewhat marvellous to note, at this late period, that the Bosch Company is still registering patents in this country, no fewer than three being recorded this week at the Patent Office as having been completed. It is true that they are all taken out in the name of the American company, but—well, the name is !sufficient for most English-speaking readers.

Agrimotors to be Built at Yeovil.

Petters, Ltd., of Yeovil; an old and well-reputed Somersetshire engineering undertaking, is making preparations for the completion ot a. new factory at Yeovil, in order to turn out motor ploughs and agricultural tractors at the rate of 100 machines weekly. The design will include a two-stroke engine, for which the fuel will be ordinary paraffin. It is hoped that deliveries of agrimotons will begin not later than five months hence.

Solvent Naphtha for the Army and Navy.

The Petrol Control Committee has adopted the following method of avoiding any accumulations of stocks of solvent naphtha :—There will be no relaxation of the decision to ration solvent naphtha under the new regulations which apply to petrol substitutes, but, in the event of its proving that motor users do not draw solvent naphtha under the motor-spirit licences, the whole of this petrol substitute remaining available will be consumed by the Army and Navy.

The Petrol Control Committee is determined to keep down the demands upon shipping, and it maintains, of course quite correctly, that the more it controls and directs the consumption of homeproduced fuels, the less will be the demand which must be satisfied from overseas. The Committee, none the less, is continuing to allow unrestricted supplies of petrol substitutes to be sold for consumption in "motor tractors, motor ploughs and other agricultural machines, stationary engines, and for industrial processes." This freedom on the one hand, compared with imperative restrictions on the other, is contradictory.

C.M.U.A. Annual Meeting.

Colonel R. E. Crompton C.B., presided at the annual meeting of the Commercial. Motor Users Association last week. We summarize the report on pages 142-1443 we also publish the income and exPenditure account and balance sheet.

The proceedings at last week's meeting were satisfactory in all senses, a handsome increase of membership being marked by a welcome surplus of income over expenditure. The new members of the Committee are the following :— R. B. Gadsdon, Messrs. H. Gadsdon and Sons, Bishopsgate, E.C. ; W. S. L. Schuster, Barrett and Elers, Ltd. Hackney, N.E. ; F. A. Baldwin, Ltd., W.

Messrs. A. Barr and Co., Chartered Accountants, 1, Queen Victoria Street, E.C., were re-elected auditors.

The members unanimously adopted the following resolution, on the recommendation of the General Committee :—" The Commercial Motor Users Association is in favour of the Channel Tunnel Scheme, subject to the consideration of National Defence being settled in the affirmative by the competent Naval and Military Authorities."

Some News from Our Allies.

A new motorbus service for passengers was opened a few days ago between Aix, Pertuis and Manosque ,(France). A service will be commenced on the same route during the next few days. A motor service has been established between Thies and Keyes in Haut-Senegal. The journey takes two days compared with 30 days which were necessaryto do the

i journey by river. It s expected other routes will be opened between other towns, thus greatly improving the economic conditions of this French colony. Agricultural-motor material of all kinds will in futare be exempted from import duties in Morocco. Up to the present 10 per cent. ad valorem was payable to the Customs. A society has been founded in New York called the American Metric Association, to agitate for the adoption of the metric system in all the American republics. The • address of the society is 156, Fifth Avenue, New York. c45 Proceedings of Local Authorities.

The Manchester Corporation is building a motor-vehicle garage at the gas-works.

A committee of the Haslingden T. C. is to report on the advisability of adopting electrically-driven vehicles.

Tests took place recently of the new Leyland motor fire-engine bought by the South Shields T.C. for £1073.

The East Ham Corporation has under consideration the adoption of electric vehicles for house-refuse collection.

The Bradford Board of Guardians has decided to interview the Petrol Control Committee as to the adequate supply of petrol The Blackpool T.C. is to purchase an electric motor chassis at an estimated cost of about £750 for remAal of fish offal and household refuse.

The surveyor of the Bishop Auckland R.D.C. has been instructed to report on the suitability of motor traction, owing to scarcity for carting materials.

The Cleansing Committee of the Bradford Corporation is buying two Yorkshire 3-4-ton steam motor wagons, with well-bottom bodies, and rubber tires, each for £650.

The Electricity Committee of the Stoke-on-Trent Council has decided to buy an electric vehicle from Ransomes, Sims and Jeffries, Ltd., for coal cartage, instead of a, steam tractor, The General Purposes Committee of the Birmingham Corporation is closing down the Corporation motor garage until after the peace, in view of the restricted supply of petrol and other difficulties.

