WHEELS OF INDUSTRY.
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" lhe wheels of wealth will be slowed by all difficulties of transport at whatever points arising, its a carriage is by the roughness of the roads over which it runs."—John Beat-tic Crozier.
This Issue and the Next. ,
The present issue constitutes a forecast of the two exhibitions which open their deers on Thursday next, the Commercial \ Motor and Roads Development Exhibition at Olympia, promoted by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders and the Public Works, Roads :Aid Transport. Congress and Exhibition at the Agricultural Hall, promoted by the County Councils Association. The Shows will remain open to the public during the next Week, the S.M.M. and T. not closing until the Saturday evening, and the County Councils Association Exhibition closing • to the public on the Thursday evening.
We have endeavoured to cover every vehicle exhibited a&the two Shows, and our forecast also deals with the bodywork on the various vehicles. There are a few cases where complete information has not been. obtainable, hut, in any case, our report, which will appear in the issue of November 27th, will deal fully and adequately with each exhibit at each Show.
We devote, in-this issue eight pages to "An Epitome for Purchasers," constituting a useful and valuable buyers' guide to all types of commercial vehicles, power haulage plant and municipal aplianees on the British market,
again,an endeavour has been made to secure complete information, but exigencies of space and other reasons have not enabled us to deal as fully with the vehicles of foreign origin represented on the British market as we should have
We describe, in special articles, some of the new productions that will be of outstanding interest at the Olympia Show, and we particularly draw attention to our description of the new vacuum-operated brake gear appearing cu pages 434 and 435. Our next issue, 'which will include a full report, abundantly illustrated, of both Exhibitions, will be published next Tuesday, and we hope to be able to include in its pages a very important article by Dr. Blackwood Murray, D.Sc. M.Inst.C.E., chairman and managing director of the Albion Motor Car Co., Ltd.
New Toll-free Bridge.
The Flinishire County Council has decided to promote a Bill in Parliament for the construction of a new toll-free bridge in _place of the existing Queen's Ferry bridge over the 'River Dee. The new bridge will be of the bascule type, each half being hinged to its pier and !capable of •being raised to give a 'passage to vessels -up or down the river: The old bridge is an important highway between North Wales and Liverpool and Birkenhead, and owing to the huge increase in motor traffic its capacity has been ranch overtaxed, go much that it Is unsafe for 6-ton vehicles to pass over It. Designs of the new bridge are being an•epered in readiness to be deposited in Parliament at the end of the month with the Bid] which is being promoted in the next sassier!. The bridge will be much wider than the existing one, and a further advantagd will be that, instead
CS of there beim= a gradient such as that leading to th(E7deck of the present -bridge, the approaches to the new one wilt be almost level.
It is estimated .that, the coet will he about .£70,001 The. Clihire "County Cojijilil and theBirkenheacl Town Council are to be asked to "Make contributions towards the cost.. At present the bridge' has an earning capacity, and to abolish the tolls, it is said, will saddle the ratepayers of the county with about a penny rate. for the supped of tho Liverpool merchants in order that they might earn more money for their shareholders by having the free use of this bridge. One of the conditions of the grant from the Ministry of Transport is that the new • bridge shall be free of tolls.
A Good Offer.
In our advertisement pages this week a special offer is made by a well-known authorized Ford dealer, Mr. Harold Perry, of Invicta Works, North Finchley, London, N.12. The dealer is offering a new coach-built Ford ton lorry for £160 complete. He has also devised a unique part-exchange scheme, whereby an immediate cash allowance is made to the user who wishes to dispose of his old car and buy a new vehicle, and whatever profit is made on the resale on the old machine, ' less 5 per cent, selling commission and cost of repairs, is handed to the customer. This is a fair scheme which should 'attract many Ford users.
Inst. P.E. Meeting_
A general meeting of the Institution e.f Production Engineers will be held at 7.30 p.m. to-morrow, November 21st, at the Engineers' Club, Coventry Street, London, W. I. On this occasion Mr. A. W. Swan, B.Sc., of the Sterling Telephone and Electric Co., Ltd:, Dagenham, Essex, will deliver a paper dealing with "The Use of Charts in Engineering."
