The Extraordinary Increase in the Employment of Commercial Vehicles.
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E ARE becoming so accustomed to big happenings and to talking in terms of millions that many matters of really great importance are apt to escape notice unless subjected to a microscopic scrutkny. One of these, which so far has been little commented upon, is the really wonderful growth in the number of motor vehicles, both for goods transport and the carrying of passengers, which has occurred in recent years. For instance, the motor taxation statistics for the six months ending May 31st last, a resurn4 of which we published last week, show an increase of 20 per cent. in the total number of licences, as compared "'with the figure for the corresponding period of last year. Commercial goods vehicles have actually increased in this period from 166,351 to 194,179, whilst hackney carriages have risen from 79,267 to 85,476, the total number being not far short of 300,000, without counting such vehicles as private-hire cars and commercial travellers' broughams, which are taxed on the horse-power basis. This means a growth of some 28,000 lorries in the year and 6,200 passenger vehicles.
Conipared with the total number now employed, this growth may not appear to be of vital importance, but when we consider that in the base of lorries the increaie is, so far as can be ascertained, something like 50 per cent, on the total number employed previous to 1914, it is possible adequately to judge the position which the commercial vehicle has woo in our national life.
The need for expediting transport is now realized in almost every trade, quite apart from the increasing use of all types of motor wehiele which is being made by municipal authorities.
The increase in the number of passenger vehicles is eloquent testimony to the growing popularity of travel-by-road, and it is only by examining a map showing the routes covered by bus services throughout the country that an adequate conception of the spread of this means of transport can be gained. So far as the development of bus services is concerned, there is abundant evidence of the urgent need for settling the question of the delays so often caused in the granting of licences through the influence of tram interests and other local considerations. When licences are refused appeals can be made to the Ministry of Transport, but this is a tedious process, which is well exemplified by the result of a recent inquiry, in which no definite settlement could be arrived at owing to the fact that the date of the inquiry fell after the expiration of the licensing period which was the subject of the inquiry. It is ' only necessary to go a little way into the matter to find that appeals are being made from every quarter —a condition of affairs which is causing much bitter controversy and the holding up of orders.
The Question of Hawkers' Licences for Selling Petrol.
WE DEALT in our last issue with a remarkably interesting case in which one of the largest oil companies was summoned, under the Hawkers Act of 1888, for unlawfully hawking petroleum for sale without the proper licence, the driver of one of the defendant company's lorries being summoned for aiding and abetting. The point was whether a vehicle of the type used could be characterized as a hawker's vehicle, in view of the description of such vehicles in the Hawkers Act as "being drawn by a horse or other beast of burden," whilst, for the defence, it WaQ contended that the practice of a large trust in delivering upon demand from a motor lorry was a public convenience and not a solicitation in the hawking sense.
The stipendiary reserved his decision in order to consult authorities, and after this had been done he gave judgment for the defendants, being of the opinion that there was no obligation for the company to hold a hawker's licence, and that no offence had been committed by them. Curiously enough, the argument for the defence that the effect of the Petroleum Act of 1871 and the Petroleum Hawkers Act of 1881 excluded the application to them of the Hawkers Act of 1888 was not accepted. On the contrary, Section 1 of the Act of 1881 expressly provided that the right to hawk petroleum under the Acts would be subject to the enactments for the time being in force with regard to hawkers, but such a licence was only required by persons coming within the definition of "hawker " under Section 2 of the Act, of which there were two classes. First, persons travelling with a horse or other beast of burden or bearing from place to place and who sold or exposed for sale goods at other men's houses. The defendants, however, used motor vehicles for their sales, and therefore did not, come within that class. Had the development of motor vehicles been foreseen, they might have been included. The second class requiring such licences were those who travelling by "any means of locomotion whatever to any place in which they did not Usually reside and there sold or offered for sale at any house. shop, booth, stall or any place hired or used by them for the purpose, articles.' It was pointed out that there was a marked difference between the classes, and, unless the defendants had hired, or used a man's house or other place for sale purposes, they did not come within the second class, and that the statute being penal must be strictly construed.
Training the Driver.
IT WOULD be a good thing for everyone concerned if a systematized scheme of training for deliveryvan drivers could be introduced and handled from various centres throughout the country. The van driver, is in charge of a light, fast vehicle, is almost always threading his way through traffic, and, as we have remarked on previous occasions, is frequently guilty of the most dangerous actions, such as dashing out of a side road into, or even across, a main road. Apart from the question of skill in driving, however, there is the man's mechanical training to consider. Whereas the steam-wagon driver is usually able to carry out all his own running repairs and
B20 adjustments, the man in charge of the light delivery van frequently displays little or no practical knowledge of this kind. This drawback is of particular importance to the small owner, say, of two or three vehicles, who cannot afford to employ a mechanic. We have in mind the case of such ati owner who took on an extra driver to take c,harge of a light van running on pneumatic tyres. No fewer than four pairs of front tyres were worn out in a distance of about 10,000 miles, and the driver proved unable to suggest any possible cause of the trouble. Eventually an expert was called in, who imme
diately found that the front wheels were sadly out of alignment, and the driver eventually admitted having been involved in .a minor collision. Clearly, a man with any pretensions to mechanical training
would have anticipated the trouble and saved his employer considerable expense by checking the wheel alignment immediately after the accident.
The Spreading Use of Pneumatic Tyres.
WHEN FIRST pneumatic tyres began to be employed to any considerable extent on commercial vehicles, and particularly on those built for carrying passengers, many comments were passed and criticisms made regarding the potential dangers which were incurred through the possibility of bursts, either while rounding corners or while running at. fairly high speeds along the straight. In spite of the fact that both single and twin pneumatic tyres are now employed on a very large number of passenger vehicles (even of the largest capacities), and that their use is increasing on medium-sized vehicles employed for the carrying of goods, practically no dire results have yet occurred ; in fact, the evidence proves rather to the contrary, for the pneumatic-tyred vehicle appears to hold the road in a better manner than that running on solids, which has a tendency to bounce and thus promote skidding.
Apparently the only fly in the ointment is the matter of cost. This, with the passenger vehicle, is eerhaps not so important, as passengers usually appreciate the extra comfort afforded and, particularly on long tours, are prepared to pay slightly more for it, but when goods carrying is considered the matter of cost per ton-mile must be considered.
PetrolRisks Which are Ignored.
THE OLD adage, "Familiarity breeds contempt." might well be given as the attitude of thousands of users of motor vehicles, and it is extraordinary that serious accidents, due to thoughtlessness or ignorance when cleating with what is actually a dangerous fluid requiring the exercise of every care in its treatment, are not of more frequent occurrence.
One has only to look round many garages to see petrol dripping from carburetters, half-empty and unstoppered tins, the use of petrol for washing purposes and ofttimes its exposure in dangerously close proximity to naked lights.
It is seldom realized that the vapour produced by petrol can flow for considerable distances. It is of a heavy nature, and it is., consequently, usually found close to the ground, and it is quite possible for a flame to flow back several yards to the source from which the vapour is being emitted. In a recent case the driver of a dual-purpose vehicle was filling the tank under the driver's seat with petrol while an assistant was fitting steles at the back of the body, for the convenience of passengers, by the light from a candle. It appears that the exhaust pipe was warm, and some of the petrol, s.pilling on to this, was rapidly turned into vapour, which flowed to the back of the vehicle, and was there ignited by the candle, with fatal results to the driver.
We ourselves have seen the results of filling a petrol tank while an oil lamp has been standing near.