WHEELS OF INDUSTRY.
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"The wheels 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.
The Dennis Balance-sheet.
We have already published the directors' statement and the result of the year's working (to September 30th, 1928)of Dennis Bros., Ltd. The balance-sheet is now to hand and we learn that it will be presented to the shareholders on Friday next. The exact profits for the year were £360,839 19s. 7d., to which must be added the amount brought forward from the previous year of £74,790 12s. 9d., making a total of £435,630,12s. 4d. The directors have transferred to general, reserve a sum of £100,000. They have already paid an interim dividend of 8d. per share amounting to £50,082 10s., whilst a final dividend of 2s, 6d. per share pow recommended will absorb £187,809 7s. 6d., leaving a balance to be carried forward of • £97,738 14s. 10d. Mr. George Clare is refiring from the board of directors owing to ill-health, and Mr. William Fish, the 'secretary of the company, has been appointed to fill the vacancy.
The capital issue in 1 s. shares now figures in the balance-sheet at £75,123 15s. The general reserve stands at £500,000, and the only other item on the liability side of the balance-sheet is that of sundry creditors and estimated liabilities, £142,343. On the assets side, land, buildings, plant, machinery and furniture figure at £165,545 10s., and stock-in-hand and work in progress at £267,295; sundry debtors owe £154,266, investments in Government securities are rained at £161,118, whilst investment in White and Poppe, Ltd., stands at £100,747, and cash at bank and in hand totals £154,042. It is an extremely clean balance-sheet and the directors are heartily to be congratulated upon it.
"Plying for Hire."
We had hoped to deal in this issue with the recent decision of the Appeal Court in, the case stated from the Brighton justices in which it is alleged that a coach owner was plying for hire by announcing the service he was running and accepting payment for tickets up to a given time prior to the departure of the coach. Pressure of space, however, prevents us from dealing with the matter this week, and our comments on it will appear in our next issue.
U.A.S. Capital Increase.
We intimated in our issue for last week that an extraordinary meeting of the United Automobile Services, Ltd., was to be held to pass a resolution increasing the company's capital to £750.000. This meeting took place in London a few days ago, when the resolution to create 150,000 -7 per cent.
cumulative preference shares of each and 100,000 ordinary shares of £1 each was carried unanimously.
Mr. E. B. Hutchinson, the chairman, said that the proposal indicated the continued prosperity and growth of the company. He said that it was the company's intention considerably to enlarge its fleet and to erect additional garage accommodation. The 'expansion which had taken place included the taking over of other companies operat c20 lug in districts adjoining those served by the company, and the following firms have been absorbed :—Messrs. fines Motor Service, of Scarborough; Messrs. Aliens, of Scarborough; Messrs. Pioneer Bus Service Co., of Whitby; whilst more recently the fleet of motorbuses run by Messrs. Pile, of Wooler, between Coldstream, Wooler and Newcastle has been acquired.
New Cabs for London.
The London General Cab Co., Ltd., the prospectus of which was issued one day last week, is, we understand, to place on the road an entirely new type of taxicab, features of 'which will be a 12 h.p. engine, four-wheel brakes, and a
fabric-covered coupe de vine body with safety-glass windows. The company has just made an issue at par of 250,000 ordinary shares of 10s. each. The company has acquired the buainess and assets of the Red Motor Cab Co., who own a fleet of over 200 taxicabs.
To Run Buses in Place of Trains?, Yet another privately owned tramways undertaking, the Tyneside Tramways and Tramroads Co., are seeking powers to run motorbuses in place of trams. They work a fairly big system in the Newcastle and North Shields areas, and, apart from seeking in the Bill now being prepared powers for existing routes Kanction is also being sought to run 'buses over a -number of other routes in Northumberland. The Newcastle Corporation will, it is believed, oppose certain portions of the Bill, including those in which power is sought to replace trams by buses in the Gosforth and Stanhope St. district.
Red-hot Ashes on the Roads.