At a recent meeting of the Coventry branch al, the Institution the following officers, were elected for the 1923-24 ses
sion :--Chairmane MT. Sykes ; chairman, Mr. R. Harrell; committee, Messrs. E. V. Doclman, H. Barrand, W. Ellis and P. A. Shaw; lien. secretary, Mr. H. A. Dudgeon. Rover Report.
The report of the Rover Co., Ltd., for the year ended August, 3rd shows a loss of £36,752. Deducting this sum from,the balance brought forward from the preVieniS year, i.e., £50,252, a sum of :213,500 remains. The directors point out that this result is largely due to the continuous cuts in the prices.of cars by many of the company's competitors.
During the past year certain expenses, such as the writing dawn of the stocks-£59,106—have been borne, and the directors now propose to bring back to the profit and loss account £50,000 voted in 1919 to the general reserve fund for the equalization of dividends, making, with the existing balance, an amount available for distribution of £63,500. Out of this sum a dividend at the rate of 5 per cent. is to he paid and will absorb £39,512, leaving £23,688 to be carried forward.
The New Bridge Across the Severn.
Sir Benry Maybury presided at a re-. cent Conference of representatives of South Wales and West of England county and urban councils and the G.W R. Co., when definite pledges to proceed with the proposed River Severn road and rail bridge were made; a Bill to authorize the construction of the bridge is to be introduced immediately.
Interesting details of the project are now available. The idea for the proposed new Severn bridge is 611 the road for motor traffic shall be built beneath the railway track. The structure and rail track will be maintained by the G.W.R. Co., who take the view that the maintenance of the road track should fall on the local authorities interested in the project. The company will pay half the rest of construction, the remainder being found from local funds andand by grants.
Power Farming in Egypt.
No tractors were imported into Egypt before the war, but in 1920 the total reached 294. This figure fell to '65 in 1921, and to 13 in 1922. Of these, the United States sent 150 in 1920, 26 in 1921, and 2 in 1922. Italy, led in 1922 with 6 machines, There are several reasons against the universal adoption of power farming methods in Egypt. Labour is cheap and abundant; the majority of the . native farmers are conservative; deepploughing is not required, as the soil Is regularly renewed by the flooding of the Nile, whilst in the delta it is inadvisable owing to the presence .of snit in the subsoil. Another important objection is that the bridges over the waterways' of the country are, for the most part, too frail to support such heavy machines.
The Road Traffic Conference, The road traffic conference on Tuesday and Wednesday next at Olympia includes papers by Sir Edmond J. W.' Slade, Major Beaumont, Mr. C. Le M. Gosselin and Mr. G. W. Watson. Mr. R. S. J.P.,. occupies the chair on the first day, and Mr. E.. S. Shrapnell-Smith, C.B.E., on-Use second day. Mr. F. G. Bristow, F.C.I.S., is the honorary secretary' Of the conference.
New Idea in Road Surfacing.
Aker experiments lasting several months the street drainage and works committee of the Bradford City Council has commenced to put down a rubber read surfacing, which is of particular interest to the heavy-vehicle owner in so far as the blocks with which the concretebed is being covered consist of sections cut from solid tyres.. The accompanying illustration shows two methods of laying the blocks' which have been adopted. The pieces of rubber are about 4 ins, square section . by 11 ins, long, and, whereas the rubber paving around the Cenotaph in London cost £4 per sq. yd., the cost of the Bradford experiment is estimated at not more than £2, including the cost of the experimental work. It is estimated that if the cost, of rubber is maintained at its present level the real cost of laying_ roads in this manner will be reduced to 15s. per sq. yd. The metal rims from the tyres which are being used.for road surfacing are sold as scrap metal at just about the coat of the scrap rubber, Allen-Liversidge Staff Dinner.
