Motorcab Topics,
Page 3
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Tile British Motor Cab Co. is anxious to secure suitable exesoldiers as driver for its Renaults.
Crompton ki.anes.) Council is to afford facilities for the standing of taxicabs opposite the Town Hall of that town.
General Motorcab's Dinner. The annual dineee of the Engineering Department of the General Motor Cab Cu.. Ltd., is to take plate at the Bridge House Hotel, London Bridge, on Saturday next, the 28th inst.
Cabs for Sale.
The iluet of Belize cabs and landautete which . has until recently been in operation by the M-L. Motorcab Co., is now offered for sale. For further particulars the announe.ement to be found amongst our " Sundry Advertisements " columns should be consulted.
Due to the Windscreen.
in the course of a case in which a taxicab driver was stated to have knocked down and injured a boy in Aberdeen, the driver's defence was that his vision was obscured owing to the reflection by his glass windshield of the lights of a passing tramcar.
Swansea's Success.
The accounts disclosed at the first annual general meeting of the Swansea Motoreab Co., Ltd., show a satisfactory state of affairs. A dividend of 10 per cent. has been declared; 30 per cent. is written off unsecured book debts, and £1,000 is placed to reserve for depreciation.
A Yarmouth Mishap.
A taxicab driven by G. H. Pidgeon, an official of the Universal Garage and Taxicab Co., of Yarmouth, caused in-jiffies to a man aged OS front which he subsequently died. The verdict at the coroner's inquest was one of " accidental death," and the driver was exonerated from all blame.
The Black List.
Last iveek was not a very-creditable one for London taxi-drivers. On the Monday a driver was charged at the South-Western Police Court with stealing a cab ; on the Thursday another driver was summoned at the West London Court for six offences under the Motor Car Acts. On the same day, at Marylebone, a third was charged with being drunk while in charge of a taxicab, and the same offence was the cause of another appearance on the next day. There was also a number of "ahusive-langauge," "dangerous-drivine," and other charges.
The first taxicab to be put into service in Burton-on-Trent is a 14-16 lep. Derraeq, and it is owned by Mr. H. Roe, a prominent cycle dealer of that town.
Leeds Licences.
Leeds has eenerally possessed 180 lieeneed horse-cabs ; there are now 25 motorcabe in service. We are informed that, in March next, when the existing licences expire, a large number of the existing horse-drawn hackney carriages will be withdrawn_
A Glasgow Settlement.
In an action before the Glasgow Court of Session, whereby the Glasgow 'F '('I Ce., Ltd., of 272, Great Westerti Road, Glasgow, was sued for £250 damages on account of injuries received by an eight-year-old boy owing to his being run over by a taxicab belonging to the defenders, the taxicab company, who denied fault, paid the pursuer -1:25 and two-thirds of the expenses.
Twenty Points.
Mr. Arthur Coiling, of Drury Lane Theatre, until last Monday, was under the impression that he could successfully insist upon hiring a taxicab driver to take him over any distance he might decide; he was unaware of the six-mile limit. After keeping a driver waiting for some time, Mr. Collins requested to be driven to Weybridge, a journey which the driver refused. At liarylebone Police Court subsequently, Mr. Paul Taylor found for the driver with costs.
Lighting the National.
Representations were recently made to the Hammersmith Borough Council by the representatives of the National Motor Cab Co., Ltd., as to a secondary supply of electricity to their premises off C lenthorne Road, for use in the ease of a breakdown on the present system of supply. The company pointed out that in the event of a breakdown tinder u.xist.iug eireumstancee the work of cleaning, etc.. is done with the aid of oil lamps, and that owing to the quantity of petrol stored on the premiscs there is considerable danger in doing tins. The Council's Engineer reported that it would be possible to ley a low-tension main to the company's premises which would give a standby supply of about 80 amperes at a cost if about £39. The company's acroent at present amounts to about £.250 per annum, and the Committee, after considering the matter, instructed the Engineer to proceed with the installation of the second main as suggested.
As we go to press, the chief engineer of a large London motorcab company asks us if we can secure for him a firstclass foreman and a number of good fitters. Only men whose references will bear the strictest inquiry need make application. Letters may be addressed to this offiee and must be marked " Taximan."
The Night Shift.
On the 18th inst., an action was heard against the General Motor Cab Co., Ltd., on the complaint of owners of houses in Farm Lane, opposite the " United " Garage. Damages were claimed for depreciation owing to the night-work at and near the garage. Wound Up.
At an extraordinary general meeting of the Buckingham Gate Garage and Motor Cab Co., held at Buckingham Gate, S.W., a. resolution was passed to the effect that. the company be wound up voluntarily. Mr. George Pratt, Station Approach, Sydenham, SE., was appointed liquidator, General Bonuses.
The General Motor Cab Co., Ltd., is offering a £50 bonus for the best takings and mileages for 1911, together with a number of smaller re. wards for the " runners-up." In 1908 this company made a similar offer, and the winner was the present secretary of the Driver-Owners' Association.
The Gritting of Streets.
A conference was held on Friday, the 20th inst., between representatives of the Institution of Municipal and County Engineers and of the Roads Improvement Association (Incptd.), with regard to the gritting of Londen streets. Messrs.. J. A. Brodie, T. W. A. Hayward, H. P. Maybury, and other surveyore represented the municipal association, whilst the ILT.A. had amongst its representatives Earl Russell, Lt.-Col. C. H. L. Baskerville, and Messrs. W. Woib,y Beaumont, F. R. de Bertodano, A. E. Hughes, S. R. Noble, H. Lyon Thomson and others; Mr. Robert Todd presided. Evidence was given by the road users of the damage caused to rubber tires by the gritting materials at present used. The ways and means of reducing the damaging effect of gritting to a minimum, while still maintaining a non-elippery surface for all types of traffic, were fully discussed, and a resolution was passed setting out certain principles for dealing with the difficulty, and this is to be submitted by the delegates to their respective organizations for confirmation, after which a further conference is to be held.