WHEELS OF INDUSTRY.
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"The wheels of wealth will be slowed by all difficulties of transpori at whatever points arising, as a carriage is by the roughness of the roads over which it runs."—John Beattie Crozier.
Profits of Tilling-Stevens Motors, Ltd.
The report of Tilling-Stevens Motors, Ltd., for the past year shows a profit of 124,890, which, with the sum brought forward, gives an available balance of £25,660. The directors do not propose to pay off any of the arrears of dividend on the preference shares, but intend to allocate £10,000 to depreciation reserve fund and 17,500 to the reserve for contingencies, and after these disbursements have been made, £8,160 will remain to be carried forward. The company's prospects for the present year are considered highly satisfactory and a greater number of orders is in hand at the present time than at this period last year.
Military Tests of Heavy-oil Engines.
It is reported from Paris that the French military authorities have recently been carrying out tests with a heavy-oil engine of German design which is suitable for use on army lorries. It is now reported that, at the request of the French Ministry of War, the German firm has loaned two vehicles fitted with the engine in question to the authorities so that a series of road trials can be conducted.
Projected Long-distance Services.
We understand that Messrs. Harrison and Ives, . of Surrey Street, Norwich; will be starting a regular bus service between London and Norwich in April, and that Messrs. Aard Motor Coaches, of 23, Fox Lane, Palmers Green, London, N.13, will be running passenger vehicles between London. and Warwick by Easter. We hope shortly to give further details of these services and of the vehicles employed on them.
Buses Succeed in Sunderland.
In View of the success which has attended the experimental motorbus service inaugurated by the Northern General Transport Co., Ltd., by arrangement with the Sunderland Corporation, in the east end of the town, steps are now being taken by the authority for the opening up on another "Northern" route from Castletown to Park. Lane which will provide transport facilities for a new and growing district.
Birmingham's New Municipal Garage.
The new garage for the municipality's buses which is being erected by the tramways committee of the Birmingham Corporation will be opened about the beginning of May, and it is claimed that when completed it will be one of the finest garages of its kind in the country. It is being built on most up-to-date lines, and will provide accommodation for about 100 vehicles. Four petrol pumps are to be installed at the entrance, and as the vehicles return from service each night they will be replenished with petrol as as oil and water. Fuel will be stored in four underground tanks, each having a capacity of 12,600 gallons. In addition, 3,000-gallon tanks are being instaled for lubricating oil. A hydraulic washer is to be used for cleansing the chassis, and spraying machines will ensure that the body is kept in a clean condition. Pits are being included in the layout so that the undergear of the chassis may receive proper attention. A feature -will be the means provided for illumination, so that men engaged in this work are spared the necessity for carrying lamps.
A Change in Colchester's Transport Plans.
We understand that the Colchester Town Council has altered its original decision on the types of bus which are to be used to form part of its new transport system. At a recent meeting of this authority it was decided that orders should be placed for two chassis and two single-decker bus bodies to seat 32 persons, the total cost of these being £2,589. The tenders of Dennis Bros., Ltd., for four chassis at 1390 each and of Messrs. Strachan and Brown for four 20-seater bus bodies at £282 10s. each were accepted. The six vehicles will, therefore cost the council 15,279. It was first decided to purchase six 32seaters, but the authority considers that the above arrangement will better suit its particular purpose.
Merthyr's Bus Superintendent.
The Merthyr Tydfil Corporation has received 128 applications for the position of superintendent of its bus services, rendered vacant through theresie'nation of Mr. D. P. Adey. The num.bet is being reduced to a list of 12, from which the final selection will be made by or before mid-April.
A Clock for Saloon Coaches.
The latest production of S. Smith and Sons .(M.A.), Ltd., Cricklewood, London, N.W.2, is an eight-day clock specially designed for either flush or flange fitting in the interior of saloon motor coaches. The clock, which has an overall diameter of 41 ins., is provided with a dear dial and well-defined figures, enabling even the passengers at the extreme rear of the coach to see the time. Officials of the Blackpool Coach • Owners' Association.
At the annual meeting of the Blackpool District Motor Coach Owners' Association, the following officials were elected ;—President, Ms. Rhodes W. Marshall; president-elect, Mr. J. E. Taylor; vice-presidents, Messrs. J. W. Horsfall, 3. Hill and J. W. Dewhurst ; hon. treasurer, Mr. J. Stead; hon. secretary, Mr. H. Hardman; hon. auditors, Messrs. Mann and Meadows ; committee, Messrs. Sam Wood, V. Stan.derwick, B. T. Butterworth, John Armitage, E. Taylor, J. Teems, Wolstenholme, N. Waddington, J. H. Jackson and W. Salisbury.