The staff dinner held recently at the Trocadero Restaurant by Allen-Liversidge' Ltd., the well-known acetylene and lighting engineers, proved a most interesting and enjoyable function, which included an excellent musical programme. The chair wa§ occupied by Mr. C. S. Oilman, JP., who was supported by Mr. T. 0. Allen,.F.R.G.S. one of the two managing directors. The latter, in proposing a. toast to the staff, paid it an excellent tribute and then referred to the Coming expansion of the company by the formation of Ailen-Liversidge South Africa, Ltd., and Allen-Liversidge India, Ltd. At present there is an Australian branch, but the new com
panies mean that the letters will become even better known throughout the world. Mr. W. C. Freeman responded in well-chosen phrases. The chairman then gave the toast of " The Goests," to which Major CooperKey, Chief Inspector of Explosives, 'replied. The roast of " The Chairman" was proposed by Col. J. Stirling, D.S.O., Wolverhampton Services, A report of the Wolverhampton corporation states that the rolling ski& has been "increased by the addition of two motor omnibuses of the latest. type; with forward steering and large seating capacity. During the summer a system of cheap return tickets was introduced on the
quiet days of the week on the longer motorbus routes, with the object, of inducing more people to ride on the buses and thus increase the load factor. The motor omnibus traffic has been increased by the running of a daily service to Brewood, and the running of a service to Essington on Saturdays. In July, the committee took over the motorbus service, between Wolverhamp
ton and Bridgnorth, and immediately increased the number of omnibuses on the route. The new services have been well patronized, and the committee hopes shortly to commence additional routes, Following the decision of the council to substitute trolley-buses on the Wednesfield route instead of relaying the tramvay track, preparations were made for the running of the buses. The tramway track has been replaced by a tar-macadam roadway.
Leeds Traffic Proposals:
At a meeting of the Leeds Watch Committee letters were submitted from the Leeds and District Horse and Motor Owners' Assoc,iation and the Leeds and District Coal Merchants' Association with respect to the clauses inserted in the draft Bill for the controlling of traffic. The chairman was asked to interview representatives of the associations an the subject.
Personal Pars.
Mr: Edgar Stafford, A.M.I.E.E., hitherto well known. a sales manager of the BriNftli Motor Trading Corporation, Ltd., has now been appointed general manager of the corporation.
Bailie W. L. Sleigh, D.L., J.P., managing director of Rossleigh, Ltd., motor engineers, of 32, Shanclwick Place, Edinburgh, has been unanimously elected Lard Provost of the city of Edinburgh.
A prominent Merseyside motor trader t-o receive the civic honour of elevation to the rank of alderman in the Wallasey Corporation is Mr. C. F. Rymer, managing director of C. F. Rymer, Ltd. The widespread character of the activities of this company reflect great credit on the organizing abilities of Aderman Rymer. The company have a complete sales, maintenance and repairs organization at Wallasey, where there is also a coachimilding department which specializes ip the production of coachwork for passenger and goods vehicles, The company own a fleet of motor coaches, and in connection with their tours they control a residential hotel and a catering estab• lishment.
G.H.Q. oi London's Underground.
Concentration of a staff at present to some extent scattered about London is the reason for the erection of a vast extension, over themlatiorms of St. James's Park District Railway Station, of Electric 'Railway House. The new office building will be six storeys high, and it is carried on 22 huge girders totalling in weight 550 tons supported on .ferro-con, crete piers. The Be* building occupies an area of 45,000 square feet, and access to it will be obtained-through the present entranceto Electric Railway Rouse, whilst there will also be an entrance in Palmer Street. The railway station will not materially suffer, for a new scheme of illumination will help to replace the lost daylight, and under the present conditions the Underground system is far removed from the gloomy, smoky region which it unquestionably was before the electric railway era.
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South African Motor Distribution.
The commercial vehicle registration figures for South Africa show that the number of taxicabs in the Union fell to 958 in 1922 from 1,089 in 1921. Buses, however, increased from 133 to 183, lorries from 949 to 1,219, and delivery vans from 262 to 327. A number of ordinary cars must he considered as being used for commercial purposes, for, out of the total of 45,380 of all kinds of motor vehicles in use in 1922, those put to commercial use were estimated at 9,864. Of these, 4,278 were operating in the Cape Province, 3,955 in the Transvaal, 1,297 in Natal, and 334 in the Orange Free State. The various types of commercial motor vehicles were distributed among the provinces as follow The United. States supplied 27,479 of these vehicles; Oreat,Britain, 11,530; Canada, 5,465; France, 389; Germany, 261; Italy, 57; other countries, 199.
Canadian Lorry Exports.
The following table,, compiled from the official American export figures for July last., clearly 4indicates that the European market, despite difficulties occasioned by the war, is still the greatest absorber of commercial eh ieles The value of the'd-ton:class was 922,187 dollars; of the 1 to 21-ton class, 434,528 dollars ; and over 21-ton class, 221,785 dollars.
