News and Comment.
Page 12
Page 13
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
This journal is extensively read by the heads of many wealthy commercial houses.
Trials of cushions on outside seats of motorbuses are being made in London.
Leyland U.D.C. has received L.G.B. sanction for a loan of £357 to be spent on a steam road roller.
Mr. L. Thomson is now representing the Albion interests in Liverpool and district. His address is 17, Church Road, Waterloo, Liverpool.
The city of New York now has 13,000 commercial-motor vehicles registered in it----an increase of 46 per cent, during the past twelve months.
Thomas Tilling, Ltd., not content with its extensive public-service business, is developing a good connection in motor-contracting with steam wagons.
The Russian Duma will be asked, as soon as it reassembles, to sanction a scheme for the subsidizing of motor lorries which are suitable for military operations.
We understand that certain ridiculous demands are being adwanced in Liverpool with respect to wages, and most of all on behalf of the men who merely sit on the trailers.
Alcohol.
We deal (page 264a) with the discussion on last week's paper by Dr. W. R. Ormandy before the Institution of Automobile Engineers. His investigations have recently led him to advocate the use of a half-andhalf mixture of benzole and alcohol, Additional investigations are likely to be undertaken, if funds are forth. coming, in order to obtain suitable carburetters and engines to render the use of alcohol on a large scale feasible in future years. Considerable additional experimental work is admitted to be necessary. On the invitation of its chairman, the Hon. Arthur Stanley, M.P., Mr. Shrapnell-Smith recently consented to become a member of the Imperial Motor Transport Council.
Charles Macintosh and Co., Ltd., is receiving further inquiries and orders for its Coleman, patent, nom skidding. three-section tires. Recent purchasers include Carnage's and the London Fire Brigade.
Excess Speeds.
Various heavy fines have been imposed of late, in respect of speeds in excess of the proper legal limits, upon drivers of commercial motors, in Lancashire. Excess speed, under certain conditions, may be more harmful to the roads than excess axle-weights, although, under other conditions, neither the one nor the other is either of bad effect upon the highway or inimical to the public safety.
Dennis Results.
The result of the trading of Dennis Bros. (1013), Ltd., for the 12 months ended the 30th September last, has been a profit of £55,400. The dividend is nominally at the rate of 10 per cent. per annum, but is really higher than that, having regard to the date on which the final instalment of 7s. 6d. per share was paid. The company carries forward 22500, reduces the preliminary and underwriting expenses to £20,000, and makes ample depreciation allocations.
Owners in the neighbourhood of Newport (Mon.) will be interested to know that Messrs. Moxham Bros. of that town have installed a hydraulic tire-press. This firm is also. stocking Avon band tires.
Wants an Agency.
Mr. A. Collins, of Maritzburg, S.A., is desirous of securing an agency for a reputed make of commercial-vehicle and for a good brand of solid tires. Anyone interested should communicate direct with him.
To Manufacture English Lorries Abroad.
A famous Continental manufacturer of touring cars wishes to manufacture an approved type of commercial vehicle of English design under licence, and asks us to negotiate the preliminaries. Communications should be addressed "Continental Chassis," care of The Editor of this journal.
New W.O. Certificates.
The War-Office advice of its awards, in respect of the trials, arrived after we had closed for press last week. We congratulate Messrs. Clayton (Huddersfield), Walker (Wigan) and Wolseley (Birmingham) upon their merited and uniform successes. Each competitor has been awarded certificates, conditionally upon the completion of certain agreed alterations in all future vehicles of the types affected. The Dorman engine is certified to have proved suitable for use in the heavier class of subsidy-type lorries, and upon this satisfactory result we congratulate Messrs. Dorman.
New Registrations.
In the last paragraph on page 242 of our last issue read " Colonial" for " Caine."
The Transferable Motor Traction for Vehicles, Ltd.' with an authorized capital of £10,000, and with its offices at 23 and 24, Wormwood Street, E.C.
Straker-Squire (1913), Ltd., with an authorized capital of £100,000. First directors : R. Douglas, Sidney Straker, L. It. L. Squire, and J. G. Carr.
Auto-Car Services, Ltd., with an authorized capital of £30,000 in Li shares, and with its offices at 5, Mount Pleasant Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, to acquire and extend an existing undertaking. First directors : Major John Eggington, Messrs. P. A. Marshall and W. 0. Pritchard. C.M.U.A.
The following is a summary of the business at the November meeting of the General Committee of the C.M. LT. A.
Present.—Col. R. E. Crompton (Chairman), Col. C. F. T. Myth, Major E. C. Wilder, Messrs. E. S. Shrapnell-Smith, T. IL Jones, W. F. French, E. E. Rudge, E. Percy Beavan, T. B. Browne, L. G. Oldfield, J. C. Mitchell, T. E. Harrison, W. O. Lobjoit, Chas. Wheeler, H. Lyon Thomson, and F. G. Bristow (Secretary).
