News of the Week.
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Our " Laundry Trades" number will be published a week to-day.
This issue will be the third of a special series devoted to work of a missionary and educative nature.
Is the commercial motor to be made an excuse for endless " supplements " and consequential developments?
The genesis of these proposals is found in our own success, but does the commercial motor want all this assistance? Manufacturers whose opinions have been expressed to us in anything but uncertain terms say " NO."
There is, in fact, a feeling of practical unanimity that one weekly journal is ample to deal with the movement in representative fashion, and makers can only secure this singularity by setting their faces against all who seek to inveigle them by devious schemes. The remedy 'rests with the trade.
The London County Council is now issuing identification marks with the index letters " LC" in which series numbers i to 29 have been reserved for use on vehicles belonging to the Works Department of the Council.
Three " Clarkson " chassis have just been shipped to Victoria, and three more are due to follow in a fortnight. These will serve to inaugurate a service of steam omnibuses in Melbourne, in connection with the Victorian Railways.
An interesting discussion on the relative merits of wood and granite paving took place at the last meeting of the Aberdeen Town Council. The Tramways and Streets Committee recommended the relaying of certain streets with 4in. granite cubes, at an estimated cost of ,,C2,210, and a minority report suggested jarrah blocks at an estimated cost of ,2,830. Aberdeen awa"7 carried its own material.. .
Sept. 20 Oct. — Nov. 77-20
The Midland Railway Company asks us to deny the rumour which was given circulation in some journals regarding a service of motor omnibuses between Miller's Dale and Grindieford. At the present time, this Railway Company has in service two steam motor coaches, one running between Morecambe and Heysham, and one on the southern portion of their line; two Milncs-Daimler parcel vans, running in London ; and two steam lorries, one each by Thornycroft and Straker, at Bath.
The Ivel Agricultural Motors, Ltd., of 45, Great Marlborough Street, W., have entered two of their latest tractors in the Bordeaux Trials, through M. Piker, of 24, Rue Alibert, Paris, who represents the company in France.
The directors of A, W. Carnage, Ltd., in their report for the year ending January 31st last, recommend a dividend of 6 per cent. per annum on the ordinary shares, the transfer of 4;2,000 to reserve accounts, and the carrying forward of i",,6,oxo. Inclusive of £5,241 brought forward from the previous year, the total disposable balance is ,4;23,306. The annual meeting of the company takes place to-day, Thursday, at 2.30 p.m., at the Holborn Restaurant, when the proceedings should be most harmonious.
The session of the seventh meeting of the International Railway Congress opened in Washington yesterday, when the English delegates included the Secretary of the Railway Clearing House, Mr. Smart. Papers will be presented on the organisation of services by auto-motors on routes where there is not enough traffic for a railway.
The new Council of the Institution of Civil Engineers includes some ardent supporters of commercial motors. We may quote Sir John I. Thornycroft, F.R.S., Col. R. E. B. Crompton, C.B., Mr. J. C. Inglis (General Manager, G.W. Ry.), and Mr. Anthony G. Lyster (Engineer-in-Chief, Mersey Docks and Harbour Board, and a Vice-President of the Liverpool Self-Propelled Traffic Association).
With reference to the announcement concerning Messrs. Meade-Ring, Robinson and Co., which appeared in our issue of April 20th, one of the oldest firms of importers in the petroleum trade tells us that tile enormously increased consumption of spirit for motors makes welcome the advent of any new source of supply, but that users of industrial vehicles must not be disappointed to know that prices cannot be reduced below their present level. Our correspondents point out that the statement published in our first number regarding the General Petroleum Co„ Ltd., as to a possible difference of 3d. or 4d, a gallon in the price of spirit for commercial motor uses, might be read to indicate a great reduction in prices, whereas, as a matter of fact, no such fall is likely to occur.
The Glamorg-anshire County Council has purchased a motorcar for the use of their county surveyor, Mr. T. L. Edwards, at a cost of ,/,334.
The Warwickshire County Council has sanctioned an increase of .4'1,092 in the estimates for the maintenance of main roads during the current year.
The Weymouth Town Council is at present engaged in discussing a report of the Electric Lighting Committee with reference to the proposed installation of an electric tram service. Now is the time for makers of motor omnibuses to communicate with the Town Clerk of Weymouth.
At a recent meeting of the Streets Committee of the Darlington Corporation a very large number of plans for new streets and houses were passed. There is a big boom in the building trade in the town, two large estates being ripe for immediate development. Motor wagon builders should look up the local contractors.
The Lancashire Steam Motor Company, Ltd., of Leyland, has received a further repeat order from the Chelsea Borough Council for a standard combined tip-wagon and t,000-gallon watering tank. The two bodies are interchangeable on the one frame. This order is the fifth received by the Leyland Company, as the Chelsea surveyor specified two vehicles in 1900, and a further two in 1903.
Mr. Douglas Mackenzie announces that he has taken over the consulting work in heavy motor transport, relinquished by Mr. Shrapnel! Smith on his accepting the editorship of "THE COMMERCIAL Marcie," and that he will continue the office at Cecil Chambers East, 86, Strand, W.C. Mr. Mackenzie's experience in road haulage should enable him rapidly to extend the advisory and expert work he has undertaken.
The Heatley-Gresham Engineering Company are starting engineering works on the Garden City estate, at Letchworth, between Hitchin and 13aldock, Herts., where they propose to manufacture motor cabs, among other classes of motors, for the London Motor Cab Co. It is expected that the works will be ready by the end of the present month. Twenty cottages are being erected for the company, and about 4o employees will be engaged from the outset.