The leading countries taking the lightest types were .Belgium, 942; Sweden, 633; Great Britain, 227; Japan, 141; Uruguay, 100; Mexico, 99; Cuba, 81; Spain, 53; Italy, 50; Chile, 50; Australia, 43; Peru, 32; China, 30; and British West Africa, 29. The largest buyers of medrum-capacity lorries were Canada, 101; Australia, 96; Sweden, 27; Great Britain, 26; New Zealand, 17; Chile, 15; Cuba, 10; Argentina, 10; and Japan, 10. Heavy lorries were mostly taken by Australia, 27; Canada, 16; Mexico, 11; Norway, 8; Sweden, 3; and India, 7.
Daring the same month Canada sent 599 lorries to Australia, 283 to Great Britain. 126 to New Zealand, 50 to India, 35 to South Africa, 14 to Siare, 12 each to Ceylon and Straits Settlements, and 10 each to Aden and British East. Africa. It will be observed how prominently .various parts of the British Empire figure in the Canadian statistics.
M. of T. and a Welsh Bus Service.
The Swansea stipendiary imposed the maximum penalty of £2 on each summons, £22 in all, on George W. Person, bus proprietor, of Gorseinon, at the hearing of the adjourned cases, in which lie, as the defendant, was charged with c10 plying for hire in the Swansea borough area after the council had refused to authorize the services.
The cases had been adjourned pending the decision of the Ministry of Transport, which was in favour of the council, on an appeal against the council's decision.
The stipendiary pointed out that defendant had given the Court a promise on the adjournment of certain of the summonses not to ply for hire until the matter was settled by the Ministry. This, it was said, he had not kept, and it constituted a serious and rare offence to continue the servioes whilst the case was sub jud ice.
B.M.T. Selling Policy for 1924.
The British Motor Trading Corporation, Ltd., announce that their selling policy. for 1924 will be Wholesale only, and that their present retail establish merits in London, Manchester, Glasgow, 'and Birmingham, will, in 1924, be utilized exclusively as trade-distributing depots, to each of which will be attached a public service station and spare parts etereg, where representative stocks of parts will be maintained.
Traffic in Exeter.
Exeter City Council has prepared a scheme to secure improved traffic regulations, and is also considering whether a municipal garage or parking site can be provided.
Hiring Out Municipal Steamers.
Having insufficient work for its steam wagons, the works committee of • the Waltha,mstow Urban District Council recommends the issue of notices that the council is prepared to undertake carting work.
Last of the Tramways ? , Walsall Corporation tramways cornnalttee has deferred for 12 months the proposal to reconstruct the tramway track in Park Street and at Bloxwich, and, in the meantime, has asked the manager to report as to future policy, having regard particularly to the development of trolley-buses.
Oban and Motor Coaches.
The number of motor chars-a-bancs plying from (than during the past summer and autumn was much greater than in any previous year. They radiated in all directions, from Connel on the north to Fasdale on the south, and penetrated so far as Lochgilphead and Lochawe.
About 12 well-equipped vehicles are licensed to pick up and set down passengers on the streets of this pretty seaside resort. This must be regarded as a fairly high figure, considering that the town has scarcely a population of 6,000, and that the surrounding districts are very thinly peopled. For patrons the owners of these vehicles depend mostly, of course, on holiday-makers and other visitors, and of these there was an exceptionally large influx this year.
The roads around the burgh have been greatly improved within the past decade or so, and are now able to stand any reasonable amount of chars-a-banns and other heavy motor traffic.
Traffic Control at Walsall.
Walsall Watch Committee reports that the Chamber of Commerce has made certain observations and suggestions with regard to traffic control. Two of them relating to the provision of additional .signs, have been referred to the public works committee, and the watch committee is considering another suggestion with regard to the regulation of traffic passing stationary tramcars. The committee has approved the action of the chief constable in taking proceedings to atop street obstruction particularly in High Street and Digbeth.
The Cuban Market.
Due to its contiguity to the United States, American lorries, as might be expected, predominate in Cuba. This market is at the moment not experiencing normal price quotations, owing to large stocks that were imported during the financial crisis in 1920 being still on hand. About two-thirds of the lorries operating in Havana are of less than two tons capacity, and from 5 per 'cent. to 10 per cent, of those sold are tipping wagons. There is certainly an opportunity for British manufacturers to obtain a foothold in the market which exists.
