WHEELS OF INDUSTRY.
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•• The wheel of wealth will be slowed by all cliOlculties of transport at whatever points arising, as a carriage is by the roughness of the roads over which it runs."—John Beattie Crozier, •
Albion Report.
The report of the directors of the .Albion Motor Car Co., Ltd., kir the year ended December 31st, 1920, shows that after making provision for depreciation on buildings, plant;and,stczk,*narmaging directors' remuneration; _and estimated liability under tho Finance Acts, there remains a net profit of 265122, to which must be added a balance of 222,731, brought forward from the previous year's acifounts,fmaking 87,853 in all. Out of this -there has been provided 211,046 interest on debenture stock and a reserve fund. of 210002 for debenture redemption in terms of a trust deed, leaving, after these-clecluctions haveibeen made, a sum of 266,805. 215,056 has been transferred to the reserve fund, making, with the reserve fund for debenture redemption, a total transfer of 225,068 and bringing this fund up to 228,000, whilst an interim. dividend of 3 per oent, on the preference shares absorbs 24,016. 247,733 is thus left for disposal, out of which a final dividend of 3 per Cent, on the preference shares is to be paid, which will absorb 24,016, leaving 243,717 to be carried forward.
During the financial year, the reserve fund of 2105,162 was capitalized and divided amongst the ordinary shareholders in the form of bonus ordinary shares.
Mr. A. R. Atkey on the Strike.
Mr. A. R. Atkey, M.P. for the central division of Nottingham, has not entirely pleased some of the more extreme among theiminers, many of whom live in his Parliamentary Division of the City, by recent outspoken utterances regarding the generally unsound;nature of the demands which have been put forward by the National Federation.
But speaking at a recent Nottingham gathering as to the certain inimical efferts of persisting in uneconomic claims,
Mr. Atkey, whose observations were applicable to the motor industry, as to other branches of production, expressed himself unequivocally against any State subsidy of undertakings such as involved in the case put forward on behalf of theminers. Incidentally, he did not hesitate to declare' that if the miners thoroughly realized, as the level-headed among them must eventually do, that public opinion was against them, they would not endorse the executive policy of continued withdrawal of all labour from the-pits.
Mr. Atkey not inaptly declared that the struggle was not really between labour and Constitutional government, as generally accepted, but a fight against socialism pure and simple. The effect has already been sufficiently disastrous upon motor trade production in the Midlands.
Bus Services from Sunderland.
The Northern Transport Motor Co., whothave their headquarters at Chesterle-Street, are proposing to institute a service of motorbuses from Sunderland to New Washington and many of the sur
rounding districts. The company are prepared to proceed immediately with the 'service, but they are, for the moment, held.ipp by their inability to obtain permission from certain local authorities to use the road in the a.reas under their control. The scheme, if it is ultimately authorized, will undoubtedly be a. great benefit to the populous .areas within a radius of 12 miles of Sunderland. The services will be rtin to schedule on the various routes, and the vehicles ern, ployed will be of the single-deck saloon type, capabla of seating more than 30 people.
The Belgian import duty on commercial vehicles has _now been reduced to 15 per cent.
Maudslay Service.
An important step, which will be of great interest to users of Maudslay commercial vehicles in the Home Counties and the South of England has recently been taken by the Maudslay. Motor Co., Ltd., of Coventry and London. To provide additional "service " facilities, the company has taken and equipped a service station at Wood Lane, Macfarlane Road, Shepherd's Bush. The telephone number, which should be noted carefull by all Maudslay_ owners, is Park From this depot trained inspectors will be sent out to any user of a. Maudslay vehicle who requires advice or mechanical assistance, and breakdown gangs, fitters and relief vehicles will be always available in the event of road collisions or other accidents.
The San Remo Oil Agreement.
