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WHEELS OF INDUSTRY

"The wheels of wealth will be slowed by oil difficulties of transport at whatever points arising, as a carriage is by the I oughness of the roads over which it runs."—John Beattie Crozier.

Weight Regulations and the Eight-wheeler.

A motor haulage contractor of Everton, Liverpool, recently appealed against his conviction and fine for driving an eight-wheeled motor lorry weighing 29 tons on the Liverpool Pier Head floating roadway, the legal weight limit for which was 15 tons. The Mersey Docks and Harbour Board regulations stipulate that there should not be a greater weight than nine tons upon each axle of a vehicle, with the qualification that no vehicle of greater weight than that mentioned in the regulations may use the roadway. The case for the appellant was that the eight-wheeled vehicle was designed to ensure an even distribution of weight, and that the stipulation of nine tons per axle was the only one under which the vase of an eight-wheeled vehicle could be considered. He pointed oat that the regulations only dealt with four-wheeled and six-wheeled vehicles. The Recorder, in dismissing the appeal, held that a load of 20 tons was out of harmony with the regulations made for public safety, adding that, as the Board had not contemplated eightwheeled vehicles, it would be well advised to embody the point in a new regulation.

Commer Car Price Reductions.

The following price reductions have been announced by Commer Cars, Ltd., of Luton. It will be seen that they amount to £25 and £30 in the ease of goods chassis and £65 and £80 for passenger chassis. It is claimed that at it new price of £780, the 4-PP chassis for 32-seater bodies is now the lowestpriced British-made model of this capacity on the market, and is evidence of the benefits resulting from the recent Hillman-Humber merger, Commer Cars, Ltd., having been connected with Humb_er's for some years.

'The following are the new prices, the the old prices being given in parenthesis :-21-GN. goods chassis, solid tyres, £555 (£580), with pneumatics, £618 (i643) ; 3-GN. goods chassis, solids, 1595 (£625). with 'pneumatics, 1675 (£705) ; 4-PN. passenger chassis, with pneumatics, £740 (£820) ; 4-PP. passenger chassis, with Pneumatics, MP • (£845). Goodyear's Good Years.

The recovery made by the Goodyear Tyre and Rubber Co. from the slump in prices two years ago is reflected in the official announcement made in New York that dividend payments on the common stock are to be resumed after a lapse of eight years. A quarterly dividend of i dollar per share—the first since 1921—has been declared. Dividends on the first preferred and preferred stocks have been uniformly maintained.

In 1921, after a period of difficulty, the Goodyear Tyre and Rubber Co. was reorganized. An increase in net sales or-15,600,000 over the figure for 1927 is shown in the Goodyear Co.'s report for 1928, which records net sales amounting to £50,000,000. Sales of B20 tyres increased by 32 per cent, over the figures for 1927.

Extensive additions to manufacturing plant, including the establishment of works at Wolverhampton, England, and Sydney, Australia, were undertaken daring the past year by the company, the sales organization of which now covers 145 countries.

A.E.C. Service During Epsom Week. The Associated Equipment Co., Ltd., announces that a well-equipped service vehicle will be in attendance on the course each day during the Epsom race week. This is being sent for the primary purpose of rendering any service that may be required in connection with A.E.C. buses or coaches which have brought parties to the races.

Manchester Councillors Tour on Albion Coaches.

Members of the Manchester City Council, including the corporation's water committee, recently made a comprehensive tour of the city's waterworks at Longdendale. Visits were made to several" reservoirs and werkshops, as well as to.the fish hatchery. The transport for the large party of conncillors, numbering 190, was provided entirely by nine Albion Viking all-weather coaches, contracts having been placed with local owners.

Dock Licences for Loiries..•

Following an order lately issued by The London and North-Eastern Railway Co. to the effect that 'motor vehicles used for .carrying fish will not, in future, be allowed in the Grimsby docks, the Portmaster states that as Irom June 1st all such vehicles in the docks area mist be licensed and drivers must wear a badge: The licence will be issued at the nominal charge of la.

