WHEELS OF INDUSTRY.
Page 4
Page 5
Page 7
Page 8
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
The wheel of wealth will be slowed by all difficulties of transport at whatever points arising, as a carriage i.e 01, the roughness of the roads over which it runs."—John Beattie Crozier.
Alcohol from Coal-gas..
Considerable interest will have been crested arnonget users of liquid fuel by the news cenimenicated by Mr, Ernest Bury, of the Skinningrove Iron and Seed. Works, at. a meeting of the Cleveland Institution of Engineers at _Middlesbrough last Tuesday, Showing that he had succeeded in extracting, on a commercial scale, ethylene alcohol and its derivations.
The practical working of Mr. Bury's process at the Skinnmgrove Works; where 5,800 eons of. coat are carbonized per week, has revealed an. average yield of 1.6 gallons of alcohol per ton of coal carbonized, and as the total weight of the coal which was reduced to coke in this country in 1918 was 14,635,000 tons, the application of this process to the whole of this coal would yield, according to Mr. Bury's calculation, 23,416,640 gallons, the value of which would be 22,341,664. Having regard to the scarcity of liquid fuel, that it; itself is important. Mr. Bury further pointed out that. thd recovery of the alcoholat the gasworks of the country would yield a further' 27,000,000 gallons, or, taking alcohol and benzoic, together, the total quantity of liquid fuel available would be 114,000,000 gallons, to meet the country's present total requirement of 160.000,000 gallons per annum.
The process of 'extracting the alcohol from coal-gas by means of sulphuric acid is, of course, not new, but it would appear from Mr. Bury's statement that be line been the first to show its commercial nracticulailitv.
Another -big colliery undertaking in the North is, we believe, takingaecion on much the same lines.
Mr. Bury's discovery shows that the best results are achieved at a temperature of between 60 degreesand 80 degreeds Centigrade, and in his process he utilizes beat from the. coke-oven plant up to its utmost limit.
With regard to the further experimental commercial application of the process, it is highly likely that some official encouragement will shortly be given. It is understood that the result of the favourable reply which Mr. Bonar Law gave to a question in the House of Commons. by Mr. Manville in the summer will soon be announced in the shape of the Government provision; both of money and of plant, to give effect to section 17 of the report of the Inter-Deeartmental Committee on Menhot. which was issued last June. This section urges the establishment of an organization •provided with funds to initiate and supervise practical development work on the production and utilization of power alcohol.
We hear from our Dors-etshire correspondent that a portion of the Admiralty's cordite factory atHolton Heath is likely to be set aside for the experimental work in this new organization.
With regard to Mr. Bury's estimates as to the total yield of alcohol -from. the coke-oven plants and the gasworks of the country, we think that they are undoubtedly conservative' and it is quite possible that 70,000,000 gallons of alcohol could be produced annnally.
Halley Report.
The report of Halley's Industrial _ Motors, Ltd., for the year ended September 30th, shows a profit of B58,468, after providing an estimated amount for income-tax for liabilities under the Finance Aets and other contingencies. To this amount must be added £12,306 brought forward from the last account, making £70,764. After writing off £9,568 for depreciation, carrying £15,000 to the reserve account, and deducting £7,000 paid as interim dividend, there remains a balance of £39,196. A final dividend of 5 per cent. and a bonus of 1s. per share (which are both subject to income tax) are to be paid, and this will absorb £14,000, leaving a sum of £25,196 to be carried forward.
Power Alcohol from Abroad.
The distillers of the country are, so we unde.rstand, endeavouring to move the Chancellor of the Exchequer in favour of an import duty of ninepenee per full-strength gallon' on powei alcohol, whereas the report of the InterDepartmental Committee on Alcohol re. vornmended the exemption of imported power alcohol from duty. The distillers have been approaching the various motoring aseociatione to secure support fee the fine of action which they advocate, subject to a rebate of sixpence per full-strength gallon on all alcohol actnally used for traction purposes.
. What the distillers want, of course, is protection for home production, which is quite seund in itself, provided a guarantee can be extracted from them that they will put down additional plant solely for the purpose of producing a type of alcohol that KhaAl be expressly serviceable for power purposes. We learn, however, that the Royal Scottish Automobile Club is opposed to the pro .posals put forward by the distillers.
Cosies for Fords.
