WHEELS OF INDUSTRY.
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The wheel of wealth will be slowed by all difficulties of transport at whatever'Points arising, as a carriage is by the roughness of the roads over which it runs."—John Beattie Crozier.
Sale 01 Cippenharn.
The sale of the Cippenham depot is fully dealt with on page 207, and we would like. to say here that where there are discrepancies between the statements in The Commercial Motor and in the daily Press, it will, we feel certain, turn out that The Commercial Motor is correct, for we have had the advantage of being closely posted thro-oghout the whole of the negotiations.
It is interesting and gratifying to know that there is no American money in the deal, although American enterprise has been at work. Atthe same ' time, we should not be surprised eventually, the production of a popular e ar—perhaps of Amer can origin—on extensive lines were not attempted.
As to the purchase price, divided up as shown in our figures on page 207, it seems high for the depot, machinery, and. plant (showing a profit to the Government of about 10 to 12 per cent.
O 11 its outlay), but moderate for the stock of vehicles. But the 50 per cent. -share of tlaesprofit on the vehicle sales helps to level -matters up a lot. Mr. S. A. Wallace his been the leading sptrit in the deal, and, so far as his side is concerned, we think the deal has been quite clean.
Australian Agencies.
The managing director of an Australian concern of motor body builders and motor -accessory manufacturers is prepared to undertake agencies for the whole of Australia, amongst others for the following motor accessories:— Lamps, tyres, taximeters, carburetters, magnetos, accumulators, tools, jacks, tyre pumps, etc. British manufacturers interested. in the matter can secure the name of the concern by application to the Department of Overseas Trade, 35, Old Queen Street, London, S.W. 1.
Honours for Lincoln.
Among the recent admissions to the Most Excellent Order of _ the British Empire, iother than the mimes we p-ub fished last week, occur the names of Mr. Alexander Ramsay, a director of Ruston and Ilornslay, Ltd., Lincoln; Mr. Phillip Warwick Robson, member of the Advisory Committee, Agricultural Machinery Department, Ministry of Munitions, and maamging director of Clayton and Shuttleworth, Ltd. ; and Mr. John Segar, also a the same Advisory Committee and a director of Ruston. and Hornsby, Ltd.—all awarded the 0.B.E., whilst Mr. Gerald Cox, of the staff of Clarke's Crank and Forge Co., Ltd., Lincoln, has been appointed member of the civil division of the same Order.
C.M.U.A. Parade.
The. parade of commercial .motor vehicles organized by the Commercial Motor Users' Association was held in Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, on Saturday last. As there would not be time to di) full justice to the event in this issue, we are reserving our comments for the next. On pages 208 and. 209 we illustrate some of the teams which competed in the .psrasie, our issue of April• 6th having contained illustrations of ether teams.
The winning drivers in their respective sections in the writton.and practical examination in connection with the parade are as follow :—petrol, Mr. R. Messer, employed by E. Nelson and Co. Ltd. ; Aeam, Mr. W. Stevens, employed by the Sun Flour Mills Co., Ltd. We reproduce a photograph below of each. of these successful men and also of The Commercial Motor Cap, which is competed for annually and is awarded to the owner of Whit is considered, by the judges to be the best team.
Antwerp Exhibition.
It is stated that the Antwerp. Exhibition which opens on May 15th and closes on JUDO 13th, offers a. good opportunity for. British motor-vehicle manufacturers to place their products before Belgian purchasers and other visitors to the exhibition.
An area of 5,000 sq ft. in one block has been reserved for British motor. vehicle manufacturers who .1:nay care to arrange to take space. Applications should. be sent so soon as possible to the following address : Antwerp. Fetes, Exhibitions and Luna Park, 1920, 303, High Holborn, London, E.C. 1.
"The Motor Ship."
In the first issue of The Motor nip, which has just been published by Temple Press Ltd. (price Ls.), is an article on the motor shipbuilding industry, which affords an excellent idea of the enormous progress which has already been attained in the development of tile intertal-com
Itustion-engined vessel. In this article is given a completely detailed list of all the motor ships now under construction,
Among the other articles is a fully illustrated description of the latest 6,500ton standard motor ship that has justboom completed, ,and of which numerous similar examples are on order. There is further an article on the new marine oil engine which has Lately been produced by Croseloys, another on a novel type of 1,500 lip. marine Diesel Siagine of British design, and descriptions of two new motor ships built in Italy and Denmark respectively. An interesting feature is included in some representative views of well-known men on the prospects of the motor ship, whilst the map which is published showing all the oil bunkering ports throughout the world • will be of special value to shipowners.