Reporting to the Warwickshire County Council, the county surveyor states that he has received a strong complaint as to steam wagons scattering red-hot ashes when travelling along the Birmingham-Coventry main road, which, in addition to damaging the road, is also causing serious danger to other road users. He has not himself seen any particular evidence of this practice, except at certain points on main roads where the wagons stop to draw water and where it has become a regular habit for the driVers to clean out the ashpans and to deposit the ashes on the roadside waste or at the draw-ins which have been made so that the wagons can stand off the road when drawing water.
He has referred this matter from time to time to the chief constable, but sagely adds that his difficulty is in catching the culprits, who are careful when they are under observation. The county council has now asked the police to pay special attention to the matter, so drivers should be wary..
Humber-Hillman Fusion.
The fusion of Humber, Ltd., and the Hillman Motor Co., Ltd., is of interest to the commercial-motor community, because Humbers are the proprietors of Commer Cars, Ltd. of Luton, the manufacturer of the well-known Commer vehicle. It is not intended to make any change in the identities of the companies in the combine, or in the present working arrangements, nor is there to be any new issue of capital, although, we understand, that sanction for an increase of 'capital is to be sought. The export activities of the combine will be undertaken in their entirety by Rontes, Ltd.
The London-Newcastle Sleeper Coaches.
The two Guy sleeper coaches, each equipped with 12 sleeping berths, a lavatory and kitchen, which are to be put into service by Express Motors, Ltd., have now been delivered to that concern and will probably be on the road when this issue is published. We have a good deal of information concerning the service, but as the scheme is not. final we are asked to defer further reference to it until matters have been finally decided.
Canadian Production Higher.
An increase of 25 per cent, in the production of motor vehicles in Canada has been 'recorded by the Dominion Bureau -of Statistics, at Ottawa, for the first nine months of the current year. The total number of vehicles manufactured was 202,652, and they were valued at 129,328,879, the increase in value as compared with the previous year being 23 per cent. This year's output includes 43,852 chassis, 5,226 motor lorries, 35 taxicabs and nine motorbuses.
A Loss to Sunderland.
The death occurred on November 10th of Mr. Archibald R. Dayson, general manager and engineer of the transport department of the Sunderland Corporation. Mr. Dayson was largely responsible for the introduction of buses into the Sunderland municipal traffic arrangements, for, although the town (lots not own vehicles of its own, it has an arrangement with the Northern General Transport Co., Ltd., whereby that undertaking works a number of useful services in districts in the locality.
Aberystwyth's Distinction.
A highly satisfactory report dealing with hackney carriages plying for hire in the Aberystwyth area was recently presented to the town council of this resort.
It was stated that in the busy summer season Pot a single accident, even of a minor nature, had occurred in which passenger-carrying vehicles were involved.
The council, in addition to appointing Mr. G. F. Piercey to be technical inspector of hackney vehicles in the ensuing twelve months, decided to insist on third-party insurance being effected by vehicle owners before licences were re-issued.
A New Fordson Industrial Tractor.
We recently mentioned in our columns that it was the intention of the Ford Motor Co. shortly to produce new models of the Fordson tractor in the works at Cork, which are being turned over exclusively to the production of such machines. We now learn that a special Fordson industrial tractor will be built, and it will be adapted for use on the road. We are told that it will develop ranch more power for the same low running costs as its prototype. As already stated, the contemplated output in 1929 of the new plant in Cork is 30,000 tractors. From this works the whole of the world demand for Fordson tractors will be produced—even America will obtain its machines from this source.
Amalgamating Berlin's Transport Services.
According to a correspondent in The 7'irne8, an important step has recently been taken towards the solution of Berlin's traffic problems, which will avoid wasteful competition between various services and secure the operation of the most economic system. The city Qom cil has ratified the scheme for the amalgamation of the tramways, underground and bus undertakings into a
concern to be known as the Berlin Traffic Co., controlled by the municipality, with a capital of 400,000,000 marks. The three undertakings have already adopted a working agreement.