A very simple and inexpensive means of ensuring that the engine of a Ford van—or, for that matter, the engine of any other vehicle—can be started with out undue exertion after stopping the en gins, when deliVering at-. this time of the year, is by the use of a bonnet cosy. Messrs. J. and T. Dennis, 37, Wandsworth Road, Vauxhall Cross, London, S.W. 8, are making a special Christmas offer of these useful cosies, and they have 500 in stock at the present thee,. Thi price is 25s. each.
Motor Cinemas. .
An interesting company formation is announced by the registration of Motor Cinemas, Ltcl., with a capital of £60,000 in 59,000 ten per cent, preferred ordinary shares of Ll each and 20,000 deferred ordinary shares of is. each. The object of the company ie to carry on travelling and other cinema shows by means of . mobile motor vehicles.
The Royal Agricultural Society's Show of 1922 will be held at Cambridge: That of 1920 will, as has already been ancorniced; he held at Darlington,' the
d ates being June 29tli (Tuesday) to J uly 3rd (Sat nrcl
Difficulty as to Registration.
The chairman of the Worcestershire County Council at their last meeting said that an application had been received from the clerk of the Bromsgrove Urban District Council for registration of a 65 h.p. Leyland motor fire-engine. The weight was given as 5 ton 5 cwt., and the question then arose as to how the
vehicle could be registered. It could not be registered. as a light motorcar because it exceeded two tons in weight; it could not be registered as a heavy motorcar or a light locomotive as the weight exceeded five tons, and, even if it could, it would not be possible for the vehicle to travel, more than 1.2 miles an hour.
The only course left was to register the vehicle under the Locomotive Act., 1898, and then it would mean that the maximum speed permissible was two miles per hour through city, town or village., and four miles per hour outside towns.
The chairman went on to say that Mr. Bird wrote to the Ministry of Transport with regard to the matter, who replied. that the department was not empowered to give any authority on the question, but that it was a matter for the registration authority of the county.
London Fire Brigade Pump Competition.
The second London Fire Brigade Pump Competition, which was introduced last year and won by the Hackney Fire Brigade, took place a few days ago, and was again won by the same crew.
The rules governing this competition are that the crew must consist of a motor driver and four men. At the sound of a whistle the men have to dismount from the engine and get to woik from a large dam erected for the purpose, with one length Of hose, using an Ajax branch with a 1* in. nozzle, and. add a length of suction hese. The branch has to be directed to a suitable target„ and upon the jet of waterstriking this target a bell rings, and so soon as this has occurred the crew get to work on a second delivery with one length of hose, using a hand "control branch with 1 in. nozzle.
Fall dress uniform is insisted upon, and penalties are imposed for various shortcomings. These include -racing vacuum pump, which disqualifies the competitor ; leaky joints, loss of helmet, grinding gear when meshing pump shaft, all incur the loss of five seconds, whilst if the pump pressure is above 50 lb. the penalty is a loss of 10 seconds.
The competing teams in this year's competition were Bayswater, Islington; Hackney, Rotherhithe, Northcote Road,
and Headquarters. The illustrations which we reprodisoe below show the target event in progress and the winning crew.
Drummond Lathe for Greece.
The action of Federation of British Industries, in co-operating with the Greek Government to organize the recent Athens Exhibition of British manufacturers, would seem, according to the advice.s received from time to time from the managing director of Drummond Brothers, 'Ltd., of Guildford, Mr, A. Drummond, to be most opportune, the keenest interest having been evinced by all and sundry throughout the period ot the exhibition.
Mr. Drummond's latest communication notifies that he has booked an order for ones of the company's standard lathes from H.M. the Kilt°. of Greece, who thus follows the precedent set by our late King Edward, who purchased a Drummond lithe for installation in his garage at Sandringham.
Petrol Profiteering.
On the invitation of the Board of Trade, the C.M.U.A. has nominated one of its.vice-chairmen, Mr. Walter Wolsey, Junr., managing director of Thos. Tilling, Ltd.; to serve on the committee formed by the Profiteering Act Department to investigate the cost of motor spirit, —'petrol, h en zole, etc.
Lights on Vehicles.
Mr. H. W. Wigan, a vice-chairman of the Commercial Motor Users Association, and managing director of the Eastern Motor Wagon Co., Ltd., gave evidence on December 15th on behalf of the association before the departmental committee set up by the Ministry of Transport to deal with the subject of lighting of vehicles.