New Australian Tariffs.
According to recent advices from Melbourne, a new Tariff •Bill has been introduced into the Australian House of Representatives. Its main provisions are the protection of new industries, the encouragement of certain others, and a considerable increase in the preference in favour of British products. In introducing the Bill, .Mr. Green, Minister of Trade and Customs, said that the Government desired to do its utmost to encourage commercial relations with Great Britain, and hoped that the-latter would soon substantially recognize the value of trade reciprocity. • The new duties number 95, alit of them being on articles hitherto imported from the United Kingdom free. The increases in the duty include agricultural machinery and implements 10 per cent., and motor-vehicle parts 15 to 20 per cent. A new feature is the deferred duty on, a number of items, including iron and steel, which is to become operative at some future date.
Merchants and traders are reticent at present in regard to the tariff; and the general consensus of opinion is that an advance in prices is inevitable, particularly in the motor and textile trades.
The following is a list "showing the proposed duties which will affect motor roanufactuxers
Note: Tariff a is for foreign goods from a country agreeing to reciprocity. Tariff b for goods from a non-reciprocating country.
Insurance Extension.
The directors of the Liverpool Marine and General Insurance Co., Ltd., the chairman of which, by the way, is Sir Alfred Read, decided in order to further strengthen the company and widen its scope to increase the capital to one million. The nominal 'capital has now been increased to this figure, and the amounts substaibed and paid are also to be doubled, i.e., subscribed £800,000, paid -up £200,000. • The additional capital will practically all be taken up by tho present shareholders At the same time the company was converted into a public undertaking.
A few months ago the company acquired the founder shares in the United Motor and General Insurance Co., Ltd., which company will continue to run as a separate entity under its own directorate, but the position of both is materially strengthened.
A Notable Achievement.
The Vulcan Motor Co., Ltd., of Southpoit, have completed their 1000th chassis, and to celebrate their achievement a dinner was held on March 31st at the Prince of Wales Hotel, Southport. In addition to the departmental chiefs and the staff, there were also present several of the directors and the Mayor of Southport, in all about 200. Responding to the toast of the Vulcan Motor and Engineering Co., which had been proposed by the Mayor, Mr. C. B. Wardman, the chairman of the directors said that the year 1915 played an important part in the destinies of the company, and the contracts for aeroplanes were only completed so recently as last year. In addition to celebrating the production of the 1000th chassis that finiction had been arranged to cement the good feeling which existed through out the works. Notwithstanding the moulders' strike and other manufacturing difficulties, the last six months
output of the company was considerably more than in any six years, beforeethe war. This had been attained with a five-day week, and it afforded him pleasure to know that the Manchester branch of the company was contemplating a similar arrangement. With the good feeling that existed between the management and the employees they got the best results, and the fact that workers could take up £1 shares at par, when the present market price was .£3 10s. to £4 per share, and that they had that day declared-a dividend of 40 per cent., showed whetherithese conditions paid. There was a replica of the 1000th chassis on view.
Haulage Rates.
For the purposes ofcomparison, the following compilation showing the generally accepted rates for haulage loads from Liverpool to three favourite neighbouring resorts, as well as those for passengers (par head) travelling per motor
char-a-banes. The respective rates for passengers per railway (third class) return are Blackpool 10s. 11d., Chester 4e, and Southport 3s. 40.
Loads. Passengers.
The followingAare some of the passenger rates which have been quoted from Liverpool (ferriage fees extra) to :—Bettws-y-Coed 28s. 25s., and 21s., Shrewsbury 19s. Kendal' 23s. 6d., Knutsford 10s., Matlock 24s., Morecantbe.16s., Llangollen 15s.•and'13s., Llandudno 15s. and 13s., Windermere .26s.," Buxton 16s., Bala 21s., Rhvl 16s.. Ruthin and Denbigh 17s. 6d. and 15e., Chester and Hawarden 10s.
Personal Pars.
