In Public Service.
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In the North of England.
The Imperial Tramways Co., Ltd., of Middlesborough, is engaged in working out the details of various motorbus services for Stockton, Middlesbrough, and. other areas.
Sundry Intentions and Purchases. Bournemouth Health Committee has deferred consideration of purchasing a motor ambulance ; the Smith Shields Town Council has decided to proceed with proposals for the avquisition of three motorbuses, _at an estimated cost of ; Kent County Council wants tenders, on or before the 28th inst., foe six more petrol-driven motor lorries, each with a tipping body of a capacity of five cubic yds. ; Westminster City Council may shortly establish its own depot for repair and maintenance of its motor vehicles, instead of having the work done by contract ; Walsall Town Council has granted licences to the Birmingham and Midland Omnibus Co., Ltd., for a period of three months, for an experimental motorbus service between Birmingham and Walsall; Mr. Samuel Hero, of Cardiff, intends to inaugurate several local services this season, and the first of these may be from Newport to Cross Keys.
Hackney Borough Council has accepted the tender of the Belsize London Agency at £190 for the supply of a 10-12 h.p. 5-ewt. van chassis for the Council's electricity department; the L.C.C. has accepted the offer of Ransomes, Ltd., to supply motor mowing machines for £112; Kensington Borough Council proposes to substitute a. motor vehicle for the horse and brougham. now used by the Borough Engineer ; Wimbledon Town Coancil Las under consideration the question of substituting motors for the existing horse-drawn ambulances and disiufe:cting cart ; Bexley -U.D.C. has received sanction to falrFow b100 for the purchase of a steam wagon and trailer ; Swansea T.O. is recommended to obtain tenders for the supply of a motor fire engine. The receipts of the Tramways (M.E.T.) Omnibus Co., Ltd., for the week ended 7th February, 1911, were £8569, and for the Gearless Omnibus Co., Ltd., £462. These show an increase. of £674 and £23 respectively as against the previous week.
The receipts of the National Steam Car Co., Ltd., for the week ended 14th February, 1914, were £3603. This shows an increase of £1497. over the corresponding period of last year.
London Fatalities.
Mr. McKenna has furnished the House of Commons with a return of the fatal accidents in the MetrnpoIttan police district during the year 1913. They are distributed as followa: due to motorbuses, 180 ; to rnotoreabs, 29 ; to private motorcars, 83 ; to commercial motors, 61 ; to tramcars, 118 ; and to motorcycles, 13 ; or a total of 424. The point of interest to us is this : the total fatal accidents due to motorbuses, both for the Metropolitan police area and the City of London, have increased from 182 in 1912 to 199 in 1913, a. joint increase of eight on the year. This small increnae, whilst regrettable in itself, is smaller than for the electric tramcars, and shows a very material improvement in the fatality experience for motorbuses, having regard to the greater number of these vehicles in, service, and to the higher tau) mileage, oovered. We believe that the percentage curve. of fatalities for motorbuses its now well on the droop, in accordan cc with world-wide experience. Competition at Wolverhampton.
We learn that there has been severe competition over the Wolverhampton fire-engine order, and that the merits of the Rees-Roturho tar tine, which is manufactured in that town, have entered into the matter. The purchase of two 400-gallon Dennis engines was recommended.
L.G.O.C. Finance.
The issued capital of the L.O.0,C., Ltd., is £1,150,480 in 210 shares, with i',1,000,000 of 4I per cent., debenture stock, and 11,000,000 of 5 per cent. cumulative income debenture stock. The company, with less than 31 millions of capital, is able admirably to serve more than 400 route-miles, whereas the L.C.C., with fully 12 millions of capital sunk, is only able to serve 112 route-miles.
We have received the report and accounts qt the L.G.O.C. directors, arid we may in a later issue deal with them at some length.
Fire Brigade Matters.
East Ham Town Council is about to purchase one or more motor fireengines ; Torquay Town Council is being urged to provide a motor fireengine ; Cardiff Corporation, on the completion of its new fire station, will adopt petrol-driven motor appliances ; Mansfield (Notts) Corporation has tentatively adopted a scheme for the acquirement of A motor fire-engine, and will allow calls upon it to neighbouring areas ; Louth (Lincs.) Town Council, probably with the co-operation of neighbouring authorities, will shortly consider the purchase of a motor fire-engine ; the christening tests of Rotherham's new Dennis fine-engine were highly successful, and the name " Progress " is very appropriate ; Devonport Town Council intends to make provision in its pending estimates for the purchase of a. motor fire-engine and escape, at an estimated cost of .1!117)0 ; Rhondda, li.D.C. hopea shortly to purchase a motor fireengine ; New Mills E.D.C. has rejected a proposal to spend S:2000 ca nutter equipment ; Stowmarke 15.1).C. is going into the subject of motor fire-engine purchases ; tho Cobham (Surrey) brigade, largely owing to the activity of Mr. C. k. Smith. of the White Lion Hotel, a well-known cyclist and motorist, has been testing motor haulage for its existing steam fire-engine ; the Fylde Water Board has refused to allow the 'Blackpool Corporation to couple its motor fire-engine directly to the town mains, but it is anticipated that the disagreement will only be a temporary one ; a subcommittee of the Watch Committee of Swansea Town Council is considering prices for motor fire-engines.