The Grantham Corporation has hired a tractor from Messrs. Hornsby and Sons, with two trucks and two men, at 5s. 6d. per hour, on account of the impossibility of getting road material by railway transport.

The suggestion of the Camberwell B.C., as announced in our issue of the 15th March, that the L.G.O.C. new motorbus service to Forest Hill should be extended to Wood Vale, cannot be adopted owing to petrol restrictions.

Gazette.

Creditors of the Warlingha.m Motor Works, Ltd. (in voluntary liquidation), are required to send particulars of their, claims to . the liquidator, Mr., H. E. Oldham, 30, Bush Lane, E.C., on or before the 20th inst.

The taxicab business, hitherto carried on in partnership between John Kingdom Gilley and Joseph George Stammers at 14a, Eastcote Street, Stockwell S.W., has been dissolved ; all debts due and owing by the late firm will be received and paid by J. K. Gilley.

C40 Recent Registrations.

Shaw and Kilburn, Ltd. (£60,000), with its registered Office at 112-114, Wardour Street, W., to take over a 'garage business and to deal in motorcars, accessories, etc.

Foster's Parcel and aoods Express (1916), Ltd. with its registered office at 83, Fore • Street, E-.C., to take over a business, established in 1874, and new carried on, under an incorporatibn in 1898, as Foster's Parcels and Goods Express, Ltd.

Amalgamated Traders, Ltd.

(g10,000), by S. Morris, 36, Bennets Hill, Birmingham, to carry on a brass and ironfounding and metal working business. The first subscribers are : A. Gilruth, Honiefield Rise, Orpington, Kent, company secretary ; S. Ward, 52, Clifton Street, Brighton, clerk.

Motor Transport, Ltd. (210,000), by Peter Thomas and Clarke, 53, Cannon Street, B.C., to carry on the business of ._motorcar, motorbus, motorvan and motorcab pro prietors.' The first subscribers are : j. W. Scott, 12, Mark Lane; RC., engineer; H. T. Hart, 91, New Bond Street, W., motor agent.

Clydesdale Haulage Co., Ltd. (46000), with its registered office at Prince Alfred Road, Wavertree, Liverpool, to . carry on a motorhaulage and general contracting business. The first subscribers are :

B. H. Thompson, 149, Leadenhall Street, g.c., coal exporter ; N. M.

Snowball, 149, Leadenhall Street, E.C., coal. exporter'; j. J. Jones, 2, Strand Street, Liverpool.

A "One Hears " Prize.

Our offer of a prize of Lifer the best solution of the meaning of a " One hears," which appeared in our issue of the 22nd ult., has not brought in a correct answer. The "One hears" read "Of that which controls controlled," and the correct answer is " Ferodo lining." The Ferodo works, Chapel-en-leFrith, were about the mieldre of last month added to the list of controlled establishments.

Karrier Smoking Concert.

It has been the practice. of the Karrier Works, Huddersfield, to have an annual dinner, but . a smoking concert was substituted this year owing to the necessity for food economy. Mr. R. F. Clayton occupied the chair, and the principal speech of the evening was by Mr. J. E. Roberts '(Messrs. Abraham Roberts)" who proposed " Success to Karrier ears, ' Mr. R. A. Jones, a 'director of the company, now . released, from his • military duties in order, to attend , to works duties, and Mr. Ben Jessop (Messrs.' Graham and Jessop), also made some interesting remarks, after which a varied musical programme was successfully provided.

Mr. Herbert Austin, Mr. A. McCormaek (Wolseley Motors, Ltd.), Mr. T. J. Pullinger (ArrolJohnston, Ltd.), Mr..David Citroen, Mr. Saunderson (Elstow Works), and Mr. F. J. Bretherton (Clayton and Shuttleworth, Ltd.) last week went as a deputation to the Ainistry of Munitions, and put forward a scheme for the joint manufacture of 10,000 farm tractors before the end of the present year. That is the first result of a plan to which we gave initial publicity in our issue of the 1st March. The deputation was received as the outcome of proposals from Mr. S. F. Edge, the head of the Agricultural Machinery Branch of the Ministry of Munitions. We are most hopeful of results, especially having regard to the active and energetic personnel of the deputation: There is every reason for British production to be allowed to forge ahead. We cannot attach much importance to the statement that all tractom which were ordered by the 23rd February last have been allowed to leave America without question. Priority of Government requirements has rendered cargo-space almost unavailable, from the point of view of the general buyer.