Huge American Laboratory.
" More than 37,000,000.00 dollars is being expended by the General Motors Corporation for new construction and expansion of its present great works in the
-United States. Of the total amount appropriated more than 5,000,000.00 dollars hiss been set aside for the erection of an immense 15 storey general office building in Detroit, with a research laboratory five storeys-in height by its side. 'this structure will be known as the Durant, Building,-so named. by the associates of Mr. W. -C. Durant, President of General Motors, who in America is called the 'father of the automobile industry." The Durant Building will have a total actual' office space of 875,000 Sq. ft., while the total floor space of the building will be 1,200,000 sq. ft., equivalent to 30 acres. It Will be -approximately the same size as the office building that is now the largest in the world, and will be far larger than any building whose space is used entirely by one business organization. Nearly 11,000 pers9ns will be accommodated on the office floors in additon to the occupants of the ground and top floors, where sales rooms, service stations, etc., will be placed.
The laboratory building will be equipped with the most highly developed apparatus science has evolved for testing materials and manufactured units in all stages of production. All the General Motors automotive manufacturing establishments will benefit from. the laboratories now under construction.
Disabled Ex-service Men at Dunlops.
Under the Ministry of Labour national scheme for the employment of disabled ex-service men, the Dunlop Rubber Co., Ltd., gave an undertaking, in conjunction with the tyre manufacturing industry generally, to include in its personnel 3 per cent, of such men, based on its total establishment.
Actually the proportion now employed throughout the company's entire organization is at least 5.8 per cent. of the total—a generous interpretation of the spirit of the agreement.
London Traffic.
There have been so many committees
• appointed from time to time to consider .traffic conditions that at last it is satisfactory to know of one which is getting things done.
This can undeniably be said of the Advisory Committee on London Traffic of the Ministry of Transport. Already it has done something to minimize traffic congestion by a rearra.ngement of stepping places for tramcars and motorbuses.
Now the Committee is considering the question of bus and tram fares, and in the meantime has asked the L.G.O., Co. and the L.C.C. to suspend for the moment any proposal for increasing fares. , The Committee has asked the L.C.C. for full statistical information aa to the municipal traanways and it may also be assumed that ha; also sought similar information from the L.G.O. Co. with regard to buses,
For Hardening Tools.
After lengthy experiments, Automatic. ancl Electric Furnaces, Ltd., 281-283, Gray's Inn Road, London, W.C. 1, have succeeded in obtaining a perfectly nonporous metal container for their wellknown electric salt-bath furnaces which permits the current to he switched on and off as and when desired, The new metal furnace pots are easily replaced by simply lifting the furnace up and removing the pot.
With electric current at one penny per unit a ton of tools can be hardened at the small cost of £2 4s. • •
The use of metal pots of this description is an entirely new development in electric furnaces. Existing patents cover the heating coil, etc., and the use of a suitable metal pot is now the subject. of a provisional patent..
F.I.A.T. Self-lift Plough.
In order to assure the best results being obtained from its agricultural tractor, the F.I.A.T. Co. has produced a special three-furrow self-lift plough for nee with. this machine. "The F.I.A.T. plough is Carried on' three wheels, two being in front and the third being a spring-supported castor. wheel at the rear. The front wheels are offset in relation one to the other, and one of t•hcan is intended to run in the furrow. The rear wheel takes the weight of the plough when it is not in operation, and also maintains the entire plough in a straight , line when at work. Being a castor typo it allows tiles plough to be turned when the blades are in the ground. When in operation all the weight of the plough is carried on the Spring-supported front wheels. This spring mounting tends towards lengthened life of the entire mechanism, and also allows variations in the nature of the ground to be overcome without difficulty.
The contras consist of a lever operated by the ploughman by means of a cord, thus allowing the entire plough to be raised or lowered as desired, and of two levers, placed on the left, by means of which the two front wheels are controlled, thus regulating the depth of the furrow. The plough is attached to the tractor by a triangular tow hook with free movement in both a vertical and a horizontal plane. Maxiratim depth of ploughing is 92. ins. ; the width is 35 ins. • and the total weight of the plough, which is built throughout of steel forgings and steel castings, is 10 cwt.
Provincial Tramways Report.
