• Home
• Used vehicles
• Product news
• Dealer news
• Compliance
• Buying advice
• Archive

WHEELS OF INDUSTRY.

The wheel of wealth will be slowed by all difficulties of transport at whatever points arising, as a carriage is by the roughness of the roads over which it runs.."—John Beattie Crozier,

Next Year's Tractor Trials.

We believe that an announoement is imminent to the effect that the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders will hold a series of tractor trials in September next year, and that an exhibition of commercial vehicles will take place at the same time and place. 14, by a careful selection of time and place, standing corn could be made available for the cutting and binding test, and if the demonstrations do not extend over a period of 4 or 4i days, we believe that the trials i -would gain n, popularity with entrants and farmersalike.

The L.G.O.C.'s New "S" Type Bus.

For some time past, it has been a men bee of common knowledge that the London General Omnibus Co., are experimenting with a larger type of vehicle than the present " K " type, and that, if experiments fully justify it, the company hope to pet a number of these vehicles on the road. On August 27th an agency report was circulated to the Press making peblic the fact that an example of the new omnibus had been submittal to Scotland Yard, and had received provisional approval by the authorities, thus enabling the company to pursue its further experiments. The suggestion that the body is "all steel" is, however, a complete misapprehension. The body is simply a develop. inent of and improvement upon the "K" type body, and is constructed to the corn.' pany's own registered design irethe company's own factory. The body is exa.otly the same in. general plan as the "K" type body, except that it is necessarily longer. The London General Omnibus Co. will take the earliest possible opportunity to publish definite official information in regard to the new bus.

Sir Eric's Gibe at the Discourteous Motor Driver.

In stating that there is more discourtesy and disregard for other road users on the part of the occupants of private cars than on that of the drivers and passengers in motor coaches, Sir Eric Geddes, in the reinark he made while opeaina the Commercial Motor Exhibition, touched upon a somewhat controversial subject. ' There will be plenty of people who will resent his statement somewhat bitterly.

Private motorists, not unnaturally, have looked at motor coach traffic from their own point of view. To them, the motor mach is an obatructive vehicle, occupying more than its share of the road, and sometimes Tendered the more ela jectionable bemuse its driver either does not; or will not, hear the indications that faster vehicles are overtaking and desire to pass. Also, many .motorists have had, occasionally unpleasant experiences of the bad behaviour of rowdy char-a-bancs parties. At the same time, they must admit that there are, among their ofcn ranks, a few objectionable and inconsiderate drivers, and also that the majority of motor coach parties are perfectly inoffensive, and are merely aiming

c8 at getting the pleasures of motoring at a price they can afford to pay. It is pos,sible to read the Minister of Transport's comment in two ways. One may take it to mean that, whila the people in motor coaches are objection, able, those in private cars are even worse. One May also take it to mean that while occupants of private cars awe themselves . unobjectionable, these in motor coaches are even less open to the slightest criticism. That the letter of thes.e two readings would be the more correct is indicated by • his subsequent _remark that, at the present day, there is little or no foundation for the agitation . against motor coach traffic.

• The Motor Show.

The occurrence of the coal strike resulted in many idle rumoure of early closing of the Cominereial Motor Show, of a shortening of the show period, of a restriction of the lighting, and so on, but the exhibition pursued the even tenor of its way. The great subject Of discussion, however, concerned the question as to whether the Motor Show, fixed to be held at Olympia from November 5th to 13th, would have to be cancelled. The matter was discussed by the committee of Management and the council of the S.M.15/. and T. last Thursday, when it, was decided to proceed with the plans for holding the Show, but to cancel the banquet.

• Lincoln and Transport Development.

There was a notable gatheringin Lincoln on Tuesday last, -when managers of railway concerns, enginecrs1 and distinguished visitors from foreign goontries, visited Clayton Wagons, Ltd., Abbey Works, The Crown Agent attended from London, and Now South Wales was represented by -the AgentGeneral. They were present on the invitation of the firm, who have just corn' pleted the first Pullman car made in the city. The firm have an important contract with the Pullman Co. for five firetclass and five third-class cars for service on the Great Eastern Railway, During the inspection of the newly-completed work. the chairman of the Pullman,

Sir Davison Dalziel, M.P., announced that the Clayton production was up to the present the most luxurious of any yet constructed in the eountry.

