The Wheels of Industry.
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'this lournal, dealing as it does with the "Chariots of War," no less than with the "Wheels of Industry," continues of national importance. Its interests embrace impartially the transport wagon and the parcelcar, the military tractor and the steam lorry.
More London Buses.
" The total . number of licensed motorbuses operating on the London streets on the 31st of last month was 2275. This shows an inerease of 115 as against the figure for the previous month; and compares with a total of 2165 one year ago.
Proposals and Purchases by Local Authorities.
The Erith tl.D.C. is purchasing one of the smaller Dennis fire-engines, at £875.
The Selby (Yorks.) U.D.C. is about to expend approximately £1000 on a motbr fire-engine.
The Newcastle-on-Tyne Corporation has resolVed to parchase Morris petrol-driven fire-engine with turbine pump.
Southampton's new Morris motor fire-engine haS successfully gone through its acceptance test at the southern port.
Leyland _Motors, Ltd., has received W.D. exemption for ten motorbus chassis for the Eastbourne Corporation.
The Dundee Harbour Trustees may shortly put up increased shed accommodation, following the completion of their new wharf.
The L.G.B. is in some instances sanctioning an Order suspending for one year the annual payments towards the extinction of loans.
The Aberdare. U.D.O. is now run.ning eight Cedes electric vehicles in its local motorbus services, under powers which were secured in 1915.
Wilmslow U.D.C. has resolved to insist upon the retention of penny stages as part of the licensing conditions for any local motorbus services_ The Electrical Committee of the South Shields Town Council has recommended, and the recommendation has been adopted, that £1850 shall be borrowed, with the approval of the Treasury, or the purpose of carrying out a scheme to enable the Committee to hire out motor vehicles in connection with the Corporation's electricity undertaking. We comment on this proposal (page 386).
Recent Registrations.
Lawrence King and Co., Ltd. (5000), with its office at122, Alma Street, Birmingham, to manufacture motor vehicles.
West End Motor Engineering Co., Ltd. (2000), with its office at 106a, Dumbarton Road, Glasgow; to acquire . a business from R. Davidson.
530 Road Conveyance to and from Race Meetings.
We were unable, from want of space, to make our promised further reference, last week, to the experiment of the Racecourse Association, at he instance of the Association of Owners, Breeders and Trainers, in connection with the meeting at Gatwick on New Year's Day, in the matter of showing independence of conveyance by rail. It appears that approximately 1000 tickets of admission to Tattersall's Ring were sold in advance at 25s. each, from which sum a refund of 10s.. was in each ease given on arrival at the ,racecourse. The scheme appears to have worked in every way satisfactorily.
Retention of Drivers and • Mechanics.
Various owners. of commercial motors., whether for the conveyance of passengers or goods, may be in a position to benefit by taking action in accordance with a particular portion of Mr. Asquith's speech in the Houk of Commons On the 5th inst. The Prime Minister pointed out that, apart from the earlier four grounds of exemption from military servicie, the Government had decided upon a new clause of exemption, not granted by a Tribunal, but granted by a Government Department. Certificates of exemption were to 12,e granted by any Goyernment Department, after consultation with the Army Council, to men or classes of men in the service or employment of that Department, or the men or classes of men employed in any work which is certified by the Department to be work of, national importance, which comes within the sphere of the Department.
There appears to remain some uncertainty, in different parts Of the country, and lack of uniformity of procedure on the part of local tribunals, with regard to the classing of motorbug drivers in a "reserved occunation.',' The original list, issued by the Board of Trade, which was published on the 24th November last, whilst it included " Public Utility Services" as a Class, did not, in the explanatory footnote, specify m.otorbus undertakings, although tramway undertakings were so included.' We pointed to this discrepancy in our issue of the 25th November last.
When the C.M.U.A. deputation attended before the Reserved Occupations Committee in December last, it specifically put forward
the case of owners of motorvans and other goods-carrying motor vehicles. Motorbus interests had already been, received in deputation. The .C._M.U.A. success, which we reported in our issue of the 23rd Pe'eenaber last, consisted in seouring the addition to the official list of reserved occupations of "carters, tarry/nen and draymen (horse or power) not engaged in delivering to private houses!' This reservation was in addition to the classes of carters, lorrymen and draymen who had previously been reserved under specified. trades.
The motorbus deputation, whilst it was favourably received by the Reserved Occupations Committee, has not, so far as we can see, yet been rewarded by a specific addition of .a reservation to which owners of motorbuses can refer effectively when appealing for men before a local tribunal. It is not a, little difficult to have to argue a case by analogy, and to claim that a motorbus undertaking is essentially the same -as a tramway undertaking. This argument deserves to hold good, and it is. accepted without hesitation in the majerity of cases. In other cases, of course, motorbus drivers are exempted because they are specifically reserved to carry out particular services of a military character in certain contingencies. This is the position in London. It may be of use to some provincial owners to quote it.
Leyland Fire-engines.
Further testimony to the excellence of Leyland motor fire-engines has been giVen by Firemaster J. S. Weir Dundee. Dealing with a recent 'fire at a large country house near Dundee, Firemaster Weir writes: " Shortly be-fore. 7 a.m., on the 1st inst.. we received a call to a mansion-house fire. The morning Was-exceptionally dark, and the journey had to be made over very heavy roads in a severe rainstorm. billy '70 minutes elapsed from the time of call until our arrival, and the distance travelled was about 35 miles. It was then found that water-had to he lifted from a depth of 18 ft., and pumped through a line of hose 2400 ft. above the level of the pump. The engine did this work continuously for 7* hours without any trouble whatever. This is the first real fire test your engine has had, and I am highly satisfied with its splendid behaviour. You are at liberty to make any nse of this letter you may please." Join the C./itl.U.A.