The annual report of the Provincial Tramways Co., Ltd., shows that the revenue received from local companies .for the year ended September. 30th, amounted to £55,644 against £59,054 last year and £49,720 in 1917. To be added i to this sum s the amount brought forward from lasti year of £7,804, together with transfer fees, interest, income-tax deduction and refunds, bringing the total amount up to £81,893. After the deduction of £42,786 for administration expenses for the year, interest to the debenture holders for the year, and other items, there remains the sum of £39,108. The directors have set aside £10,000 to reserve and depreciation account, and 'likewise another £10,000 has been added to reserve account for third-party insurance, excess-profit duty and other 'charges thus leaving a disposable balance of £19.108. The directors recommend a diviciend of is. 4d. per share on the £1 ordinary shares, making a dividend of 2s. per share for the year. This will absorb £8,304, leaving £10,804 to be carried forward.
Relieving Dock Congestion.
Government-owned moter • lorries which have been used for several weeks past in relieving congestion at the port of Liverpool have been very successful. During the four weeks ended Novem'ber 29th, they, hauled between. 24,000 and 25,000 tons. The amount of tonnage carried per day bad been 9i tonsper. lorry. There are at present 179 vehicles on the establishment, out of which 36 are unserviceable ; these lorries had been sent in an inefficient state, and some of them have not been able to travel under their own power.
Assisting the Unemployed • Officer. •
,A request has been made to us by the District Director for London and the Home Counties of the Appointments Department that we should give him assistance in his campaign to secure the return to civil life of the large number of young officers and others of good technical qualifications now out of employment. In order to bring the claims and qualifications of these men to the notice of employers we have agreed to place at the disposal of the District Director, entirely free of charge, a column of our advertising apace, which will 'be devoted to announcements of particulars of men who require positions in one capacity or another in the motor or transport industry.The men, of whom particulars will be given in the announceinerits, will, in all lames, have been selected by tlue panels ofbusiness men now interviewing the applicants each day at Horrex's lintel, Norfolk Street, Strand, London, W.C. 2, and no advertisement is inserted .unless the applicant's qualifications have been inquired into.
All inquiries respecting these advertisements should be sent, to the District Director, Room 104, Fforrex's Hotel, Norfolk Street, Strand, London, W.C. 2.
The date of the International Motor Boat and Marine and. Stationary Engine Exhibition, organized by the S.M.M. and T., in collaboration with the Ship and Boat Builders' Association, Ltd., and the British Gas and Oil Engine Manufacturers' Association, has been fixed for March 12th to 20th, 1920, at Olympia.
West Bridgford Buses.
Whilst Nottingham has been hitherto completely lethargic in the, matter of motorbus traffic, a neglect which' is now , sought to be retrieved coincidently. with a Scheme for the extension of the Municipal boundaries, the authority which has control of the important residential suburb of West. Bridgford immediately contiguous to the 'city, has 'manifested much enterprise as to this flexible form of service. Encouragingly remunerative results which have: attended the motor (minibus system in the territory upon the southern side of the Trent, the suggested annexation, of which to Nottingham is being strongly opposed by urban ratepayers, has led to the decision, 'arrived at at a meeting of the Council recently, to purchase two additional doable-deck buses, at a cost of 23,350, the vehicles having each a seating capacity for 46 persons. Significant of further encouragement of similarly devised convenient methods of passenger transport, the Bridgford Council resolved to grant licences to the Trent Motor Traction Co. to run their motorbus service between Nottingham and Loughborough, -through the urban district. It was stated that' the company's lowest fare; -outward. bound from Nottingham, would be :6d,, and the arrangement, therefore, would have no effect upon the Council's bus service. The projected development in relation to this and other routes radiating-from Nottingham is significant of the-keen dissatisfaction as.to dismally slow and inatlemiate district railway arrangements, for swhich. the
Midland Co is said to be , mainly to . . blame.
'Tractors for Indo-China.
A recent shipment to Indo-China by the Automotive Products Corporation of New YEA consisted of 30 Bates " Steel Mule" crawling-grip tractors._ . Shipinent is interesting to the American' manufacturer' and exporter from more than one point of view. In -the first Place, selection was made after careful.investigation by representatives of the buyers in America,. The tractors also had to be. specially prepared for shipment so that they' could upon their arrival, without any unnecessary delay, he ,put into running condition, as they were to be driven 'under their own power 'a long distance into the interior.
