The Wheels of Industry.
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This journal, dealing as it does with the "Chariots of War," no less than with the "Wheels of Industry," continues of national importance. Its interests embrace impartially the transport wagon and the parcelcar, the military tractor and the steam lorry.
Proposals and Purchases by Local Authorities.
The Rowland R.D.C, is considering the purchase of a steam wagon.
The Board of Guardians for Burslem is examining the comparative cost of horse and motor delivery of bread.
The Sunderland Town Council has accepted the recommendation of its Watch Committee, to purchase a. Morris motor fire-engine.
The Axholme RD.C. is employing old-age pensioners on its roads, in order that younger men may he freed without undue depreciation of the road surfaces.
The Walsall Tramways Depart'mint has agreed ta certain alteraliens in the remaining six Daimler motorbuseswhich have to be delivered, at a total extra cost of The Retford R.D.C. has completed arrangements with the Notts County Council as a result of which overlapping roads will he repaired by an interchange of labour.
The Gillingham (Kent) T.T.D.0 is desirous to use motor power for the collection of house refuse, with a view to reducing cost. The claims of electric, petrol, and steam vehicles are to he reviewed, 11141 a special sub-committee has bocn appointed to report.
Recent Registrations.
Portland Engineering and Traction Co., Ltd. (21000), with its {-Ace at Amberley House, Norfolk Street, W.C.
Return Journey Co., Ltd. (21050), to organize an agency for introducing carriers, manufacturers of motor vehicles, etc. Secretary. R.
Murdoch Motor Service Co., Ltd. (2450), with its office at 6b, Lons-dale Road, West Kilburn, to carry on the business of manufacturing motor vehicles of all kinds.
.Adey's Puncture Seal. Co., Ltd. (21000), with its office at 7a, Eden Street, Hampstead Road, Nr.W., to take over a .secret compound known as." Puncture Seal," and to deal in motor tires.
H. J. Milliner and Co., Ltd. (originally registered as an unlimited company, now re-registered with a capital of 26000), with its office at 9, Grafton Street, W. The company was formed to acquire ihe business of H. 3. Milliner and Co., motor-body builders.
Export Trade.
We wish to make it clear, in response to inquiries, that our first leading article of last week referred essentially to petrol vehicles, or parts thereof, and particularly ti those of makes which the War Office is still buying.
C. H. Fryer Arrangements.
We are requested by Messrs. Charles H. Fryer Motors Co., of 11, Southampton Row, London, W.C., to announce that they ale no longer connected with the Knox Motors Co., of Springfield, Mass., TJ. S.A., of which they have hitherto been sole representatives in this country.
Younger Drivers.
Our sister journal " The Motor " continues to press forward its .suggestion that the minimum age (17 years) for the issuing of motorcardriving licences shall be reduced, subject to reasonable safeguards. Influential support has been given to this project. Younger drivers, so far as commercial motoring goes, might well be utilized on the lighter types of vans, thus .setting free men for heavier machines.
Our Fund.
The Campaign Comforts Fund promises to cfose the old year by completing its eighth thousandpounds of income. We hope this will be the case. There was another successful concert on Saturday last, this time at, Maidstone, with the co-operation of the directors and staff. of W. A. Stevens, Ltd. We make further references to this visit of our concert party to Maidstone in the course of a report elsewhere in the issue.
New Lighting Order.
A new Lighting Order for England and Wales, in supercession of existing Orders (except. those for the Metropolitan and City Police Districts), will come into force on the 10th prox. The Order is made under the Defence of the Realm .-Act and enacts :
(1) The lighting-up time for all vehicles is to be half an hour after sunset ; (2) the requirement to -carry lights is extended to all vehicles using the roadway, including vehicles drawn or pushed by hand ; (3) all vehicles are required to carry a lamp showing a red light to the rear, and a separate lamp carried at the rear is ma-do compulsory for all except. hand vehicles.
It is provided that where a temporary deficiency in the supply of lamps can be shown, except in those areas where vehicles are now required to carry rear lights, the operation of requirement (3) above shall be postponed until the lath February next.