We have had several opportunities for referring to the operations of the bus company, which is known by the name of Aboag and owns a large fleet of vehicles, including many six-wheelers.
Leeds Bus Licensing Matters, Leeds Watch Committee has adjourned for further information an application from the West Riding Automobile Co., Ltd., for licences for motorbuses to ply for hire in the city in connection with a proposed service between Leeds and Doncaster, via Castleford and Pontefract. The committee has granted the company's application for permission to extend its bus service between Leeds and Barnsley to Sheffield and its service between Leeds and Wakefield to Doncaster.
The committee, however, has refused to grant the application of the West Riding Automobile Co., Ltd., as well as that of the Barnsley and District Traction Co., Ltd., for licences for buses to Ply within the city in connection with a proposed joint service between Leeds and Sheffield, via Wakefield and Barnsley.
Catseye Anti-dazzle Development.
The services of Mr. P. J. Hays have been retained as sales controller of the Catseye Anti-dazzle Spectacle Co. Lord Dorchester is chairman of this company, with Lt.-General Sir Arthur Sloggett, Mr. Shrapnell-Smith, Col. Jarrott, Mr. S. F. Iffidge and Mr. Henry Tanner as co-directors. This promising anti-dazzle invention was first described and illustrated in The Commercial Motor dated July 12th, 1927.
Thornycroft Agents in Argentina.
As a result of arrangements concluded some time ago for the appointment of Messrs. Shepherd Bell and Cia, of Peru 143-147, Buenos Aires, as the Thornycroft agents in Argentina John I. Thornycroft and Co., Ltd., has received a number of orders from this firm for passenger and goods-carrying
vehicles. They are carrying an adequate stock of spare parts, so that purchasers of Thornycroft vehicles in Argentina can rely upon securing service after delivery, an important factor in connection with the promotion of satisfactory business relations in couhfries overseas.
Palmer Tyre Report.
The report of the Palmer Tyre, Ltd., for the year ended August 31st last shows a profit of £8,155 and, when the balance of £3,781 brought forward is added, there is an available total of £11,936. Out of this sum a dividend, free of income tax, at the rate of 10 per cent. per annum, is to be paid, and this will absorb £6,000, whilst the total allocation is increased to £8,000 by carrying a sum of £2,000 to the reserve, thus leaving £3,936, subject to payment of directors' fees, to he carried forward.
The New Engine of the S.D. Freighter.
The latest model of the S.D. Freighter is equipped with an engine of the company's own make which develops two or three more horse-power at the normal engine speed, and can be run quite easily up to 3,000 r.p.m. instead of the approximate maximum of 2,000 r.p.m. on the previous power
unit. This renders the vehicle even more efficient and speedy for road use, where full advantage can be taken of the increased r.p.m.
. A Wireless Demonstration Van.
A motorvan fitted up with apparatus to give wireless demonstrations has recently been put on the road by Philips Lamps, Ltd., 145, Charing Cross Road, London, W.C.2. The vehicle is arranged to receive broadcast programmes and reproduce them by means of two loudspeakers mounted on the roof, and there is also apparatus for the electrical reproduction of gramophone records. The van is at present touring the south coast and west country towns.
Do Diens for Long-distance Services.
Cook's Safety Coaches, Ltd., has, it is reported from its South Wales agencies, ordered 12 new long-distance coaches for use on Anglo-Welsh routes. As with the newest-type coaches used by the company on London-South Wales routes, the vehicles will, we are told, be 40 h.p. De Dions and will seat 18 to 20 Passengers.
Chester Promoting a Bus Bill.
Chester Corporation is seeking sanction, in a Parliamentary Bill which it is promoting, to run motorbus services in the city and within a 10-mile radius of its town hall. It is also seeking authority to prohibit or restrict the bus services of any company if it competes with municipal services in districts to be served by the corporation. A Fowler Gully-emptier Improvement.
