In Public Service.
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The Corporation of Barnsley is considering the purchase of a motor fire-engine.
The Town Council of Hove has decided to increase the annual grant to its volunteer fire brigade to enable it to acquire an up-todate motor fire-engine.
Recent Registrations: The Rapid Motor Omnibus and Haulage Co., Ltd. This company has been registered with an authorized capital of £1000 in RI shares by Newman and Sons, 65 and 66, Chancery Lane, W.C., to carry on business as manufacturers of motor vehicles of every description. First director: Robert T. D. Robertson.
The Express Motor Omnibus Co., Ltd. This company has been registered with an authorized capital of £1000 in RI shares by Newman and Son, 65 and 66, Chancery Lane, W.C., to carry on the business of motor omnibus proprietors and makers, etc. First director : Robert T. D. Robertson, Tottenham's Olympians.
A feature of the L.G.O.C. athletic sports at Leyton, which were held at the Hare and Hounds ground, on the 21st inst., was the number of successes scored by employees from the new garage at Tottenham. They secured five events, the chief of which were the ten-mile race and the tug-of-war.
The London Cab Changes. At extraordinary general meetings last week of the General Motor Cab Co., Ltd., the New Motor Cab Co., Ltd., and the British Motor Cab Co., Ltd., the necessary resolutions for the absorption of the two first-mentioned companies by the British concern were agreed to. Sir William Barclay Peat was appointed liquidator of the General Motor Cab Co., Ltd., and Mr. George Lloyd in the same Capacity for the Nev Motor Cab Co., Ltd.
31 Million Fewer Travellers.
The new Board of Trade Returns for the Railway Traffic of 1912 contain much proof of the effective competition of the motorbus in respect of short-journey suburban traffic. There is also evidence that the general policy of the railway companies in abolishing the second-class passenger has, from the point of view of receipts, not been asatisfactory one. Most of the erstwhile second-class seasonticket holders would appear to have become third-class travellers, and not first-class as was anticipated. There was a total decrease in the number of passengers carried for the year of 31,000,000, Splashguards at Bradford.
We are enabled, by the courtesy of Mr. C. J. Spencer, A.M.I.E.E., General Manager of the Bradford Tramways Department, to record the adoption on this concern's trackless-trolley vehicles of an anti-mud-splashing device, which has given satisfactory results in actual practice in that city, It will be recalled that the guard, which is of the flexible ring type and affixed to the outer edges of the tire, is similar to one or two of the most successful which competed in the recent Paris tests for specialities of this kind. That in use at Bradford consists of a ring of rubber in. thick fixed to the wheel felIoes at the outside of the solid tires, and of equal diameter with the tires. In the particular type of wheel which is shown in the illustration, the disc is fixed by means of a special outer ring. These guards were first adopted on the Bradford trolleybuses at the latter end of 1911, and they have been in use since then during all muddy weather. Mr. Spencer informs us that this type is found in practice to act much better than any of the fixed or pivoted trailing screen patterns, which are necessarily deflected by the stream of mud, and always allow a certain quantity of it to pass beneath them. The ring shield, of course, ensures that a fresh part of the disc shall come constantly into operation. Messrs. Birt and Co., Ltd., of Sydney, Australia, is supplying the .New South Wales Post Office with a four-ton and a five-ton 32 b.h.p. motor lorry.
The receipts of the National Steam Car Co., Ltd., for the week ended 21st August, 1913, were £3593. This shows an increase of £1646 over the corresponding week of 1912.
Fivepenny Taxicab Fares?
It has been rumoured in certain quarters that the recent reshuffling of London taxicab interests • is likely to lead to .a. reduction of fares for short distances of from 8d. to 5d a mile. We think this would be a retrograde step. There is still much to he said for our oft-suggested 10d. for the first mile. The driver more frequently than not now gets Is. for an 8d. fare. It would be more equitable were he to get is. for a 10d. one.
Derby.Ashbourne Mails.
From the headquarters of the Surveyor, G.P.O., North Midland District, Leicester, we have received particulars of the tenders which fire asked for daily motor mail services between Derby and Ashbourne. The total distance to be travelled weekly is 192 miles. -The latest date for posting tenders is the 3rd September. Interested parties may see a copy of the tender form at this office, or, alternatively, they may secure one for themselves by application to the Surveyor, as above.
Birmingham Single-Deckers.
There is a certain amcunt of opposition in Birmingham to the new single-deck inotorbuses which have been placed in service on the Hagley -road. The principal objection appears to be that the entrance and exit is in the front part of the body, it being claimed that in the event of a fire taking place on the front of the chassis the passengers would be in a serious position in respect of their escape. Mr. Tozer, of the Birmingham Fire Brigade, is of opinion that they would b-e safer with an entrance at the rear. We would point out that machines ,ef this type with front entrances have been in use for a long time past in various part of this country and abroad without objection. The G.W.R. Co. is a notable user of this class of machine for many of its country services. The manager of the Birmingham and Midland Motor Omnibus Co., the concern which is running these machines, says that he is of opinion that the single-deckers are safer on some of the routes where they are being operated than double-deckers would be, owing to the exceptionally steep gradients.