Informal represent ations have been made by Great Britain to the United States, with a view to reaching -an adjustment of the differences between the two Goverramuts in connection with the San Renio oil agreement, The memorandum which has been premuted to the United States Government proposes that the United States should appoint a commissioner to confer with. the British Petroleum. Commission, in the belief that such direct negotiations would lead to a speedier adjustment than might be expected by the usual diplomatic channels,
Mr. C. F. Rymer, principal of the firm of C. F. Rymer, Ltd., whose motcr coach attivities in the Liverpool and 'Wallasey districts have previously been noted in The Commercial Motor, has decided to stand for Parliament as an Independent Candidate for the .Wallasey division at the next election. Tractor TrialsReport.
The report by the judges on the trials of agricultural motors carried out by the Royal Agricultural Society of England in conjunction with the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders at Lincoln last autumn has just been published from the offices of the Society at 16, Bedford &mare, London, W.C. 1, at the price of 7s. 6d. The first 40 pages are occupied by a recital of the trial conditions and descriptions of the competing machines, the judges report filling the next, eight pages. The useful information, apart from the judges' comments, is all contained in a single page, which in tabular form gives collected and summarized figures concerning the work of the tractors in the various classes and on the two kinds of soil— light and heavy. The figures cover the speed of ploughing, fuel consumption, wags, and total costs per acre. The appendices deal with the ploughs used in the trials, the dynamemeter devised for agricultural tractors, estimates of the costs of ploughing by tractor and by
horse respectively. The report is well illustrated.
Centralized Co-operative Garage.
A large and comprehensive scheme is being put in hand by co-operative societies of Rochdale and district for the erection of a motor garage, which will. be situated in Bury, where all repairs to the societies' motors will be executed.
Hitherto, each society lies been compelled to have its motors repaired by various private firms, but by this scheme, in which the societies from Pochdale(Pioneers and Provident), Bury, Heywood, Ramshottom, Whitworth, Littleborough, Royton, and Rochdale Laundries Association are concerned, all the motor vehicles will be repaired on the societies' own premises.
It is stated that 4,000 21 shares will be issued, and the members of the Rochdale Provident Society have already decided to take up 500.
Routes for Chars-a-bancs.
Southend Watch Committee has given further consideration to the question of fixing routes to be traversed by motor chars-a-banes with a view to their being excluded from the principal streets. As an experiment the Committee has instructed the Chief Constable to arrange that from the Saturday before ‘Whitsun chars.-banes entering and leaving the town should be directed to traverse the following route, namely:— London Road, West Road, West Street, East Street, Sutton Road, Southchnrch Road, and Southchurch Avenue; and that traffic coming from North Street be diverted into East Street and thence along the remainder of the route above stated.
It is proposed that land at Woodgrange Drive should be used for parking the vehicles and that they should be permitted to stand in Southcburch Avenue on the west side of the Kursaal.
Danish Prospects.
A new company has recently been formed at Copenhagen with the object of organizing a motor lorry transport service. The company is stated to own 18 lorries at present, mid to contemplate increasing this number to 70 at an early date. It is understood that 5 ton lorries
are required, and that certain offers have already been made. The name and address of the company referred to may be obtained by British manufacturers on application to the Department of Overseas Trade, 35, Old Queen Street, London, SW. 1.
Institute Dinner Postponed.
The second annual dinner of the Institute of Transport fixed for this (Tuesday) evening at the Hotel Cecil, London, has been postponed until later in the year, in consequence of the coal strike and of transport difficulties. Sir Eric Geddes would have taken the chair, and
an interesting gathering Would have resulted, because every available seat at the tables had been allocated among members, their guests, and the guests of the Institute.
The. Parking Problem.
The Watch Committee of the Swansea Corporation has suggested that a plot of ground on the south-east side of Victoria Park, half an acre in extent, should be allocated as a park for chars4-bancs and other such vehicles visiting the town in order to avoid obstruction in the streets. The Corporation Parks Committee had refused to give the use of the land for the purpose.
C. C. Wakefield and Co., Ltd., announce a reduction-in the price of Castrol lubricating oils.
Henley's Tyre and Rubber Co., Ltd., announce a reduction of 10 per cent. off the price of all Henley solid tyres.
