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WHEELS OF INDUSTRY.

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.

• The Olympia Luncheon.

The luncheon inaugurating the Coinmercial. Motor Exhibition at Olympia, and given by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, brought together a very distinguished gathering.

Mr. A. S. Mays-Smith, president of the Society, occupied the chair, and was supported by Mr. Arthur Neal, M.P., Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Transport; Sir William JoynsonHicks., Bart., M.P.; Sir Henry Fowler, K.B.Eei Lieut.-Col. T. M. Hutchinson, D.S.0.. Mr. H. Percy Boulnois, M.InstC.E.; Mr. II. E. Blain, C.B.E.; Col. R. F. Crompton, C.B.; Mr. J. P.

S. Godsell, M.B.E.; Major Percy C. Simmons, Chairman of the L.C.C.; Mr. Frank Churchill, Chairman of the Commercial Vehicle Department of the Society; Lord Montagu of Beaulieu • and Mr. G. W. Watson, President of the Institution of Automobile Engineers, whilst in the vice-chairs were Mr. H. G. Burford, Mr. J. Maughfling, Lieut.-Col. II, Newton, D.S.O. ; Mr. G. Hoare, Mr. G. M. young, Mr. H. Bayley, D.S.O., and Mr. C. W. Reeve,

Amongst the members of the industry present were Mr. Sidney Straker, Mr.

T. Clarkson, Mr. R. W. Coon, Mr. F. Shorland, Sir Raymond Dennis, K.•B.E., Mr. T. H. Woollen, Sir John E. Thorny croft, Mr. Tom Thorriyeroft, Mr. T. C. Pullinger, Mr. W. J. McCormack, Mr. W. H. Workman, and others equally prominent in the world of commercial motoring.

Mr. Arthur NeaPl'ipnoposed the firsa: toast—" The Commercial Vehicle Exhibition "—and said that there was quite a friendship between the Ministry of Transport and the great users of the great roads of England. He had admired the exhibits, which were the outcome of the brains of the inventor being wedded to the skill of the craftsman, and if there were any lack of success it was certainly not do to any lack of ingenuity, enterprise or energy on the part of those connected with the trade.

We had, as a nation, hardly realized until recent months how vast had been the waste of war, and just as certain as there had been that waste, so it was certain that we should have to reap the products of the sowing of that waste, but he was quite confident that we should pass through the present period of crisis. Ile felt that these were days that called for grit, for confidence and for work, confidence being the root of that credit on which our industries were based. He dealt with the question of Government and-departmental economy, and with the labour question, saying that the British workman didnot yet fully appreciate the fact that the employer was a human being, anxious for the prosperity and well-being of the workers.

He Said that the Ministry was keenly desirous that the roads of the country should be made suitable for the needs of the community. Mr. Frank Churchill, in responding, most tactfully threw light upon niany of the difficulties under Which the commercial-vehicle industry is labouring, with a view to the enlightening of the DS representative of the Ministry of Transport, in the hopes of an early settlement of some of those difficulties.

He said that he knew the industry had nothing to fear from restrictive legislation, but what was requirea was a settlement of the question of legal weights and speed limits, and a modification of the present scale of taxation. He urged a reduction of 25 per cent. on motor taxation, saying that, if this were not found to be possible, there should, at any rate, be a reduction on all forms of motor vehicles that were used for the transport of goods. Ha pointed to the need fur a modification of the method of taxing motor coaches, which had the effect of making a coach proprietor pay a six months' licence fee for three months' use. In his opinion, horsed vehicles and tramway cars paid all too little towards the cost of road maintenance: Ile also thought that part of thear•work of road maintenance and repair should be put out to contract, as, in that way, the advantage of competitive prices would be secured.

Shell-Mex New Home.

" Shell Corner " is a name which stands boldly on the building at the angle of Aldwychaand the western side of Kingsway, which has been elected for Shell-Mex, Ltd. With a floor area of 4 acres distributed over 10 floors, RS well as a large balcony inside the octagonal tower which surmounts the building, ample accommodation is provided for the whole of the Shell-Mex staff, with the exception of one or two departments.

The building affords the maximum amount of light, air and floor space with the minimum of passages, four Waygood Otis Express lifts being installed, capable of transporting 30 persons at once.

One of the features of the building is the fine restaurant for the staff, the balcony, which forms .part of the restaurant, giving ample views over the surrounding country.

The Trolley Bus.