London-Dover-London Daily.
The Express Safety Coach Co., of London, recently applied to the Dover Town Council for a. licence for a 20rester saloon bus which is to be used between Dover and London. After COtt• sideration of the company's application the licence was granted. The company intends to run the vehicle from London to Dover in the morning and to use it on the return jonfney in the afternoon.
Newport Bus Returns,
The report dealing with the operation of the bus services run by Newport (Mon.) Town Council during the year 1927 indicates that a loss was incurred. This is mainly attributed to the fact that industrial denression ztPI prevailed in the area. We understand that the longer routes which were established did not pay as had been anticipated, and some of the experimental routes have now been abandoned.
The outlook, however, is stated to be favourable, and it is expected that this year the services will become self-sup
porting. Good results are expected from the transport of summer holidaymakers. The net deficit on the buses during the past year amounted to £2,317, to which has to be added £503 —the cost of the substitution of tramcars on the Malpas Road route.
Transport Co-ordination in Lancashire.
At a meeting of the Lancashire and Cheshire Tramways Authorities Council, called to discuss the question of coordination with respect to motorbus services, the following resolution was passed That this conference of the Lancashire and Cheshire municipal representatives and representatives of the Ribble Motor Services, Ltd., the Orosvile Motor Co., Ltd., the North-Western Road Car Co., Ltd., and the Lancashire United Transport and Power Co., Ltd., are in agreement with the principle of co-ordination of operation between themselves and suggest that the authorities and the aforesaid companies in the various districts in the area be recommended to use every endeavour to make local agreements as early as convenient." Furthermore, it was resolved that en area committee consisting of representatives of the municipalities and the companies concerned should be formed, to give effect to the objects outlined. . An Observed Trial of a 20-seater Bus.
General Motors, Ltd., recently submitted for trial, under the general competition rules of the A.I.A.C.R. and of the R.A.C., a 20-seater saloon bus, the object being to secure records of fuel, oil, water consumption and reliability. The trial was held upon the R.A.C.'s six standard routes, which consist of out-and-home runs on the main Cheltenham, Exeter, Peterborough, Stratford-on-Avon, Bath and Coventry roads. The weather was tine and the condition of the roads good. The fuel used during the trial was purchased in the ordinary way and the bus did not coast during the run. The total distance covered was 1,019.5 miles and the average speed maintained (running time only) was 18.11 m.p.h. The number of miles run to the gallon of fuel consumed was .13.59, this being equivalent , to 58.95 ton-miles per gallon, and 679 miles were run on n gallon of oil. The total amount of water added to the radiator during the trial was 41 ozs.
Apart from the usual replenishments and attention to lubrication and greasing no work was carried out on the vehicle during the trial. The total travelling weight of the bus was approximately 4 tons 16 cwt. The engine which is used in this model is a 'six-cylindered unit with a bore of 3* ins, and a stroke of 4e ins., its Treasury rating being 23.4 b.h.p.
Cardiff Parking Places.
The extension of official parking placee for motors at Cardiff during last year was, according to a return made by the Chief Constable of Cardiff, fully justified by the results of the enterprise. Over 160,000 vehicles were allowed standing places during the year at the official sites.
Debt-free Motorbuses.
The operation of motorbuses by the Wallasey Corporation has developed into a very profitable undertaking, and, according to the statement made at the last meeting of the town council, all the vehicles comprising the fleet will be free from debt at the end of this month, which is the termination of the finan cial year. The corporation has 13 metorbuses, five of which were bought two years ago, two eighteen months ago, three twelve months ago, and three nine months ago. The corporation is now awaiting the delivery of twelve new double-deck buses, and these will be put into service on the Seabank Road route —which at the present time is served by tramcars. If this experiment be, successful it is likely that the trams will be superseded, as this route is the most heavily trafficked in the borough.
During the past twelve months the mileage totalled 315,270, an increase of 42.5 per cent. on the corresponding period of 1926-27. The profit for 192728 is 1.11,7$2, of which £7,890 has been allocated to the reserve fund. It is interesting to note that the sum of £1,144) is contributed to the tramways reserve fund in repayment of the subsidy given (luring the first and only year of bus operation which resulted in a loss..
Cost of Traffic Control.
