CONTINUATION OF 1911 REVIEW.
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variations. It will be seen that effect has not been given to any of these recommendations other than by the retention of the existing tariff up to the time of writing.
Those new taxicabs which have been put on the streets during 1911 have been largely the property of driver-owners or of co-operative associations, and these machines have almost invariably been noticeable by reason of the sumptuous nature of the coachwork and fittings. Some of the private-owned taxicabs plying fur hire at the present time on the London streets vie with high-class private-passenger carriages in this respect. This is a tendency which it is confidently expected will not prove economically sound in the long run.
In the Provinces, matters have not progressed to any great extent. The Provincial Motor Cab Co., which is a concern operating a number of services in various large cities in England and Scotland, has modified its organization considerably. It cannot be said, on the whole, that its operations have been attended with unqualified success. The future of the provincial taxicab undoubtedly rests with the local jobmasters. The nature of the traffic has been proved to be entirely different from that existing in the Metropolis, private hirings and orciere hy telephone bulking very largely amongst the total receipts. Dublin, which has been such a notable example in the past, in view of the opposition which has been offered by the local side-car drivers to the introduction of the taxicab, has at. last. capitulated in some measure.
Considerable development has taken place, during the period covered by the present review, in the matter of the exploitation of motorcab services in Colonial and foreign cities. For the most part, orders for fleets for such services have gone to foreign manufacturers' but there has been a sustained demand 'upon English factories. It is safe to say, at the present time, that there are very few of the capital Cities of the world which have not already had introduced to them taxicabs in one form or another.
Motor Mails.
The success of road-borne motor mails WRS thoroughly established prior to the opening of the year I911, but further considerable extensions have taken solace, whilst the intention of the Postmaster-General to utilize this method of conveyance more widely has become a settled part of the policy of the Department. Seeing that the railway companies are annually paid a, total sum in excess of £1,100,000 by the Post Office, for the conveyance of parcels, between station and station only, and that this traffic reaches a total in excess of 122,000,000 packages yearly, some idea can be formed of the work which remains; to be done.
The year has witnessed the taking of important steps towards the fixing of motor-mail centres upon the interchange system, and the inauguration of the longest motor-mail service yet established—that between London and Bristol, a distance of some 120 miles. There has also been a remarkable increase in the number of services between London central and suburban post offices. No matter how severe the road, the motor mail appears to hold its own in .competition with any other form of transport, and the Leeds-Manchester service is a typical example of duty over an exacting route. No part of the United Kingdom is *likely to be neglected in this matter, and Ireland has this year made a beginning with the Dublin Klls other services, whilst additions have been made to the older services in Scotland, where the Edinburgh-Glasgow running is maintained with the utmost satisfaction. In Paris, as a report. elsewhere in this issue shows, comparable successful applications of the motor have to be recorded.
Railcars and Petrol Tramcars.
The railcar for contractors and other users and the petrol tramcar for the conveyance of passengers have gone ahead during the year. We may cite the specific cases of : Leyland railcars in Brazil and South Africa; Ironside, Son and Dyckerhoff's railcars for fire-damp mines and for works purposes; David Brown and Sons' Lucas-Valveless railcars for India; and Straker-Squire tramcars for the Dutch West Indies. The economy of machines of these types is noteworthy, whilst their tractive efficiency ennbles them to surmount considerable gradients. Their independence of supplies of water and solid fuel and their non-requirement of con110t lion to a central generating station have also to be noted as factors which are contributing to the growing demand for them. For rail-inspection purposes, for motor-coach services upon narrow-gauge' tracks, for service in the grounds of exhibitions, and for the multifarious duties which they can serve.
in hauling trains of small trucks upon constructional work, they have proved themselves indispensable.
Roads and Road Improvement.
The first e•ear of the Road Board's term of read activity is closed, and we see gratifying proofs that the claims of heavy
traffic are recognized. A satisfactory proportion of the total grants has been specifically voted for application to the
strengthening of weak roads; in fact, the whole of the money allocated to the waterproofing of macadam roads faUs in varying degree within that category. The total receipts of the Road Board to the 30th September last were £1,567,000. The disbursements were : for the improvement of road crusts, £321,445; for road widenings and improvements at curves and corners, £44,856; for road diversions, £16,906; for bridges, £23,947. Upwards of £1,000,000 is invested.
In April and May last, 23 experimental leegthe of surfacing materials were laid as part of the highway between New Eltham and Sidcup, and some of these have already developed evidences of serious wear or disintegration. The Road Board has full records before it, and monetary assistance will in the future be affected by them. Another five lengths of material have been laid in Wandsworth.
So far as London is concerned, the Board has under consideration several important schemes for improved exits and by-pass roads. Its policy appears to have developed upon lines which take it for granted that the Metropolitan Borough Councils are under pre-existing obligations to adopt standards of strength and practice in keeping with all modern require ments. Invitations to assist particular Borough Councils have not met with any considerable response, and the Board obviously intends to apply the proceeds of London taxation in the home counties. This is scarcely fair to motorbus interests, on the face of it, but, in the absence of full informa tion, we cannot do more than again draw attention to the threatened anomaly and hardship—that of Lakies,P about £50,000 a year from London motorbus interests and applying the yield to improvements of which the taxed vehicles cannot with rare exceptions avail themselves. In the Provinces, there has been a noteworthy preparedness of some counties to co-operate with the Road Board, and large additional sums have been set aside locally. For example, Berkshire, is improving its main roads with only a 10-percent. contribution.
The first week of November witnessed the formal appointment of a representative executive committee to organize the third International Road Congress. This important congress will take place in London, some 18 months hence, with Government and other official support. Papers will be con tributed by American, Colonial, and European road makers. There may, also, be an exhibition of road-making plant and methods. Sir Oeorge S. Oibb, Chairman of the Road Board, is chairman of the executive committee, with Lord Montagu of Beaulieu, Mr. W. Joynson-Hicks, M.P., and Mr. F. H. Berryman (County Councils Association) as vice-chairmen; Mr. W. Rees Jeffreys is honorary general secretary, with Mr. G. Montagu Harris as deputy Sir Charles D. Rose, Bart., M.P., is honorary treasurer. The following are the names of the executive : Messrs. John A. Brodie, II. Percy Boulnois, Dogald Clerk, Edward Manville, Maurice Fitzmaurice, Edward Shrapnell Smith, John Kennedy. S. Williams. II. P. Maybery, and Col. R. E. Crompton. M. Mahieu, the permanent. secretary of the congress, is primarily responsible for the whole programme.
Standardization.
Apart from military proposals, other matters cuunected with standardization, of moment to owners of commercial vehicles, have been raised during the year. The most-interesting of these, and one which is at the moment occupying the attention of the Tire Section of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, concerns the standardization of tires and wheels. The matter of rubber sections is one of less concern to manufacturers and purchasers of vehicles than is uniformity of wheel bodies, and the adaptation of those bodies to take hand-type tires with some variation of section. Existing necessary variations in the diameters of steel wheels which are required to take the usual sizes of tires undoubtedly require to be reduced in number, and if the year 1911 shall prove to be the last in which excessive competition and jealousy amongst tire-makers accounts for an annoying difficulty on the operation side, so
much the better. Band-tire internal diameters should be uniform for particular diameters arid sections of tires.
(To be concluded.)