Owners and intending owners of commercial motors should take the opportunity, with the' opening of the New Year, to join the Commercial Motor Users Association. No better investment offers to anybody who is identified with transport work. The entrance fee is is., and the annual subscription £1
tid. Full particulars may be had from Mr. F. G. Bristow, the secretary, by writing to him at 83, Pall Mall, S.W.
Monolastic Roads.
We hear good reports from competent surveyors, of the progress which has been made in the construction of' voidless asphalt macadam and asphalt paving on the monolastic system. This up-to-date method of highway construction and surfacing is exploited by the Highways Construction Ltd., of Finsbury Court, Finsbury PaveMent, London, E.C. We ourselves are able to state that, whereas some of the earlier experimental, lengths did not stand up to the traffic upon them, due to lack of uniformity in the bitumen, later results are und.oubtedly very promising. This system of highway Surfaeiwr is well calculated to 'withstand the tangential stresses which are sot up by self-propelled traffic, and it also gives 'every indication of overcoming the difficulties due to wave-formation.
Mechanical Aid in Agriculture.
One of the latest proofs of interest in agrimotor development
amongst farmers, to . which growth of interest: we have fre, quently directed attention in the past, came to a head, ,at Ross, on he 30th tilt: A :meeting.; of local farmers took place, at the 'Swan Hotel, under the' chairmanship_ of Mr. T. Preece. A project for the co-operative acquirement of agrimotors was explained by Mr. A. E. ltudge, one of the suggested bases being sulescrifitioils at the rate of 10s. per acre. Mr. Graaf, on behalf of the Agricultural Organization SocietST, suggested as an alternative a. purchasing,conipany i'vith an allocation of shares to the members in the ratio of one share for every two acres of arable land under cultivai ion. The Chairman thought that, if some of them had to pay 10s. per :kere, they might as well purchase i heir own machines individually.
The meeting ultimately adopted a rote in favour of decentralization, so that each district might. have a machine under it own control. This decision involved the formation of a number of small societies, and the following gentlemen respecti Vely undertook to ascertain the extent of suPport that was likely to be obtained from neighbouring
-fanners tFawiey district, Mr. A. Bellamy ; Harewood End district, Mr. T. P. Preece ; Bromsash district, Mr. F. C. Price ; Brampton district, Mr. J. H. Sainsbury; Sdlack district, Mr. A. E. Rudge. Another meeting will take'place, at the Swan Hotel, Ross, on Saturday next, the loth inst. Side-lamp Discs.
C. A. Vandervell and Co., Ltd., is issuing to.its customers, free of charge, special perforated side-latnp discs to meet the new lighting regiflations. .Applications should be .made, in writing, specifying the model of lamp. to the company's works, Acton, London, W The Price of Petrol.
We have to note that, whilst all importers of motor spirit continue to give markedly-preferential terms to commercial consumers, the Union Petroleum Products Co., Ltd., which company imports and supplies Red Line and Ensign spirits, has not adopted the recent increase of id. per gallon, even to private consumers.
Taxicab Overhauls.
Sir John Simon, in reply to Sir Charles Henry, before the House rose last month, stated that it was not possible to extend the term of 12 months .which is covered by a taxicab licence in London. He could not agree to the suggestion that the term might be increased to 15 months, in order to meet the difficulties which the taxicab companies are experiencing in the matter of labour, owing to the hard usage to which such vehicles are subjected, and to the fact that the period for which a taxicab can be licensed is fixed by Statute.
Royal Agricultural Society.
The total membership of the R.A.S.E., to the 31st December last, was 10,144, compared with 10,570 a year earlier. The Society continues to render practical assistance to French farmers by supplying implements such as binders, threshing machines, ploughs, harrows, etc., and selected live stock in relief of war damages. Thanks to the initiative of the R.A.S.E. the sum of nearly 230,000 has been received or promised in addition to gifts in kind. This work is done by he Agricultural. Relief and Allies Fund, 16, Bedford Square, W.C.
The ultimate loss on the Nottingham Show proved to be £2945; the arrangements are well in hand for thu holding of this year's show. at Manchester (27th June to 1st July).
The Editor will be pleased to nominate any members of the heavy motor industry for membership to
the R.A.S.E. The minimum anmil subscription is I.:1.
L,G.O. Garages' War Help. The T.O.T. organization from time to time arranges depot entertainments for the -wives and children of those employees of the E.G.O.C. and other group companies who are on active service. One of the mest successful of these functions was that arranged at Devonshire Hall, Hackney. by the staff of the Dalston and Hackney Garages of the L.G.O.C. or. Friday last, the children having a particularly good time.
The Chair was taken by Mr. J. P. Thomas, who materially assisted to make the afternoon the success it was. Mr. FL E. Blain, Operating Manager, was also present. Amongst those contributing to the entertainment of the 700 guests B36 were Mr, Walter Lunn's company of Red .Jacket'' entertainers, Mr. Swart (L.G.O.C. Inspector), 'V en tr ilo qui s t, Mr. Butteries and his party of " Dutch Ladies," and Mr. Johns, the Dalston Superintendent,
who, in addition to singing, made a capital speech.
Amongst a number of other officials present were Captain. Rozier, Messrs. Cromack, Eden, Holt, and Palmer.