Glasgow Watch Committee recently agreed that two members be appointed to confer with the appropriate Government Department, along with representatives from the larger Burghs, the County Council of Lanark and the Convention of Royal Burghs, on the matter of the expense incurred arising out of traffic control in the city.
The town clerk now reports that these representatives met Sir Henry Maybury on behalf of the Ministry of Transport, and thereafter had a meet ing with the Secretary for Scotland. At these meetings the various representatives submitted that as the expense incurred in respect of traffic control is almost entirely, or to a very large extent, the result of the increased motor traffic, the cost of it shauld be defrayed out of the Road Fund, and without inany way diminishing the grants payable out of the Road Fund to local authorities for the maintenance of roads. Both Government Departments assured the representatives that the views expressed would receive every consideration and be submitted to the Treasury.
Bradford Fares Controversy.
It is reported that the Bradford Chamber of Trade Wends to protest against the alleged action of the licensing committee of the Bradford Corporation in forcing a private bus-operating concern to charge higher fares than the authority on a route served by the latter body's trolley-buses,
Uniform Licensing.
Bus licensing Conditions are engaging the attention of the South-west Lancashire Motor Omnibus Committee, 4/which has decided to adopt a uniform kind of licence. A sub-committee is dealing with the following questions :(a) The conditions to be attached to licences; (b) period of licences; (c) overcrowding of buses and steps to be taken to stop this practice. A report on these matters will be submitted to the full committee in the near future. The M. of T. and Leeds Bus Appeal.
At a meeting of the Leeds Watch Committee a letter was submitted from the Ministry of Transpeet with reference to the appeal of Messrs. G. II. Kilburn and Sons, against the refusal of the committee to grant them licences to ply for hire within the city in respect of a motorbus service between Leeds and Huddersfield, via lleckmondwike. It stated that, after due investigation' of the facts and careful consideration of the representations made at the inquiry, it had been decided not to make an Order in the matter.
A letter was also submitted' from the Ministry with reference to the appeal of the Yorkshire '(Woollen 'District) Electric Tramways, Ltd., against therefusal of the committee to grant permission to the company to augment its bus service between Leeds and Huddersfield. In this case the Minister said he was of the opinion that additional services along the LeedsHuddersfield route would be necessary
in the near future and the Leeds Corporation should consider the advisability of accepting revised timetables, or of granting additional licences, in order that such services might be provided.
' Bus and Lorry Manufacture in Japan. It is announced that, with the assistance of a Government subsidy, the lshikawajima Shipbuilding and Dockyard Co., of Yokohama, is now building motor lorries and busee, which are mainly supplied to the Japanese army authorities. It is stated that the subsidy amounts to £400 per lorry and £325 for each bus.
The Range of S.D. Freighters.
A catalogue has recently been issued by Shelvoke and Drewry, Ltd., Letchworth, Hertz, which clearly enumerates the constructional features of S.D. Freighters and the advantages which they possess for certain classes of transport work, both in connection with passenger and goods carrying.
The catalogue is well illustrated anzl the pictures show that S.D. Freighters are being put to it variety of uses in trades of all descriptions. The merits of such vehicles for the transport of cable drums and large sheets of plate glass are indicated. S.D. Freighters are also particularly suitable for refuse collection by reason of their extremely low loading line. The different types of vehicle which are available are tabulated, prices for standard vehicles being given.
Hard-working Bean Vans on Mail Work.
In the latest issue of the "Bean Bulletin," which is issued by Bean Cars, Ltd., Tipton, near Birmingham, some details of the fleet of mail vans run by James Allen Ltd., are given. This company runs •4L Bean vans, and during the week preceding Christmas Day of last year the fleet travelled 16,009 miles in London traffic. The number of hours worked was 5,574, and out of this large total only six hours were lost, this being due to a magneto temporarily ceasing to function owing to condensation as a result of the extremes of temperature which were enceuntered during that week.
To obtain this aggregate of working hours, each vehicle had to work an average of 21 hears per day, and this reeord in itself is sufficient to indicate the reliability of Bean products. In further support of this fact, it is interesting to note that most of the vehicles have completed well over 30,000 miles each, and have not yet reached the stage where overhauling becomes a necessity.
A New Link Between England and Scotland.
The new Royal Tweed Bridge, which has been erected at a cost of £160,000, and which will form the principal roadtransport link between England and Scotland on the east side of the • country, will be opened bythe Prince of Wales on May 16th. The new crossing will be of undoubted value in view of the tremendous increase in the volume of motor traffic passing between the two countries. Of the total cost for the work the Ministry of Transport is bearing 75 per cent., the Northumberland County Council M5,000 and the Berwick Corporation the remainder.