In connection with the recent introduction of the trolley has into the city of York, we illustrat'arl a chassis of the vehicle designed by Railless, Ltd., and in our recent article on the StrakerClough trolley bus we referred to the success of the vehicles which were running on Tees-side. It is, of course, difficult• to attain perfection, and we leo' thatalstrolley bus design is still undergoing development. It is interesting to know that the successful vehicles in the Tees-side service were supplied as to 10 of them by Railless, Ltd., the remainder having been built by the Brush Electrical Engineering Co. some oeven or eight years ago for another undertaking.

Dunlop Dividends Passed.

Thearlivectors of the Dunlop Rubber Coashaveliatimated that the dividends on preference shares will not be paid, in view of the serious depreciation of the stocks of rubber and cotton held by the company at the end of the financial year.

Olympia Papers.

Visitors to Olympia this week should not fail to be present in the Conference Hall to hear the papers which are being contributed, and to take peat, if possible, in the discussions that will follow. Yesterday (Monday) Mr. A. E. Brookes, 0.B.E., Matist.T., read is paper on " Highway Maintenance and Administration under Modern Traffic Conditions," and Mr. Percy Frost Smith, M.Inst.T., one on the -" Evolution of the Commercial Vehicle for Goods and Passenger Service."

To-morrow (Wednesday) Mr. E. H. Arnott and Messrs. Scott Hall and H. G. Burford will read papers dealing with the agrimotor and the agrimotor industry, whilst, on Thursday, Mr. Thomas Clarkson reads his paper on " Coke as a Fuel for Commercial Vehicles," and Mr. W. D. Williamson one he • has prepared dealing with "Loading Devices for Commercial Vehicles."

Paisley Tramways.

Negotiations are well advanced between the Glasgow Tramways Committee and the Paisley Tramways Co., with a view to the former taking over the undertaking controlled by the latter. The burghs lying in the route of the tramway line have also, to be consulted, but it is stated that none of them intends to offer any objection to the proposed transference. Should the Glasgow Corporation acquire the system, the present running powers will be exercised in their entirety. The cars will run from tho centre of the city, and the fare will be brought into harmony with those charged in Glasgow..

A Reduction in Ford Prices.

An announcement was made last week, through the International Motors, Ltd., that the prices of Ford vans (and cars, with which this journal is not corerned) had been reduced. The price of the ton chassis is £175, (formerly £190); of the delivery van £180 (feemerly £205). The ' price of the standard chassis is £160, or £5 cheaper than before.

Letters were being issued flaring last week to possible • subscribers to the guarantee fund of the British Empire Exhibition of 1923, which is to be held in the exhibition buildings to be erected at Wembley Park.

It is anticipated that these buildings will form the venue for .a combined show of the motor industry, probably in the year 1924.

In its new Bill, Glasgow CorporatiOR proposes to seek permission, in regard to the emission of smoke from steam wagons, to provide that the penalty for the first offence shall be £5 and 210 for second or subsequent offences.

Ceylon is considering the production of power alcohol, while steam rollers are to be manufactured in the island to assist in the building and maintenance of its motor roads.

Edinburgh Traffic.

The recent augmentation of chars4banes and motorbuses plying in and from Edinburgh has been almost phenomenal, and no city in Scotland has such a splendid service. The increase during the year now ended amounted to 78 motorbases and 43 chars-it-bancs, and, at the present moment, the number of such coaches constantly running in the streets is 192. In the same period horsed buses decreased by 15, but there are still 189 horse-drawn cabs licensed. The number of taxicabs is practically unchanged; and, according to the hackney •carriage inspector, this fact iseevidently due to the high cost, of building these vehicles. The.greatpopn laxit i y of motorbuses and coaches n the Scottish capital is explained, in some measure, Toy the advantage they enjoy in having their starting point in Princes Street, which is one of the finest beuleyards in the British Isles.

Increasing Use of Trailers.

A very noticeable feature of heavy haulage at Liverpool is the increasing use which is being made of trailers. Many of the large firms are employing them on a big scale, especially in connection with local and dock transport, and there is no doubt that steam wagons working with trailers are capable of affecting considerable economies in transport costs. As a matter of fact, a tractor unit working with two or three trailers, according to the peculiar conditions within the area of operations, is said to be the cheapest form of transport, which is accounted for by the vehicle being kept on the road all the time. In this manner a steam wagon doubles its haulage capacity at only a very slight increase in the cost of a single load.

International Road -Conference.