So successful has the Fowler gullyemptier proved that there have been but few alterations to it during the past few years, but at the Public Health Congress and Exhibition we noted that the latest model is equipped with a new sewer-flushing device consisting of a large quick-opening valve and a huge leathern pipe, as shown in an accompanying illustration. The valve permits flushing the sewers in 50 . secs. with the whole 950 gallons contained in the tank, thus giving • effective clearing.
Rescinding a Resolution.
A deputation representing the Newport (Mon.) Town Council has waited upon the Magor Rural District Council to obtain sanction for the Newport authority's proposal to run coaching trips through the Mager area.
The Newport case, as stated by the Mayor of Newport, was that there was no intention to run a regular or plyittgfor-hire service in the area, but only to cater for private hire.
"Someone comes to us," said the mayor, "and asks if we can take a private party to Monmouth or S.vmond's Yat. -Unless we have permission from you we cannot carry such a party through your area, although a private firm can."
Tha Magor Council, having previously passed a resolution to refuse sanction for such operations, has now accepted notice of a motion to rescind such a decision, so that at its next meeting sanction can be granted to the Newport Council.
A Heavy-duty Trailer, Por some little time the Eagle Engineering Co., Ltd., of Warwick, has extended its sphere of operations to heavy transport, and has specialized en products such as that shown in an accompanying illustration, which depicts a trailer capable of carrying a load of 15 tons.
It is constructed on a chassis in
which steel is employed throughout ; it has double-disc wheels and Timken bearing equipment. The axles are all of Siemens-Martin steel fitted with 18in, internal-expanding brakes, which act on drums on the wheels. The springs. again, are of the best-quality Sheffield steel, and the forward end of the body is mounted upon a turntable. The body is 20 ft long and has a width of 7 ft., whilst it is fitted with 4-in, chock rail
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and sides 15 ius. high. The loading height from the ground to the platform of the vehicle is only 3 ft. 6 ins. It will be seen that the wheels on the front axle are equipped with triple tyres and those on the rear axle with twin tyres.
Loughborough Gives Permission.
Loughborough Town Council has granted applications for licences for vehicles to . ply for hire in Lough borough, in connection with services between London and Nottingham and London and Bradford, on condition that passengers must be booked for destinations beyond Leicester, Nottingham and Derby. This proviso is made so that competition is avoided with local bus services.
Wolverhampton Abandons Another Tramways Service.
The tramways service between Wolverhampton and Bilston, which has been run by the Wolverhampton Corporation, has been abandoned and the route is now being worked by trolleybuses, six-wheeled 60-seaters of this type having displaced the double-deck trams on Monday of last week. Mr. C. Owen Silvers, A.M.I.E.E., the general manager and engineer of the corporation's passenger transport undertaking, informs us that this route will ultimately he extended to Darnston, which will add two miles to the route.
The League of Nations and Road Transport.
The Road Traffic -Committee, which is one of the communication and transit organizations of the League of Nations, is holding an important session in Paris, the principal object of which is to complete the project for unifying the system of road signals it drew up last year.
Another problem it is tackling deals with commercial-vehicle transport. The recent growth of heavy traffic seems to call for the drawing up ti international rules. Although such rules have been in force for a long time for other kinds of transport, there have been none for motor vehicles.
The Road Traffic Committee has been enlarged so as to make it as tepresentative as possible of the various interests involved.
Demonstrating the "Conqueror" Chassis.
In view of the interest which has been provoked by the recent introduction by Halley Motors, Ltd., Yokel', Glasgow, of the Conqueror fourcylinder bus chassis, the Dartford Automobile Engineering Works, Powder Mill Lane, Dartford, are arranging a special demonstration week of this new model, starting from December 3rd, thus providing operators in this part of the country with an opportunity for inspecting the chassis. The new model was fully described in our issue dated October 30th.
Descriptive of Chenard-Walcker Products.
