The 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.• Proposals and Purchases by Local Authorities.
The Worksop U.D.C. is purchasing a petrol-driven wagon.
Walsall Corporation has purchased a Sentinel 31-ton steam wagon for use at its gas works.
The Health Committee of the York City Council has resolved to replace horse vehicles by purchasing a motor ambulance and a motor bedding-van.
The Southwark Borough Council is purchasing two Straker-Squire street-cleansing and watering vehicles, at £950 each, subject to adjustment for extras.
The Camberley LT,.D.C. has declined to approve the recommendation of its Highways Committee in favour of the purchase of a steam tractor or steam wagon. • The Rotherham Corporation finds that war conditions have increased the working cost per motorbus-mile on the local municipal services from 7.62d. to 8.92d., inclusive of sinkingfund provision on the basis of a life of only five years.
The Bournemouth Town Council has refused to endorse the motortaxation proposals of the Westmorland County Council, owing to the fact that its Finance Committee considered the recommendations were " afutile effort."
The South Shields Town Council decided to order the Leyland motor fire-engine' at £1117, inclusive of extension ladder and other accest sories, after visiting several municipalities to witness tests. An application for sanction to the necessary loan has been lodged with the L. G.B.
The Dunlop Rubber Co., Ltd., has confirmed a.new,contract with the Tramways Department of tho Sheffield Corporation for tires, in respect of motorbuses, at 0.875d. per vehicle-mile. The purchase of an additional Daimler chassis has also been decided upon by this department, and further depot accommodation is to be provided.
The Cleansing Committee of the Bradford Corporation has authorized the purchase of three new chassis, at an approximate 'cost of 21500, subject to some,undertaking in respect of continuing. Petrol sup-, plies ; the Electricity Committee of the same corporation has ordered two five-ton battery-equipped tipping wagons (General Vehicle Co., one with Edison and one with ironclad batteries) per the ,Towett Motor Manufacturing Co. of Bradford, to convey 1000 tons of coal weekly.
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The Holmfirth U.D.C., through its surveyor, Mr. G. Bray, is considering the acquirement of a small motor wagon, owing to horse-haulage difficulties.
The Highway's and Bridges Committee of the Notts. County Council has recommended the purchase of a steam wagon from Clayton and Shuttleworth, Ltd., of Lincoln, and of two trailers from Messrs. E. Benton and Co., of Nottingham.
The Sheffield Town Council has decided to co-ordinate the use of its motorcars for the conveyance of committees of the Council, so that the cars of any one department can be available, when not in use by that department, for aoy committee which may need them.
London Taxi Strike.
Many taxi-drivers in London have recently been on strike for the apparent reason that the owners were expected to bear still more of the toss upon petrol. Men in the employ of the British Motorcab Co., Ltd., to the number of approximately 1000, struck work because—, according to reports—they were not receiving enough petrol for 8d. to run a taxicab 20 miles, but only enough to run one 18 miles. Most ordinary and unfavoured users, who do not enjoy such benefits as the taxi-drivers in this regard, will probably not feel sympathetically disposed towards the drivers.
We look upon the position as merely one step more in the progress towards a fare in London on the basis of Is. per Mile, which basis will have to be adopted booner or later if taxicab-ownership is to lead anywhere but to bankruptcy.
A correspondent, who has probs ably only a superficial knowledge of practices in the London taxicab, world, writes to us "That if the new scheme of taxes attacks taxis, the taxis, whatever the tax is, will direct attacks on a tax that tacks
a burden on to taxis already taxed to the limit." Considered as a jeu de mots this effort is amusing. It is, however, not from any excess of taxes that London taxis suffer..
One possible effect Of the taxicab strike may be to lead to the making of further representations to Sir Edward Henry, the Commissioner of Police for the Metropolis, in. favour of the licencing of women taxi-drivers.
Petrol Economies.
We are in a position to state that definite orders have recently been issued, by both the Admiralty and the War Office, in respect of the necessity for care in the use of petrol, and above all the avoidance of waste. We may cogently add" and none too soon.'
Motor Trade Association.
The current issue of our sister journal "The Motor," dated the 16th inst., contains an interesting manifesto, concerning the aims and objects of the Motor Trade Association. This manifesto presents a summary of the case in faVour of trading through an agent, and gives many reasons in support of the contention that stability of supply .for private motorists is in fact dependent upon the efficiency of such an organization. It is sought to control over-charges and under-charges.
We understand that the M.T.A. shortly intends to extend its policy in relation to commercial vehicles : this branch of trading, as is well known to many supporters of THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR, is undoubtedly more complex in its conditions.
British Standard Steels.
We have received from the Engineering Standards Committee report No. 75, which deals with British standard specifications for wrought steel for automobiles. The matter has been under consideration since the beginning of January, 1915, when the Institution of Automobile Engineers appointed a Committee to prepare representative specifications. The avowed object of the issue of these standards is to provide a, choice of steel of definite composition that will meet the present general requirements of automotile construction. The price of the report is 7s. 10d. post free, and it may be obtained from the office of the Committee, 28, Victoria Street, Westminster, S.W. The A.S.C., M.T., Fund.
Pressure on. our space this week renders it impossible for us to make room for current references to the Campaign Comforts Fund. We shall hope to deal with certain happenings and intentions next week, and we shall reserve space in our issue of the 8th prox. for the next list of cash receipts.
Royal Arsenal Co-operative Society.