The whole question of international road transit, and methods by which it might be simplified, was discussed in Paris a few days ago in great detail by the representatives of the 21 nations taking part in the International Road Conference.The decipions taken are naturally only recommendations, which will be referred to the Governments concerned, but the members of the Conference. are convinced that there will be no hesitation in giving to international road traffic rules similar to those already applied in the case of railway and maritime traffic.

The first, resolution placed before he Conference was unanimously adopted. It was to the effect that road statistics in every country should be drawn up on similar lines in order to render exact comparisons possible. A committee is to be appointed to facilitate the carrying out of this resolution.

The question of an international driving licence was then discussed. Since 1909 an international agreement has been in existence, to iihich all countries except the United States have adhered. The assent of the U.S.A. is complicated by the fact that the regulations in every one of its 48 States are different. The French delegates had prepared a full report, advocating that the international doCument should be divided, into two parts; an Inteenational Driving Licence and an International Circulation Certificate. The French proposal was adopted, the delegates deciding to take up the matter at once with their respective Governments.

The Conference voted in favour of extending the triptych to all tourist vehicles, but no agreement was reached on the question of its extension to all industrial vehicles.

The new rules of the road recently drawn up by France, providing a complete code for road traffic, were discussed at length, including the much-vexed question of a uniform side of the road for road traffic throughout the world. It was agreed that such a modification could not at present be adopted. A sug, gestion on the part of the Swiss delegate, that all lorries should be obliged to provide themselves with mirrors reflecting traffic approaching from the rear, was adopted unanimously.

The question of speed limits gave rise to lively discussion. Every country except Switzerland agreed with the French view, that motorists might drive at any speed provided that they had their cars under control. The French code provides speed limits for vehicles weighing more than three tons, according to then weight. These speeds appeared excessive to every country except France and Great Britain, and it was accordingly agreed that each country should determine its own speed limit for heavy motor traffic.

The delegates appointed to represent the B. AC. on behalf of the motorists of this country were Brig.-Gen. Sir Capel Holden, HOE., F.R.S., Lt.-Col. M. O'Gorman, CE., M.V.O., and the Secretary, Sir Julian Orde.

Preferential Bus Licences.

At a meeting of the Hull Watch Committee the ,Chief Constable stated that there were certain applications from people in other districts for licences for buses to ply for hire in the city. It was stated that in other districts they objected to Hull buses plying for hire.

In the circumstances the committee adjourned the matterepending inquiries by the Chief Constable as to the methods adopted in other districts with regard to Hull omnibuses.

More Vehicles for Islington.

The Cleansing Committee of the Islington Borough Council proposes the purchage of four 2i ton Edison vehicles at £1,525 each, and a Harrier petrol lorry at £1,275.

A Steam Vehicle Pioneer,

We publish on•this page,a portrait of Mr. Thomas Clarkson, whose extremely interesting new steam chassis is on view at the Show. Mr. Clarkson, by reason tof his eminence as an engineer, needs no introduction to readers of The Commercial Motor, but it is interesting to recall that in 1885 he was the senior WhitwortheScholar, a great achievement at the commencement of e career in which distinction has since followed on distinction. A member of the Institute of Civil Engineers, a James Watt gold medallist, and an ex-president of the Institution of Automobile Engineers, Mr. Clarkson has devoted his remarkable talents mainly towards the perfecting of the steam-driven road vehicle, with the result that his latest design reaches the summit of achievement in ,steam vehicle construction.

An enthusiastic engineer, Mr. Clarkson is also an economist, and his enthusiasm extends as much to the cheapening of road transport from a national point of view as to the purely engineering aspect of the subject. To make a vehicle which can be sent to any part of the Empire or the world, and which will work satisfactorily on any sort of fuel which can be obtained locally, is his ambition. His latest production should go far to realize that ideal.

Newcastle Passenger Traffic.

In his annual report for the year ended March 51st, 1921, Mr. Ernest Hatton, engineer and genera.' manager of the Newcastle Corporation Transport and Electricity Undertaking, points out thatincreased cost of wages and material outstripped the increased revenue gained by a scheme of revision of fares sanctioned by the committee, and it was not until the close of the financial year that any relief was experienced in falling prices of materials. Wages remained atethe high standard they had attained throughout the financial year. The accommodation at the Byker car sheds. was now`totally inadequate for the needs of the undertaking, and proposals are • before the transport committee for the extension of these, both with regard to tramcars and garage accommodation for the buses, as well as better workshop facilities.