We have been asked by Mr. J. R. Maidens, the maintenance engineer to Schweppes, Ltd., and the British Petroleum Co., Ltd., to state that B.P. spirit is used exclusively on the whole of the petrol vehicles in the Schweppes fleet, and we understand that this spirit is giving very satisfactory results.
The Revenue Bill now before Parliament provides (in Section 27) for power to be given to the Commissioners of Customs and Excise to make regulations with respect to the manufacture, sale, use, etc., of power methylated spirits and their importation, and to modify existing regulations and provisions of earlier Acts.
In our issue dated April 12th, on page 242. we published a group of vehicles forming a. portion of the fleet run by Lipton, Ltd. In this group was a Mann steam wagon carrying a very bulky load of cases of lea. We regret that this vehicle was erroneously descaibed as a Fed en.
This wagon has been iii use for 10 years-, and is giving excellent service.
Clayton Report.
The report of Clayton and Shuttleworth, Ltd., for the year ended 1920 shows a net profit. of 240,037, which, added to the sum of 253,496 brought forward from the previous year's accounts, leaves a.sum of 293,533 available. The half-yearly dividend on the preference shares -absorbs 217,500, leaving a sum of 276,033. A dividend of 5 per cent. on the ordinary shares will absort, 222,500, leaving 253,535 to be carried forward. The net profit compares with 277,715 for 1919, and 262,945 for 1918.
Trade and labour difficulties, in conjunction with the general falling off in demand, are stated by the directors of this Lincoln engineering company to have affected the year's profit adversely.
A working arrangement has been arrived at with Hofherr-Schrants-Clayton. Shuttleworth A.G. of Vienna and Budapest with the object of securing the services of that company's extensive organization for the recovery of the Lincoln Co.'s former trade in Eastern Europe and Russia as soon as circumstances –errnit.
Road v. Rail in Lancashire.
In a recent issue we made reference to the keen rate cutting that was going on in Manchester between the various haulage contractors. Evidently this has attracted the notice of the railway people, for in a paper read on April 20th, before the Manchester Statistical Society, Mr. Arthur Watson, the general manager of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Co., referred to the point, and said that the position of road motor hauliers to-day was somewhat similar to that of railway companies in their early days. The multiplication of small railway companies had led to intense competition and ultimate combination. Hence he advocated centralized control. The great advantage of road motor haulage was that it brought producer into direct touch with consumer, and Mr. Watson supplemented his review of the transport position with some figures showing that the commercial lorry has already taken considerable ,perishable traffic from the railways in Lancashire and Yorkshire. He calculated that 17 per cent. of the traffic thus diverted consisted of groceries and provisions, and that another 15e per cent. was grain, while 22 per cent consisted of cotton and cotton goods—a recognition of the growth of road motor traffic that, coming from such an authority, must he regarded as reliable.
Railway Companies and Road Transport.
The committee of the Ministry of Transport which was appointed to investigate the proposed increase in the powers of railway companies relative to road transport, has now issued its re
port. Whilst its conclusions are not unanimous, in the main the committee's findings furnish ample justification for theattitude adopted by the Industrial Vehicle Section of the Automobile Association.
The Spiral Tube and Components Co.; 47, Caledonian Read, King's Cross, London N., have reduced the retail price Of their original -'polished alumiuium radiators for Ford vehicles from 214 to 213 10s., and also decided to in crease the discount allowed to the trade.
Transport in Spain.
The longest motor transport service in Spain was recently opened from-Santander, od the shores of the Bav of Biscay, to the town of Burgos. The distance separating the two towns is 96 miles. The road is of a. very.diffieult-nature, for it starts from sea level and rises to an altitude ofI3,280 ft. at Puerto del Escudo, and then drops abruptly to Burgos. In certain places IS per cent, gradients are. 'encountered.