1,215 heavy motorcars wee regiatered by the London County Council under the Motor Car Acts of 1896 and 1903 during the quarter ended September 30th, 1920, bringing the total ,up to 22,554. - The Bedford branch in the list of the associated firms of Agricultural and General Engineers, Ltd., is James and Fredk. Howard, Ltd., the recognised title being with the name " James " in full, and ` Fredk." abbreviated as shown.

In ntzr group of commercial vehicles illustrated on page 344, of our last issue, we described as an 8 ton Sentittel lorry for haulage in Liverpool, a vehicle which actually was one of the now Clayton endertype steam wagons made for G. E. Brown of Liverpool.

Alcohol Mixture Suggestion.

The successful experiments with alcohol mixtures so far recorded have been made -With 5Q par cera, of alcohol and 50 par cent. benzole. We _ understand, however, that in the continued eXperiinen'e by the London General Omnibus Co., a .most useful mixture has been found in Alcohol 60 per cent., benzoic 30 per cent., and ether 10 per' cent, This

mixtaire Calls for no alteration in the compression pressures. With regard to denaturing, Mr. G. J. Shave makes a very veinable suggestion. Bone oil (dietillahle from bones and only obtainable in small quantities) is of the same specific gravity as alcohol and, therefore, cannot be separated. from it after mixing. It is most repulsive in edger, and spiritdenatured with it would be most =palatable. • Inst. A.E. Paper.

The first meeting of the London Graduates' Section -of the Institution of Automobile Engineers was held on October 14th, when Messrs. E. .Chatterton and L. F. Watson read ae-excellent pazer on "Factors Affecting Power Output, 'taking as a -basis the output per unit fuel consumption. The -authors deserve great eredie for condensing . what would normally occupy a volume into Such a short paper, while it the same time giving a great mass of food for thought. Among the points referred to were : The design of the combustion chamber, the authors quoting an instance in which .the fuel consumption was decreased by 20 p-ar cent., without any loss Of power or increase in coot of manefacture, by simply altering the contour of the cylinder head —dividing the factori affecting power _ output intothree headings of thermal,: volumtric, and Mechanical efficiency, they dealt with the, various details of the engine concerned with these three headings.

The BaicO Char-a-Bancs.

With regard to the exhibits rof the British American Import Co., Ltd., of 115, Fulham Road, London, S.537.3, which we described in Our report issue of the Olympia Show, an error occurred in connection with the price of the 20-sealer Baioo-Ford char-iabancs. This was stated to be £950, but as many of our readers who visited the Show will know, .this should have been £595. At this price, it is one of the cheapest combinations ea the market: We also stated that the body has a single entrance on the near side at the forward end ; as a matter of fact, an entrance is provided at either side.

Slough Employees Benefit.

The. directors of the Slough Trading Co. have reduced the weekly working hours of their employees at Slough from 44 hours in six days to 40 hours in five days without reducing their weekly earnings, thus dispensing with the four hours at present being worked on Satmxlays.

i It s from a businees rather than from a, philanthropic point of view that the matter has been considered, it, being the directors' belief that •employees will respond to their appeal for an equivalent output in the future 40-hour as in the past 44-hour week.

Ford Profits in Canada.

Profits amounting to 67 per cent. of tilt 7,000,000 dollars of capital stock out standing were earned by the Feed Motor Co., of Canada, during the veer ending ly 31st. The net profits for the year were 4,696,243 dollars, after deducting 968,590 dollars for taxes and other expenses. Dividends absorbed 1,750,000 dollars, leaving a surplus on July 31st of 8,216,305, compared with 5,270,000 dollars on July 1st, 1919.

These figures axe based an a production of 55,616 ears, compared with 39,112 manufactured during the previous year.

Petrol Plant in Fruit Growing.

