Other People' s Costs.
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This journal has an established reputation in regard to the all-important subject of working costs, Its reputation is,based upon a study, at the hands of the writer and of members of his staff, which goes back to the earliest beginnings 4 commercial motoring in England and France, and that is to the year 1897. It was the writer's privilege, on the instructions of the late Sir Alfred Jones, K.C.M.G., to attend the first " Poids Lourds" of the French Automobile Club, which trials took place in and around Versailles in the month of August, 1897, and at the same time, incidentally, to report upon the system and working of the Serpollet steam tramcars_ in Paris. The report on that visit, which was written jointly with the late Ala Henry H. West, M.Inst.C.E., is, so far as he is aware, the oldest document of the kind which refers to the performance side of the subject. It was the first of a number of articles and reports devoted to the same vital question, because everybody is agreed that, to quote an old phrase for which Mr. Worley Beaumont was originally responsible, " Economy is the planet round which all other considerations do but revolve as satellites."
There is no branch of investigation which presents more difficulties and pitfalls than does that which is concerned with working costs. Our friends in the electrical world are a-bout to find that, out, so far as road motoring is concerned, in this country, and a perusaA of the discussion which took place last Friday, at the Institution of Electrical Engineers; in which it was the writer's privilege, by invitation, to participate, will confirm our view. We give a report of the proceedings on pages 88-89. Ti requires not only great experience, but also great confidence, for any individual or individuals to put forward tables of average costs, and to be prepared to justify them. Yet, as our supporters know full well, we have eam:istently, as a journal, put forward and periodically revised such costs, in an exhaustive and detailed way, for upwards of nine years. There is, we regret to find, a remarkable degree of unreadiness on the part of users to allow their names to go into print in respect of their costs experiences. They will communicate details, or in other eases will allow us to have access to their books, on the sole condition that we publish nothing. Thus, whilst it naturally follows that our store of information, in common with the total of our dossiers, is steadily augmented, we do not get, as we should like to do, individual examples of particular experiences in a form or shape that permits of direct reproduction. It is for these reasons., amongst others, that we are particularly indebted to those owners who are now showing art inclination to waive the earlier bars.
We trust that the instance which is reported in another part of the present. issue may prove to be the forerunner of many similar comparisons. Be it added, too, that we do not seek to publish picked examples, but to give space, in conjunction with advice, comment and criticism, to all and sundry records of working costs that may be sent to us, duly Touched, without any reservations on the part of those who send them. This may appear to be a bold offer, and it undoubtedly is so, We, however, are strong in the knowledge that commercial motoring, nowadays, whatever may have been the case some years ago in respect of "skeletons in the cupboard," has nothing to fear, and that the insignificant proportion of failures, due to inappropriate employment or to abuse, can be satisfactorily explained.
L.C.C. Reserved Tramway Tracks.
We have received, since we wrote our second leading article of a fortnight ago, assurances in. high quarters that our anticipations and fears, in respect of the new L.C.C. by-law re slow-moving traffic, are groundless. We are prepared, in the circumstances and for the time being, to accept the view that the L.C.C. has not the intention in the first place, and that it will certainly not be allowed in the second place, hereafter to develop a scheme of tramlines alongside the kerb in ordinary streets, regardless of the commercial community. We have worked for too many years, in conjunction with other parties, to secure reform of the regulations concerning slow-nioving traffic—for example by helping; to put up the " Drive near left kerb " plates in the main Kensington-Hammersmith road—to wish to see the working of this new by-law delayed. We shall, none the less, keep in mind its serious potential bearing in the presence of any wholesale extension of tramlines in the Metropolis, and abovo all upon the general amenities and commercial requirement; of traffic in the event of the laying of rails near the kerb. It is only when highways are of exceptional width, as is so frequently found to be-the rule in Continental cities, that tramway tracks can be virtually reserved for the tramcars alone, and the rest of the street traffic kept, as the by-law does empower the tramcar interests to keep it, "as close to such lines as possible, but so as not to obstruct any tramway carriage using such lines." We are assured, however, that highway " filching " is not an ulterior motive. The power so to appropriate it is, so long as the by-law stands good, clearly conferred upon the L.C.C. tramways staff. If it abuses the new right, serious opposition will he found to assert itself without delay from other users.