Mr. J. F. Shaw, the managing director of the Liverpool Motor Haulage Clearing House, is one of the leading authorities on the organization of freight exchanges. During his six years in the traffic department of the Mersey Docks and Harbour Board he acquired intimate knowledge of Liverpool dock problems, and became impressed with the need of an efficiently organized road transport service. With the approval of the Liverpool Chamber of Commerce he inaugurated the local Clearing House, and having in mind the linking up of all the important industrial centres, he communicated details of methods he wastemploying at Liverpool to about 90 other Chambers of Commerce. It must be some satisfaction to
him to count up the number now in exist
ence. His experiences on road transport have been sought by the Ministry of Transport, which is closely watching the development of freight exchanges. Mr. Shaw is also a member of the Rates Committee, which drafted the standardized --minimum rates for haulage within 50 miles radius of Liverpool.
Mr. B. D. Porritt, ItLSc., F.I.C., F,R.S.E., has been appointed by the Research Association of British Rubber and Tyre Manufacturers as director of re• search. The Association has beeii formed, as will be remembered, under the scheme for industrial research approved by His Majesty's Government,
Indian Tractor Trial Awards.
The full official results of the Indian Government agricultural tractor trials held at Nagpur were published a few days ago. The judges awarded the gold medal and 500 rupees to the Fiat tractor, and the silver medal and 500 rupees to the Lamson; 1,000 rupees were awarded to the Austin tractor, this being a special award in the light tractor class.
Municipal Dignity.
Because the Birkenhead Ctxporation refuses to put the Wallasoy Coat of Arms on the motor omnibuses which were intended to run between the two places,
the -service is being held up. Both authorities want their-towns to be linked up by motorbuses, yet they allow a peculiar conception ofemimicipal dignity to interfere with a public service which would be of all-round utility.
Alderman Storey told the Wallasey Council that the Watch Committee haa never contemplated such a ridiculous condition. As the result of a rather heated discussion, it was agreed that a special committee of the Watch Committee be called to settle the matter.
Transport Minister and Motorbuses.
The General Purposes Committee of the Leyton Urban District Council reports receipt of a letter from the Ministry of Transport, Development Department, intimating that the Advisory Committee on London traffic --expresses thethope that the Council will be able to see its way to put certain roads into a condition which will enaktle the omnibus service between Muswell Hill and the "Green Man," Leytor stone, to be restored The committee has referred the letter to the surveyor, but at the same time recommends that the Council should express its protest against a Government department approaching the Council on behalf cf the L.G.O. Co. in the matter.
New Roads in the North.
The Runcorn Council has appointed a committee to negotiate with the Chester Rural Council and other interested bodies with a view to formulating a scheme for the construction of a new road which will directly link up Fredsham and Helsby with Ellesmere Port. The project, if carried through, will lessen the distance between Helsby and Ellesmere Port by six miles. The road would untioubtedV be a great boon to all vehicular traffic, as at the present time traffic journeying from Birkenhead via Ellesmere Port to Frodsham, Warrington or Runcorn has to take a circuit.. ails route, which the new road will lessen by fully 12 miles. Another _project which is being talked ef is a direct road from Liverpool, to the cotton districts, via St. Helens, Leigh,Pendlebury, Middleton, etc.
Petroleum Wells in Mexico.
The Banco de Vizcaya, according to the Semana Financiera, has formed a syndicate for the exploitation of oil wells in Mexico. It has acquired land near the River Pannco, in the Canton of Ozuluama, State of Veracruz, and has . already made three borings yielding about 9,000 barrels of crude petroleum per day. Contracts for other borings have been made. The Banco de Vizcaya is now studying questions relative to the formation of a commercial joint stack company and the method of selling the products of the enterprise. The bank has a limited representation on the board of the proposed company.
Liverpool Buses Not Paying.
There are notices in the Liverpool motor omnibuses at the present itme informing the publics that, owing to the high operating costs and insufficient patronage, these vehicles are being run at a loss, and that if these unfortunate conditions continued the service would have to be discontinued.
Buses in Spain.
The use of motor omnibuses for longdistance travelling is gradually increasing in Spain-, There are a number of services in operation already, and the State encourages the use of these vehicles by requiring that telegraphic messages received at railway stations for transmission to distant towns should be carried by motor vehicles.
The local authorities concerned with the work have with commendable enterprise put into operation vehicles which an be used for the transport of passengers as well as for the carrying of parcels.