Modernizing a Welsh Fire Brigade.
At a recent meeting of Gellygaer Urban District Council attention was drawn 65 the delay in acquiring proper equipment for the fire-brigade, in the form of a new motor fire-engine and a motor conveyance for the brigade personnel. A serious fire, it was stated, had occurred at Ystradmynach the previous day, motorcars to the value of £600 to £1,000 being destroyed. The present brigade system was antiquated, and upto-date methods were required. The police were in chase of the bugler, and when the Bargee(' brigade was assembled they had to search about for a conveyance to take the men to the fire.
It was stated that the fire-engine, which it was the council's intention to purchase, was to be exhibited at the forthcoming Exhibition in London. . . The council applied to the Ministry of Health four months ago for sanction to borrow money for the purchase of an engine, and the Ministry is shortly to hold a public inquiry into the matter.
Local Proceedings.
Wyke Parish Connell has purchased a motor lorry for refuse collection.
Abercarn Urban District Council has decided to purchase a Leyland motor fire-engine.
York CarPoration tramways ciammittee reports that it proposes to sell the old electric omnibuses, York ' Corporation tramways committee recommends that a motorbus service be established for the Poppleton Road district.
Hove Corporation cleansing committee recommends the purchase of an electric wagonfrom Electric,ars, Ltd., at a coat of £1,300.
Leeds Corporation tramways commit-, tee has scheduled roads for reconstruction so that they will be suitable for the running of motor omnibuses.
The Newport Borough Council has adopted the,racommendation of its tramways & committee that six 26-30-seater omnibuses be purchased for institution of a municipal bus service.
Audenshaw Council's sanitaryinspector reports a saving of £51 on the last year's working of a motor wagon, which collected refuse at 9s. 2d a ton compared with 9s. 10d. a ton by horsed vehicles.
The Ministry of Transport has notified the Ashburton (Devoe) Urban Council that the road from Waster Crass to Rew Down Hill -will be closed to heavy motor traffic for a period of five years.
.Leeds corporation tramways committee has authorized the purchase of railless cars and dhassis offered by Trackless Cars, Ltd., and the Associated Equipment Co., Ltd., subject to the vehicles proving, satisfactory on inspection.
At a meeting of the Brighton watch oom•mittee, Thos. Tilling, Ltd., applied for a renewal of the licences for 75 motor omnibuses and for 12 additional licences for use as required to augment present service.s and to meet traffic requirements. The committee granted. the licences for a period of six months. T-he Caerphilly Urban District Connell has decided to purchase a Ford ambulance, and a motor lorry for scavenging the Senghenydd district.
Sheffield Corporation has decided that the attention of the Ministry of Transport and of the Derbyshire County Council be called to the number of motor and other accidents which occur from Lime to time at dangerous places on the various Derbyshire roade in the neighbourhood of Sheffield.
Mexico Turning to Heavy Lorries.
At the present time there are about 2,600 commercial vehicles operating in Mexico "City, and about three-quarters of this number are of the light-delivery type. There is a tendency, however, to acquire heavier vehicles, and daring this year lorries up to 2-1-ton capacity have realized good sales. The delivery van is becoming very popular in those parts of the country where good roads are available, -whilst about one-half of the heavy lorries in use are fitted with tipping bodies, and are mainly used in connection with mining and road construction projects.
What Chile Wants.
The use of commercial Vehicles, which are mostly required for transporting ore from the mines, is increasing in Chile. Light delivery types are also in favour, but tipping bodies ars not yet so popular as they might be. Motorbuses have recently been introduced to supplement the tramcar services in Santiago. Itis probable that there will be a fair demand in the near future for buses of standard 'design, for strikes are frequent on the tramways,
A Walsall Bus Station.
Walsall Corporation tramways committee has agreed to contribute £50 towards the coat to be incurred by the Cannock Urban District Council in widening Market ''Street, FIednesford, to provide space for a bus station.
One Too Many.
Oxford Watch Committee has refused to grant the application of Mr. A. G. Jones, of 265, Iffiey Road, for a taxicab licence, as the limited number of licences has already beets issued