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WHEELS OF INDUSTRY

"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.

A New Works for Producing Safety Glass.

We were present last week at the official opening by Earl Howe, C.B.E., R.N.V.R., of the new works of SPlintex Safety Glass, -Ltd., in Morden Road, South Wimbledon, London, S.W.19. The ceremony was quite an imposing one, the Earl pulling a cord which released a flag, whereupon men in the uniform of the Navy and Air Force who were upon the roof blew a fan

fare of trumpets. The door of the works was then opened by a golden key and the assenebled guests eatereci to inspect the factory and plant

It is claimed that the new works is the largest single factory in the world applied to the manufacture of safety glass, and it is so larke and has such well-arranged machinery that the output is expected to be 1,500,000 sq. ft. of safety .glass during the first year of working, which is said to be equivalent to the amount required for some 70,000 saloon motorcars.

To prevent discoloration in Splintex glass cellulose acetate is used as the centre layer.

.Invited to Join British Roadways, Ltd.

The Leeds-Newcastle Omnibus Co., Ltd., which works limited-stop services between Newcastle and Leeds and Middlesbrough and Leeds, has, it is understood, received an invitation to join British Roadways, Ltd., the new company which is being formed to establish a network of bus routes throughout England and Scotland. The Leeds-Newcastle Omnibus Co., Ltd., inaugurated the north-country's first longdistance service and now controls a large fleet of Gilford buses which have been specially constructed for long-distance work. In a Line or Two.

Accounts of the Leicester Corporation tramways and bus undertaking for the year ended March 31st show a surplus of £13,848.

Surrey County Council has accepted the tender of Mr. P. Johnson, of Uxbridge Road, in gston-on-Thames, for the supply of motors for a period of 12 months, at an estimated cost of £500.

The Midland Counties Dairy, Ltd.. of Birmingham, has lately placed an order withfElectricars, Ltd., of Birmingham, for six 1-ton electric lorries.

The licensing committee of the Surrey County Council reports that £473,009 was collected by the motor licences department during the four month§ ended April 30th, compared with £434,016 for the corresponding period of a year ago.

A Well-equipped Demon ' stration Van.

The publicity methods adopted by that well-known organization J. Lyons and Co., Ltd., are always distinctive and, in many respects. unique. The company is a large user of motor vehicles and appreciates the fact that such machines can be used with much success for special purposes.

With the idea of introducing its coffee extract to the public all over the country, the company has recently put into service an improved type of demonstration vehicle, which is shown in an accompanying illustration. The chassis is a 20 hp. Guy and the body which it carries has several interesting features.

Two urns for boiling hot water and one for hot milk form part of the equipment; the latter has an electric tell-tale which rings a bell When, the milk reaches the correct temperature. The water is carried in a tank above the driver's cab, connections being made to the water urns and the water jacket of the milk urn ; it is heated by Primus burners. A special ventilation cowl in the roof carries off the steam.

The cups, and saucers are carried in breakage'-preventing containers and cupboards are provided for stock and other articles. There is a washing-up tank, far which a separate heating apparatus is installed. Within a few minutes of arriving at a market place the vehicle can be opened up and made ready for demonstration work. • Free sample cups of coffee are .distributed.

The Will of the Late Mr. J. M. Strachan.

Particulars have now -Come to hand of the will of the late Mr. James Marshall Strachan, whose death was referred to in our issue dated June 18th, whereby it appears that after making certain family provisions, the testator directs his trustees to pay the whole residue of his estate into' the business of Messrs. Strachens, North Acton, London, and to convert it into a limited company, and to allot the shares in various proportions to his wife and daughter and Certain relatives and other outside beneficiaries.

An interesting feature in thedivision of the shares is the fact that the testator has instructed that 10 per cent, of these should be divided amon-gst those of his employees who had ten sears' service with his firm at the time of his death, in proportion to their salaries for their last year of :service with him.

Mr. Strachan's business has grown considerably during the past decade and, although it is understood that the employees now number between 500 and 600, less than 40 of these have qualified to benefit by this provision, and accordingly their respective holdings are expected to be fairly substantial. Mr. J. Reith Strachan, a nephew of the deceased, who will have a large holding in the new company, ia at present acting as manager of the business arid will he one of the directors when the new company is formed.

Personal Pars.

The Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Transport, the Rt. Hon. Earl, Russell, has appointed. Mr. Aubrey Clark to be his private secretary.