Our friends in the motorbus and motorvan worlds may be sufficiently protected from interference by the provision that the by-law shall only apply to any vehicle whieh is moving at a slow pace.' We are told it is so. Whilst this is not entirely satisfactory, in that a speedy motorbus or m.otorvan may move slowly at times and so come within the by-law, we cannot believe, and we have in fact received assurances to the eontrary, that the by-law will be strained to apply to them. Such construction would be Most inequit• able. The risk is none the less now accepted. As we wrote a fortnight ago, in respect of the, phraseology of the by-law as a whole, " Possible constructions of the words call for thought." The results of enforcement remain to be seen. The Skidding Controversy : A Point at Issue with a Contemporary.
Our contemporary "The Surveyor " has asked us, in its issue of the 13th inst., to deal again with some references which it made, in the course of editorial comment, in its issue of the 6th February. We have already refered to this matter in our issue of the 19th February (page 555 of Vol. XVIII), hut we have pleasure in reverting to the subject, in response to the invitation. It appears that our contemporary coneiders that we did not treat it quite fairly in our columns, and we are therefore all the more ready to examine the matter de nose.
In the course of a leading article under the title of " Skidding Vehicles in London Streets," we find that " The Surveyor," which was avowedly and principally criticising a leading article in " The Daily Mail," wrote: " The ultimate causes of the skidding, our contemporary states, was the bad condition of the road surface, but "—and it is here alone that we have to join issue, because the Editor of " The Surveyor " leaves the particular case and proceeds to write in general terms—" in view of the unsatisfactory nature of some of the features of the present type of motor omnibus, this opinion cannot be accepted as necessarily correct. Both sideslip proper and the skidding of braked wheels a-re influenced by the diameter of the wheels, and those of motor omnibuses are much too small, while the design of the brakes themselves is defective."
We entirely dissent from the view of our contemporary " The Surveyor," in so far as it declares or infers that skidding and sideslip •Df motorbuses are more due to inadequate, wheel and tire dimensions than to excessive angles of cross-fall in street or road oonstruction, and in so far as it makes, to our mind, an unjustifiable attack upon motorbus brake design. Remedial effects due -to any ciaanges of wheel dimensions are as nothing compared with those yielded by reductions of angles of side-fall, and we ask our contemporary to consider the data which we quoted in our iseue of the 19th February, and of which we have sent a copy to its Editor, in this connection. We observe, too, that the attacks of our friendly critic, in the person of Mr. Gibson Thompson, who is the Editor of " The Surveyor." are solely confined to wheel diameters, apartefeom-his references to brakes, because he expressly disclaims, in his further references of the 13th inst., any wish to include effects due to tires. He is, in fact, apparently rather inclined to suggest that we did him, an injustice in suggesting that the tire might have anything to do with skidding or sideslip. He, therefore, narrows the issue to one of "wheel diameter or eress-fall of highway? " We await with interest any data to substantiate the charge against wheel diameter.
Are Electric Cabs Profitable ?
Our Berlin Correspondent Writes of Comparative 14esults Achieved in Berlin, where Most of the Practical Experience has been Obtained.