Mr. T. George Arnold, J.P., who is well known throughout the whole co-operative movement as Secretary of the Royal Arsenal Cooperative Society, Ltd.' Woolwich, has been nominated by that society for the vacant seat on the Board of the Co-operative Wholesale Society (London Bran-ch). Mr. Arnold. has already done good service as secretary of the Joint Committee of London Co-operative Societies ; he is a member of the Woolwich Borough Council, and enjoys the confidence of co-operators in a very large area.
Imported Tires: Licences Necessary.
Public estimation of the apparent change in the situation, as between the projected new course; now abandoned (see page 225) and. the ruling course, is probably somewhat wide of the mark. The choice is between (a) definite pro-. hibition, with exceptions under licence, and. (b) no importations other than under licence. The latter procedure, which has been in force for some considerable time past, is merely being continued. Licences from the Board of Trade are in either event essential, according to our official information. This suggests that the difference is one of definition, although also one of degree. The expectations that there would be total prohibition have not been fulfilled. • S.M.M.T. Committees.
The following gentlemen have been re-elected chairmen of committees,respectively, for the ensuing year of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders: Pneumatic Tire Coihrnittee,Mr. T. H. Woollen ; Foreign Manufacturers' and Coneessionnaires' Committee, Mr.. A. S. Mays-Smith ; Solid Tire Committee, Mr. W. H. Paull. The President, Mr. E. Powell, has-been re-elected, this making his third year of office, and he is also exofficio chairman of several special committees; including the Management Com_mittee.
Mr. J. Maughiling has been elected Honorary Treasurer to the Society, whilst Messrs. S. F. Edge, E. Manville and P. D. L. Perry have been co-Opted members of the Management Committee.
It is to be noted that Mr. T. C. Pullinder, managing director of Arrol-Johnston, .1.1td., has been appointed as the S.341.M.T. representative on the Electric Vehicle Committee of the Incorporated Municipal Electrical Association. Fines at Bolton.
Balton continues to furnish examples of police and magisterial severity, notwithstanding a professed readiness—no doubt evinced in some cases—to be more reasonable than heretofore. 'We observe that the Liverpool Motor Transport Co., of 127, Vauxhall Road, Liverpool, was recently fined £7 12s., including costs, because the back axle of a White petrol wagon, when loaded with 5 tons, weighed 6 tons, 5 cwt. The owners were under the impression that the axleweight was under six tons, and the smallexcess has certainly cost them dear. Commercial transport, at the present time, when the country is striving for its very existence, is certainly not encouraged by spiteful fines of this type. Had. the weight on the back axle been only 5 cwt. less, the vehicle would have been technically legal as used.
, Palladium Sales.
Sales of Palladium chassis, for loads between three tons and four tons, have recently been made in Scotland to Claude Hamilton, Ltd., of 245, union Street, Aberdeen, George Gilmour, Ltd. of 91, Hope Street, Glasgow, and the Peebles Motor Ca., Ltd., of 89-105, Haymarket Terrace, Edinburgh. Other current orders are from 8' irnpsons, Ltd., of 93, Hope Street, Barrowin-Furness, Messrs. J. B. Midgley and Sons, of Vincent Place, Hanslet Road, Leeds, Fred FL Beaunaent, Ltd., of Tieirston Motor Garage, Scotgate Road, Henley, Yorks, Messrs. A. Waters and Sons, of 21 and. 62, Bancroft Street, Hitchin, and Alfred Litton's Machine Tool Co., Ltd.,
372, Old Street, E.C. Export orders are from Messrs. Takata and Co., of 57, Bishopsgate, E.C., and. Tokio, and Tozer, lternsley and Fisher, Ltd., of 84, Fenchureh Street, E.G., on behalf of various customers in the Australian Commonwealth. More London Buses.
The total number of licensedbuses being operated on the streets of London on the 30th April was 2384. This figure shows an increase ,,of 144 over that for the previous month.
Recent Registrations.
Harry Heath, Ltd. (5000), with its office at 106, Lee Bank Road, Birmingham. Bell and Smart, Ltd. (2000), with its office at 48-50, Tottenham Street, Tottenham Court Road, W., to carry on the businesses of manufacturing and dealing in motor vehicles of all kinds. Gazette.
Mr. J. E. Percival, of 8, Old Jewry, B.C., has been appointed liquidator in the voluntary liquidation of Southern Automobiles, Ltd.
Guy London Agency.
We learn that Mr. J. M. Roberts, of 1-3, Turnham Green Terrace Mews, Chiswick, W., has been appointed London agent for Guy commercial vehicles. Mr. Roberts is specializing in the two-ton model, examples of which he has already sold to Waterlow Bros. and Layton, Ltd., for use on important Treasury work, and to Mr. Chas. Fox, bedding manufacturer, 223, Harrow Read, W. Early deliveries can be promised. Rotax Accessories.
The Rotax Motor Accessories Co., Ltd.e has now opened a trade counter at the Rotax Works Wil
lesden Junction, N.W. for the ' con venience of trade customers in the London area.
Monthly Insurance Premiums.
The Motor Insurance Bureau, of 13, Abchurch Lane, E.C., is offering facilities for the payment of motor-insurance premiums monthly. This departure may prove to be of service to men who are expecting to have their businesses affected by war conditions, although, of course, the monthly rates are not onetwelfth of the annual rates. The scheme is a "topical" one.