The Motor Omnibus World.
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Noise:
No owners of motorbuses have to enlure so many extra difficulties as is the ase in London : the cost of existing )olice methods is assessed at no less han 2d. per mile run We understand from the " Libausche eitung " that the Russian Governnent has sanctioned a motor line beween Libau, on the Baltic coast, in (urland, and the East Prussian town of
1,Iernel. A German firm has secured the 1rder for the vehicles, and will put on a Tecial class of bus for sixteen persons. It is proposed to charge some 3 roubles 'about six shillings) for the entire jourkey, which will occupy between four and lye hours. The project has been re:eived with the utmost satisfaction firoughout the district in question, where means of communication are far 'tom being up-to-date.
Buried Figures. •
The auditors to the Motorbus Co., Ltd., which is one of the four corn)anies to join in the amalgamation cnown as the Vanguard Motorbus Co., • -td., have entered a dignified protest tgainst the manner in which their 'unctions under the Companies' Acts save, in their judgment, been ignored. Ne think it will be a wise course if the icoountants in question, Messrs. Woodhorpe, Bevan and Company, of t, 1.eadenhall Street, E.C., are allowed o conduct the audit in place of the qotorbus Company's liquidators, and ve are unable to conceive any objecion—unless professional jealousy—to hat more normal procedure. Press :omments on the incident are such as to lead people to think that all has not been " fair, square, and above-board " in the dealings of the Motorbus Company, and no reasonable steps for the satisfaction of the shareholders should be denied them. Complications may have resulted from the intermediate transactions of the Motorbus Trust, as between the Motorbus Company and the Motor Omnibus Construction Company, but there can be no valid reason for the non-intervention of the auditors whose names appeared on the prospectus of the absorbed company, and their protest in the Press indicates that they are not wanted.
On the broad question of buried figures, where no question • other than• possible trading losses occurs, we are in agreement with the view that the shareholders' interests are best served by non-disclosure to competitors or the• public at large. The first year' S trading accounts of two of the amalgamated companies have not been forthcoming, and no exceptional statement or protest has been heard about them : it is common knowledge that they were
bad, but the acquirement of experience of any value costs money at all times. It is only when there is so exceptional an element as a public protest by a company's auditors, that directors may well feet called upon to . regard its possible bearing and construction in relation to considerations other than the protection of the shareholders.
. Tube Competition.
The Central London Railway Coinparty has found the continued loss of receipts beyond endurance, and its managernent has given way to the force of circumstances : the zone fare of twopence for all distances will be abandoned in a very few days, and a so per cent, increase will apply to all distances above, say, 31 miles. This change of policy may be regarded as the first bright spot on the motorbus horizon, and, when taken in conjunction with the all-round increases, upon London's shallow -railways, it shOws that not only motor-omnibus companies have been feeling the keen pinch of unduly low fares. Motorbus returns were peculiarly affected when the Brompton and Piccadilly tube was opened, and the Hampstead tube will not be without corresponding effects, so that this declaration of unwillingness on the part of the various electric. railways to give more than fair value in exchange for sundry coppers is -very welcome to all who are operating self-propelled road • vehicles. Motorbuses; no Matter what people may say, do not rattle and • vibrate nearly so annoyingly and harm• fully as do tube train. The'sin of the motorbus is, rather, that it makes all its " fuss " in the open, bUt we believe that it great virtue of furnishing a quickmeans of travel in the open air " will keep it ahead of the tube in public esteem for -all time, and for all distances ekcept -the longest trips. • If neurasthenia is Worsened bY motorbuses, what shall-we 'say about the tubes?:
A hot correspondence is raging in the Hull papers anent the refusal of the City Council to confirm the licenses for motorbuses at its last meeting. • We are pleased to be able to record the fact that the action-atlaw that was pending between Sklney Straker and Squire, Limited, and the London General Omnibus Company, Limited, has been settled to the entire satisfaction of both parties.
Oil Droppings.
The Commercial Motor Users' Cup for cleanliness in respect of oil droppings, to which we made editorial reference last week, has become the subject of a letter to the Commissioner of Police : Mr. Rees Jeffreys has notified Sir E. R. Henry of the offer.
Share Dispute.
Mr. Justice Swinfen Eady tried the action Roberts versus Salisbury-Jones, on the 21st instant. The plaintiff sought to enforce an agreement for the purchase of to,000 deferred shares in the London Motor Omnibus Company, at x5s. each, and the defendant counterclaimed for „4::2,000 in respect of the transfer of 2,000 fully-paid ordinary shares in the same company. His lordship gave judgment for L5,5oo in favour of the plaintiff, a stay of execution to be granted conditionally.
Lamps at Owner's Risk.
His Honour Judge Edge, in the Clerkenwell County Court, has decided against the owner of a Turkish baths establishment who claimed 4-'21 from the London Motor Omnibus Company. A private street-lamp used to stand at a point in York Terrace, and one of the "Vanguard " motorbuses demolished it in February last : the lamp had been put in position under the consent of the local council, and it had remained in situ for more than 25 years. The defendant company maintained that the lamp was a trespasser on the highway, and that the local council had acted ultra vires in giving permission for its erection—in fact, that it was an illegal obstruction. The judge, who had taken time to consider his finding, held that the contention of the defence was a good one. The lamp stood much nearer the edge of the kerb (less than six inches) than adjoining public lamps (r. or I6 inches), and it was not placed there under any proper authority : it therefore must take all traffic risks. Leave for a new trial was refuSed.
Argyll News.