For the year 1912-13 the Automobil-Fuhrwesen Kandelhardt Aletien-Gesellschaft, which exclusively operates Adler automobiles, was in a position -to pay per cent, on the entire old capital of 800,000 marks, and 31,i per cent. on additional shares of a nominal value of 200,000 marks. The net profits amounted to 101,736 marks, or, approximately, £5080. I note that the rolling stock, which consists of 105 vehicles, mostly -cabs, has been valued at 719,200 marks, i.e., an average of nearly 0850 marks, which, reckoning the 21 at 2040, marks, works out at some £335 per vehicle. This valuation is not excessive, considering that the stock mainly represents makes of the latest pattern. Indeed, Messrs. Kandelhardt have exercised, during the seven years' existence of their company, considerable caution both in valuing the stock and in paying dividends. The concern uses no electric-propelled vehicles of any kind, nor is the manager at all disposed
a2 to work this class of automobile, anticipating no profit worth mentioning from the departure. As a rule, Berlin users pass over the electric taxi on one or more of the following grounds : (a) its higher first fare, 80 pfennigs, in lieu of 70, charged for the first 800 metres ; (lel its comparatively low speed; (c) its dependence on the battery-station, which involves a restricted radius of action.
Certainly, the modern electric taxi can easily attain the maximum speed of 25 kiloms. an hour allowable in Berlin ; but, on the other hand, most " petrol " chauffeurs greatly exceed the top limit when the road is a wide one and free from traffic. What is more, the police wink at their occasional excesses. Berliners are perfectly well aware that, when he sees his chance, the taxi driver will squeeze out what extra speed they want, and which speed the driver of the electric cab cannot give, although the latter is much quicker away from rest. With regard to mileage limitation of the electric vehicle, it has to be remembered, in contrast, that the " petrol" driver, knowing no such " eentral-station " limitations, and being able to replenish his source of propulsive energy at any drug-store, can take passengers to far-distant points-50 miles out, if need be.
A Berlin company which works no fewer than 190 electric cabs as well as an equally large number of petrol automobiles of various kinds is the Automo bilbetriebs-Aktien-Gesellschaft. Its last balancesheet shows a dividend of 7 per cent., which, however, was paid only on two-thirds of a capital amounting to 4,500,000 marks. It also shows that each vehicle was valued at some £520, which seems an over-valuation, especially in view of the fact that many of the auto mobiles are not new. With the vehicles taken at this high figure, the net profits figured out at 260,699 marks. How much was earned by the electric and petrol-driven vehicles respectively is not disclosed by the balance-sheet. Presumably, the larger proportion fell to the latter class, since the traffic manager admits the local prejudice against electric cabs. In consideration of such prejudice, application has been made for permission to omit giving them their distinguishing white body-colour in future. Another reason for this is that cabs painted this colour get dirty much more quickly, which means heavier -main tenance charges, the Berlin police tolerating no dirty or untidy-looking cabs on the streets. Yet the chief reason is that, in outward appearance, the electric taxi may thus more closely imitate its petrol rival than heretofore.
The Automobilbetriebs-Gesellschaft's garage and repairing arrangements are models of their kind ; so, too, are those of the Kandelhardt Co. At the back of the .A.utomobilhetriebs-Gesellschaft stands the Allgemeine Elektrizitets-Gesellsehaft, which has rami fications in all parts of the world, and is the parent firm of the Neue Automobil-Gesellschaft. Another concern with which the AlIgerneine Elektrizitets Gesellschaft and the N.A.G. have, connections is the Betriebsgenossenschaft Berliner KraftdroschkenBesitzer, which, like the Automobilbetriebs-Gesell schaft, also works N.A.G. electric taxis. No information as to the financial status of the Betriebsgenossenschaft is available, the concern being a private limited liability company, and, therefore, not legally obliged to issue a balance-sheet for public inspection. The two sub-companies of the N.A.G. account for the bulk of all the electric taxis running in Berlin; remaining vehicles are distributed about amongst a large number of jobinastere. But there does not api pear to exist a solitary firm working electric taxis to the exclusion of other types. The only firm working nothing but electric cabs was the " Bedag " concern, which, after having dragged on a miserable existence for several years, finally smashed for a nominal quarter of a million marks (in reality, much more) in 1911.
Doubtless, the failure of the " Bedag " company is responsible, to a considerable extent, for the existing prejudice against the electric cab in Berlin.