This order, he states, is not for the purpose of preventing haulage competition with the railway, but to alleviate congestion in the docks. At the same time it is pointed out that the company, which owns the docks, can prevent the entry of any vehicle by refusing a licence for it.

Bournemouth Buses Show a Good Working Profit.

The annual report of the BourneMouth Corporation tram and bus department shows that for the past municipal year there was a net surplus on the tramway system of 110,546. To this figure is added the surplus on the running of the runabouts and. tram-ocars for the year, viz., £2,636, making a total surplus of £12,182. The tramway accounts, however, include a deficiency on the running costs and loan charges of the bus system, amounting to £1,790. This compares with a deduction last year of £3,120, an improvement of 11,330. The net surplus for the year on all the services is thus 111,392.

It should be borne in mind that if these accounts were issued by a company the capital charges, viz., £68,771, would be added to this surplus of £11,392, making a total of over £80,000 to rank as dividend. Assuming that only 75 per cent, of this sum was distributed, it would represent over 15. per cent. interest on the outstanding tramways capital of £376,184.

The Ministry Replies to Ogmore and Garw.

On page 458 of our issue dated May 14th we referred to the reception which was accorded the deputation from the Ogmore and Garw Urban District Council, when it waited upon the Ministry of Transport to give reasons for its refusal to abide by the Ministry's decision in the matter of a licensing appeal.

A letter from the Ministry has now been received by the Welsh authority confirming its decision in favour of the South Wales Commercial Motors, Ltd.

Merthyr Tydfil Licence Refusal Upheld.

In the matter of the public inquiry, held recently by the Ministry of Transport into the refusal of the Merthyr Tydfil Council to issue bus-service licences for the Merthyr-PontypriddCardiff route to Messrs. Gough's Garages, Cardiff, and Imperial Motors, Abercynon, a decision has now been announced. The Ministry upholds. the Merthyr Council's action and judges the licences to have been properly refused.

Ford Interests in Germany.

The close association between the Ford Motor Co., Berlin, the German branch of the Detroit concern, and the German Dye Trust (I.G. Farbenindustrie) has recently been announced and details of the arrangement have appeared in The Times. The Ford Co.— states that the contemplated issue of shares will not take place, as the I.G. Farbenindustrie and other German business groups connected with motorvehicle production have taken up the remaining 40 per cent, of the capital, which now amounts to £750,000. Dr. Carl Bosch has joined the board, which includes Sir Percival Perry, Sir John T. Davies, Dr. II. F. Albert and Herr Sehurig, in addition to Mr. Edsel Ford. It is officially stated that the new capital will he used for the purpose of expanding the German business.

. Personal Pars.

Mr. G. J. Atkins has just been appointed advertising and sales-promotion manager of Pirelli, Ltd., the tyre making concern, which will shortly be producing in its new factory at Burton on-Trent, Mr. Atkins has had a wide and varied experience in tyre advertising and merchandising and for several years prior to joining the Pirelli concern was in charge of the advertising department of the Goodyear Tyreand Rubber Co. Close collaboration with Pirelli stockists in developing and promoting sales will be one of the chieffunctions of Mr. Atkins's department.

We publish on this page a portrait of Mr. Henry Mosley, F.R.S.A., who is the general manager of the tratnWays and motorbus department of the Burnley' Corporation. Mr. Mozley's earliest transport experiences were in connection with railways so far back as 1868, but from 1882 he has been wholly associated with tramways a n d motorbus development. The Burnley passenger-transport system has developed along sound and progressive lines under his able guidance. The method of fare collection adopted on Burnley's passenger vehicles is particularly noteworthy by reason of the fact that each passenger is required to prove that he or she has paid a fare before leaving the car.

Burnley Corporation obtained bus powers as early as 1908, but it was not until 1924 that buses were put into operation in a small way and the system, although it is making headway,

has not yet been fully developed. Owing

to unusual local conditions, buses having limited lengths and widths are essential for use in the town. Mr. Mozley's in terest in heavy motor traffic dates back to the period of the Self-propelled Traffic Association, of which he was, a member during the time of its existence, when he came into contact with some of the pioneer leaders in the movement.