Both passenger vehicles and goods services are to ibe maintained on regular service between the two places, the daily service being assured by LCIur Fiat buses and four lorries of the same make. The inauguration of the service was received with acclamation by the inhabitants on the lbw of route, and a crowd estimated at 20,000 persons gathered to witness the arrival of the first vehicles.
Compulsory Lifeguards.
The L.C.C. has considered representations made by a coroner's jury in favour of the compulsory provision of side lifeguards on heavy motor vehicles. The •departmental committee on heavy motorcars has already reported in favour of such proposal, and in view of the fatalities constantly occurring in connection with heavy motors owing to the absence of lifeguards, the county council has asked the Ministry of Transport to issue a regulation on the subject under the Locomotives on Highways Act, 1896.
An Ambulance for Gateshead.
The Gateshead Corporation took delivery a few days age of their new motor ambulance, which has been supplied by Crossley Motors, Ltd., of Manchester. The new machine is provided with two stretchers, and is fitted with special arrangements for raising patients to a horizontal position when the vehicle is
travelling downhill. Heating arrangements are supplied, together with tip-up` washing basin and other up-to-date equipment. The ambulance cost £15,050. There was a large and representative gathering of members and officials of the Corporation at the official. inspection. The ambulance will turn out to street accidents without charge, but a scale of fees has been drawn up for its use for private cases.
First Mexican Lorry.
The first motor lorries of purely Mexican manufvture are now in use, and it is announced that the factory where they were made will soon be turning out at least 20 per month. For several years automobile tyres of good quality have been maneaetured in Mexico and have competed successfully with the foreign-made articles, since rubber and cotton are leading products of the country.
German Fire-engines.
The Amsterdam Fire Brigade has recently taken delivery of five German Daimler fire-engines. They have 3k-ton chassis with 60 lop Mercedes engines, and can attain a speed of about 45 kilometres an bolsi.. The engine has two carburetters, and each cylinder fitted with two plugs. The water tank, -ready for immediate use, has a capacity of 350 litres. The pump, which is on the Balche system, has a capacity of 1,500 litres per minute, and is made completely of bronze. It is interesting to note that the above machines were ordered by the Amsterdam authorities so far back as 1913; butthrough the intervention of the war, delivery has only just been made.
Swedish Statistics.
There was a great increase in the nu,. pertation of motor vehicles into Sweden during 1920, states the Commercial Secretary to H.M. Legation at Stockholm-, the value of which was estimated at. between 40,000,000 kroner and 50,000,000 kroner. The total number of motor vehicles, inclusive of cars, is stated to be about 18,000. The majority of the vehicles were of American manufacture, of which a considerable number flowed into Sweden from Denmark, which became greatly overstocked during the early months of the year.
The area of the Norrland districts in Sweden being exteusive and served only by a few railways, it is probable that an active 'demand for all classes of vehicles will develop within the next few years.
The Dutch Show.
The Prince Consort of Holland opened the Dutch Motor Show which was recently held at the Zoological Gardens of
S'Gravenhage. From the commercial motor point of view, the Leyland fireengine, which. hadalready been prominently before the public during the Road Cortgress Show, attracted a goad deal of attention. A Laffiy read sprayer. which can be used as. a. fire-pump was shown, whilst a Spyker 2 ton lorry was on view. In addition, two or three American lorries' were ta be seen, whilst several German manufacturers were represented at the exhibition.
Hired Steam Wagons,
Manchester Corporation has accepted the tender of Messrs. Edmondson and Whyatt for the hire of such steam wagons and trailers as may be required during the next six months by the Streets Com m itt ee
Laneashire Bus Services.
The Ribble Motor Services, Ltd., whir run a number of motorbus services in Lancashire, and have opened up districts not otherwise served by road traffic, have recently opened a new service between Blackburn and Chorley, whilst they have also extended their present service running from Preston through Chorley to Standish on. to Wigan. The service from Blackburn to Chorley also runs ' through to Wigan, and, in addition, coonecta at Chorley with the bus from Preston going through to Bolton or Harwich, so that through communication Is thus afforded between Preston, Black ' burn Wigan, Westhoughton, Bolton, and Horwieh. The company issue at intervals a well-arranged time-table of the regular bus services in operation. Their services are very popular.