More Food Production in Lanca shire.

Lancashire is working hard to fight the Hun in Many branches o i f industry, but not less n the impor tant branch of agriculture. There are 12,000 small plot-holders in the county, each with a holding of about 300 sq. yds. The. majority of these will produce potatoes ; they are being cultivated by holders who are putting in a full week's work in other employment.

The Royal Lancashire Agricultural Society (Derby House, Winckley Square, Preston) is offering numerous prizes to such small plot-holders, without any entry fee, and entries may be made on or before the-lst prox. It is similarly offering prizes for the best herds of dairy.cows, the growing of root crops, and increased cropping. The Secretary,' Mr. Edward .Bohane, will 'furnish particulars to' any applicant who writes' to him at the

above-a16ntfoned address. '

We recall, with interest that the Royal Lancashire Agricultural Society, in the year 1899, co-operated with the Liverpool Self-Propelled .Traffic Association, and awarded gold and silver medals in connection, with the second public competition for commercial motors, a-t, Liverpool. Now, after an interval of nearly 18 years, the Society finds that the work of inspecting and judging, . in connection with its food-production competitions, Cannot be undertaken without' the use of motorcars, nor the cultivation of its members' farms without agrimotons. Concerning Agrimotors.

In the House of Commons on the 2rd inst., Mr. Peto asked the Minister of Munitions whether orders placed in this country for the importation of agricultural tractors from America in the-autumn of last year have not yet been fulfilled, although the machines have been awaiting shipment in America for several months ; and whether he can state what arrangements will be made for supply of transportation for these machines, so that they may be available for the autumn cultivation of the land?

Sir Worthington Evans (Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Munitions): The circumstances referred to in the question are only to a limited extent within my knowledge. I understand that a certain number of agricultural tractors ordered in America some months ago have not been delivered, and that some have been awaiting shipment for some weeks. Facilities for shipping these machines, in so far as they cannot be setured through the ordinary channels, could only be afforded by the Ministry if a request were made by the Board of Agriculture, and then only subject to space being available, having regard to other urgent national requirements.

. Mr. Pete asked the Minister of Munitions whether his Department

have taken over for disposal all the agricultural tractors imported into this country by the International Harvester Co. (of Great Britain), Ltd. ; whether these tractors include machines ordered by individual farmers for use for the spring cultivation of their own farms ; and whether the Department are prepared to release the machines ordered by individual farmers, or, alternatively, what arrangements theysare making to enable them to

• cultivate their land ?

• Sir W. Evans : The Ministry of Munitions have not taken over for disposal all the agricultural tractors imported into this country by the International Harvester Co. (of Great Britain), Ltd., but the Ministry have, on behalf of the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries, purchased from the company 186 agricultural tractors, which, it is believed, inctudeanachines ordered by individual users. The Ministry have no power to release any of these machines, as they have been and are being, handed over to the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries, on whose behalf the purchases have been made. The Ministry of Munitions have also diverted fifty 16 h.p. International Harvester tractors to Ireland by the desire of the Department of Agriculture for Ireland. The Ministry have made ne arrangements for individual farmers to cultivate their land. My hon. friend should recognize that the Ministry is acting in this matter merely as a supply department for the purchase of the machines, the disposal of which is under the coat troi of the-Board of Agriculture for England and Wales, the Board of Agriculture for Scotland, and the Department of Agriculture for Ireland.

Mr. Peto : Am I to understand from the reply that the hon, gentleman refers me now in this matter to the Board of Agriculture, and is he aware that the Board of Agriculture referred me to him ?

Sir W. Evans : I was not aware that the Board of Agriculture had referred the hon. member to me, but, as I say, we are a supply department, and the disposal of the machines is not in our power, but in the power of the Board of Agriculture.

Mr. Lough : Can the hon. gentleman say if the Ministry of Munitions refuse to issue licences for the import of these tractors? Sir W. Evans : I cannot say that without notice. • Mr. Faber : Is the hon. gentlepan aware of the hardship caused to the individual farmer who has ordered a tractor, and perhaps has sold his horses on the strength of getting one, and is now left without one or the other ? ,

Sir W. Evans :1 know there may be cases of individual hardship, but, on the whole, the plan is intended for the better distribution of tractors in places where they are most required.


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