Great progress has been made within recent years in the development of machinery suitable for use in fruit plantations. Messrs. Me.Dougal Bros., LW., of Norrest, Malvern and Manchester, at the recent West Midland Commercial Fruit Show, were awarded the first, prize, a silver medal, for new implements for use in the fruit-growing industry.

The machine is a dry sprayer distributor for fruit and hops, .self-contained, and driven by an internale-ombustion. (petrol) engine. The second prize in this class was awarded to Messrs. Drake and Fletcher, of Maidstone, for the new A.P.S. fruit-spraying plant, which is irpeoially suited to lime. 'L'his machine is also self-contained.

In another class W Weeks and Son, W., of Maidstone, were awanded the int prize of a silver medal for the "Serrice" small hand-controlled motor tractor aid attachments for plantation cultivadon. The second prize in this class was else awarded to Messrs. Drake and Fletcher for their patent adjustable rudler attachments for spring tine harrows.

Thornycrofts For Siam ?

The Basingstoke works of John I. Phornycroft and Co., Ltd., were visited few days ago by the Crown Prince ?nrachatra of Siam with his wife and laughter, who were accompanied by Mritanley, of the Beard of Trade Overseas )epartment.

The Prince is the General of Engineerrig for Siam, and has the 'control DS ,11 roads and railways transport in that outitry, and he showed very greet increst in the Thornycroft works, through vhieh he was conducted by Mr. Tom l'hornyuroft, The party was afterwards entertained an excellent lunch, provided by the

iasingsteke canteen staff, and the ollowing. day visited the Thornyeroft hipbuildu4 works at Southampton, rhen the Crown Princess Prahavaddshidi erfctrmed the launching ceremony of the Ville de St. Arnarin," a 2,000 ton argo vessel building for French owners. The^ Crown Prince possesses a keen usiness bastinet, and it is one of his haracteristics to prefer to deal directly rith the heads of the firms with whom e has business transactions.

Canadian National Exhibition.

The forty-second annual Canadian lational Exhibition held in Toronto a iw weeks ago attracted over one million isitorsethe total nuinber being 1,152,000, .hic.h was a decrease of some 48,000 from se figures of the .previons year of .201,000, when the Prince of Wales twice hated the Exhibition, and was welcomed iere by many thousands. The record dendance for the 42 years of the Focht

bition'e existence was attained in that year.

A large number of American and Canadian firms exhibited, and it is to be regretted that British firms only mustered about '30 out of a, total number of 672 exhibitors.

The Canadian National Exhibitirin embraces the annual automobile show of Ga.ncla, and while practically every make of American and Canadian car was exhibited, only one British-made car was

shown. In the motor lorry section three British vehicles were exhibited, against 62 Canadian and American. In the motor and cycle accessories section one firm of British agents represented about a dozen United Kingdom manufacturers of motor and cycle accessories.

The Department of Overseas Trade maintained a Bureau of Information in the Government .Building. Many inquiries were received there regarding United Kingdom export trade, one of the principal being, " When clif United Kingdom, firms prep'ose to take more serous steps to cater for the Canadian market?"

Motor Traffic Legislation in Norway.

H.M. Vice-Consul at Christiania states that the Director of Roads has informed him that the proposed law to govern motor traffic in Norway is not expected to he passed as a whole before the spring of 1921, but that part of it which refers to tyres will come into fovea-on January 1st next. Official information concerning the dimensions of motor vehiele tyres has recently been published. Theigreat invasion of motor vehicile,s into the country has necessitated alterations in the motor laves and, states a local journal, the tremeLlosis wear and tear on the roads by motor lorries will probably require still further legislation.

It should be noted, however, that the importation of motorcarsfor passenger traffic as well as that of motorcycles, with or without 'sidecars, and cyclecars, is prohibited under the ban on "luxury" goads.

Messrs. Walford tend Co., of 7, Great .James's Street, Bedford Row, W.C.1, whosesindian address is Post Box 613, Calcutta, have been appointed agents for vehicles produced by the Associated Equipment. Co., Ltd., for India* and Ceylon. including Burma.

Personal Pars.

