The Motor Omnibus World.
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A slight improvement in Metropolitan-District stock has to be notch (page 216). This may not be altogether unconnected with the interested agitation against motorbuses, though no permanent adverse effects have been experienced by owners of these vehicles.
We are acquainted with a gentleman, an English engineer, who has had considerable practical experience, includingthe sole charge of a number of motor omnibuses since early in the present year; he will be available for a new engagement at an early date, and we shall be happy to place any motor omnibus company in communication with him if desired.
A fine of 2os. was imposed upon a gentleman named Camila P. del Solo, aL \Viliesderi, recently, for assault upon a conductor who requested him to put out a lighted cigarette when Li avelling in a London motor omnibus.
The prisoner contended that the smoke Item his cigarette was preferable to the fumes of the petrol, which were un bearable, and handed up his case to the Magistrate in proof of his statement that he smoked a good-class cigarette The test case of a shareholder in the Alliance Motor Bus Com pany, Limited, will probably be taken before Christmas. Mr, justice Kekewich, on the 2nd inst., or dered a statement of claim to be lodged
within a week, the defence within the same period. thereafter, and gave each
party liberty to apply to advance the trial. It will be remembered that the action is to restrain the company from parting with money paid on shares, arid from enforcing further calls.
At a meeting of the shareholders of the Manchester and District Motor Om nibus Company, Limited, held in Lon don on Tuesday last, it was resolved that the company be voluntarily wound up. The brief character of the com pany's career may be attributed to two principal causes. These are : the pro vision of insufficient capital in the first instance, which rendered any prolonged fight for existence impossible; the sustained opposition of various local authorities in the Manchester district.
Notwithstanding the onslaught upon motorbuses, their pupularity does not diminish in London. The most strik ing testimony to this fact is found in the steadiness of the Vanguard com pany's receipts. These have averaged
;4,4,262 for the four weeks ending the 3rd instant, compared with £:3,824 for
the previous four weeks. This shows
an increase of £430 a week, although there had been no increase in the num
b-er of vehicles, and it is encouraging to note that motorbuses are, consequently, creating their own traffic, a
.fact which is strictly in accordance
with tramway precedent and experience. Now that the time has come round for a large number of Vanguard vehicles to undergo their annual inspection, many of " No. r " service having been recently taken off duty for that purpose, a temporary falling away in the receipts will be noted. Mr. J. Clingoe has resigned his position as managing director of the ,ecottish Motor Engineering Company, Limited, of LirahlOil Ilareour, and is returning to London.
A Gramon motorbus was largely -employed in connection with the teeent municipal elections at Edinburgh, and it is believed that this vehicle carried half the voters who made use ot vehicular conveyance.
The Hart-Durtnail petrol-electric omnibus, which was expected to be completed a month ago, will be ready for its road tests auout a tortnight hence. his system was descrioed and illustrated uy us more than three months ago (issue of July igth). a here has been delay over the supply of parts.
A recent accident at Bristol indicates the necessity for care in oesigning handles of widen passengers avai, themselves when mounting or alignting from motorbuses, as much as the steps tnernselves. A man named Edmund James Butler, in alighting from a forward seat upon one of tne motorbuses in that city, took hold of a small handle by the driver's seat, which, owing to its shape, dragged him along when he tried to let go, with the result that one of the driving wheels passed over him. The jury, whilst bringing in a verdict of " Accidental death," and exonerating the driver and conductor from alt blame, added a rider to the effect that they thought the handles and steps or the omnibus were badly constructed, and dangerous for the alighting of passengers.
The Mail Motor Company, Limited, of Grimsby, is increasing its capital from .4;1,250 to it-,5,000. Mr. J. W. Eason, the Managing Director, informed a recent general meeting how he had been able to secure the second Dennis omnibus from Southend-on-Sea, where the local council had refused to grant stage-carriage licenses on practical terms. But for the addition of this second omnibus to their plant, they would have been seriously inconvenienced during the past season, because Dennis Brothers, Limited, was unable to give delivery until early next year.