Classifying the Roads.
Sir H. P. Maybury, the DirectorGeneral of Roads, is arranging with the local authorities for the classification of Metropolitan roads, and suggests that the work would be facilitated if conferences were arranged by neighbouring councils with a view to securing coordination of the proposals to be submitted. No precise definition, says the Director-General, can be laid down as to the roads which will be included in the respective classes, but streets which are within the county of London which are not of an arterial character will not be considered for classification as first or second class, except under very exceptional circumstances.
Liverpool Haulage.
The new address of the Liverpool Motor Haulage Transport Clearing House is 40, The Albany, Old Hall
Street, Liverpool. This is the third address of the Clearing House since it came into existence, and the new premises allow plenty of room for the expanding service which this exchange renders. Reviewing the month's work of the Clearing House Mr. J. F. Shaw states that there has been a slackening off somewhat in the amount of work on offer, due mainly to the bad rate of exchange and tfie reluctance of mer chants to import at present prices. About 1,000 tons have been cleared compared with the usual average of 2,000 tons.
"There is no doubt about it," said Mr. Shaw, "that the organization of road transport is now making itself felt. We have dealt with consignments of from 200 to 500 tons per day. If merchants can find storage accommodation we can adequately arrange to take loads up to 1,000 tons per day."
The Liverpool branch of the Commercial Motor Users Association has approved of the new minimum rates of the Clearing House.
Statistics from South Africa.
Following on the extension of the provisions of the 'Statistics Act to motor vehicles in the Union of South Africa, there has just been published the first quarterly abstract by Mr. C. W. Cousins, the director. The return, which is obviously incomplete, is nevertheless interesting; and na doubt greater accuracy will be possible in future compilations.
According to Mr. Cousins 's figures, there are 16,267 motor vehicles (exclusive of motorcycles) licensed in the Union, of which number 3,504 are licensed for commercial purposes. The return gives an instructive arialyrsis of thehorse-power and distribution of these vehicles amongst the various Provinces : thus in the Cape Town Province 2,122 motor vehicles have been licensed; in the Transva,a1, there are 1,142 commercial vehicles; in Natal, 1,142; and in the Free State 4 commercial vehicles. From these figures it will be seen that the Cape is far ahead, even of the Transvaal, in the tele, of ;modern motor vehicles, and the Free State the farthest behind. This is probably accounted for by the fact that road construction and maintenanee are naturally more advanced in the oldest provinces than in any of the others.
It is interesting to note that the motorcycle and sidecar is rapidly growing ia favour as a medium for the conveyance of mails and parcels.
A Dutch Show.
In connection with the Fi,st Netherlands Road Congress an exhibition for commercial vehicles will be held at s'Gravenhage, Holland, between September 15th and 26th. The object of the exhibition committee will be to demonstrate the advance made during -recent years by motor transport, and also in the con struction of roads. Different kinds of roads will be built, and will be tested by the various commercial vehicles.
In view of the support already promised from several countries the exhibition and the congress promise to be a great success. The exhibition offices are at 18, Parkstraat, a'Graverthage, Holland.
Canadian Tyre Manufacture.
Approximately 2,000,000 antomobile tyres were manufactured in Canada last year, and the recruirements for these tyres was about 8,00000 sq. yds. or 12,000,000 to 16,000,000 pounds of -tyre fabric, about one-third of which was, made in Canada. The production of the Canadian Manhasset Cotton Co., the plant of which is shortly to commence operations at St. -Hyacinthe, will naturally increase the percentage of the production of tyre fabric in Canada, but it is estimated that even after the plant is in fun operation, and after the Canadian Connecticut Co.'s capacity has been doubled it will still be necessary to import 25 per cent, of the requirements for the Canadian. tyre manufacturing trade.
Corporation and Second-hand Motors.
At a meeting of the Hull Corporation the sub-committee appointed to purchase motor vehicles reported that it had advertised for three new or second-hand vehicles, and had received a very large number of offers, of which the most favourable appeared to he one from Auto Traders, Ltd., London, for three A.E.C. 4-ton lorries with subsidy pattern bodies, reconstructed by the firm, at £775 each, and an offer from Messrs. Morrell and Co., Hull, of three Thorny
croft lorries, reconstructed by the makers, with subsidy type bodies, at £947 10s., or; with hydraulic tipping bodies, at £1,100. As the comparative value would depend on hew the rebuilding had been carried out, the sub-cornmittee had arranged for the leading fitter to go to London to inspect the A.E.C. lorries, and will act on his report.