The reference to Kerrie/. Motors, Ltd., in the paragraph, immediately following, coneeraing the appointment of Mr. A. A. Remington to a directorship of this company, reminds us that we saw Mr. elerbert F. Clayton, the founder of that business (formerly known as Clayton and Co. (Huddersfield), Ltd., not only at the luncheon given on the opening day by the Societyof Motor Manufacturers and Traders, but, also, once' or twice on the stand of the company. Mr. Clayton is a typical Yorkshireman. He is probably over 60 years tof age' but looks epmewhere in the thirties, and has all thervivacity, vim and go of a man who, in years, has scarcely completed a quarter of a, century of his life. He founded the K.arrier business about 14 years ago, and it.must be very. gratifying .to him to observe that it is now one of the leading commercial vehicle concerns in the country, having behind it a. fine war reeled. The weak links , in the chain, of design cliscksed by the excessive strains brought about by war work were immediately rectified so fax as all new vehicles were concerned, -out, in addition to this, the makers sent out to the base depots replacement parts of the new design; or of the new strength, to replace those already in use. The result was that convoys of Karriars soon earned a name for great reliability.

Owing to the miscarrying of a letter, we were unable, in our last issue, to refer to the appointment of Mr. Alfred Arnold Remington, 0.13.E., M.I.Mech.E., M.I.A.E., to the technical directoiship of Karrier Motors, Ltd_

Dar. Remington last year filled the important post of President of the Institute of Automobile Engineers, and 'it is greatly to his credit that he had reached that position well within 20 years of his first association (in 1900) with the motorcar trade. He joined %Volseley Motors, Ltd-, a year later as draughtsman. For a time he was connected with Vickers, Ltd., of Barrow, in connection with the design of petrol engines for submarines, and later returned to the Wolseley Co. as chief draughtsman, and, -when Mr. Siddeley joined the company, Mr. Remington became designer. In 1912 he was iappointed chief engineer, and was largely responsible for rapid development of scientific designing in the motorcar industry, as is evidenceds by the complete equipment of the experimental research, laboratory at the Wolseley Co.'s works, which was, in fact, created by him. His engineering training arid -study have carried•him into other branches of design outside of the a motor industry, and this very considerable experience has more than paid for itself many times.

Mr. Remington is highly regarded throughout the whore motor industry, and there is not the•slightest doubt that &eerier Motors are vastly the gainers by thus securing his services.

Mr. L.E. Little, founder and managing director of Northern Bali Bearings, Ltd., in this country, has recently joined forces with the famous firm of 1%anseme and Marks Bearing Co., Ltd., and is at presera' busily engaged in introducing several new features in ball bearing design. De hes his headquarters at the London office of the :company, 64, Mortimer 'Street, Great Portland Street, W.la and it is expected.that this move will be of coasiderable iniPartanee to all users of bearings

Body Tenders Wanted.

Edieburgh Corporation Tramways, through their tramway manager, whose address as 2, St. James's Square, Edinburgh, are issuing a specification. and drawing for six motor char-a.-bancs bodies, for which they are aelting quotations, for delivery before March, 1921. '

Feeh vehicle is to hold 32 passengers, the framing to be of wood, and sides to be panelled withsheet steel and panelled off with aluminium and hard wood mouldings. Doors axe to he provided to each compartment on the near side, and there is to be art offside door for entrance to the driver's Beat. The vehicle is to be fitted with windscreen, running boards,

i and hood, and finished n accordance with the details set out in the specification. Tenders must be addressed to the Town Clerk, and delivered not later than Friday, November 5th. We have copy of the specification and a blue print of the body in this office for any London inquirer who cares to call and inspect them. .

Improved Transport Facilities.

West, Riding County Council has had communications from the Minister of Agriculture and the Ripon Corporation with reference to the proposal of the War Offiee to band over to the Disposals Board the light railway constructed during the war for Ripon camp, and the question is raised as to whether the railway could not be made use of for the benefit of the locality. The County Council has appointed a sub-committee to make investigatiens, and also to consider generally the question of providing improved transport facilities by means of light railways oa otherwise in c.ounty areas at present inadequately served by transport.

Farm Tractors in Western Canada.