As Messrs. Chenard-Waleker, 16-17, Pall Mall, London, S.W.1, were unable to obtain space for exhibiting their tractors and trailers at the Public Health Congress and Exhibition, which was held at the Royal Agricultural Hall, London, N., during last week, the firm took the enterprising step of having their products on view in 13erners Street, alongside the exhibition, They also took the opportunity for distributing copies of an attractive catalogue dealing with their various types of vehicle and the uses to which they can be put. This catalogue is well illustrated and embodies brief constructional details of ChenardWalcker tractors and trailers.
25 Years of Laystall Progress.
Founded in 1903 by the present governing director, Mr. P. T. Bersey, the Laystall Motor Engineering Works, Ltd., now occupies a prominent position in the motor industry. The original premises consisted of a small shop with one employee ; to-day, after 25 years of steady progress, the company employs a staff of 200 men in modern works equipped with up-to-date plant.
Presiding at a dinner in celebration of the 25th anniversary of the founding of the company, Mr. Hersey paid a tribute to the loyalty of the staff, a large number of whom has been in its service for many years. Mr. and Mrs. Bersey were presented with a handsome silver salver, subscribed for by the staff. There is no doubt that Mr. Bersey is held in high esteem by the staff and that the company owes much of its success to the cordial relationship which exists between the management and the operatives.
Working Costs for a Bristol Municipal Fleet.
The city engineer of Bristol, Mr. L. S. McKenzie, M.Inst:C.E., has recently issued his annual report for the year ended March 31st. last, and this contains some interesting figures relating to the operation of the steam arid electric vehicles in the service of the sanitary committee.
The total number of working days on which the 17 steam n wagons were used was 4,931, the number of tons of material which they carried being 76,334, involving 17,501 loaded journeys. The total number of miles travelled was 93,347, this representing an average of 5,491 per wagon and an average distance of 5.33 miles per journey per wagon. The total cost of operating the steam wagons was £10,580, this being equivalent to £622 per vehicle. The average cost per working day . was £2 2s. lid, for each wagon.
So far as the committee's six electric vehicles are concerned, the total number of days on which they worked was 1,756, and they carried 12,079 tons of material, representing 4,751 loaded journeys. The total number of miles travelled was 25,640, this being equivalent to an average of 4,273 per vehicle. The average distance travelled per journey was 5.40 miles. The total cost of operating the fleet of eleetries was 13,999—an average of £666 per vehicle. In this case the average cost per vehicle per working day was £2 ps. 6d.
Glasgow's Municipal Bus Garage..
Good headway is being made with the construction of the capacious garage which is being erected by the tramways 'department of the Glasgow Corporation, to accommodate the growing fleet of municipal buses. The garage, which measures _220 ft. by 300 ft., will provide space for 100 buses, and when, the work of erection is completed will have 'cost approximately 135,000.
The Value of the White Line. Kent County Council reports that excellent results have been achieved by the provision of white lines on highei•etys, and it suggests a greater use of such lines on the main roadt. In town streets the diviSion of the highway into proper lanes of traffic has a tendency to induce the heavy slow-going vehicle to keep within the lines adjacent to the kerb, and, wherever this is the case, it follows that there is less waste of the 'remaining road space for higher-speed traffic.
Halifax Promoting a Bus Bill.
Halifax Town Council has decided to promote a Bill, to be presented to the I next session of Parliament, which will be confined to motorbus and tramway affairs. All matters in connection with the Bill have been taken in committee, but it is understood that the corporation will seek powers to use motorbuses in place of all tramways outside the borough and to take up such tramways Inside the borough as it thinks desirable. The Halifax trams were operated at losses of £9,520 in the year ended March 31st, 1926, £23,434 in 1927 and £513 in 1928. In addition, the renewals fund, which in 1920 amounted to £74,292, has been almost exhausted, and on March 31st last there was a deficiency on the general account of £40,696, although in the aggregate £85,539 has been voted
by the committee in relief of rates during past years.
The motorbus department has progressed in recent years, and last year a gross profit of £7,408 was shown, following a profit of £6,953
in the preceding year. Against this gross profit, £6,064, in respect of sinking fund and interest, and a proportion of the cost of the purchase of the motorbus section of the business of the Ryeburn Garage Co., Ltd., were chargeable and this resulted in a net loss of 14,300, which was met by a transfer from the tyre suspense account.
