News and Comment.
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Road Board's Money for MotorVehicle Purchases.
We are glad to be able to draw attention to the fact that the Road B oard, in pursuance of its authorized policy of sanctioning grants Or loans for all road-improvement purposes, has incidentally become the purchaser of commercial motors.
The North Riding County Council, which is carrying out certain road improvements, has been offered a loan of £1300, free of interest, repayable in three animal instalments, by the Board, in respect of the purchase of a steam tractor, a petrol lorry, and other plant, including a pitch-grout mixer and a sand-dryer. This may not be the first case of the kind which has occurred, but it is the first that happens to have conic under our notice.
The Road Board, very properly, wishes to help forward the execution of work on the most-economical lines possible, and it is interesting to observe that some of the proceeds of motor taxation may thus indirectly find their way back to benefit those who in a large measure provide them. 24th June to Rubber Exhibition, at the Agri kb July. cultural Hall. 80th June to 4th July. R.A.S.E. Show at Shrewsbury. Paraffin Motor Test by the Auto. 1st Oct. -j mobile Club of Frauce. tr..)1,tries close finally 1st July.) Topical Subjects.
Our leading articles this week deal with the following topical subjects : (1) " New Motorbus Terms Unsettled "; (2) " The Eighth C.M.U.A. Parade" ; and (3) " Reciprocating v. Turbine Pe nips."
Battery Vehicles.
On the occasion of last month's meeting of the Electric. Vehicle Committee of the Incorporated Municipal Electrical Association, which took place at the Grand Hotel, Birmingham, Councillor A. G. Ellaway, chairman of the Electric Supply Committee of the Birmingham City Council, gave a complimentary dinner to the Council of the Incorporated Municipal Electrical Association and the Electric Vehicle Committee. The Editor O f THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR was amongst those present.
Lacre Sale.
'Fortes of tender and conditions of sale, for the disposal of the assets of the Laere Motor Car Co., Ltd. (in voluntary liquidation), may be had from Mr. E.
Husey, 56, Coleman Street, E.C., Mr, Edward J. Palmer, 50, Moor g a te Street, RC., or Messrs. Ward, Perks and Terry, 95, Gra.cechurch Street, E.C. If the business be not sold as a going concern as a w h o 1 e, offers may be made for any or all of the 10 lots into which the property has been divided for the purposes of sale. The company's turnover for the three years ended the 31st March, 1913, was :— 1911, 1:46,894; 1912, 90,487; 1913, X1-24,905. It has, during the past 12 months, been in excess of £50,000, despite the upset due to the negotiations for sale: Proposals and Purchases. Ilford U.D.C. Health Committee is about to discuss the purchase of a motor ambulance.
Croydon Town Council, through its borough engineer, wants tenders for a motor ambulance.
The Crown Agents for tha Colonies have ordered two Dennis fireton tipping wagons for use in Singapore.
Testing a Whiting-Federal Lorry.
The R.A.C. has carried out a test of a 25-30 h,p, Whiting-Federal lorry with a touring car as its load. A standout 11-ton chassis was employed, and the weight of the touring car was 24 cwt. The total running weight was tJ7 cwt,, including three passengers. The trial was for a distance of 402i miles, which was covered without any involuntary stop, and the average speed during running was 12 m.p.h. When del‘-cending hill the engine was not stopped, nor was the gear lever put into neutral. The trial was held between London and Glasgow.
Motorbuses v. Trolleybuses.
We are glad that the West Bromwich Town Town Council has preferred to establish a service of motorbuses, instead of one of trolley vehicles. The cost of establishing the service of independent vehicles will be about 24000, compared with 210,514 for vehicles which are dependent for their motive power upon physical conneetion with a generating station. Albion vehicles have been chosen.
It is too often forgotten by the advocates of trolleybuses, when they talk and write concerning the alleged economy of their system, that it is not practicable to extend any existing overhead conductor beyond the ordinary tramway terminus without arranging to bring the necessary extra current. to thaapoint. Hence, contrary to many representations, the cost of the copper is not represented merely by the extension line, but by th:r3 extra. feeder lines from the generating station itself. Whilst this point may have no application to the immediate situation at West Bromwich, we take this opportunity of naming it. Messrs. Wm. Bateman and Sons, of Fishguard, have taken delivery of .a 20-cwt. Dennis, with deiachable body, for alternate use to serve the Gwynfa Sanitary Steam Laundry and a mineral-water business in the same district. We shall illustrate this latter vehicle at an early date, from a photograph taken in service by our local correspondent.
No immediate Tax on Benzoic or Paraffin.
Mr. Lloyd George, in a further reply in the House of Commons recently, in relation to the possibility of taxes on benzole and paraffin, remarked that "the taxation of these articles, if and when they come to be ordinarily and generally used for supplying motive power to vehicles, will not be lost sight of."
Poole Roads.
We observe that the National Traction Engine and risers Association has been opposing an application of the Poole Town Council to close a large number of roads to traction-engine traffic. The case for these users of the roads was entrusted to Mr. J. R. Macdonald, instructed by Messrs. Joynson-Hicks and Co. Mr. H. S. Bidwell, M.I.C.E., held the inquiry on behalf of the Local Government Board, and the result is not yet announced.
Albion Sales.
Several well-known carriers have recently placed further orders for
Albion vehicles. Messrs. W. F. and J. Worley, of London, have ordered a 32 h.p. three-tonner, making three Albions in service, Sutton and Co., Ltd., of Manchester, two 32 h.p. three-tonners, making le Albions in service, and T. Wallis and Co., Ltd., of London, a 16 h.p. 25-cwt. vehicle, making five vehicles in service. Another London order is for a 15 h.p. 20-cwt, van, from the India Rubber Guttaperella and Telegraph Works, Ltd., of Silvertown, whilst Harrods, Ltd., by ordering a further six Albions, has brought up its total fleet of vans of that make to M.
Tire and Baling Presses.
We learn that orders have been placed with Hollings and Guest, Ltd., of Thimble Mill Lane, Birmingham, by various old and new customers. The Dunlop Co. has ordered four more presses, and the Continental people two more. The London and Provincial Rubber Co., Messrs. Skinners, of St. Leonards, the Avon Co. and the London depot of the Hanover Rubber Co., account for one more each. Of export orders, there is one from Madras, another, through W. A. Stevens, and Co., Ltd., from the Pietermartizlinrg Corporation, and a. third from a buyer in British East Africa, It may interest certain ma,nufaeluring and trading readers of THE CoMMERCIAT., MOTOR to know that Hollings and Guest, Ltd., also makes small baling presses for compressing waste paper, light metal
scrap, or any other waste material. The use of such presses saves both space in the works and freight charges when sold, whilst it also results in the obtaining of better Prices from purchasers.