-Two-seater Cabs in Wales.
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Following the decision of the Newport '(Mon.) Town Council to sanction plying for hire by two-seater taxicabs (as reported in last week's issue) on a scale based upon a charge of 8d. for the initial mile, as against the charge of 1s. 4d, per mile for ordinary taxicabs, the Cardiff Watch Committee has now drawn pp a scale on similar lines. The Cardiff" scale lays down a charge for two-seater cabs of 6d. for the first threequarters of a mile and 2d. for each succeeding quarter of a mile. The fixing of this scale follows a recommendation of the chief constable (Mr. J. A. Wilson) that taxi fares in general should be reduced. He argued that trade would improve if the taxi-owners themselves asked for a new scale of rates at less than 1s. 4d. per mile. A short time ago, however, the Cardiff taxi owners unsuccessfully applied for sanction -to increase the charges from 1s. 4d. to is. 6d. for the initial mile.
Orders for Shefflex Vehicles.
R. A. Johnstone, Ltd., Tinsley, Sheffield, have recently received orders from Messrs. W. W. Fawcett, builders, of Sheffield ; R.. C. Bellamy, Ltd., of Grimsby; and Mr. G. W. Price, Erkington, Derbyshire, for 2-ton Shefilex lorries, whilst Messrs. Gratton and Sons are buying a 30-cwt. pneumatie-tyred chassis for char-e-bancs work. Those from Messrs. Bellamy and Mr. Price are repeat orders.
Municipal v. Private Motorbuses at Chester.
Preparations are being made for the next phase of the passenger transport controversy at Chester. The position in a nutshell is that the tramways committee, which has hitherto concerned itself only with the operation of the tramway system, wants to embark on motorbus enterprises, partly on routes already served by the Crosville Motor Co., Ltd. The council, however, has referred the proposals back for further Consideration and report in order to
Satisfy itself as to the soundness of such a venture.
Now, the Croeville Motor Co. have taken action to stress the importance of the report being prepared by an impartial authority. In a communication to the council the company point out that the report should be made by a disinterested person not employed by a municipality (or privately owned road passenger transport undertaking or company) and the other local proprietors should be permitted to send in their own report as to the services radiating from Chester to outside districts. A report of the Crosville Co.'s activities might, it is said, be prejudiced if made by a corporation official, in which ease it would only be fair that each undertaking should be reported upon by its owners, i.e., the corporation to report on the traffic inside the city and the private proprietors to report on the traffic outside the city.
The Crosville Motor Co. has just ordered 34 new Leyland pneumatictyred motorbuses, some of which have now been delivered for service as ex press buses. All the new buses will be allocated to the .Birkenhead, Liverpool and district routes.
A Reo Hustle.
In our issue dated March 9th we intimated that Harris and Hasell, Ltd., were erecting a new works. It is interesting to learn, as a sidelight on their production activities in this new assembly works, which are situated at Brislington, Bristol, that a Reo-Pullman chassis was recently re-assembled in four days and was ready for delivery actually before the builders had completed their work on the premises.
Mr. Michael Terry Home.
Mr. Michael Terry, F.R.G.S., is now in London, after having successfully accomplished the journey, from Port Darwin, South Australia, to Broome, Western Australia, employing tevo 1-ton Guy-Roadless trucks with trailers and and A.J.S. motor bicycle and sidecar.
Ribble Co.'s Appeal.
An appeal by the Ribble Motor Services,. Ltd., of Preston, against the refusal of the Bury Corporation to grant licences to ply for hire within the borough was the subject of a Ministry of Transport inquiry at Bury, on March 25th. Mr. J. Lustgarten, for the Ribble Co -said that since a previous inquiry a year ago, a good service had been inaugurated by the corporation, but he understood it had no powers to run buses outside the borough., The essential feature of the company's service was through-running, thus linking up 'town with town. Mr. P. Buckley, Bury's tramway manager, contended that the corporation's tram and bus services were sufficient for the requirements of the town. Ravetensta'A Corporation, he pointed out, ran a has service from Bury. to Burnley. telice evidence wap to the effect that it /multi be unadvisable to add further to the congestion of Bury's streets. The borough engineer also contended that it would be unwise to add further traffic in the nature of motorbuses to the large volume already in the town centre. The decision of the Ministry will be announced in due course.
Another New Lincolnshire Bridge. Known as the Bennington Bridge, Sibsey, on the Sibsey-Old Leake main road, between Boston and Spilsby, Lincolnshire, the old brick structure, which has carried the main road over tire Hobhole Drain for the past 125 years, has been closed to all traffic for the purpose of demolition.
The bridge is to be replaced by a modern structure of ferro-concrete, the dimensions of which will be: length, 106 ft.; square span, 37 ft.; width, 85 ft. To meet present-day requirements the carriageway will be 24 ft. wide with two 4e-ft. footpaths, which Can be utilized for roadway if and when the demand arises.
William Wright and Son, Ltd., of Lincoln are the contractors, and the 'bridge is to be completed by the end of August next.
Presentation to Mr. W. R. Morris.
As a mark of appreciation of the scheme inaugurated by Mr. W. R. Morris, of Morris Motors, Ltd., whereby every one of the 9,000 employees under the status of charge hand or foreman in the various Morris factories was given a free insurance policy, the employees at Cowley subscribed towards the purchase of a handsome silver casket, which was recently presented to Mr. Morris by one of his five original workmen. Over 3,000 men attended the ceremony. which was performed amidst msch enthusiasm. The scheme of insurance has already been referred to in our columns.
Half a Million Tons of Motor Shipping.
During the first three months of this year orders have been placed throughout the world for oil-engined vessels totalling the equivalent of about 500,000 tons deadweight. According to the April number of The Motor Ship this is a larger figure than has previously been recorded in one quarter. The shipping development as influenced by the oilengine is authoritatively dealt with in this issue of the journal, which also contains important and fully illustrated articles on some of the latest motor ships and powet units.