De Dion Demonstration in , Australia.
An interesting demonstration of the efficiency of an internal-combustionengined commercial vehicle was recently given at Dunedin, Australia. Amongst the witnesses were Mr. J. B. Clarkson, Australian director of De Dion-Bouton, Ltd., and Mr. Lough, general manager of the Crown Roller Flour Mills.
A 3i• ton De Dion lorry was hitched to a railway truck loaded with wheat. This truck was hauled ,along several streets, and finally 'right into the buildings comprising the Crown Flour Mills. On being weighed, the load, was found to be 11 tons 14 cwt. The lorry then returned and hauled a further two railway trucks loaded with wheat up to the.niills, where one truck was hauled into the mills by the vehicle, whilst another was pushed in by the same machine. The total weight of these two trucks was found to be 20 tons 12 cwt., a load which testified to the wonderful puffing powers of the De Dion lorry and to the strength of its construction.
The Multiplicity of Signs.
The Public Control Committee of the L.C.C. has noted an increase in the requests of `! school" motorcar danger signs, and feels that the provision of a multiplicity of signs will defeat their object. The committee has been in corn
munieation with the Ministry of Transport and the Commissioner of Police as to the general policy to be adopted with future applications, and, meanwhile, has decided that the principal considerations which shall be taken into account in dealing with applications made to the council shall be (1) The volume and character of the traffic in the vicinity_ . (2) The gradients in the road.
(3) Whether the school exits lead
directly into the main road. . .±.1) Whether the school exits are hidden from the view of approaching traffic by reason of projecting buildings or of turnings in the road. (5) Whether approaching 'ctraffic can be seen by the school children before leaving the school grourt`ds.
Orders for Sweepers.
Amongst the orders received during the past few days by the Lacre Motor Car Co., Ltd., are two of special interest, a sweeper being ordered by the Plymouth Corporation, and another similar machine hi the Borough of Wallsendon-Tyne. Recognizing the advantages gained by the speedy and more frequent cleansing of streets under their control, municipal authorities are showing increasing interest in the Isere sweeper, which, by the way, is offered at the very reasonable price of £650 complete.
Are Haulage Mileage Rates Cancelled ?
At a meeting of the Alford District ebremittee of the Aberdeen County Council a question arose as to road contributions under the new Act. A Glasgow firm wrote regarding an' arrangement made last year by which they paid id. per ton for haulage of timber over the Alford highways, and asking if that arrangement was sot automatically cancelled now that .£25 had to be paid for the motor licence, part of that fee being allocated to road maintenance. The matter was left for the clerk to investigate Last quarter the L.C.C. settled 772 claims in respect of tramway accidents.
Local Proceedings.
Exeter Town Council is borrowing £1,450 for the purchase of a steam wagon.
Messrs. Flavell and Churehill are to supply the L.C.C. with bodies for ten tipping wagons at £265 'each.
Cardiff Trathways Committee wants the corporation' to set aside £10,000 for the extension of the motorbus services.
The L.C.C. has accepted an Offer by Scammell and Nephew, Ltd., to construct a body for a new motor ambulance for the sum of £299 5s.
Swansea Borough. engineer has included in the estimates for the coming year an amount for the purchase of two additional Edison electric lorries.
The offer of the Exchange Motor Depot, Ltd., of Rock Ferry, to purchase for £210 a prison van chassis has been accepted by the Birkenhead Watch 'Committee.
Sheffield Corporation Cleansing Committee has authorized the cleansing superintendent to obtain tenders for further electric vehicles required for the department.
Subject to Government approval, Hyde Town Council proposes to accept the offer of the Agricultural and General Engineers, Ltd., to supply a 5 ton Garrett steam wagon for £1,340.
The .Abeideen District Committee of the County Council has decided upon the purchase of two 5 ton lorries and an Austin tractor, provided the Ministry of Transport will make a grant itowards the cost, estimated at £3,500.