Another Price Reduction.
We have been advised by H.C. Motors, Ltd. that the price of the Wolverine 10,4;1 chassis has been reduced to £700 without sureharee.
Vulcan Developments.
, The Vulcan Motor Co., of Southport, have purchased, at the cost of £26,000, the local corporation property known as • the Glaciarium, which it is intended to use either as a technical school for the training of apprentices or for additional production purposes.
Mexican Oil.
An expenditure, of approximately 8,000,000 dollars is to be incurred by the Corona Oil Co. upon the development of its Chijol refinery. A loading station is to be built at a cost of 5,000,000 dollars, with several storage tanks, of 55,000 barrels capacity each. An administration building and 268 residences for employees are also to he erected. The Corona Co. is a subsidiary of the Royal Dutch Shell group.
Holiday Making by Motor Ch arabancs.
In our article in last week's issue dealling with holiday making by char-a-bancs, in which reference was made to the tours conducted by Pickfords, Ltd.,. 205, High Holborn, London' W.C. 1, we stated that the running costs of the company's chars: "a-bance during the last year of operation worked out at approximately Is. 6d. per mile. Obviously this figure refers only to certain specific costs, and doesnot embrace the total cost of running a char6,-banes per mile..
Local Proceedings.
Bournemouth Corporation sustained a loss of £400 last year on its motorbus services.
St. Ive,s (Cornwall) T.C. requires tenders for a 6-ton motor roller, with a water ballast.
Essex C.C. has closed Roydon Bridge agaanst vehicular traffic until the new bridge is ready.
Gateshead T.C. is to apply for sanction to borrow £2,000 for the purchase of motor ambulances.
Bolton Corporation has arranged to purchase a new motor fire-engine frem Leyland Motors, Ltd.
Bolton Corporation Cleansing Committee has decided to purchase a Ford chassis with Bake attachment.
Authority has been given the gas engineer of Birkenhead to purchase a motors an for distribution work at a cost of £300.
The proposal of Newton Abbot U.D.C. to borrow the £1,700 required for the purchase of a, motor fire-engine has been sanctioned.
A steam wagon to cost £1,250, together with a spare set of solid rubber tyred wheels, are to be purchased by Droxford R.D.C.
Chelmsford T.C. has asked the borough engineer to prepare a report with regard to the substitution of mechanical for horse-drawn vehicles.
The Rotherham•Borough engineer has been instructed to obtain, further tenders for the two electric covered, vehicles se. quireci by the Highways Department.
St. Pancras B.C. is to purchase two 4-ton Orwell electric lorries with interchangeable bodies at a cost of £1,673 each, and two ,Lacre road sweepers at £650 each:
H. C. Bauly, Ltd., are to supply the Metropolitan Asylums Board with a second-hand .Foden steam wagon for £1,030. B. Garrett and Sons, Ltd., will also supply a steam tractor and four trailers for £1,865.
WHY I USE STEAMERS.
The Experience of a Haulier Using Sentinel Wagons.
DOSSIBLY there are many motor
haukers up and down the country who made their first acquaintance with the road transport industry, in those dire and distant and seemingly far-off days, when the motor taxicab was "all the rage." The vast possibilities of the commercial vehicle had, not then been fully recognizecilbut Were receiving increasing attention, and in the little army of drivers who were whirling passengers through the busy city thoroughfares there were doubtless scores of men who wanted to be pioneers to explore the. vistas of prosperity which the commercial vehicle opened. up.
One of these is Mr. Charles Trafford, of Wavertree Vale; Liverpool, who, by the way, is the secretary of the Liverpool Motor Hirers Association. He has been in the motor trade seven years, and, being an early riser and The Commercial Motor representative a • comparatively late. one, the writer considers hinvelf. fortunate to have caught him just on the
stroke of 10 a.m. His 6-ton Sentineb wagon wae-in the yard fully loaded with what appeared to be bags of sugar, and in the coarse of a brief interviewl.with him he briefly sketched his rise to fame.