Messrs. Allen and Hanburys, Ltd., have now furnished us with their figures for 1904-5 to supplement the results published on page 129 of our issue of April 2oth. It will be remembered that we then published photographs and full particulars of the performance of their two Thornycroft and one Yorkshire wagons, and that an economy of over Lt,aoo a year was proved. Even that excellent result for 1903-4 has been improved upon, as the following comparisons will show :—Total trips of 46 miles each, Bethnal Green to Ware and back, 552 against 427; wages paid,,;503 12$. 9d. against £486 z is.; average of double journeys per week, io.61 against 8.54; total maintenance charges, ,6480 8s. 9d. against 4-263 13s. 9d. ; cost per ton mile, inclusive of 20 per per cent. depreciation, for 23 miles—Thornvcroft No. i, 5.32d. against 6.36t; Thornycroft No. 2, 4.5od. against 4.87d.; Yorkshire No. 3, 5.75d. against 5.54(1. In no case has the load exceeded 3i tons per journey, and the increased repair account is largely due to structural alterations. The wagons are now very much stronger throughout.
Mr. W. Worby Beaumont presided at a meeting of the Tramways and Light Railways Association, held at the Society of Arts, Adelphi, W., on Friday last, when a paper was read by Mr. W. F. Parish, jun., on Friction as Affected by Lubrication." Mr. Parish, who is chief technical expert to the Vacuum Oil Company, pointed out that the striking of crude oil, in Pennsylvania, at a depth of 169ift., on August 28th, t859, was the birth of the petroleum industry. Developments of the business and improvements in methods of distillation had shown that the whole of this crude oil could be used. The ball-bearing theory of lubrication was explained as consisting in the view that the inside film next to any rotating shaft, journal, or spindle travels at the same surface speed, the second film at a less speed, whilst the outside film next to the bearing merely drags along slowly, all of the films working upon each other at different speeds. Any malformation of the globules of the lubricant due to improper manufacture was manifested here, and resulted in increased friction. Various chemical and friction tests were explained by Mr. Parish, whose lecture was illustrated by numerous lantern slides.
The Highways and Bridges Committee of the Nottinghamshire County Council has exceeded its estimates for the past year by .;61,400. In the opinion of the committee this is largely due to the increased use of motorcars and traction engines.
Captain. J. C. Percy is taking active steps to resuscitate the undertaking of the Electric Peat Coal Co., Ltd., of KUberry, Co. Kildare, and it is anticipated that the Great Southern and Western Railway. Co. will provide siding accommodation. The conditions appear favourable for the utilisation of one or more 5-ton motor wagons.
In a preceding issue we mentioned -that two companies were in course of formation for working motor cabs in London. One of these will issue its prospectus under the title of The Metropolitan Cab and Carriage Company, Limited. The nominal capital is• .150,000, divided into 149,500 ordinary shares of ,Z't each and io,000• deferred shares of is. each. It is at first only intended to raise .;673,000 by a share issue, and to purchase 15o cabs. Figures are given as to earning possibilities and running cost, and with these we have no cause to cavil, as they appear to be based on conservative estimates. Gross earnings per cab are placed at £469 Jos., total working expenses ,365, thus showing a possible profit of Z1o4 los. per cab per annum. When the general financial statement is carefully dissected it is seen that the outlook for the shareholders is not so rosy as the promoters aim to make out. First of all, the London Express Motor Service, Ltd., of 37, Walbrook, E.C., is to receive for two second-hand cabs and a secondhand landaulette 472,000 in cash, 2,000 ordinary shares of Li each, fully paid, and 2,500 deferred shares of is. each, fully paid, or a total in cash and shares of L:4,125. The Richmond Syndicate, Ltd., of 31, Lombard Street, E.C., pays the promotion expenses (estimated at 4:5,000), and guarantees 40s000 of the 73,000 ordinary shares to be issued, and for these services asks for £9,000 cash and 7,5oo deferred shares of is. each, fully paid, or a total of 9,375. The two promoting companies, therefore, receive 4'i tam in cash, 4,2,00o in fully-paid ordinary shares, -and ,,Z*soo in deferred shares, equal to a total of Z1.3,5oo' before a single farthing is provided for working capital. Furthermore, all the five directors are interested in one or other of the Promoting companies, and are to receive 5 per cent. of the profits (whether nett or gross profit is not stated, so we may presume gross profit) in addition to remuneration of ...‘foo per annum each and Z.200 per annum to the chairman. The company is to pay £3.5 each for its new cabs to the Herald Motor Manufacturing Company, Ltd., of Manchester. We advise investors to let this flotation severely alone.
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The Chairman of the Association. Lt.Colonel R E. B. Crompton, C.B., M .1. C.F., M.1.M.E., M.I.E.E., etc., etc., is among the recently elected members of the Council of the Institution of Civil Engineers.
The proposed May Day parade was not held, either on Satyrday or Monday last. The recommendation of the Association that it should not take place was announced in these columns on March 30th. It was felt that the objects of the parade bad been achieved in previous years, whilst users are now unwilling to spare their machines.
Recent additions to the register of members include :— Messrs. Fanny Quirmell and Sons, Grosvenor House, Sevenoaks ; Carter's Steam Wagon Co., Ltd., Oakenrod, Rochdale ; The Co-operative Wholesale Society, Ltd., 1, Balloon Street, Manchester; J. Sainsbury, Stamford Street, S.E.