A Liquid Hand Cleaner.
Some little time ago we came into possession of a tin of Emulsol, manufactured by the " Pierseel Factory, Clydebank, and marketed by the North British Publicity and Distri c22
bating Co., Ltd., 19, Main Street, Govan, -Glasgow. This material is a liquid hand cleaner which can be used in two ways. It can be employed for cleaning after the hands are dirty or used as a preventive by rubbing a small quantity into the hands until they are dry before carrying out any work which would soil them. We found that for both purposes it served admirably, and we have used it on many occasions when performing adjustments, etc., to our own cars. The smell is rather penetrating but not objectionable.
Ambulance Makers, Note.
Sheffield Cinematograph Exhibitors Association is raising a fund for the provision of a motor ambulance for the local hospitals.
A Railway Move to Obtain Traffic.
An arrangement has been made by the Great Northern Railway (Ireland) Co. for the conveyance of passengers, intending to travel over its line, from their homes to the Belfast station of the company "in modern and comfortable taxicabs" at fares ranging from one-third to one-half below those hitherto charged. This arrangement may be taken as a further effort on the part of a railway company to counter the opposition of bus traffic in Belfast. The principal Belfast railway stations are situated a good distance from the city centre.
New Services from Manchester.
An arrangement has recently been concluded between . the Manchester Corporation and the North Western Road Car Co., Ltd., under which four new services will be run from Manchester to Derbyshire and Cheshire. The services were started on March 1st and are likely to confer many benefits on the travelling public. Tilling-Stevens Express-type buses to seat 36 and 32 people are being employed, and the vehicles are allowed to pick up passengers at certain stopping-places in the Manchester area.
Welding Repairs to Scanunell Cylinders.
For more than five years the New Welding Co., of 26, Rosebery Avenue, London, E.C.1, has been repairing Scammell cylinder heads by a special process which involves building up and recutting, valve seatings which have worn beyond the stage when ordinary regrinding proves beneficial. In most cases it is only the exhaust valve seatings which require attention. So successful has this class of repair proved that not a single complaiut has been received ; in fact, the material employed in the rebuilding is so good that tests have proved the life of treated seatings to be longer than that of the settlings in the original castings.
Owing to the number of heads with which the company deals it has decided to reduce the price—a point which should be of interest to many of _ our readers.
Another effective repair is the fitting
of new cylinder liners, which can be carried out after the bores have been reground to the limit recommended by the makers.
Doncaster's Application to the Ministry of Transport.
Doncaster Corporation has applied for the consent of the Minister of Transport to the running of buses on certain roads (including the Bawtry and Tinsley main road) between 'Doncaster and Rotherham. As . the main road is already considered „to be sufficiently traversed by such vehicles, including the buses and trolley-buses run by the Rotherham Corporation, the highways committee of the West Riding County Council has objected to the application.
New Six-wheelers for Birmingham.
At a recent meeting of the Birmingham Watch Committee approval was given to the specification of a new OSseater six-wheeled motorbus. It is said that vehicles built to this specification will shortly be licensed in this city.
Additions to Salford's Motorbus Fleet.
At the time when we prepared our .analysis of municipal bus services, which was published in our Special Passenger Vehicle Number, dated February 7th, the Salford dorporation had 36 motorbuses in use, a number of them being six-wheelers. The tramways committee of the corporation has now decided to make additions to its fleet, and 24 32-seater buses art to be purchased at a cost of almost. £30,000. The proposal has to receive the approval of the finance committee before being submitted as a recommendation to the city council.
Salford Corporation first obtained authority to run buses within the ei ty boundaries under the provisions of the Salford Corporation Act, 1920, and during the intervening years it has built up a remarkably efficient fleet. The buses are proving extremely popular, as may be gathered from the fact that the number of passengers carried has increased from 1,628,948 in 1921 to 6,238,688 in 1926, whilst traffic receipts have risen from £14,275 in 1921 to £36,170 in 1926. The buses at present in use are operated on 11 different routes, but several new services. will be opened up when the new buses are purchased.
Leeds Replaces Trolley-buses.
The Leeds municipal authorities have now decided to discard their two remaining trolley-bus routes which link op Guiseley and Burley and Guiseley and Otley. It is said that motorbuses are to be used in place of the trolleybuses and that advantage will be taken of Parinunent's„aanction to maintain a service between Baildon Bridge and Csuiseley. Furthermore, the new buses will probably run through to Leeds from Otley and Burley, instead of firrislaing their journey at Cuiseley.