Usually when a man has been in business, an has suffered the loss of nearly all the wealth he pOssesses, he retains rather embittered memories; not so with Mr. Trafford,however, who, to use his own words, considers himself " a lucky fellow," "Seven years ago," he said, "I bought. myfirst car, is Panhard; a private car for taxi work, but I was urifortunate, in that it would not passe as a taxi,. end I had to sell it, to a dealer. I waited , 12 months, and had then to augment _my slender capital by callinga loan for 225. Again I started in the taxi business and got on fairly well-, until I conceived the idea of haulage work and decided to broaden my actileities." " Did you think•of it, as a more prosperous field for commercial enterprise? " we -asked.
"Nol not exactly, but-I did not like the taxi work; there was not the activity that I wanted. So I entered the haulage business by paying 50 per cent, of the purchase price for a Halley 34-tonner. I was getting pnisatisfactoray when the war broke out, my vehicle was eonsmandleered, and I lest praetically everything."
" What happened then?" we timorously ventured, half expecting a pathetic human tranedy to he unfolded.
" Well, I joined the army in 1915, and left my taxi in charge of another man. When returned in 1916," continued Mr. .Trafford, "I still had the idea of .haidage, and decided to purchase a steam wagoe.'6
"Would not your experience of motors 'bane been to your advantage by purchasing a petrol vehicle? "
"Yes, hut I had in mind the running costs and the power of the steam wagon for pulling heavy loads. Although I did not expect the profits to be larger, I concluded that the returns would be better; so I bought a Sentinel 6-tonner."
For uurely local work?"
"Principally dock work, but I ply between Liverpool and Manchester, and. during the past 12 months have been down to Bristol seven times. I have elo been to London; but I prefer local work. I dn»'t believe in getting tevo years' wear 022 out of a wagon in 12 months, when in local work you can reduee the ratio to nine months in twelve."
" You don't consider, then, that distance haulage pays you so well? "
"No. I believe if you look well after a steamer you are well repaid. I have been running one Sentinel wagon for over 12 months and have not spent more than 25 on renewals. Every month it receives a thorough overhauling, and every week 'a wash out.' I do my own repairs. I have now three Sentinels, standard 6-tone era. The second -of them Was delivered to me last year, the third I
ordered. last September and has only been irt use a few weeks." .
As a parting shot we asked Mr. Trafford; "Whit in your opinion i3 wrong with the motor transport industry?" 'I think it is faulty organization,' he:said. "These is not enough unity ard'ongst us."
MASS PRODUCTION.
The Reason for Our Present Inability to •
Produce in Quantity. • • T N MANY of the large Northern' and 1 Miellandniseas in which the production of commercial motors plays a-n important part in manufacturing enterprises, efforts have beenemade sf late to extend considerably practical nsterest in the work of the National Alliance of Earn players and Employed, as affording the readiest means of increasing closer cooperation which is essential to the future of British industry.
In no centre has the .movement been taken up with greater keenness than in Nottingeam, a recent meeting held there productive of muchinformation of special interest to the motor and cycle trades from Mr. W. H. Raven, of the Raleigh Co.'s works, who, speaking with adequate knowledge of the subject, deigned that there is to-day a much wider field for mass production tha.a 'there ever has, been, but we are not able to cope with it because of inability to get the necessary machinery. • Moreover, as he pointed out, much of that which is indispensable' for the purpose has to be obtained from America, great numbers of operatives in this country, owing to labour troubles and other difficulties, not having yet been able to settle down to producing machine tools in quantities. As to the motor trade, including both transport and ether vehicles, his regret was that 'although plenty of capital_ had been found, and there were also' plenty of factories, the condition of things was such. that they could not deliver and would not be able to do so in`rea.sonable quantities for several years. In the production of machinery and machine tools the advance which has been made in the States, he pointed out, has been even greater than the advance achieved in the motor industry. He suggested, however, that all this could be quite as well done in this country and should be done. Employers were prepared to put down the necessary capital and were realizing the necessity for greater efforts, but inifeetunately his experience was that the employees were too suspicious an:cl narrow-minded.
It is to be feared that there is only too much truth in Me. Raven's observation in its application to a large umber of cases. In the direction of promoting better understanding, the work of the Alliance should therefore prove Of inestimable value.
POOLING MOTOR TRAFFIC.
How Liverpool Has Organized Its Clearing House.