Mr. Walter Gammons, whose portrait appears on this page, is a born transport man. He is the managing director of Walter. Gammons, Ltd.' a road-transport organization, of 65-66, Basinghall Street, London, E.C., which of recent years has assumed considerable proportions. He has had a lifelong connection with transport in its various forms and in his early days sacrificed everything in the way of recreation to study various phases of transport. So far back as 1905 he actually hired motor lorries in an effort to show that merchandise could be transported as efficiently and economically by road as by rail.

Mr. Gammons entered the service of the Midland Railway Co. when he was 13 yenrs old. and left it when he was 21, so as to .act as traffic manager to a firm in Hertfordshire, and he held several positions of this kind until he started on his own account in 1920. He has a sound knowledge of the many-sided aspects of road transport, and, by reason of his experience, his company has been called upon to undertake some big transport contracts.

As an indication of Mr. Gammons's foresight, it can be mentioned that the organization now has branches in Birmingham and Liverpool, whilst agencies have been established in a large number of towns of industrial importance.

Mr. Norman A. Hardie, who left this country in September last to undertake an extensive tour in connection' with the overseas interests of tho Associated Equipment Co., Ltd., and who was taken dangerously ill when in Java, returned to England a few days ago. Although Mr. Hardie's health is improving, he is still suffering from the effects of his serious illness and he has been ordered to take a complete rest before once again resuming his normal duties. It is confidently expected that . he will be back in harness at the A.B.°, headquarters during August next.

Major S. V. Sippe, D.S.O., has recently joined Crossley Motors, Ltd., of Gorton, Manchester, in the capacity of sales manager of the cornpitpy's commercial-vehicle department. Major Sippe will certainly be remembered by many in the industry as one of our pre-war aviators, and one who had a distinguished war record in the Royal Naval Air Service and the Royal Air Force. He has had considerable experience in the commercialvehicle world and was for nine years sales manager and London representative for Short Bros. (Rochester and Bedford), Ltd., during which time we had numerous occasions for testifying to his sound business acumen. • In this capacity Major Sippe was actively associated with Short Bros.' bodybuilding department ; whilst he was also manager of Railless, Ltd.,' being instrumental in carrying out successful trolley-bus installations in a number of important cities.

Major Sippe was educated at Dulwich College and served his engineering apprenticeship in the British 'Westinghouse works at Trafford Park, Manchester.

The establishment committee of the London County Council recently recommended the appointment of Capt. A. E. Reed, now senior assistant of the London Fire Brigade, to the position of principal assistant in charge of the ambulance service.

We have been asked by the Birmingham and District section of the Institute of Transport to point out that its treasurer, Mr. J. H. Stirk, the traffic manager of the Birmingham Co-operative Society, Ltd., chairman of the Birmingham branch of the Commercial Motor Users Association and of the Chars-d-bancs Owners Association, and a member of the Safety First Council, has beeu appointed a Justice of the Peace for the City of Birmingham.

Mr. R. W. Walker sailed a week or two ago to take up his new ;appointment as engineer-representative of the Associated Equipment Co., Ltd., in the Argentine. His headquarters will be at the offices of the A.E.C. distributor in South America—Agar, Cross and Co., Ltd., Paseo Colon, Buenos Aires.

Mr. Walker has a wide knowledge of all classes of A.E.C. vehicle, for he joined the company as an apprentice in 1919 and graduated to the position of assistant experimental engineer—a post which he held for some years prior to his new appointment.

The appointment is announced of Mr. G. J. Joint as advertising manager of the Goodyear Tyre and Rubber Co. (Great Britain), Ltd. . Mr. Joint has been with the Goodyear concern for 10 years, formerly in the position of office manager at Bristol and later as assistant secretary to the company. For the past two years lie has been a 'sales representative in the East Midlands territory. Mr. Joint, whose portrait appears on this page, takes up his new duties at the company's factory at Wolverhampton. Road Transport of Films.

Cinematograph proprietors belonging to the Notts and Derbyshire branch of the National Exhibitors' Association have decided to discard old arrangements for the transport of films by the adoption of a new plan of road transport devised by the Film Transport Service, Ltd.

Linking Up London's Rail Stations by Motor Coach.

It is. reported that in connection with a joint scheme of the London and North Eastern Railway Co., the Southern Railway Co. and the Great Western Railway Co. arrangements are in ptogress for linking up five of London's stations— King's Cross, Victoria, Paddington, Waterloo and Marylebone—by a service of saloon coaches which will carry passengers from one station to another to catch the boat trains. We understand that is, is to be charged between any two stations.

Jarrow Trams Abandoned.