The contemplated increase of capital would enable the directors to purchase three more omnibuses. After a shareholder had suggested that the capital
should be increased to ,4;to,000, the original motion was carried unanimously.. The Caister, Lacehy, Waltham, and other local services will now be extended.
The Sheffield City Council, at its meeting of the 9th instant, confirmed the recommendation of its tramway Sub-committee in regard to the adoption of motor omnibuses as feeders to the Council's tramway undertaking. Instructions have now been given for the promotion of a Bill in the next session of Parliament.
No settlement of the strike of drivers in the employ of the Londan
General Omnibus Company has, as we go to press, been reached. A remarkable feature is the inability of either the men or the company to relieve the situation for themselves. This arises from the fact that the majority of the vehicles affected are of the De Dion make, for which, practically, only the L.G.O. men hold licenses. It thus comes about that the company is unable to get men licensed to drive the vehicles, whilst the men are unable to get employment elsewhere. We see no valid objection to the proposal of the company to grade the drivers according to experience and ability, especially as all the present men have been offered firstclass ratings, but we believe so low a wage as 35. 6d. per day, which it is suggested should he paid when am man's vehicle is undergoing repair in the garage, to he insufficient to enable the company to retain the services of a qualified man-3s. 6d. per day is only a provincial labourer's wage ! Notwithstanding the difficulties which at present beset motor omnibus companies, it should be remembered that a driver's average weekly wage must be at or above a definite reasonable minimum, and that such men cannot be expected to accommodate themselves to large fluctuations which arise from circumstances beyond their control : it is the fixing of this minimum that is so hard. Disagreements as to wages are bound to arise, from time to time, in any undertaking where system is being gradually evolved, and it is no new experience in connection with road-haulage undertakings for changes and re-arrangements to become imper atively necessary. If the parties would only meet one another in a fair spirit, all misunderstandings would, we are sure, be satisfactorily explained.
There is no occasion for us to enter into the details of the strike, but we trust that the action of the board of the Landon General Omnibus Company, in listening to the arguments of the deputation from the men on their grievances, will conduce to a speedy settlement of the difficulties. The interference of outside and irresponsible union officials is wholly unnecessary, and is really calculated to harm tht men's cause, rather than to advance ii. It is interesting, in connection with the cessation of the services affected, to compare the expressions of those who appreciate the diminution of the traffic, with the accounts of serious inconveniences inflicted upon large numbers of the travelling public.
The net surplus of the London County Council's tramway undertakings, for the year ending March
31st last, Was only 4' 2 , 3 1 9 . hi S margin is negligible, when one takes into account the enormous capital involved.
Mr. Thomas Clarkson, of Chelmsford, will read a paper, before the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Storey's Gate, S.W., to-morrow (Friday) evening, on the subject of
Steam as a motive power for public service vehicles."
A meeting Of council of the Society of Motor Omnibus Engineers, which hnil been specially convened by the chairman, Mr. E. C. A. Coventry, was held at the registered office, T, Albemarle Street, W., on Monday last, in order to discuss the proposal of the president, Lord Montagu of Beaulieu, that a deputation or petition to the Home Office should be undertaken. A report of the proceedings will appear next week.
A Ryknield Omnibus has been giving various demonstration trials in the Manchester district. Our illustration depicts one of these vehicles loaded with a representative party from local councils, and these gentlemen were conveyed from Manchester, through Alderley, to Lower Peover, returning through Knutsford, last week. The party included Alderman Rudman (three limes Mayor of Salford), the Chief Constable of Salford, Alderman Linsley (Chairman of the Salford Tramways Committee), Councillor Wood (Manchester), Mr. Slattery (Oldham (Tramways), Mr. Barnard (Bolton Tramways), Councillor Ashworth. (deputy Chairman of the Bury Tramways), Councillor Fulford (Stretford), Councillor Harrison (Bredbury), Mr. Chtirles Esteourt (Mancheeter city itnelyste, Mr. C. A. Clarke (Power Pltint Company), and Messrs. Clindon and W. Holt (Whitworth Motor I3us Company). Mr. A. J. Clay, managing director of the Rvknield Motor Coinpan', Limited, described the features of the bus, and accompanied the party.