WITH THE OBJECT of pooling traffic and thereby, helping to keep all vehicles in the Liverpool area employed, the Liverpool Motor Haulage Clearing House, Ltd., has arranged to pay bona-fide haulage contractors commission at the rate of 4 per cent. for any work placed with the Clearing House at or above -the minimum rates. This will enable the haulage contractors to contract for the haulage of large consignments of gouda, which they.may now have to refuse owing to their lorries being engaged on other work, or their not controlling a large number of lorries.
No doubt contractors and others will be interested in the inner workings of the Liverpool Clearing House, and, in an interview with Mr. Jr: N. F. Shaw, the manager, he informed the writer that
itsgister was kept of motor owners requiring loads, or the fuller utilization of their lorries for the haulage of gooda to arid from Liverpool. Owners are asked to state how many vehicles they have, their carrying capacity in tons, steam or petrol driven, points between which they are working empty-, and the frequency of journeys.
The Clearing House works On a corniniasion basis for haulage work placed with contractors of '4• per cent, to memhere of the Liverpool area brandies of the Commercial Motor UserS' Association, Liverpool Cart Owners Asseciation, and the, LiYerpool Haulage Contractors Association. Haulage contractors in the Liverpool area who are not members of any of the above associations and all haulage contractors from towns outside the Liverpool area. are charged 10 per cent.
This is a point worthy of emphasis, as it has the tendency to bring all unattached Liverpool hauliers into one of the three existing organizations, who, by being all treated alike, in matters of common interests, ought to be able to approach the directers of the Liverpool Clearing House conjointly. •
To meet the wishes expressed by many haulage contractors and merchants, a committee, consisting of members of the local area committee of the Commercial" Motor Users Association in conjuretion with the directors of this Clearing House, have drafted certain standardized rates for the haulage of goods to towns within a radius of 50 miles of reiverpool. The rates are now in operation, and are for -the guidance of haulage contractors as Minimum rates to be charged for haulage which they undertake. They are in cornenunication with the Commercial Motor Users Association. Manchester, and the Manchester and District Motor Vehicle Owners' Association with a view to co-operation and the recognition of the standardized rates froni. both Liverpool and Manchester.
, The Liverpool Clearing House has agencies at Loridon, Birmingham, Sheffield, Bristol, Leicester, Nottingham, Dewsbury, PO:teries etc.. and lia,s appointed the Manchester Road Transport Exchange, 7, Minehull Street. Manchester (telephone, Manchester Central 47061, to act as agents in the Manchester district, they having agreed to give preferenee as to return., loads to lorries from the Livernoof area. An agent is being appointed in Wigan, with the object of providing return loads for Liverpool lorries from that district.
TIIE CASH VALUE OF EYE-WASH.
Not Always a Camouflage to. Defective Work.
IT WAS very fashionable during the war to contrast the " spit and polish "aspect of our army vehicles with the .dilapidated appearance of those of our French allies, and the remark was often made that, although the French vehicles were not particularly smart, they ran . with remarkable reliability, none the less. It was quite frequently alleged that many of our vehicles were whited sepulchres, as it were, pretending to a sham efficiency which they did not in reality possess.
One remembers a, tale of g lorry with shining bras§ fittings and whitened tyres,said to have two bad cracks hidden in g freshly painted frame.
Because it was rather overdone, "eye-wash " came into disrepute. , That is rather a pity, because, as a matter of fact, it. is a distinct commercial asset. Not only does a Smartly turned out vehicle attract favourable attention and create a. good impression, but it is a fairly well-proved maxim that the attainment of smartness begets efficiency, and that the condonation of .untidinsa produces the opposite effect. Insistence on "pit and polish," which is the hall mark of the British army, is not entirely a silly fetish. -There is an undoubted psychological reaction, from well-kept accoutrements, upon the personality of a man.
A lorry driver who keeps his vehicle in lip-top condition is, generally, a better driver than one who its his vehicle get shabby . for want of a little -elbow grease. The ma.n who, at almost every stop, is busy with a piece of eaten waste is a man who deserves to be encouraged, because he is giving evidence, of the possession of a deeper interest in his business than, his fellow, who would rather stand by idly instead of usefully employing the spare moments of
his day. .