Manufacturers of farm tractors who wish to do business with Canada should make a point of consulting "The Tractor. and Farm Auxiliary Survey" for the provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta for the year 1920, which has been compiled by the Canadian Power Farmer, and published by E. II. Heath and Co., of Winnipeg. A copy of the work in question may be seen on application to the Inquiry Room, Department of Overseas Trade, 35, Old Queen Street,' Westminster, S.W. 1.

The book, which runs to 60 pages and a folding map, gives particulars of the possible demand for farm machinery in every town in the three provinces, and we note with interest that the number of gas tractors in Western Canada on. November 1st, 1919, totalled 26,392, made up as follows o—Manitoba, 5,877; Sas katchewan, 14,148; Alberta, 6,367. A note in one of the pages runs: "With only one in every 84 farms in. Manitoba, . Saskatchewan, and Alberta owning tractors in 1919, over one acre in three of the total small grain average wasploughed with a tractor."

New North Wales Bus Service.

A number of Bangor tradesmen have decided to establish a new motor omnibus service, to be known as the Bangor and District Motors, Ltd. The company • intends to divide the local routes mto four 2d. stages, and to have a country service connecting up Ebenezer and district, Brynsteneyn and Dwyeam. The proposal is to purchase two buses for the town seevices and to hire vehicles for the country districts until it is prolted what sort of vehicle would be most auited for the roads. It was suggested that the fares should be based on 2d. per person per mile, but to bee on the safe side it was thought advisable to fix it at 3d.

Sparking Plugs in Uruguay.

According to the $nutli, American. journal, there is a big demand for sparking plugs in Uruguay, a demand corresponding to 10,000 or 12,000 automobiles tesi 'es the petrol engines in use. Since about 70 per cent, of the automobiles and many of the engines wed are of American. manufacture, the American standard screw thread sizes are suitable for sale in the country. About 80 per cent, of the plugs sold are of metric sizes, and a Majority of the others are in. plugs. Of 'the European importations, the French makes sell for 2 pesos (Os. 6d. each), while the Italian makes retail at 3 pesos (14s. 3d.).

Corporation Bus Bills.

Reporting upon the Sheffield Corporation (Motor Omnibuses) Bill; the Law Committee of the West Riding County Council States that the West Riding and the Derbyehire County Councils were represented before a Committee of the House of Lords in support of petitions asking that the Ministry of Transport's model clauses relating to contributions towards adaptation of roads and road maintenance inserted in the Bill should be made to apply to old and new routes uniformly. The decision of the House of Lords Committee was :—

" The Committee has considered the whole matter very carefully, and it has come to the conclusion that the standard clauses can only apply to the new works. It thinks it very desirable that all these ;undertakings ahould be on the same basis, but it is of opinion that it is a matter which should be dealt with by a general Aeleof Parliament and not in. a private

Accordingly, the West Riding County Council, acting jointly with the Derbyshire County Council, suggested to the Minister a Transport the desirability of introducing a public Bill to secure a common basis, but the Ministry has declined to do this in view of the new taxes.

The High Price of British Lorries.

Westminster City Council invited quotations for the sUpply of ten petrol motors for the cleansing department, and had 24 tenders submitted. The Works Committee declares that anxious as it is to get more motors so' as to • avoid horse hire, it finds the tenders extremely high, and, moreover, is informed that an excellent type of lorry can be purchased abroad at much less cost, than present English market prices, even after making allowance for freight charges to this country. Understanding that there is still a large stock of motor vehicles •at. the Slough depotea deputation went down and sew three suitable Thornyeroft chassis, and the committee new recommends

their purchase. By this means it is computed that the slight repairs and provision of bodies will enable the Council to get each complete lorry at £683.

Battery Service:

It may be Of interest to our readers and to electric vehicle users generally to know that following the reduction of the hat prices al Exide starting and lighting batteries, the Chloride Electrical Storage Co., Ltd. 220, Shakes-WATT

,Avenue, Undon Ltd., are able to offer users the further advantage of firstdeas battery service. The company . have already appointed a large number of faans all over the country to eistaiblish Exide battery -service stations in their various towns, and many of these are in operation whilst others will , shortly be in a position to undertake the

• work.