Arrangements have been made for the discontinuance, at the beginning of July, of the operation of trams in the Jarrow district. The Jarrow and District Electric Traction Co., Ltd., which obtained powers to run buses instead of trams, now has a fleet of ten vehicles, and will work services between Jarrow and South Shields, in conjunction with the Northern Transport Co., Ltd., an associate undertaking. The Jarrow tram service was inaugurated in 1903, but has never been a profitable undertaking.

Motors for a Sign Maker.

Accompanying illustrations show two well-equipped lorries which have recently been taken into service by a London sign manufacturer. The Dennis is a 2-i-tonner, the interior of the body being 16 ft. long and 7 ft. wide. The Morris-Commercial is a 30-cwt. model with body space measuring 12 ft. 6 ins. by 6 ft. 6 ins. The bodies are built of oak and ash, with strong racks to support the gilt-wood letters, glass facias and metal lamp cases which constitute the everyday load, of these vehicles. These articles have to be conveyed quickly, but must not be scratched or damaged ; they are often very heavy and sometimes stand 10 ft. high. The bodies were entirely constructed by the Brilliant Sign Co., Ltd., and finished with raised red lettering on a yellow and grey background. The vehicles afford excellent publicity to the company.

An Effort to Free a Toll Bridge.

Paignton -Urban District Council has decided .to support the action of the Teignmouth authorities • in requesting the Devon County .Council to consider the possibility of acquiring the Teignmouth-Shaldon Bridge with the object of freeing it from tolls, especially in view of the proposal of the owner to reconstruct the bridge very shortly.

Pay•out-of-prolits Plan.

The system of easy payments has brought the purchase of motor vehicles within the reach of many who could not otherwise afford the initial outlay involved, but there' are some who, still have an inherent distrust of this method.

Garner Motors, Ltd., of Tyseley, Birmingham, offers its vehicles under a pay-out-of-profits plan that should dispel any doubts in this connection ; the terms are easy and liberal. The deposit on any vehicle in the Garner n22

range consists of one-fifth of the cash price, and it can be paid for in two instalments, i.e., £25 with the order, and the balance on delivery. The remaining four-fifths, plus an accommodation charge of 5 per cent. per annum, can be spread over 12 or 18 months, as desired. Only bankers' references are required as a preliminary to new business.

The Centenary of the London Bus.

In our issue dated June 18th we gave some indication of the arrangements which had been made for celebrating the centenary of the London omnibus, which takes place on July 4th. We have now received further details of the plans which have been -made. The London General Omnibus Co., Ltd., in co-operation with Thomas

Tilling, Ltd., has arranged a special programme for the four days from July 3rd-6th. A replica of the Shillibeer omnibus of 1829 has been built and two other types of horse bus, an " Old Times" bus of the knifeboard type, familiar in 1850, and a gardenseat omnibus, first introduced about • 1880, have been secured and reConditioned. These vehicles will be placed -in public service *for three days, and the drivers and conductors will be dressed in costumes Of the period. In addition to these early models, the familiar "Ole Bill " ofthe "B-claSs bus will be in the procession, as--well as examples of the K. S, NS and LS types.

- Reduced Prices for Barimar Repairs. . .

• A 'new-booklet giving the .reduced prices of Barimar repairs isiiowread7 and it deals in' an 'interesting manner with all .kinds of repair work for -Which the company has become famed. A copy will be sent to any -reader of this journal upon applying to -Barimar, Ltd., 14-18, Lamb's Conduit Street, London, W.C.1.

Irish Solid Tyre Imports Fall.

• During the past year 5,898 solid tyres, valued at 133,701, were imported into the Irish Free State, as compared with 6,606 and £42,036 respectively in 1927. Of the total, 5,193 tyres (£29,516) are credited as ports of shipment to the -United Kingdom. A New Petrol.'

An interesting little brochure en. titled "The 'Ideal Motor Spirit," was recently published by the British Petroleum Co., Ltd. It deals with the new B.P. motor spirit introduced by the Anglo-Persian Oil Co. The new petrol is claimed to be the result of long experiment and research, which has culminated in a new process of refining. The fuel burns completely to give a clean exhaust, and it is refined to a high standard of purity, having no free sulphur or gum. We have tried the new spirit and it is certainly one of excellent quality.

Birmingham Beats its Own Record.

A record revenue was earned by the Birmingham Tramway and Omnibus Department during the past municipal

year. At 4 recent meeting of the tramways committee the figures for the year to March 31st were submitted, and it was stated that the revenue amounted to over £2,000,000. This places the Birmingham undertaking as the third in Great Britain ; the London County Council is, first,, and Glasgow second. • As usual,' the 'allocation of 140,000 to the relief of the rates was agreed to.