A Useful Metallurgical Journal.
The latest balf-yearly volume of the journal of the Institute of Metals (Vol. 38) has just been issued, and constitutes another useful contribution to metallurgical literature. The fourteen origival communications which it contains were presented at the recent Derby meeting d the Institute, and to each is appended a verbatim report of the discussion that took place. The result is a very useful set of papers dealing with such practical subjects as "Non-fencers Metals in Modern Transport" and "The Protection of Aluminium arid its Alloys against Corro
elan." More than half the journal is devoted to abstracts from papers of Metallurgical interest. The journal contains a number of highly interesting illustrations and is priced at 31s. 6.(1. It can be obtained from the Institute at 36, Victoria Street, Westminster, London, S.W.1.
• Belfast Bus Contracts.
The Belfast Corporation has accepted a tender of £776 for the supply of two bus chassis for carrying 32seater bodies. Thirteen tenders were received, and the prices ranged from £775 to £1,115. Twenty-nine firms tendered for the building of the bus bodies, the lowest being £400 and tho highest 1750.The fourth lowest—that of a local firm—was accepted.
Stretford Grants Licences.
Stretford Urban District Council has granted the application of the Lancashire United Transport and Power Co., Ltd., for licences in respect of 10 Leyland pneumatie-tyred double-deck omnibuses, as well as for 113 vehicles, 64drivers and 55 conductors, for the period ending December 31st, 1928.
Urban Councils and the Railways' Road Powers.
The executive committee of the Urban District Councils' Association has passed a resolution not to offer any opposition to the principle of equable powers Sought by the railway' companies, providing reasonable safeguards are aSsured in respect of the rights of local utborifies.
New Routes for Oldham's Buses.
The tramways committee of the Oldham Corporation has obtained power from the West Riding County Council to run motorbuses over the following routes :—Along the Waterhead to Huddersfield main road between Waterhead end the junction of Doctor Lane and Platting Road ; along County End, Lees to T.Jppermill Road, from Grotton Hollow to the Springhead boundary, near Lydgate, and along Platting .Road from Doctor Lane to Lydgate. Success of Co-operative Laundry Transport.
A tribute to the efficiency and economy of road motors was paid at the annual meeting of representatives gf shareholding societies of the Co-operative Laundries, Ltd., which was recently held at Wallsend, The undertaking serves a large number of cooperative !societies' around Tyneside and in the County of Durham, and the president, Mr. J. M. Gallons, said that the laundry, which inaugurated its own transport fleet about three years ago, now served practically the whole of the area covered by its own vehicles. By these facilities the company now bore the cost both ways, and its carriage bill during the past three years had decreased by considerably over £300 per annum.
Barrow Withdraws.
The Barrow Town Council is withdrawing from membership of the joint licensing committee for buses in the Furness district.. This follows the refusalof that committee to grant the corporation a, licence for .buses to run on a route between Barrow, Dalton and Ulverston.
Heavy-duty Albions.
"For Those Heavier Loads " 18 the title of a leaflet which. the Albion Motor Car Co., Ltd., of Scotstoun, Las just issued. It gives brief details of the company's 3-ton, 4-ton and 5-ton models and includes illustrations of them fitted with different types of body. The 4-tonner is available in two patterns, One having a forward-control. position.
Mr. Bromley's New Appointment.
In our issire for last week .we referred to the fact that Mr. J. A. Bromley, the -present general manager of the York Corporation Tramways and Motors, is shortlytaking up an appointment with the Durban Corporation. He tells us that he will assume responsibility for the department dealing with the municipal transport, and not as previously stated. Municipal Bus Progress at Newcastle.
Further extensive motorbus developments are contemplated by the Newcastle Corporation, which is making application to the Ministry of Transport for permission to open up five new bus routes in the Whitley Bay, Wallsend, Darra.s Hall and Fawdon districts. The sanction of the local authorities concerned has been obtained in the cases of all, but the Fawdon proposal. . The Panteland Urban District Council has refused to approve of this scheme because the Fawdon Motor Services, which pioneered the route, are, it states, already providing an adequate service for the needs of the district.
Six-wheelers for Territorial Use.
The Pembrokeshire Territorial Army Association has ordered four MorrisCommercial six-wheeled tractor-lorries as the first instalment towards 'the use of mechanical transport in place of horses in the equipment of the Pembrokeshire R.F.A. (T.). A further quota of these tractor-lorries for the transport of ammunition and gun crews will be ordered at an early date for delivery in time for the annual training period this year.
