Passenger-Vehicle Topics.
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A Durham-Churchill char-A-bancs has been demonstrating before the Electricity Works Committee of the Lincoln City Council. Other makes of vehicles have also been examined.
The Beeston U.D.C. has licensed four additional motorbuses on the application of Messrs. Andrew Barton Bros. The vehicles will vary in passenger capacity from 34 to 45 persons.
The directors of the Scottish Motor Traction Co., Ltd., of Edinburgh, have declared a dividend at the rate of 71. per cent. per annum, for the year ended the 30th September last.
The trading results of the General Motor Cab Co. Ltd., continue to be bad. A loss of £11,154 has been realized, for the year ended 31st July last, after meeting debenture and other charges.
Financing a Cab Company.
In an inter-pleader action before Mr. Justice Coleridge, in the King's Bench Division, recently, the Banque Automobile, of Paris and London, was successful in the contention that its charges upon 54 motorcabs, lately in service on the streets of London, in the hands of Messrs. H. G. and F. Cr. Sharp, were valid, and judgment was entered that the issue be determined in favour of the Banque Automobile, with costs.
Motor Ambulances.
A 30 lep. Napier ambulance is a valuable addition to the Dinas (South Wales) rescue-station equipment. It was supplied by the Automobile Co. Ltd., of Charles Street, Cardiff.
Chambers Metora, Ltd., of Belfast, has secured an order, at 2458 6s., from the Belfast Guardians, for a British-made vehicle that can be ased either as an am. buIanee or as a carriage to convey eight persons.
The estimated cost of the motorambulance service for Willesden is 21331 per annum. Application is being made to the L.G.B. to sanction an establishment loan of ;e3160. This is to be allocated as follows : two double-bedded motor ambulances, £900: one collecting and delivery van, £400 ; one motorcar. £100: three school ambulances (L450 each), £13503 alteration to sheds and stable, £100; total, £3150.
A recent report of the General Motor Cab Co., Ltd., containing particulars of the sale of some 800 cabs, and of the cars used for private-hire purposes, refers to the fleet of two-cylinder Darracqs and of four-cylinder Charrons.
We shall not deal with the evidence before the Select Committee of the House of Commons which has been appointed to inquire into London street accidents, owing to the widespread publicity which is being given to the nroceedings of that Committee in the daily Press. • We shall deal with the report in due course.
Mr. R. E. Cross, one of the organizers of the new National Society of Motorbus Workers, called at this office, on Monday last, and asked us to correct an impression conveyed by a paragraph in our last issue, to the effect that several of the officials of this new trade union belonged to the Carmen's Trade Union. He informed us that there is only one official in the new concern who is connected with the carmen's organization.
Ratepayers Support your Trams As if the Croydon tramway authorities had not sufficient of a problem to tackle in. reqnect of the successful invasion by Tilling motorbuses over some of their unsatisfactory services, on Sunday evening last the tramway system broke down for several hours, thus affording an excellent obiect-lesson on the relative values of the individual unit and of a central-station system to those who, but a week ago, would have had no alternative method by which to travel in the district. Thus, on Sunday evening. the motorbuses were, as they had been all last week, crowded. The local inhabitants have not been slow to disregard the tramway committee's plaintive and well-advertised whine—that deluded ratepayers should support their own trams, with which they have unfortunately been presented. National Steam Car.
The second annual general meet ing of the National Steam Car Co., Ltd., passed off very satisfactorily last week. The new chairman, elected by rotation, is Mr. George Clare.
We congratulate Mr. Thos.
Clarkson upon the progress which he has shown ; it must be a satisfaction to him to have demonstrated that steam is by no means dead for passenger services in London.
Third Annual L G.O.C. Superintendent" Dinner.
The Chief Engineer of the
L.G.O.C., Mr. Walter J.. Iden, took the chair on the occasion of the third annual dinner of the company's superintendents, which was held at the Café Marguerite, Ox.. ford Street, on the 20th inst. He was supported by Messrs. C. Rosier. IL Lansdowne, H. Darby. and W. I. Johnson, Mr. A. W. Windsor (TEE COMMERCIAL MOTOR) was the only visitor present.
Replying to the toast of his
health, by Mr. Byrnes, the company's senior depot superintendent, the chairman congratulated those present on the remarkable results which were being achieved by the company's motorbuses. Records were now being set up in regard to efficiency of running which showed 99.75 per cent, performance of the total possible mileage under the existing organization, and this with the total running per week amounting to as much as L million miles. This record has reference solely to the company's huge fleet of B-types. The first machine of this pattern was turned out from the factory at Walthamstow in October. 1910, and since then they had achieved the remarkable output of 2200 chassis. As evidence of the care taken and the money expended with regard to the training of drivers, it was worth recording that at one time the company had as many as 700 men training as drivers, and there were 70 instruction buses in commission for
their use. The company spared no expense in such matters.
An enjoyable musical programme followed the dinner, and this was provided solely by the superintendents themselves. Mr. E. Butteriss, of the drivers' training department, was an excellent pianist ; the committee consisted of Messrs. D. Clarke, S. F. Eden, J. Morgan, T. Courtney, W. H. Candy. H. Rishere, R. Johns, with Mr. P. G. Blair as honorary secretary.
Passenger-Vehicle Topics.
The General Motor Cab Co., Ltd., now succeeds in serving London with 2000 cabs daily from its various garages.
" The Northampton Echo" reports that a regular motorbus service will be inagurated between Wellingborough and neighbouring places, early in. the new year.
Drivers-and the Insurance Act.
The National Health Insurance Commission recently issued the following notice with reference to cab-drivers
"As a general rule cab-drivers are. required to be insured under Part I of the National Insurance Act, 1911, not only when they are employed for wages, but also when they merely hire the cab from the owner in return for a fixed payment or a share in the earnings or otherwise. Where a driver receives wages, his employer is required to pay the necessary contributions in respect of him, and is entitled to recover the sum due from him by deducting it from his wages. "In the case of a driver who hires his cab, the owner of the cab is deemed to be the employer, and is therefore liable in the first place to pay the joint weekly contribu
tions due from himself and from the driver. The contribution for any week is required to be paid on the first day of employment in that week. The driver's share of the contribution may be claimed from him by the owner, and if it be not paid the owner has the right to recover the amount summarily as a civil debt, provided proceedings for the purpose are instituted within three months from the date when the amount was payable. The contributions payable depend on the driver's net earnings per working day. In estimating the remuneration, the value of tips, etc., should be taken into account, and deductions should be made for any expenses necessarily incurred in the course of the work, such as hire of cab or payment for petrol. Information as to the rate of contribution payable in a variety of circumstances may be obtained From official explanatory leaflet No. 18."