We strongly recommend owners of commercial vehicles to buy a copy of the Order (Wyman and Sons, Ltd., Fetter Lane, London, as it deals with details concerning the method of obscuring different types of lamps. Headlamps are practically to be barred in future, perforated can or disc, which is illustrated in the Order, must he placed over or inside the front glass of any elec tric or acetylene lamp. The disc may be of thin metal or cactiboard. We hope to be able to include fuller details, with sketches, in our next issue. They are not yet circulated—except to the police.
Dog Breeder Fails to Recover Damages.
Mr. Ashton Cornwallis, a breeder and exhibitor of toy Pomeranian and Pekinese dogs, of Tulse Hill, endeavoured to recover damages, in the King's Bench Division, before Mr. Justice Sheatinan and a common jury, last week, against Messrs. Francis and Son, of Brixton. The plaintiff's case was, that the dog was being led across the raise Hill Road, when when Mrs. Cornwallis had to abandon it, because of the alleged rapid approach of two motorvaas ; the dog was injured, and it was destroyed. Defendants denied the allegations of excessive speed • it was stated in evidence that ]..fts. Cornwallis signalled to the driver from the pavement, and not from the roa.dway.
The jury returned a verdict for the defendants, with costs, thus supporting the contention of the defendants " that the accident by which the dog was run over was due to the animal's being allowed to run uncontrolled into the .road under the van."
Recruiting for Admiralty Transport.
There is a very considerable domaid for men with motoring expet4ence to join the Motor Boat ReserVe of the Navy.
Men with-.an engineer's training, who have been through the shops and served the usual apprenticeship, are accepted as chief motorboatmen, with pay at the rate of 3s. -0d. a day, an allowance of 3s. a day for food and lodging, with separation allowance in addition Equipment to the value of ,Z7 10s. is given.
In addition, a second rating with pay at a rate somewhat lower than this is open to men with a little motoring experience.
Applicants should apply, in the first instance, at the Board of Inventions,"Cockspur Street, London, S. W.
Gazet e.
The names of the undermentioned companies have bE.'en struck off the Register of Joint-Stock Companies, and such companies have been dissolved—Chapman Motor Starter Syndicate, Ltd. ; London Motor Cab Proprietors Association, Ltd. ; Morris Tyre Syndicate, Ltd. ; Pontypridd Motor Bus Co., Ltd. ; Ridge Speed Indicator Syndicate, Ltd. ; Savigear Motor Cab Co., Ltd. ; Society for the Protection of the Motor Trade, Ltd. ; Stoke-onTrent Motor and Taxicab Co., Ltd. ; Sutton Motor Cab Co., Ltd. ; West London Taxicab Co., Ltd. In reading the above, it should be borne in mind that the notice may refer to companies in course of reconstruction.
1330 C.M.U.A. Success re Drivers,
We learn, since going to press with the earlier pages of the issue, that success has, as usual, attended the efforts of the C.M.U.A. We refer to the matter of securing the entry upon the list of " Reserved. Occupations" of commercial-motor drivers who work for owners other than haulage contractors. We reported, in our issue of the 2nd inst. (page 2(18 ante), that " public carriers of goods by road, and carting contractors in connection with railways, docks, wharves and warehouses" were exempted as regards their "carters, lorrymen and draymen." Contemporary and subsequent activities of the C.M.U.A. have been reported.
The Reserved Occupations Committee of the Board of Trade has issued a supplementary list of re served occupations, with the approval of the military authorities. It includes " carters, lorrymen and drayrnen (horse or power) not engaged in delivering to private houses." A footnote to the new list reads, "This reservation is in addition to the classes of carters, lorrymen, and drayrnen reserved under specified trades." Thus are new and extensive groups of owners of commercial motors—who belong to trades that do not themselves enjoy inclusion in the list of reserved occupations—able to get their men hack purely on the grounds of vital transport needs. Owners who serve private houses will have to rely upon youths who are not of military age, or women. The important point is that drivers of heavier types have now been classed as we feel their .services to the country demand.