Saigon, this shipping point, is the capital of the province of Cochin China, one of the sections of that great Far Eastern territory controlled by France and comprising Indo-China. This area include the great tracts of Annam, Cochin China, Tonkin and Cambodia covering some 250,000 square miles add having a population of 20,000,000.
. The tractors were packed and equipped not only for their journey halfway across the American continent and then across the Pacific and China seas to Saigon, but "also for. their long inland journey. They will burn kerosene as fuel on account of the high price and difficulty in securing petrol. While the coasts of Indo-China are swampy, marshy and low-lying, the interior is rough and mountainous and, unlike vast areas of China, is heavily clad with forests. Many sections of the country are extremely fertile and grow crops of sugar cane, rice, cotton and even tobacco. The tractors are to be used in opening.up new areas tdintensive cultivation.
An Abandoned Conference.
Owing to developments resulting from Government action, the City Corporation has abandoned a conference it proposed to call with regard to transport in the Metropolitan area.
Buses to Pay 3d. per Mile. •
The County Councils of Derbyshire, Gloucestershire, • Somerset and Staffotdehire have decided on a rate of 3d. per bus mile in respect of new motor omnibus routes, In the case of Derbyshire, it is a condition that 275 shall be paid in advance.
• Penalties for Non-delivery.
In regard to the question of non:deli-very of electric vehicles which Edison Accumulators, Ltd., of Electric Vehicles, Ltd., are under contract to supply to the Glasgow Corporation, the Cleansing Corn as 'mittee h decided to' notify the com 'mittee h decided to' notify the com panies that they will be held liable for the penalty provided in their respective contracts in the case of non-delivery on the, specified dates.
Bradford's Railless Car.
The annual report of the Bradford Corporation tramways manager for the year ended March 31st last shows that the revenue from the tailless trolley system was 215,121, or 10.549d. per car mile, an increase of 22,872 or 2.615d. per car mile. Against this, however, there was an increase in operating coets of 24,395. The first raillesa section was opened in June, 1911, -and' now -the railless TOutes have a mileage of nine or ten. The Corporation has 17 tailless cars, and also a trolley battery vehicle which is used for a parcels delivery' service between Leeds and Bradford.
Local Proceedings.
Cheadle R.D.C. is to purchase a steam tracter. . .
The purchase of a motor fire-engine has beets decided upon by Godalming T.C. . .
21,027 has been 'applied 'for by Neath R.D.C. for the purchase of a steam wagon. • Staffordshire C.C. has purchased three additional 5-ton steam wagons from the Road Board.
Swansea Corporation Health Committee has purchased a 20 h.p. Dafralet motor hmbulance.
Itchen U.D.C. has decided to purchase a 45 h.p. motor fire-engine with 'escape' and first-aid equipinent.
Sanction has been applied for by Neweastle-under-Lyne T.C. for a loan of 21,445 for a motor. fire-engine.
Denbighshire C.C. .Eastern Maio Roads Committee recommends the 'jilt. chase of a Foden steam wagon.
. Brighton Corporation has now arranged to lease its motor omnibus powers to Tilling, Ltd., for a .period of seven years.
Derbyshire C.C. his purchased,, from the'lload Board three 5-ton Garrett, steam wagons, three .5ston l'Oden steam wagons and two Straker-Squire petrol wagons.' • Inquiry is to be made by Stirling' T.C. to ascertain if the Central District.Committee of Stirling C.C. will . join in the gurchase of a motor' fire-engine for the Swansea Corporation has decided to ask for sanction toborrow money fur the purchase of Six steam wagons and -three trailers for the use of the Highway's
Department'. • .
• SWatisea. Corporation Trainwaya .Committee proposes to a.sk Xr: J. B. Hamilton to go to Swansea -to ad-vise on the question of the establishment of motor omni
bus services. .
Glasgow 'Corporation Lighting Committee haS authorized, the inspector Of to purchase for the use of his depart meat a light motor delivery van at a cost of 285.
Cardiff Corporation has decided to purchase tiro stecou tractors, three 5-ton trailers with tipping bodies; a steam wagon, a petrol" wagon and a-petrol road sweeping machine.
Burton-on-Trent Corporation has authorized the Borough Surveyor to purchase a mechanical sweeper and loader and a movable water tank to be used in connection with the motor lorry which the,corporation has decided to purchase.