Averaged 35 m.p.h. for 3,700 Miles.
Journeys across America, from New York to San Francisco, by motorcar are nowadays quite common occurrences. General Motors, Ltd., however, recently made a new departure by submitting one of its G.M.C. 2-ton lorries to the task of making the journey from the Atlantic to the Pacific. The trip of 3,693 miles was successfully completed in 103 hrs..59 reins., despite the fact that a full load was carried the whole distance.
A Private Parking Enterprise.
It was reported to the Ammanford Urban District Council that private enterprise had derided to provide parking place for buses, other types of commercial vehicle and cars in the centre of the area, use thereof to be subject to the payment of a small fee. It was thought this arrangement would prove a boon to bus proprietors because of the very limited period which their vehicles are allowed bY the council on
c24 the stands and at street stopping places The clerk advised that nothing could be done by the council to thwart this scheme of private enterprise, and several members who thought the municipality might earn revenue by providing similar facilities were reminded that it might also lose money. It was decided not to oppose the project Centralized Transport at Birkenhead.
The special committee (motor transport) of the Birkenhead Corporation has come to the conclusion that if the ordering and control of all motor vehicles used by the corporation, with the exception of those employed by the departments of the tramways and motors, police, fire-brigade and medical officer of health, were placed under the sanitary committee, more efficient use could be made of the vehicles available, with a resultant saving to the corporation. The special committee has, therefore, recommended the adoption of this scheme and suggested that Mr. J.
Pendleton should be appointed the transport officer working under the sanitary committee. This committee has been requested to consider the establishment of a central garage and the tramways and motors committee is to arrange for repairs to be carried out.
Irish Free State Imports Increase.
No fewer than 41 commercial motor vehicles valued at £9,642 were imported into the Irish Free State during January last, as compared with 17 (L3.675) in the corresponding month of 1927.
A Scottish Tramways System Closed. Dumbarton Burgh and County Tramway Co., Ltd., has recently closed down its tramways system, which covered a fairly large area, one of its chief services being between Dalamir and Balloch, apart from others in Dumbarton and Alexandria.
The directors made it clear in the last report of the company that there had been no diminution in bus competition, and, although the traffic receipts for the year showed a slight increase over those for the previous 12 months, the company's operations were conducted at a loss.
Demonstrating Workshop . .Appliances.
For the rest of this week Brown Bros., Ltd., is demonstrating at its garage in Great Eastern Street, London, E.C2, a number of methods typifying workshop practice, including the degreasing of metals by the Crawshaw Chemical Colander, valve reseating and refacing and engine decarbonizing by the Black and Decker method, vehicle washing with the Hardie washer and oxyacetylene welding by the use of AllenLiyersidge apparatus. At the same time a range of up-to-date equipment comprising Mann Egerton, Harvey Frost and Weaver products will be on view. The demonstration is being held daily from. 10_30 a.m. to 1 pan, and from 2.30 p.m. to 5.30 p.m.
Report of a C.M.U.A. Division.
The annual report of the Northwestern Division. Preston area, of the Commercial Motor Users Association has just been issued for the year 1927, and it deals with the more important work which has engaged the attention of the committee.
References are made to weak land restricted bridges and to the serious situation which has developed in certain parts of the country owing to the action of railway and canal companies in refusing to co-operate so that their bridges may be brought up to the standard required to meet modern traffic conditions.
The names of toads in the Blackpool area which are closed to motor-coach traffic are set out in the report.
The Association has now concluded negotiations in regard to an application by the Ulverston Rural District Council to close 15 roads to heavy motor traffic. A final schedule is set out in the report which which shows that 10 of the roads are considered unsuitable for heavy traffic and it is now agreed that they should be closed, whilst in the case of the other five, the C.M.TJ.A. recommends that two of them should be left open and that the others should receive consideration at the hands of the Ministry of Transport.
The scheme which the Association helped to evolve for supplying water to steam wagons by means of roadside water-meters continues to make progress, and the report mentions that the system is now in operation in Birkenhead, Bolton, Latham, Burspough, Liverpool. Warrington and West Cheshire.
The railways' application for road transport powers has formed the subject of many circulars and memoranda, to members, and in the report stress is laid upon the need for all road users to co-operate in an endeavour to protect their interests.
Sowers in Italy.
It is reported that arrangements are in progress under which the Societsi Officine Meccaniche of Brescia, makers of the O.M. cars, will build motorbuses and lorries of Satires type for the Italian market under a licence from the Sa.urer Co.