During the year the number of passengers carried on the various bus routes operated by the undertaking was 1.821,077. The receipts were £20,026 and 241,623 miles were run, averaging 19,89 passengers per car-mile. •

Motor Fire-engine for Stirling.

just as Stirling was the last place in Scotland to banish the horsed tramway from its streets, it is probably the last royal burgh of over 20,000 inhabitants to remain satisfied with a. horsed fireengine. This second stigma it is to bear no longer. At the meeting of the town council it was resolved to adopt the recommendation of the Fire Brigade Committee and to purchase a new motorengine forthwith. The town clerk was directed to obtain offers for the supply of a machine of 60 b.p., and it was remitted to a small committee to inquire whether accommodation coaId be secured at one or other of the local garages.

RotherhamTramways Committee. proposes to run a service of motorbuses on one of the three routes scheduled in its recent Parliamentary Act.

To Prevent Overcharging.

The Licensing Conunittee of the Worthing Corporation has been considering the desirability of increasing motor hackney fares, and made inquiries which show that the charge of is. a mile has generally been increased to is. 6d. The committee has also considered the matter from the point of view of complaints of aystematic overcharging by drivers, and realizes that the time has come to allow fares to be increased to such an amount as will afford owners and 'drivers a fair return, and that the only effective method of preventing overcharging is to make the provision of taximeters compulsory. Hence, the committee is drafting by-laws in accordance with this report.

Cement Roads for Jamaica.

The Government of Jamaica is considering the installing of a plant capable of producing 30,000 tons of cement per annum. Not only is this cement to be used for the island's roads, but it is hoped to export 4 to neighbouring countries for the same purpose. A scheme is now under consideration for the reconstruction of the roads in Kingston. Most probably mechanical transport will be supreme in Jamaica in a few years, despite the fact that railway schemes are also receiving the attention of the Government,

Correcting an Erroneous, Impression.

In a paragraph which appeared a week or twe ago referring to the repair, at the Basingstoke works of John I. Thornycroft and Co., Ltd., of a batch of warused vehicles, an expression was used, in reference to their condition, which might perhaps tend to create an erroneous impression as to the mechanical condition of these lorries. Nothing was farther from our intention than to suggest that any undue damage or wear had occurred, and, in using this word " decrepitude," the writer of the paragraph employed it, rather loosely, in reference to the external appearance only of the vehicles, as seen at a casual glance, when, in coin mon with all kinds of vehicles returned from war areas in an unwashed condition, external appearances are apt to be misleading. As a matter of fact, we are in a position to state, after careful inspection of a number of the war-used Thornycrofts in a dismantled condition, that, not only are they in a state which is quite the reverse of " decrepitude," but that their condition is such that it reflects the greatest credit on the makers, and affords a striking testimony to the excellence of the material and workmanship embodied in their construction. So slight, in fact, is the amount of wear and of damage that in many cases it is almost impossible to distinguish old parts from new, and the general condition of the components and of all the mechanical features is extraordinarily good. This, as a matter of fact, is not surprising, because one of the well-known features of the Thornycroft productions is their long life, proved alike in war service and in industrial usage. Though we think it, extremely unlikely that an unfortunate choice of phraseology, as in this instance, should be capable of detracting in any way from such an established reputation, we trust that any possibility of it will now have been removed. Probably' no vehicle came through the test of war conditions with a more enhanced reputation, and we are in a position to testify, from personal experience, to the great esteem in which the Thornycroft lorries were held, both by those responsible for running them and by those responsible for their repair during the war, largely on account of that .high standard of durability which was one of their most pronounced characteristics.

The annual general meeting of the Midland Branch of the Roads Improvement Association (Incorporated) will be held at the Chamber of Commerce, New Street, Birmingham, on Thursday, October 27th, at, 7 p.m., when it is hoped that-the chair will be taken by the Earl of Denbigh-, who will be 'supported .by Mr. H. Percy Bulnois, M.LC.E., Mr. 11.H. Humphreys, City Engineer, Hiemingham, and other Midland surelors.

Local Proceedings.

Blackburn Corporation has purchased a Dennis motor fire-engine.

Bicester U.D.C. wants'a motor vehicle for hauling the fire-engine.

The purcnase of a motor fire-engine is being considered by Barking U.D.C.

A new road is proposed from Biggleswade to Letchworth atran estimated cost of,, £6,000.

The question of providing motor refuse collecting vehicles is under the consideration of Stockton T.C.

Rotherham Corporation Tramways Committee has decided to invite tenders 'for a rail-less chassis.