Packing Buses for Overseas.

In our issue dated May 21st we published, on page 509, an illustration of one of a fleet of Thornycroft 32-seater forward-control buses recently supplied to the British Motor Co., Ltd., for service in Malta, the vehicles having bodies built by Hall, Lewis and Co., Ltd. Passenger vehicles now have such a high finish that special care is required when despatching such machines overseas, and it is interesting, therefore, to learn that, in connection with the fleet referred to, the work of packing for shipment was undertaken by the Automobile and General Packing Co., Victoria Works, Percy Road, London, W.12.

A Road Sweeper for a Special Purpose.

in a picture reproduced on this page we show a Lacre sweeper which has just been supplied to the Renfrewshire Highways Committee.' Built against a repeat order received from this local body, the new appliance is intended for

the preparation of roads for tar-spraying during the summer months and for road-cleansing work during the winter. An interesting feature is that, instead. of the water tank and spraying gear • which are usually located between the engine and the dashboard, accommodation is provided on this sweeper for the conveyance of four employees, two on each side, sitting back to back. Apart from this the machine follows the lines of the standard L-type Lacre.

W. and G. Ambulances for M.A.B.

The ambulance committee of the Metropolitan Asylums Board recommends the acceptance of the offer of W. and. 0. du Cros, • Ltd., to supply six special low-loading chassis for ambulances at the revised price of 1620 per chassis. The bodies will be fitted at the Board's works.

Transport Chiefs Confer.

Councillor A. Malcolm, of Dundee, presided at the seventh annual confer ence of the Scottish Tramways and Transport Association, which was recently held at Pitlochry: He announced that the Association had done good work during the past year and, in referring to the fact that certain prominent municipal passenger-transport officials had left Scotland for English centres, said that Scotland seemed to be the recruiting ground for tramways undertakings south of the Border.

Mr. L. MacKinnon, general manager of the Glasgow Corporation Tramways, dealt, in a paper on "Additional Powers," with the question of the expediency of applying to Parliament for further powers in connection with the control of passenger-transport

sr

vices. He dealt with recent Bills and Provisional Orders, promoted throughout the country by different authorities and companies with a view to securing protection for, statutory tramways and bus undertakings.

Thr question of bus competition experienced by tramways undertakings came under discussion, and officials' expressed a hope that something might be' done bY the Royal Commission on Transport..

Mr. R. Stuart Pilcher, who has contributed articles to our columns, expressed the view that the whole trend of public _opinion was in favour of motorbuses and pointed out that the public point of view was the one which had to be considered.. Stressing this point, he said that when tramway rolling stock reached the end of its life a new problem bad to be considered— renewal or abandonment.

The annual dinner of the Association followed the conclusion of the confer. mice.

A. Bournemouth Licensing Condition. The licensing committee of the Bournemouth Corporation is informing the proprietors of motor coaches that, in the case of new applications, the council will not license the vehicles if seating for more than three passengers is provided in the row immediately opposite the rear door.

Birmingham's Traffic-control Device.

A new traffic-control device of the automatic-lamp type has been installed in Birmingham at the junction of Pershore Road and Priory Road. It is attached to a column mounted on a street refuge, and the refuge is iniiiated by gas burners which are automatically lighted at dusk and extinguished at daybreak.

Bus Competition Affects Postal Services.

In order to offset the competition experienced from private motorbus enterprises, the Austrian Postal Department is now running bus services between 360 termini. It is said that about 400 vehicles are in use. In 1928 the buses run by the postal department carried three-and-a-half million passengers.

Official Orders for April.

Only a limited number of orders for motor vehicles was given out by Government Departments during April last. Amongst them was one placed by the. Admiralty for six-wheeled vehicles with Morris Commercial Cars, Ltd. The G.P.O. authorities gave an order for chassis to the Albion Motor Car Co.,

Ltd. The orders placed by the Crown Agents for the Colonies were the most numerous and included one for motor road rollers to Aveling and Porter, Ltd., another for motor tire-engines _divided between Merryweather and Sons, Ltd., and Dennis Bros., Ltd., and a third for lorries placed with Shelroke and Drewry, Ltd., and the Albion Motor Car Co., Ltd.