The accompanying illustration of the Argyll Company's popular 16-2oh.p. type of char-li-bancs is from a photograph of a vehicle that was recently supplied to Messrs. Anderson, of Greenock, by the Western Motor Co., Ltd., of Glasgow. It is in service on a circular route from Greenock the tour leads through Gourock, past the Cloth lighthouse to Inverkip, and back to Greenock by the main road. This round is a hilly one, but the Argyll engine takes a comfortable body, and 18 passengers with ease. The trip is known as " Round the Cloch," and is a popular one on the Clydeside.
Two of the chassis supplied to the L.M.O.C. by Thornycroft's, are to be the subject of interesting experiments. One is to be fitted with a worm-driven countershaft and silent chains; the other with a Dennis live-axle. The object is to obtain the ideally silent bus.
Peculiar Criticisms.
(i) . . . had anyone been passing at the time, he would, no doubt, have been seriously injured or killed." (2) " . . . If all who suffer . . would studiously re frain from joining themselves to these mammoth cars, and would persuade. others to do the same, something would be done towards getting them off the
roads." (3) " . . . Sir Theodore Martin, who confessed that he was 91 years of age, said that it (the motor
bus) was shortening his life." (4) . . . It is a matter of surprise that some sort of concerted action has. not long ago been instituted against these nerve-shattering conveyances by those with whose business they chiefly interfere—London house agents."
.These are a few selections : yet, we think, that "if " has been heard before, and people do not boycott the motorbus; with all respect, a gentleman at 91 should not tempt Providence by living on a main thoroughfare in Landon, whilst wemust point out that other house agents bless the motorbus—these much maligned vehicles will serve the new tube, from Golder's Green to Hendon, and rejoice the hearts of the local estate and house agents. It is. hard to reconcile all these adverse views with facts.
The Ryknield motorbuses at Leeds lave been put upon routes which keep hem in closer touch with the central lepOt, and the resulting improved serice, and" greater flexibility for inreased service on Saturdays and Sunlays is much appreciated.
Director Wiss, of the South German Toter Works at Gaggenau, informs us hat the company's exhibits have been [warded a gold medal at the St. PetersturgMotor Exhibition, as well as a ninisterial diploma of merit. The 'N. A. G.," which was represented by notorbuses and vans, has received the :hief gold medal.
G.E.R. Services.
This company's 21 motor omnibuses :re now divided between six services .s follows :—Clacton and St. Osyth, , ; Norwich, Loddon and Beccles, 3 ; 3olchester and West Mersea, 2; Ipsvich and Shotley, 2; Chelmsford, Vrittle, Great Baddow, Danbury and Ilreat Waltham, 4; Lowestoft, Kes_ ing-land, Kessingland Beach and iouthwold, 7.
Railway Motorbuses.
Mr. William Pickersgill, Locornolye Superintendent, Great North of iootland Railway, Inverurie, writes as ollows, unfortunately late for our "AllVorld Motorbus Issue" of the 20th nstant :—" This company owns 25 aotor vehicles : they are stationed at Lberdeen, Edit, Cluny, and Newburg-h, 3allater and Braemar, Alford and itrathdon, and Huntly and Aberchirer. There is a daily service of from wo to three runs to each of these 'laces, but, in the summer months, the ervice between Ballater and Braemar s very much augmented, as there is a urge tourist traffic between these daces. As a rule the bodies are of the .rdinary bus type, but, during the ummer months, they are replaced with hars-h-bancs. During the months of uly, August, and part of September here is a daily run over what is known .s The Three Rivers' Tour,' leaving 3allater in the morning for Strathon,' thence to Speyside via Tominoul. " The motor vehicles have generally given satisfaction ; they are much appreciated by the public, and supply a long-felt want in these country districts. I enclose a photo of a number of prints, showing some of the motor vehicles we have in use)!
[The vehicles include 13 Milnes-Daimlers and some Maudslays.]
Carborundutn and "Electrite."
Carborundum as a grinding medium is too well known to require a detailed explanation here as to its abrasive power and durability, but, in order that the degree of its hardness may be fully realised, we would call attention to the fact that it has a grinding power of from three to four times greater than emery. So hard is it, that an ordinary emery-wheel has been dressed by a fractured piece. The Vienna Carborundum Works are responsible for its manufacture, and the Vincit Co., Ltd., of 117b, Queen Victoria Street, EC., has the sole agency for the British Isles and the Colonies. Another speciality of this company is the " Electrite " abrasive, which, although not quite so hard as carborundum, is superior in hardness to emery. In its rough state its grain is less coarse, and it is better capable of resisting pressure and shock. It possesses a further great advantage, in the fact that it adheres more tenaciously to polishing bobs, etc., than the carborundum grain. Both materials are made up into grinding wheels, cups, flat and square stones, discs, ribbons, and almost any kind of abrasive tool, to suit the varied requirements of motor manufacturers or users who have machine-shops.
An Action Entered.
We learn that Mr. A. E. Healey, a shareholder in the Manchester District Motor Omnibus Co., Ltd. (in liquidation), has entered an action against one of the principal directors of that company for alleged misrepresentation and misdescription in the prospectus.
A New Scotch Char-a-bancs.
The i4-seated, 2oh.p. Halley char-hbanes, which we illustrated in our last issue, is one of the latest standard types of Halley's Industrial Motors, Limited, of Yoker, Glasgow. The wheelbase of the vehicle is 9 feet 6 inches, and the two rear seats are made detachable so that, when removed, the back portion of the body can be left available for use as a luggage-carrying platform. There is, in addition, a large luggage grid, which practically acts as an extension of the platform. Each Halley vehicle is submitted to exacting road tests before delivery, including trials up and down a gradient of i in .5, and the company has found that the imposition of such ante-delivery tests insures satisfaction for purehasers.