The company's .service system will ensure that an Exiele battery user need never have his vehicle out of commission through battery trouble, as he will have in his vicinity a service station where he can obtaia advice and assistance whenever necessary. His cells can be kept in good oondition, tested from time to time, have distilled water added, and in cases where it may be neeessezy to remove the battery from the ear for repairs or recharging, a rental battery suited to hi vehicle will he at his disposal.

Warrington Haulage Contractors.

Motor haulage contractors in the Warrington district feeling the need of an organization to assist, them in the proMoms with which they are daily confronted, have decided to form a branch of the Liverpool and District Motor Haulage Contractors Association to cover an area embracing Runcorn, Widnes, and Chester.

Mr. A. J. Bailey, who presided, briefly reviewed the problems of the road transport industry, from the hauliers' point of view. Rate-cutting, he said, was very prevalent in the Warrington area, and there were Liverpeel -and Manchester haulage contractors passing through the town who were prepared to take loads at 9e. 6d. to .10s. per ton to either city--a rate ridienlously below railway rates. A very useful discuesion ensued, as a result of which it was decided to form a branch of the Liverpool Haulage Contractors Association.

The chairman recommended members also to join the Commercial Motor Users Association, but regretted that the C.M.U.A. was so little interested in haulage as a business that their secretary declined to convene a meeting for haulage oontraetees only. Haulage contractors had their own problems, which Were not. invariably in lino with those of the Commercial Motor Users Association, This organization, said Mr. Bailey, whose firm are members of the C.M.U.A. apparently was not impressed with the desirability of specially eupporting the haulage contractor.

A Mud Splash Guard Demonstration.

The demonstration of mud splash guards suitable for motor vehicles, :being arranged by the Camberwell Borough. Council, has been postponed until Mots

day, November 29th, The Tra.nsporti Ministry and the Commissioner of Police have promised to send representatives.

A Bus Stop Proposal.

The Commissioner of Police is considering, in conjunction with the Technical Committee of the Advisory Committee on -London Traffic, a suggestion that a regulation should be made insisting that burs stopping places should be at least 30 yds, in the-rear of tramway stopping places.

Studying the Miners.

The workmen at Garndiffaith Institute, near Newport (Mon.), handed over to the Pontypool Hospital on Monday a motor ambulance for the conveyance of injured workmen from thelocal collieries and steel works. The cost of the ambulance, which arrived at Gazadiffaith during the week-end, is &toted to be over £1,000, which was raised by the subscriptions of the workmen. The offer was very, heartily accepted by the hospital executive committee.

Local Proceedings.

South Shields Corporation is to convert eoineeolel -tramway sheds into a garage.

£1,395 is to be spent by Wakefield on a 2 ton electric tipping wagon.

A motor vehicle for the collection of refuse is to be purchased by Crompton U.D. C.

Essex County Council reports the sale by auction for £200 of an old Clayton steam wagon.

Oswestry R.D.C. is to purchase a 5 ton tipping wagon at a cost of £1,350, also a 1 ton Ford tipping lorry.

The South shields Tramways Committee is considering the question of ex-1 tending the omnibus service.

The Urban and Rural and the Crick Rural District Councils are combining to purchase a motor ambulance.

Northampton Corporation has authorized the borough engineer to par. chase a Foden steam lorry at a cost of £1,275.

The Minietry. of Health' have sanctioned the borrowing of £1,945 by Crayford P.C. for the purchase of a motor fire-engine, and of £8,500 by Ilford U.D.C. for electric vehicles.

Inquiries have been held into the applications of Watford U.D.C. and Wolverhampton Corporation for permission to borrow £11,400 and £4,614 respectively, for the purchase of electric vehicles for the removal of house refuse.

So much damage was done as the result of the intensive motor traffic causequeret upon the railway strike, that Essex County Council is now spending over a thousand pounds to repair Kelvedon Bridge, on the Chelmsford-Colchester main road, across the River Blaekwater.

The following purchases have .beeu authorized by the Essex County Council: Two five ton tractors or steam wagons. four trailers, one. cycle and sidecar, at a. total cost of £3,510.•

Two five ton Marshall trailers, at a total cost of £340_ One Foden steam waaon.