The average driver is well able to spare several minutes during the day's work in order to keep his vehicle smart and attractive in appearance. By so doing the lorry may be the means of increasing business, and this cannot but react to the advantage DE the driver, especially if his employer takes an individual interest in the doings of his employees. To such a man's employer, eye-wash has a distinct cash value, a,part altogether from the advertic-g-ent it incidentally provides. L.N1..
GEAR-CHANGING DEXTERITY.
The Experienced Hand and Double Declutching:
THERE MUST be many lorry and bus drivers in the country who, to-day, look back with mingled feelings upon the time when, in accordance with the inviolable routine of the Army, they had to pass through a school of instruction and to perform extraordinary feats of gear changing under the critical supervision of a youngster whose acquaintance with motor vehicles of any kind, perhaps, dated from the commencement of the war.
To the experienced driver, whose familiarity with motor vehicles was such that gear changing had long . become a matter of instinct, the ordeal of having to think of every movement made, and to adapt his own particular style of changing gear so that it conformed precisely to the ideas of his youthful instructor, was painful beyond words. The 11101.0 experienced the driver, the more difficult it often was to get a "pass,' and, although his gear changing might not have been of the text-book order in the first instance, the result produced by endeavouring to eradicate what had become habitual tendencies was frequently appalling. The last state of the unfortunate driver was often worse than the first.
But with the novice it is different. To commence gear changing in a haphazard way, to graduate through the school of interminable gear trashes tmti
arriving at a finished stage in, which eyeryseliange is made with uncertainty which.neVer "wholly disappears, _is a bad way to commence. Once the mysterieS of double dc-clutching havebeen fully mastered, and the art acquired, it is never quite forgotten. It becomes a habit. Gear changing, like golf or any other game, should be learned properly at the start, as faults acquired -in early .stages are very difficult
to eradicate. R.H.G.
IMPROVING A MAKER'S PRODUCT.
An Argument in Favour of Leaving Well Alone.
pERHAPS there is no more dangerous and doubtful course upon which the repair man, can embark than that of attempting to " impriave " a vehicle., by altering it in some way or another.
The Ford has probably been subjected to more attempts at improvement than any other iTehicle'ia
the world, and, -while no one will deny that many of them are well conceived and undeniably effective, there have been occasions on which they have been viewed by the manufacturers with anything but favour.
. Generally speaking, it -may be taken for granted that manufacturers do not like their vehicles tam pered with, in any Way whatever, and it is, in these days, generally, very doubtful indeed if the outside man can really hope to effect much improvement in a product turned out with all the resources of the modern factory. One of the commonest forms of "improvement" which the repair man is asked and tempted to carry . out is the changing of the existing carburetter for one of another make. Even this, which is, in a way, a simple alteration to make, is hot always advisable, and the result ia often disappointing. It is, in any .ease, generally, better to consult the manufacturer before embarking on the job. Some vehicles, of course, develop a known defeat and, in such cases, the repair man is quite justified
in remedying it to the best of his ability, without regard to the fact that it interferes with the mak4r's design and with the standardization of the vehicle. Such eases are, however, few and far between, and, . generally speaking, it is safe to say that attempts at 1 improvement " are better left alone. It.H.G.
WASTING PRECIOUS FUEL. The Engine, Starter. as an Aid to Economy.
ANYONE who moves about the country with his eyes open cannot i fail tOnotice the number of lorry drivers who keep their engine.s.runningl during a stop of however long duration. ' The amount of fuel wasted in this way must be enotmous. It is only natural, perhaps, that a driver should evade the necessity of "swinging " a-heavy engine as much as possible, • and, for that reason alone, the cost of fitting a tower starter would surely be justified. It is, of course-, too much to expect a power starter to be capable of starting up a big engine -when it is cold, but Use on intermittent stops during a rung when the engine.. ir warm and the viscosity of the lubricant at its minimum, should not be a very heavy duty, and would enable an appreciable economy in fuel tobe Made. . .
It would 'be interesting to know how much. fuel could be saved on the Lander' bus services, were it feasible to stop the bus engines at every halt and during traffic) blocks. No doubt, the engineering staff of the L.G.O.C. have fully considered • the matter, and the difficulties in the way are fairly obvious, but, were it possible, a,considerable economy would undoubtedly result.. ' In these days of high fuel costs, nocexpedient ran be neglected which will, in any way, lead to reduction in consumption, and all users of petrol-driven vehicles world do well to pay close attention to the question of the idly running engine. T . W.