The St. Helens (Lanes.) Corporation Horses and Motor Committee last year over spent its estimates by £11,600. The principal excess expenditure was on the purchase of motors, but there was an increase of nearly £3,000 on hired carting.
After consultation with the Commissioner of Police, the L_C.C. Public Control Committee does not see its way to recommend action being taken on the suggestion of a number of borough councils that legislation should be sought . making it compuleory for an attendant to be placed upon ala trailers to motor vehicles in order to prevent the risk of life entailed by the practice of children riding thereon.
MOTOR OWNERS FIGHT.
Southport Corporation Seeks Powers to Run Motorbuses and to Control Private Hire Vehicles. Thirteen Owners Refuse to Register.
.T HERE f has njast been held at Southport an official inquiry, conducted by an inspectde of the Ministry of Health, into the Southport Corporation's applicatiou tor powers to provide and masetain motorbuses within the herough, and not merely along the tramways routes. The Corporation also sought to amend section 93 of the local Act of 1871 so that the words, " Stable, stable yard, or roads house," shall be deemed td include garage, motor house, cab office, taxi office, or other private ,priimises from which hackney carriages are ordered or let out on hire. The evidence Was iuteresting. Eight years 0,go the Corporation obtained powers to lay down a route of trackless or trolley trams, but these powers 'were never exercised, and the Corporation now felt, in the present financial „stress, that they would not be justified in incurring a large capital expenditure. They 'therefore sought powers to buy motor omnibuses accordingly as they were required? and to run services where they were demanded.
The tramways manager said the Corporation desired the buses to feed. the tramway system. In coranection with the development of the foreshore' he thought it would be useful if a small bus service were put down to bring visitors from
thcestation. In canes-examination, he said he did not know that the idea had been entee.taitied of having a supergarage on the Outside of the town to deal with motor chana-iabanes. If the Corporation had a fleet of motor omnibuses they would not congest the town any more than the tramlines.
Mr. A. Dean, who represented the Commercial Motor Users Association, the Southport Motor Hirers Association, and the Motor Trade Association, asked witness if he could hire motorbuses as a tee( before purchasing. Would not this be better than spending .3.000on two bnses, as was proposed? Witness said they could always dispose of the motorbmes they puechased.
The extensive motor charels-barics traffic in Southport received quite a lot of attention, and caia witness said that the Corporation was not seeking powers to restrict the entry of • chars-a-banes intodhe town.
On behalf of the various motor interests, Mr. Dean, who opposed the Carponation'e application. aaid, that his clients drew a dear distinction between the taxicab and the private hired vehicle, and his Contention was that the tatter should not be brought within the police regulations in force for taxis. Hesaw no reason why the Corporation should have control of those vehicles. They had been formerly. submitted to be licensed by the Corporation as a matter of course. but when the attempt was made to force taximetees on them they refused to be licensed further, and one of their members was sunrimened for plying without a licence. The -magistrates dismissed the case,and the town clerk had lodged an appeal against the decision. They objected to the present no application being made. because it was an attempt to get something which the Ccamoration .could not set by existing legal measures.
nip The Chief Constable said about 13 owners of 37 motor vehicles had not made application for registration this year. If the proprietors were not under the control desired by the Corporation they could charge what they liked, and it was not a fair state of things as between a proprietor who had registered and one who did not. It was unfair to the man who registered and had to ply from the street that another man should be at liberty to charge higher for the same journeys. The man who plied from the street was eubject to inspection, and the Watch Committee contd. decide as to the mechanical efficiency, accommodation,. and so on of his vehicle. The Chief Constable declined to admit that there was any difference between the ears used for private hiring and the taxis which plied or hire from the public stands. After lasting five hours, the inquiry closed.
MIDLAND TRAFFIC.