Protecting the Homeward-hound Fireman.

Oldham Fire Brigade has just put in service a new Dennis covered van, which it is intended to use for taking firemen and policemen from fires, or for the quick conveyance of a squad of police to any point where they may be required. The vehicle is roofed over, but it has open sides, which can be closed by pulling down curtains. During fire work the clothing of the men often becomes saturated with water,

and the men have, in the past, been obliged to return on an open engine.

Bus Working in the Potteries. The profits of the Potteries Electric Traction Co., Ltd., during the year 1928 amount to £6,581, as compared with £5,851 in 1927. A sum of £5,000 is being placed to reserve, bringing that fund up to £133,139, whilst a balance of B22

£4,082 is to be carried forward. Divl. dends on the 5 per cent. cumulative preference shares are now in arrears from February, 1924.

As a comment on the past year's working, it may be mentioned that under powers granted by the Ministry of Transport, the whole of the tramways system at one time maintained by the company has been abandoned and motorbuses are now in use on all routes. The company was registered in June, 1889, and the nucleus of its present motorbus fleet was established in 1913.

Transporting a Huge Boiler by Road.

Another instance of the value of road motors for the transport of heavy and awkward loads is provided by the entrusting of the carriage of a 47-ton cylindrical boiler with the Marston Road Services, Ltd., of Liverpool. The boiler has been made by the North-Eastern Marine Engineering Co., Ltd., of Sunderland, for the Duffield Iron Corpora tion's new works at Adderbury, near Banbury.

The huge boiler, which is 16 ft. in diameter, is being carried on a 16-wheel bogie, and the journey will take about three weeks. To provide for any emergency which may be created by bridges en route, a special low-loading bogie is also being taken to transfer the load. An illustration which we publish on this page shows an interesting vehicle which has recently been delivered to the West Riding Constabulary by Karrier Motors, Ltd., Karrier Works, Huddersfield. The basis of the vehicle is the maker's JKL-type, 16-ft. wheelbase, forward-drive passenger chassis and it carries a pantechnicon body of over 800 cubic ft. capacity.

The body is 17 ft. long, 7 ft. 4 ins. wide and 7 ft. 6 ins, high, and it has a full-width cab for the driver. All the framework is outside the diagonally placed tongued-and-grooved boards and, apart from leaving the interior of the van free from obstructions, this method gives a structure of considerable rigidity. The rear door is in -three sections, the top halves being hinged at the sides, whilst the full-width bottom section (which is 2 ft. 6 ins, high) can be dropped into a horizontal position.

Although intended mainly for transporting the personal belongings of members of the force taking up duties in fresh districts, this vehicle can, if required, be used as a horse van, for which purpose a spare hinged back is provided, this forming a loading and unloading ramp, 7 ft. in length.

A London-to-Bournemouth Service.

We are informed that Keith and Boyle (London), Ltd., the proprietors of the Orange Luxury Coaches, has obtained six additional licences for its service between London and Bournemouth. This service has been in opera-. tion between Whitsun and the end of September of each year since 1924, which is proof of its popularity.

Durham Road Schemes.

Durham county engineer reports that, to fit the highways for modern traffic conditions, schemes are necessary for road construction which would cost £1,150,000. Improvements to the county bridges would involve the expenditure of £680,000, and to con struct bridges would cost £2,750,009, whilst railway bridges and level-crossings would cost 1534,000.

A Welsh Ban on Coaches.

An Order prohibiting large motor coaches from using certain narrow country roads around St. Asaph and Rhuddlan has been issued by the Ministry of Transport.

The C.M.U.A. Parade at Liverpool.