Wood Green Urban District Council has obtained permission to borrow £575 for a motor first-aid tender..

fiarrogate Corporation has secured permission to raise a loan of £1,642 for the purchase of a motor fire-engine.

The provision of mechanically propelled vehicles for cleansing work .ia occupying the attention of Grimsby T,C.

Sheffield Corporation Tramways Cont. mittee recommends the purchase of a Leyland single-deck bus at a cost of £1,684.

Tenders for additional electric vehicles are required • by Preston T.C. The matter is in the hands of the borough surveyor.

Rothe-1'11am Corporation proposes in the next financial estimates to make provision for the purchasen•of a motor ambulance at a cost of about £600.

The engineer of Bristol City Council is preparing estimates of the cost of running a system of trackless trolley vehicles along the new Avonmouth Road.

. Sheffield City Council has been recommended to accept the tender of the Leyland Motor Agency to supply a Leyland chassis fitted with a single-deck Isms body, fro £1,684.

Having considered 13 tenders for the supply of a motor tipping wagon,' the Burnley Corporation Electricity Committee recommends the purchase of a Ford one ton van at a cost of £275.

Asphalt Dangers.

The local Carting Agents Association has sent. a deputation to the Hull Corporation Works Committee to complain that the paving of streets with asphalt is very detrimental to horsekransport, arid Mr. Padgett., on behalf of the association,declared that the carting agents had suffered considerable loss and inconvenience in consequence of having to drive over roads that are already paved with this material. They viewed with great alarm the possibility of further asphalt paving. The danger was even greater during the winter when it was wet and rendered more slippery. The deputation desired that the internal transport associations in the city should be consulted before the committee undertook further asphalt paving. The city engineer was able to explain to the deputation that. the composition of asphalt in future work would not render the roads slippery.

Rents for Street Petrol Pumps.

. At a meeting of the Hull Corporation Works Committee the town clerk said he had sent a draft agreement to Mr. Ellis with regard to a kerbside petrol pump in East Park Avenue: Mr. Ellis, however, asked that the annual acknowledgement should be one guinea instead of five guineas, pointing out that, to the best of his knowledge, one guinea a year was the nominal charge all over the country for similar pumps. Mr. Ellis also suggested that the agreement should be terminable by 12 months' notice instead of three as proposed. The committee decided to accept a rent of two guineas and to fix the ,period of notice at six months.

New Services in the West.

The Bristol Tramways and Carriage Co., Ltd., and the National Omnibus Rai d Transport Co., Ltd., are applying to the various local authorities for consents to new motor services, linking up such places as Swindon, Chippenham, Cirencester, Burford, Faringdon, Newbury, Marlborough, Devizes and Trowbridge.

Owners and proprietors of motorbuses in Swindon have notified the Swindon Corporation that they " view with alarm" the proposal.

Preference for Town Vehicles.

The Town Clerk has-reported to the Markets Committee of the Burnley Corporation that a deputation representing the Burnley • area of the Commercial Motor Users Association had interviewed him and protested against the charge of ,2s. per vehicle which was proposed to be made for all motor chars-à-bancs; whether belonging to local or outside proprietors, which •park on the Cattle Market on the occasion of football matches, and suggesting that if a charge is made, a differential rate be charged according to whether proprietors own a garage in the borough or not. The committee decided that the charges be applied to motor vehicles from outside the borough only.

Parcels by Motorbus.

A couple of years ago the Glasgow Corporation conducted an interesting experiment in the way of conveying parcels by tramway.. It proved unsuccessful, and was peremptorily abandoned at the end of twomonths. The main defect in the scheme -was that the Tramway Department did not undertake 'either the collection or the deliveryof the goods. The corporation has now decided to make an application to Parliamentrin December next for a ProvisionaliOrder which will empower it among other things, -to carry on its omnibuses packages and parcels not exceeding 100 lb. in weight, and also to form an additional omnibus route from Mount Florida to Clarkston. For this kind of traffic it is recognized that omnibuses axe much more adaptable than the tramway system.

Motorbuses for Hull.

The provisional order •enabling the Hull Corporation to run motorbuses has been confirmed, and the Tramways Committee is applying to the Ministry of Transport for permission to borrow £10,000 for the purchase of five.„buses and £2,500 for other purposes in connection with the scheme.

The new order only enables the corporation to run services within the city, but the Transport Ministry has intimated that, if at a later period the corporation has any definite schemetfor the running of buses outside the city, a further application can be made to the Ministry.