A London Transport Contractor's Operations.
The report of McNamara and Co. (1921), Ltd., the well-known London transport contractor, for the year ended June 30th last, shows a profit of 13,258. A suggestion made by a shareholder at the last general meeting with regard to the operations of Messrs. Allied Transports has been adopted, and the results of the working of the latter have been incorporated in the accounts of Messrs. McNamara and Co. The profit mentioned compares with a loss of £3,556 for the two companies in the
year ended June 30th, 1927. During the past year competition has been very keen., on the Part of
small transport operators, and ratecutting by the railway companies has been felt.
In .con neetion With certain long-Aistanee traffic, it is to be noted that the company has made arrangements with the railways for co-operative working, which, it is expected, will be of mutual advantage.
The sum brought forward at the beginning of the present year was £5,448, and this, when addedto the profit for the past year, gives a balance of 18,706, which the directors recommend should be carried forward.
Details of Bean Products,
The Bean 30-cwt. commercial chassis, which has achieved considerable success, is well described and illustrated in a catalogue which has just been. issued by Bean Cars, Ltd., of Tipton. In the main, the catalogue deals with the constructional characteristics of the chassis, detail features of special importance being illustrated. There is o
range of different types of body for fitting to this chassis and details and pictures of some of them, including lorries, tippers and vans, are embodied in the catalogue.
The company has also issued a leaflet descriptive of its 18-20-seater passenger vehicle, which is available as a bus or as a coach. The. 18-seater coach, with a Sunsaloon head, is a particularly attractive proposition which sells at a reasonable figure. Municipal Purchases and Proposals.
ISLE OF ELY County Council has authtlized the Purchase of a motor road roller.
Donci-nisTea Corporation is to establish a sinking fund for thc purchase of a new motor fire-engine.
PENRIT31 'Urban District Council recommends the acceptance of the tender of She'yoke and Drewry, Ltd., at £623, for the supply of a motor dust cart.
Having considered the question of refuse collection, the NORTHAMPTON Corporation recommends the purchase, Its an experiment, of a Ford lorry at a cost of £250.
Northileet inquiring About Trailers.
The surveyor to the N'orthfleet Urban District Council has reported 'bat the International tractor has been put to work and that two old trailer wagons had been adapted for use with it. These wagons were found to be Satisfactory for light end bulky loads, but were rather too weighty when loaded with heavy • material. He therefore suggested that two special trailers capable of being adapted for use with the tractor be purchased at a cost of about £165 each. He was inatructed to make inquiries as to the various patterns available and, to the effect of their use on the licensing of the vehicle. , A Buye'r's Guide Number.
On November 30th our associated journal, The Motor Boar, will publish a Buyer's Guide Number, which this year will take the place of a Show issue, there being no marine exhibition until the autumn of 1929.
The Buyer's Guide Issue will include all the usual features, and in addition a fully illustrated article dealing with standardized craft of all types, ranging from high-speed runabouts to motor cruisers, together with a list of all marine engines marketed in this country. Amongst. other features, details of marine accessories will be included.
Motor Trade Publicity Specialists.
Mr. It. A. Oldfield, managing director of the well-known concern of J. and • Oldfield, Ltd., the lamp manufacturer of Birmingham, informs us that his son, Mr. Eric 3, Oldfield, has started an advertising business in partnership as Messrs. Oldfield and Sharp, of Herald Chambers, Martineau Street, Birmingham, where they will specialize in publicity service for the motor and allied trades.
Trolley-buses in Lancashire.
The South Lancashire Tramways Co., Ltd„ Atherton, an associated company of the Lancashire United TransPort and Power Co., Ltd., intends to run trolley-buses throughout the area at present covered by its single-line tramcar tracks, which pass through Leigh, Atherton, Tyldesloy, Swinton, Hindley, etc. Application for the necessary permission is to be made to Parliament,