1:ectures to Drivers.—The Secretary reported that 188 petrol drivers and 101 steam drivers had been registered, arid that the lectures already held had been most instructive and interesting. At each lecture a member of the Committee had occupied the chair, supported by other members of the Committee.
Manchester Show.—A letter was read from the Manchester, Liverpool and Counties C.M.U.A. making application for a grant towards the expense of their stand at. the Manchester Show in January, 1914. Resolved that a grant. be made. It was arranged that the Secretary should visit the Manchester Show.
.Parade.---It was reported that 55 entries had already been received. and that the sum of 2203 4s. had to date been subscribed to the prize funds.
Royal Commssion on Railways. —The question of giving evidence before this Commission was considered. It was resolved that. members should be circularized, stating that the Committee would be prepared to send a representative to give evidence if sufficient points of importance were raised.
Road Users Conference.–Mr. E. S. Shrapnell-Smith reported that. he, with Col. Crompton and Mr. H. Lyon Thomson, had attended the Road Users Conference as the Delegates of the C.M.U.A. when the recommendations, which had previously been before the C.M.U.A. Committee, were approved with slight amendments. It was resolved that the Secretary should obtain copies of the complete recommendations, and that they should be sent to the members of the Committee with the next agenda paper.
Drivers as Associates.—Mr. T. E. :Harrison moved that having regard to the importance of the driver in motor transport the Committee consider the advisability of admitting drivers as Associates of the C.M.U.A. on payment of a small annual subscription, the drivers receiving the miniature b-adge and free tickets for the lectures, the revenue derived to be applied to the lecture fund and prizes for
papers on various technical subjects. The matter was discussed, and it was resolved that it should be referred to the Finance Committee for them to consider and report, and Mr. T. E. Harrison was to be asked to attend the Committee when it met.
izes of Broken Stone and Chipplays. --Report No. 63 from the Engineering Standards Committee on this matter was received and Col. Crompton reported thereon.
C.M. 17.A In-i ?t r ee Policy.— The Secretary reported the proceedings of a meeting of the Insurance Committee held on the 15th October. This Committee had decided ta recommend to the General Committee that a policy, a specimen of which was being prepared to be laid before the General Committee in due course, should be issued, to be styled the " C.M.U.A. Standard Policy," to include a section dealing with fire and other load risks, and that certain leading insurance companies should be authorized to issue this policy to members of the CA-U.A. The Association would have no financial interest in the policy. The report and recommendations were adopted.
Railway Over-bridges.—Mr. E. S. Shrapnell-Smith raised the question as to whether the Association could usefully take any action in regard to railway over-bridges which leave insufficient rOOM for loaded vehicles to pass under them. The Committee -considered that further inquiries should be made into time matter, and the Secretary was instructed to take legal opinion cm certain points.
Leval Cases.—A reportwas received from the Secretary as to the number of legal cases undertaken in October, 1913.
inanee.—The Financial Statement for the month of October, n13, was received and considered satisfactory.
W Members.—One hundred and eleven new members were elected.
Proposed Taxes in France.
A strong protest is being made against the proposal of the Prefect of the Seine Department to impose direct taxes on all commercial motor vehicles. At the present time, commercial motors are not taxed in the same way as pleasure cars, but their owners have to meet a certain number of indirect taxes. Under the proposed scheme, the taxes will be in proportion to the weight and horse power, and for a 25 h.p. vehicle weighing 3; tons would amount to i1:,12 per annum if rubber tires were employed, and 218 with steel tires. A very heavy vehicle, having a 50 h.p. motor and weighing eight tons, would pay 241 if fitted with rubber tires, and 264 if shod with steel.
In protesting against this proposal, it is pointed out that commercial-motor owners are already at a disadvantage by reason of the high town taxes on petrol and benzoic. A vehicle. consuming 41, gallons of petrol in Paris every day enriches the city treasury to the extent of 45 a year if the fuel is benzole, and by about £60 if petrol is used, tt is true that a tax is in force on horse foods, but most owners avoid this by having their stables outside the city limits and always feeding their horses out of the city. Should this law be passed, it will certainly lead to a decrease in the number of motor vehicles in service in Paris. Business houses will arrange to have their carting in the city done by horse tennis, and will only use motor vehicles for suburban work, these vehicles being registered and maintained entirely outside the city. This will, of course, result in a considerable decrease in the amount yielded by the town taxes on motor fuel. The opposition is so strong, however, that it is doubtful if the authorities will be able to pass this project into law. By an agreement made on the signing of its contract, the Paris General Omnibus Co. will not be affected by any increased taxation.