The M. of T. Makes a Grant.

The Ministry of TranspOrt has made a grant of £192,850 .to the Surrey County Council towards the cost of the acquisition of land and property for the purpose of constructing the Chertsey arterial _road, betweenthe Ohl Deer Park' recreation ground, Richmond, and the site of the proposed new bridge near Grove Park, Chiswick.

• • •

Bolton Licensing Refusals.

The watch committee of the Bolton Corporation has refused the-applications of Lowland Motorways,Ltd., for licences to ply -for hire in the borough with three Leyland saloon coaches employed on a service between Glasgow and Manchester. Eniway Motor Tours, Ltd., has also been unable to obtain licences in this town for its coaches engaged on the London to Glasgow service, via Bolton. Awards to. Ambulance Drivers.

At a recent meeting of the Metropolitan Asylums Board it was reported that, in its freedom-from-accidents competition for 1928, the National "Safety First" Association had awarded medals, or bars for medals previously awarded, to 38 of the Board's motorambulance drivers who had been free from accidents for five to seven consecutive years. The medals were presented at the meeting by the chairman of the Board, Lord Doneraile. In addition, diplomas were awarded to 85 other drivers who have beenfree from accidents for shorter periods.

When one considers the present-day conditions of traffic iii. tho inner London areas, in which almost all the M.A.B. ambulance work is carried out, and the need for the avoiding of delay so far as nossibl )when ambulances are making their journeys, these figures are certainly most commendable.

Patents Committee Investigations.

The Patents Committee, under the chairmanship of the Rt. Hon. Sir Charles Sargantm has begun its investigations, and persons and associations who wish to submit suggestions or to give evidence before the committee are invited to communicate with the secretary, Mr. R. W. Luce, Industrial Property. Department, Board of Trade, 25, Southampton Buildings, W.C.2.

The committee was appointed by the Board of Trade to report whether any amendments in the Patents and Designs Acts, or changes in the practice of the Patent Office, are desirable.

Municipal Buyers of Guy Products.

Guy Motors, Ltd., Fallings Park, Wolverhampton, continues to receive a large number of orders for passenger vehicles, and chassis suitable for such machines, from important municipal authorities. The latest list of these buyers includes the names of the Burton-on-Trent Corporation, which has indented for 18 26-seaters, the Liverpool Corporation, which is buying 10 sixcylinder six-wheeled chassis and five sixcylinder four-wheeled chassis (the former will carry 39-seater bodies and the latter 35-seater bodies, and in each case forward-control models are stipulated), and the Birmingham Corporation, which has ordered ten sixcylinder four-wheeled chassis, carrying 26-seater bodies.

A Liverpool Haulage Pioneer.

The Liverpool motor-haulage industry has just lost one of its pioneers in Mr. Charles A. Still, who for 37 years. up to September, 1925, was secretary of the Liverpool Cartowners' Association and subsequently of the Liverpool Cart and Motor Owners' Association

During,,,the past ai S;eitrs Mr. Still bad been living in retirement. " He was one of the little group of pioneers who attended the first heavy, trials of mechanially propelled vehicles held in Liverpool in the year 1898.

Mr. Still was associated with many transport organizations, being in his time the hon. secretary of the Liverpool and District Road Transport Employers' Conference, a member of the National Road Transport. Federation and of the Joint Industrial Council for Road Transport (until that body ceased to function).

Chenard-Walcker Tractors have removed their office& as ;rom 'July 1st from 16-17, Pall Mall, London, S.W.1, to Stevenage Road, Fulham, London, S.NV.6, where works are already situated.

Star Enterprise Overseas.

The Star Motor Co., Ltd., of Wolves,hampton, advises us that it has just arranged for John Burns and Co, Ltd.,

of Auckland; New Zealand, to act as its agent for the Star Flyer chassis for the whole of New Zealand, and the first batch of chassis of this description has just been shipped.

Some months ago a Star Flyer chassis was sold through this concern to the Gisborne Tramways Board, and it gave such satisfactory service that a repeat order for a fleet of similar machines was received.

Henley's Dividend.

The directors of W. T. Henley's Telegraph Works Co.' Ltd, have decided to recommend a final dividend on the ordinary shares of the company of 2s. 6d. per share, less income tax, making, with the interim dividend of is. 6d. per" share paid on December 1st last, 4s. per share for the year. They also recommend a cash bonus of 2s. per share, less income tax. An Appeal Against Licensing Conditions. •

There was recently a sequel to the action taken by the South Shields Corporation with reference to the imposition of unusual conditions upon private buses working to and from that town, when the corporation carried out its ultimatum and took out summonses against two companies, the Northern General Transport Co., Ltd., and the Sunderland District Omnibus Co., Ltd., for having, it was alleged, plied for hire without licences.