BY-LAWS IN N. WALES.

Endeavours to Restrict the Cperations of Motor Chars-a-Bancs.

WHILST in several parts of the country motor ohar-asbanes proprietors are visualizing their arrangements for next season's trade, the county councils are also focusing attention as to what should be done to keep the motor char-a-banes in its "proper place. l' On tlieSe bodies there is always a good number of people who seem to have a "bee in their bonnets," and whose statements have to he accepted with the proverbial grain of salt, yet, having the power, seem. to delight in making the position of the motor char-a-banes proprietor decidedly uncomfortable.

Efforts are being made in the North Wales district to secure the adoption of uniform by-laws for motor vehicles plying for hire in the counties of Anglesey and Ca,rnarvonshire.

A conference has been held at Bangor of representatives of the public bodies in both counties, at which it was painted out that the by-laws of the various authorities were Out of date, and it would be no use the Bangor people drawing up new by-laws if they did not apply generally. A car plying for hire in Bangor would be ordpide its jurisdiction one mile from the Town Hall., and a oar going from-Bangor to Beaumaris, in Anglesey, would have to pass through distriott administered by five authorities. There has frequently been overcrowding on the buses, and more than one inquest, has been held, said the Town Clerk of Bangor, as the direct result of the motorbuses being overcrowded. A Beaumaris representative drew attention to the discrepancies in the charges for the hire of private cars. In Beaumans the charge was from Is. to Is. 6d. a mile, while in another part it was over 3s. a mile.

Vehicles, it was said, were growing to . extraordinary dimensions, and the suggestion was made that the sizes should be restricted. It was decided that, "In view of the extended radius over which large hackney carriages (huses, etc.) travel at the present time, it is desirable that all local-authorities in Anglesey`and Carnarvonshire should unitem drawing up by. laws which shall govern the principles upon which such carriages shall be hired, and to regulate their use." A committee of five from Carnarvonshire and four from Anglesey was appointed to frame by-laws.

Attention was drawn to the growing dangers of large heavy motor onthibusee and char&-h-baness, and suggestions were made that chars-a-hanes should be forbidden to use narrow lanes; that there should be a classification of motors, fares, and the nunsbers of persons that may be carried. Speaking of motor chars-asbancs, Dr. Woodhouse said that these heavy, cars with their solid tyres. travelling up -to 30 miles per hour, caused a 20 per cent-. increase in the cost, of road maintenance. An enormous number of complaints were being received nf a speed at which these vehicles tra.velled. Drivers, he thought, should not be flanked by passengers; they should be alone, and no one ahould be able to converse with them. Drivers should net he permitted to smoke. Touring cars should be restricted to a seating oapacity of 14, and theft they could be run on pneumatic tyres. In reply to this the Mayor of Bangor pointed out that it would be unfair to local owners to reatrict their cars to 14 .p12 passengers and to allow cars to come into the town from places outside the Principality with over 30 passengers. A resolution was adopted that in addition tothe question of by-laws, the committee be asked to consider and report upon matters which could not properly farm tho subject of a by-law and which bear upon the question of motor traffic generally with a view to making representationS thereon to -the Government department concerned.

ONLY A RUMOUR.

A Bootle Councillor says that Horses are Cheaper than Motors.

THE surprising statement was made at the October meeting of the Bootle Town Council by a critic of the work of the Motor Vehicle and Cartage Committee that horse haulage was more economical than motor transport for short distances, and that certain firms had accordingly replaced motors with horses.

Wherever this gentleman obtained his information is hard to say, for in the course of inquiries made by a Commercial Motor representative in the district,, not one scrap of evidence has been forthcoming to substantiate this extraordinary contention. On the other hand, there is every indication that motor transport during the next few months will grow from strength to strength, and that even those firms who have been mast conservative in their transport arrangements will find, taken on the grimed of economy alone, that mechanical transport has everything to commend it. Bootle is one of the few municipal authorities with a Motor "Vehicle and Cartage Committee, whose function is to co-ordinate the requirements of the various Corporation committees -and arrange for transport. Councillor J. J. King alleged that there was a loss of £980 during the last nine months on the working of the committee. He moved that the committees of the Corporation he at liberty to engage outside team labour and cartage in all cases where the cost is below the charges fixed by the Motor Vehicle and Cartage Committee for the use of motor vehicles for the same class of work.