Arrangements are well in hand for the tenth annual commercial motor parade, which is to be held on Saturday next, June 8th, under the auspices of the Liverpool area committee of the Commercial Motor -Users Association. About 100 vehicles have been entered for the parade and the following have consented to aft as judges :—Messrs. George Monro, C.B.B. (president,

; P. G. Bristow, E.C.I.S., Minst.T. (general secretary, C.M.U.A.) ; C. Le M. Gosselin, M.I.A.E., M.Lest.T. " (president elect,

; J. Okill, M.Eng., M.LA.E. (University of Liverpool) ; W. B. Livesoy (Livesey's Motors, Ltd., Blackburn); J. W. Clayton, A.M,Iest.T. (Burnley Equitable Co-operative and Industrial Society, Ltd.) ; R. A. McMillan B.Sc. (Municipal Technical School, Beetle).; L. Lea.vesley (Leavesley. Bros.', Ltd., Blackpool) ; • Geo. J. Gibbs, A.M.I.E.B., M,I.M.E., A.C.G.I. (Preston) ; P. H. Smalley (Blackburn lkmalgamated Co-operative Society).

Oswald Tillotson Development, Oswald Tillotson (1929) has just been formed with a capital of £150,000 in 5s. shares, of which £86,000 is issued, to acquire the business of motor engineers and dealers, carried on since 1914, under a similar title in Burnley and Bradford. As many of our readers will be aware, the company holds an agency for Leyland commercial vehicles and is a main dealer in Morris-Commer cial products. -• •

Property, -plant and equipment are valued at 48,200 and at this figure the. balance-sheet of the vendor company, as at December 31st last, shows an excess. of £82,500 of asset a over•liabilities. The: latter will be discharged by the pm-, chasing company, which pays for the" undertaking £85,000, to be satisfied wholly by the issue of 340,000 shares.

Oldham Bus Mileage Increase. .

During the twelve months ended March 31st "last: the mileage: of the Corporation motorbus fleet vas .1,97,Q25, An increase. of .3,88,010 miles on the previous year. Fourteen. doiiblmsaloon . six-wheeled . motorbuses, each seating 66 passengers, were gat ite service during the year, and the fleet now comprises 56 vehicles. •

Rymer's London Office.'

That well-known Liverpool concern, itymers, Ltd., has now opened a booking office in Victory House, Southempton Row, London, W.C.1, right in the centre of • that area most favoured by visitors to the Metropolis. The principal -object of this new -department is, of course, to cater for those many customers of the concern who come up to town, but the office also serves as a regular centrefor booking all and any kind of excursion by motor coach or bus. Typical services from London arc the excursions to the Broads, and the night services' to Manchester and Sunderland. The trips to the Broads. are run twice daily and should be very popular during the sumnier.

Overseas Orders for Thornyerofts.

The past few weeks have witnessed a big influx of orders from overseaS for The rn yeroft rigid six-wheeled vehicles, and shipments against these. will ulti-.• mately be made to the Argentine,razil Columbia, South Africa, Australia, Sarawak and Russia.

Garage and Engineers' Equipment.

Garage owners and those in control of maintenance ehops will he 'partienlarly interested in the latestedition of the . garage equipment catalogue of Mann Egerton and Co:, Ltd.,which has been issued, from the company's • headquarters at 5,Prince of Wales Road, Norwich. It contains details-of a wide range of garage_ equipment, including breakdown 4trucks, collapsible jibs,

garage presses, repair ramps, portable hoists, engine and gearbox stands, etc., whilst particulars of a new and improved hydraulic • washing plant are given. • The company has spent three years in experimenting with this plant, which is of British build throughout.

A British Empire Trade Fair in the . Argentine.

Plans are in hand, under the auspices of the British Chamber of • Commerce in the Argentine Republic, for the holding of a British Empire Trade 'Fair: in MiellOS Aires freer November, 1930, to February, 1931. The Exhibition will he held' in the grounds of. the Rural Society at Palermo; and will include a section for motor lorries, buses, tractors, agricultural machinery, and road, making plant. :

A Position Required.