How Miners Would „Have Suffered Had the Threatened 'Transport Strike Materialized. IN CONNECTION with the threatened • Triple Alliance strike, the inevitable consequence had been involved of an entire-cessation of tramway and public motorbus transport in the Midlands, as in other areas, the determination being particularly marked at Nottingham, which is the centre of trade union organization for the East Midlands portion of the territory including Leicester and other towns.
Admittedly Nottingham Corporation bus and tram drivers have no especial grievances of which to complain at this juncture, substantial war bonuses in their case having been merged in permanent wages, which show a formidable advance upon pre-war rates, rendering, with other heavily increased financial burdens, the maintenance of minimum threehalfpenny fares a necessity. But as partners in the general movement whieh had
a the approval of the United Vehicle Workers' organization, Midland tramway drivers were inflexible in their manifestation of determination to act with other sections of the industrial, triumvirate, with the result that an entire cessation of public mechanically propelled conveyances, save taxicabs, was threatened, Many of the latter are run by ex-service men, who, after the inconsiderate attitude of the miners in refusing permission to many ex-soldiers to obtain places in the pits, after their return from the war, had manifested no particular favour, towards the undergoing „workers.
Had the strike proceeded to its threatened general dimensions, miners in Notts. and Derbyshire districts, as elsewhere, would . have been among the Principal sufferers through the withdrawal of all means of road communications, most of the mining districts -now relying upon bus and tramway facilities. With a prolongation of the struggle upon the part of the colliers, the difficulties of the situation are still formidable, but the Nottingham Corporation, with considerable coal reserves, are in the for. tunate position of being able to maintain electricity supply for probably about six weeks, enabling a full or curtailed tramway service to be maintained. In preparation for contingencies, road transport arrangements for safeguarding food supplies had been made in the wide area extending from Noi•thants to the Yorkshire borders, with Nottingham as the administrative centre of operations.
HAULAGE SERVICE.
What Conversations with Motor Hirers have Revealed. The Misdemeanours of Some Haulage -Contractors.
AFEW days ago we heard of an instance where an order was given to a firm of motor haulage contractors for the removal of several bales of cotton, which was executed in such a manner as to give the concern who placed it serious cause for complaint, so much so that they determined to send their next con7 signnent by rail.
We do not intend to offer any criticism of the contractor, but desire merely to state the facts, in the hope that the value of the incident may not be lost.
When the commissioned wagon arrived at the scene of loading operations, after having transported coal, it was obvio-uely ire a dirty condition and the platform was covered with a black dust, which was not even swept up. The bales of cotton were loaded, and away the lorry went. In the course of the journey there was a heavy downfall of rain, and the cotton, being uncharted, aeon became saturated. The feelings of the consignees when they saw the coalition of the cotton after unloading can be. better imagined than described. The moral of the irraident, is to obvious to need emphasis. Another grievance of those who hire the supply wagons is the -lack of businesslike arrangements in the fulfilment of contracts. The writer has been told of eases where contractors have undertaken to remove loads, and in the meantime have accepted other offers of work, without notifying their previous clients of their inability to send the promised vehicles. Bad time-keeping is another complaint that is levelled against the haulage contractor.
These points could be elaborated at considerable length, -and it is clear that some sections of the trade are sorely in need cif a proper recognition of the teem 'Service." If merchants, importers, and manufacturers, etc. are continually let down, either by the non-arrival of vehicles, unpunctuality, the rise of dirty vehicles, and so on, the haulage trade, as a whole, suffers, for firms either install transport units of their own or rise other nieans of transport. Fortunately, these grievances against the trade are confined to rather narrow limits. We. feel sure that if contractors would insist on f Air rates for tlu?. service they render they would attract more business than by efforiag an indifferent service at rates whiri, in many eases, are absurd.. This is not a platittde. • Detaile were given to the writer of certain work whiela owing to the competition in rates, was passed from one contractor to another. Eventually the firm found they were not getting the efficient service they. had expected. What they did was to revert to the original rate—nearly 50
per cent, more than the cut rate and Place their work through a regular agency, proving that the haulage rate.% de bear a definite relation to service.