The corporation recently placed a ban on private companies picking up and setting down passengers in the town, and after receiving a deputation from the two companies concerned, decided to adhere to its original decision. It also intimated that it would give affected companies 48 hours' grace to renew their licences under the new conditions, failing which proceedings would be instituted against them.

The companies have now intimated their intention of lodging with the Ministry of Transport an appeal against the restrictions. They propose to ask for an adjournment when the cases are heard, in order to allow the Ministry to investigate the position and issue its decision.

A Strenuous Test for the Star Flyer.

W. J. Bence and Sons, Ltd., a wellknown West of England coachbuilding concern,. which was .fomided 40 years ago, has for some time been acting as a distributor in the western area for

the Star Flyer chassis. To display' the capabilities of this particular model the company recently arranged a demonstration with a bus, when a full complement of passengers was carried pp Porlock Hill, which in places has a gradient of 1 in 4.

The trial was witnessed by a number of well-known coach and motorbus proprietors, including Mr. L. W. Andrews (Clifton Greys), Mr. R. H. Burrow (Maid of the Mountains), Mr. T. Coles (Portishead), Messrs. Ford and Sons (Miriehead), Mr. A. G. Gough (Gough's Garages, Ltd.), Mr. W. H. Moon and Mr. Hill (Guy Motors, Ltd., and the Star Motor Co., Ltd.), Mr. C. W. Jordan (Maple Leaf Coaches), Mr. M. Miles (Nationel Omnibus Co.), and Messrs. Russett Brothers (Pioneer Transport, Ltd.).

Preventing Hose-clip Troubles.

Many of our readers are familiar with the Jubilee worm-drive clip for radiator hose couplings which is

marketed by L. Robinson and f London Chambers, Gillingham, Co.,Kent, but we sometimes .come across a driver whose vehicle is suffering badly from troubles with hose connections and has never heard of this patent clip. We were talking about this to Engineer Lieut.-Commander Robinson the other day and he told us that be is quite willing to send a sample clip free to any commercial motor. user who cares to apply to the address mentioned above, and it would pay operators of vehicles of this kind to get into touch with the company.

The clip consists of a ring of copper having transverse slots in it, in which engages a worm-threaded screw. The tightening of the screw with a coin or a screw-driver contracts the band and pressure is exerted evenly all around the periphery of the rubber hose. The annoyance of fumbling with huts and bolts and the trouble of the angle of the ordinary clip cutting into the rubber are thus simply avoided. We hear that some users employ the clip for fitting piston rings and find it most successful.

In our issue dated June 18th we described a new advertising sign produced by Mechanical Super-Signs, Ltd., of Guildford, and we now learn that the Dartford Automobile Engineering Works has taken over the agency for the greater part of Kent on behalf of the maker of this device.

New Bus Regulations in Colchester.

. The watch committee lof the Colchester -Corporation has been negotiating with bus companies regarding local services and has decided to recommend that the paragraph relative to the charging of 50 per cent. More than the corporation fares be deleted, and another provision substituted. Private operators must pay to the corporation 25per cent.. of the fares taken from passengers picked up and set down within. the borough, and the rates charged must not be less than those in operation upon• the corporation buses. Special tickets supplied by the corporation are to be issued to all passengers picked up and set down within the borough. Additional local services beyond the number in operation on May 2nd, 1929, may not be worked.

In each bus a clearly printed notice to the effect that "by arrangement with the Colchester Corporation special corporation ticketg are to be issued to all passengers on this bus who are .picked up and set down within the borough of Colchester," must be displayed.

The Overseas Trailer.

We have been asked by the maker of the unusual type of trailer for overseas which. was described in our issue of April 9th, to point out that the address of the company is now Overseas Trailer Co., 534, Grand Buildings, Trafalgar Square, London, W.C.2. The telephone number is Gerrard 7661.

It will be remembered that this trailer has a special sprung drawbar.

Castro] Price Increase.

C. C. Wakefield and Co., Ltd., advises us that, owing to heavy advances in the cost of the special crude oils used :n the production of Wakefield Castrol motor oils, all grades, except Castro' R, are subject to a price increase, as detailed in the latest list issued by the company. The prices of Castrol greases are not affected.