The statements of Mr. King were vigorously denied by the chairman of the committee, Mr. J. Scott, who said that the firms alleged to have decided on reverting to horsetraffic scouted the suggestion. On the estimates of the Corporation treasurer, there -would be a profit of £600 on the first year's working of the committee, whose system he was prepared to run himself by taking over the whole of the vehicles. Their difficulty was that once a motor left the garage they had no control over it. To enable the service to be administered efficiently he suggested that all the committees -of the Corporation should be instructed to send their requirements tothe Vehic'es Superintendent, who should be responsible for the regulation of the traffic and the carrying out"of the cartage work.

This proposal was adopted, and' Mr. King's idea of a reversion conditionally to horse cartage defeated lax a big majority. One conneirlor gave the finishing touch to the discussion by observing that if the motors could not be made to pay better than the horses and carts -which had been hired by the Corporation for years. then those in charge ought to be scrapped before the vehicles.

CAB CO-OPERATION.

Taxi Owners Associations of Liverpool and Manchester Link Up.

THE LIVERPOOL Motor Hirers Association is now affiliated with the Manchester Taxicab Owners AS:ociation, and at the monthly meeting of the former organization, Mr. Greenhalgh, the general secretary of the Manchester Asso.ciation, was given a cordial welcome. • There was a large accession of new members. The Liverpool secretary (Mr. C. Trafford) suggested that both associations'should appoint asub-committee to keep the members informed of what was

going on in the respective centres.

The chairman (Mr. p. Dunn) said thst more comradeship was needed in their trade, and a small badge would enable them to distinguish the cars of fellow members on the road. He submitted a design, similar to the one recognized by the Manchester Association, with the exception that it bore the Liverpool coat of arms and the initial letters .of the Liverpool Motor Hirers Association. The Liverpool Association, lidded Mr. Dunn, would now be linked up with Manchester, . London, Bolton, Blackburn; Altrincham, and Oldham.

THE AUXILIARY RAIL.

The Stronach-Dutton Loco. Tractor for Transport in Difficult Country.

COME weeks ago we published an a..J account of the Stronach-Dutton read-rail loco-tractor, the joint invention of Brigadier-General R. S. Stronach and Major F. .Dutten, A.M.LE.E., Motor Transport Superinte:ndent, Union of South Africa Railways. It was therein stated that arrangements were being made to give a public demonstration of the tractor, under conditions as difficult as could be devised, in the vicinity of Aldershot. These arrangements have now materialized, and the loco-tractor can be seen at work almost daily on a 1 in 12 gradient, by anyone interested, who should, in. the first place, communicate with Mr. F. S. Lees-Spalding, secretary of. the Road-rail Loco-Tractors, Ltd., 1, Dover Street, 'Piccadilly, London, W. I. Major Dutton, we understand, left England ot October 15th, for South Africa.

Recently a trial of the loco-tractor was made in Uganda, in the presence of the Governor and other officials, and several influential members of the commercial community. Dragging a load a some 6,500 lb., the tractor went beautifully" (according to the Uganda Herald),and the distance to Ka-inpala about four

i miles, was covered n some 12 minutes. At one part of the journey there was a gradient of 1 in 20,. and over this the tractor and its load did about 10 miles an hour, without a hitch from start to finish.

"Thus, in a simple way, has come about what will, in all probability, prove to be the solution of the trans-port problem in the Protectorate, for if the tractor will do only half what is claimed for it, the results will be far-reaching indeed. . . We understand that His Excellency is satisfied with the trials, and as the general public are in agreement, arrangements are being made to get the necessary material here as soon as possible. As Inv() tractors, we learn, can be delivered in England in six weeks, in a comparatively short time we should be getting busy, and relief from the congested condition of the transport begin to make itself felt, thus marking another milestone in the progress of the Protectorate."