We know a man, aged 33, with a very wide and varied: experience of courier-' inaimfaeture, inspectiOn and selling, who is open to accept a suitable position in the commercial-vehicle industry. He is an exceedingly goad sales organizer, and in his various appointments has always been successful in enabling a large increase in sales

to be effected. Letters addressed to " Sales Organizer," care of the Editor of this journal, Will be forwarded.

At the Blackpool Cleansing Conference.

At the annual conference of the Institute of Public Cleansing, which is now in progress at Blackpool and continues until June 8th, Dennis Bros., Ltd., of Guildford, has made arrangements to display two of its municipal appliances. One of these is the combined gullyemptying and street-washing and watering machine and the other an LF.30 refuse-collector.

The former is a particularly valuable appliance since it can be adapted at a moment's notice for either of the .classes of work for which it has been designed. The actual machine shown is of outstanding interest because it has been built to meet the specific .requirements of the Blackpool authorities. It has a total capacity of 1,100 gallons, of which 350 gallons are contained in the cleanwater compartment. The usual features: of this appliance,, including the balanced suction pipe, fire-engine-type pump' and rubber squeegee, are already well known. A feature of the Blackpool

appliance is that it is also arranged for sewer-flushing, a suitable length of copper-riveted leather hose being provided for the purpose.

The refuse-collector which is on exhibition has a capacity of 7 cubic yards,. and its loading height of 4 ft. 4 ins, is achieved without the use of wheelarches. . This vehicle is provided with hydraulic tipping gear, which will lift the body to an angle of 60 degrees.

June 5th is set aside at the conference for an exhibition and demonstration of cleansing vehicles and appli.auces at Stanley .Park.

Traffic Arrangements for a Rate Meeting.

• The Automobile Association has prepared a map, which has been approved by the Commissioner of Police for the Metropolis, showing special road-traffic regulations which must be observed by all classes of road user during the Epsom summer meeting. The map indicates, by arrows, those routes which must be followed by specific classes of vehicle ; motorbuses and motor coaches have to keep to certain routes, whilst private motors and taxicabs use different ones.

A large number of specially equipped vans, which will be identified by pennants carrying the A.A. badge, will be available for dealing with roadside breakdowns. The Bussing six-wheeled tank wagon which we illustrate on this page is owned by the well-known motor contractors, Messrs. M. and W. Mack, 8-10, Wilson Street., London, W.0.2, who hire out the vehicle to concerns requiring the bulk transport of petrol and oil in London and the provinces. The vehicle has a capacity of 2,000 gallons and the tank itself was made by Fry Bros., Ltd., of Greenwich. The users tell us that they have found that the vehicle will run an average of 5.6 miles to the gallon of fuel used and that its speed in top gear with a load of 81 tons is 35 m.p.h.

A Bus Station for Coventry. The watth committee of the Coventry Corporation has approved a scheme for using a portion of Pool Meadow as a

motorbus station and ' central parking place for about 125 vehicles. The scheme includes the construction of platforms and the estimated cost is about £2,000.

An Association for Oxford Bus Owners.

At a meeting held in Oxford recently a proposal to form an association for owners of private buses in the district

came under discussion. It was con

tended that such an organization could do valuable work for its members by acting as a negotiating body on behalf of private bus owners, and in a variety of other ways. The meeting elected Mr. J. L. West, of Abingdon, as honorary secretary pro tem. Bus-service Tenders Wanted.

The Societe Nationale des Chemins de Fer Vicinaux of Brussels ,(14, Rue de la Science) is inviting tenders until June 11th for the concession, to run motorbus services between Eagle, Verlaine and Amirs, with an extension to Nouvelle, Montague and Flemallerfaute. Particulars may be obtained for two francs from the alorAve address.

Smoking in London's Single-deck Buses.

After considering the wishes of passengers the London General Omnibus Co., Ltd., has decided to allow smoking

in its single-deck motorbuses. This new regulation affects 34 routes, mainly those serving certain London suburbs and country districts. In removing the ban which has hitherto existed, the company is following the procedure which has been adopted by most other concerns operating single-deck buses.