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WHEELS OF INDUSTRY.

The wheels of wealth wilt be slowed by alt difficulties or transport at whatever points arising, as a carriage is by the roughness of the roads over which it runs."—John Beattie Crozier.

A Tilling-Stevens Dividend.

The directors of Tilling-Stevens Motors, Ltd., have declared a dividend at the rate of 7i per cent, per annum on the cumulative preference shares of the company la respect of the half year ended June 30th, 1926, The New Speed Limits.

The new speed limits which apply to commercial motor vehicles and come into force on October 1st are referred to in Road Transport Matters in Parliament on page 837.

Agent for Body Fittings Wanted.

We know of a well-known Midland concern makirg motor body fittings which requires an agent for London and a:i area of 25 miles around it. The company's specialities include. locks, handles, cold pressings and drop forgings. Those interested should write to the Editor, marking their inquiry "Midlands.".

New Bus Powers for Sheffield.

Sheffield Corporation has obtained powers to enable it to refuse to grant a licence for a hackney carriage or motorbus unless the owner insures the vehicle, or makes adequate financial provision, so that any liability that may be incurred by the owner in respect of any injury or damage occasioned by the _ machine may be met. The corporation may require that the construction of any motorbus or other motor hackney carriage shall not be altered without its approval while the licence for it is in force.

The new Act also provides for the inspection and certification of taximeters used on taxicabs regularly plying for hire within the city and enacts that no person may drive a motor vehicle licensed by the corporation as a hackney carriage or motorbus unless he satisfieS it of his ability and fitness to drive. For the latter purpose the corporation may impose reasonable tests.

For the purpose of controlling traffic, the corporation may make' regulations prescribing :—(a) The streets to be used by vehicles of any specified class, either generally or during stated hours; (b) the streets which are to be used for oneway traffic; (c) the places in the B20 central area at which buses shall not stop to take up or set down passengers ; (d) the stands to be occupied exclusively by buses of all types and on all routes under its control and the time during which any bus shall be allowed to remain on a stand.

The A.E.C. Tractor Enterprise.

We wish to correct our reference to Mr. E. Allan Webb, whose appointment to a post with the Associated Equip. went Co., Ltd.; in connection with tractors was announced by, us last week. He was formerly connected with Ford Motor Co. (England), Ltd., as tractor manager and not as a director as stated by us.

In a Line or Two.

During 1927, 13,040.000 tons of natural roadstone were produced from the quarries in GreatBritain—over 1,000,000 tons more than the output for 1926.

Berks County Council, reports that 3,202 motor coaches visited Ascot on Hunt Cup Day.

The Conservative Party organization has recently ordered eight motorvans, equipped with talking-film apparatus and projectors, for an electioneering campaign.

A profit of 19,221 was made on the operation of Eastbourne's municipal buses during the past municipal year. Stepney Needs Many Motors.

Stepney Borough Council is to borrow £42,898 for the purchase of mechanically -)ropelled vehicles (£33,391), the provision of garage accommodation for the vehicles (£8,922) and the installation of three petrol tanks and pumps (£535).

The motor vehicles proposed to be purchased comprise 80 dust vans with hydraulic cad-tipping gear, nine 500gallon water-tank wagons with apparatus so that dust bodies can be temporarily used, three 1,000-gallon water vans, two steam gully eniptiers with sprinkler gear for street watering, eight petrol-driven sweeping machines, three 4-ton steam wagons, 'four 2-ton petrol wagons and a road roller. With the exception of 39 horsed vehicles used for scavenging purposes, the motor vehicles will be used to displace horsed vehicles.

Mrs. Wilfrid Ashley Opens New Bridge.

The new Scarborough Valley Bridge, a 600-ft. long structure with a 30-ft. carriage-way, built at a cost of 4158,000, which was recently opened by Mrs. Wilfrid Ashley, wife of the Minister of Transport, will prove of great value to owners of road IronsPort vehicles. It is in the direct line of the arterial road between the Humber and the Tees and districts farther north.

Artistic Trophies for Belfast Race Winners.

Not the least of the very fine prizes which are being put up for the R.A.C. Tourist Trophy Races on the New

townards course, near Belfast, on August 18th, are the three trophies with three replicas which The Motor is presenting. One of these handsome trophies specially designed for the race, together with a small replica for the driver, will be presented to the entrant of the winning ears in the 1,100 c.c., 1,500 c.c. and 5,000 c.c. classes.

The illustration, on page 811 of our previous issue, of the Hobson atomizer which forms part of the inlet manifold of an engine, was unfortunately inverted.

Long-lived Electric Vehicles.

In the course of a paper recently read in New York by Mr. George Ford, of the American Railway Express Co., the author mentioned that in New York the company has still in operation eighty 2ton electric trucks which are in their seventeenth year and 120 vehicles that are in their twelfth year, the machines . having been given a complete overhaul every four years. In this country, as we mentioned in a recent issue, the Marylebone Borough Council has an electric van which has been in use since 1913, but which has noW, for all practical purposes, reached the end of its 'useful life.

GellYgaer Buying Leylands.

In our issue dated July 24th we intimated that the Gellygaer Urban District Council had decided to institute a municipal bus service, and we learn that the first step towards the inauguration of the service has been made by a decision to order four Leyland Tiger buses at a cost of £1,485 each. The local ratepayers' association disagreed with the council's proposals and wrote to the Ministry of Health, pointing out that the rates, which are 36s. 2d. in the £, are the highest in the country. The council's reply is that it believes that the bus service will pay and thus help to relieve the rates.

Adapting Canal Bridges to Modern

Needs.

A serious wsition has arisen in connection with The old bridges over the various canals, states the annual report of the Manchester Corporation Paving, Sewering, and Highways Committee. Many of these bridges were constructed probably about 130 years ago, and, of course, were of adequate strength for the road traffic existing at the time. With the enormous growth in the weight and speed of modern mechanical road vehicles these bridges are considered altogether incapable of carrying this traffic with safety. Several bridges have shown signs of the stress imposed on them. Arrangements have been made for various canal bridges to be reconstructed by the committee, the canal company contributing a sum towards the cost and the committee taking over the bridges and maintaining them after the reconstruction has been carried out.

A Report on an Overseas Show.

A report dealing with the second motor show held at Rio de Janeiro from May 3rd-13th has been prepared by the Department of Overseas Trade, and British manufacturers desirous •of receiving a copy of it should communicate with the Department at 35, Old Queen Street, London, S.W.1.

Refuse-collection Costa at Sunderland.

Interesting details as to the cost of house-refuse collection by a fleet of

S.D. Freighters employed by the Sunderland Corporation Cleansing Dept. are contained in the authority's annual report for March 31st last. This shows that during the year 62,827 tons of refuse were collected, an increase of 2,186 tons compared with the previous year. The cost of collection per ton was just slightly over 6s. and the cost of collection and disposal was 7s. 4d. per ton. The total expenditure of the department was £50,016. In addition to refuse colleetion, the machines collected 20,296 loads of snow during the many severe periods which were encountered in the winter months of last year.

Straker-Squire Spares.

Kryn and Lahy (1928), Ltd., of Letchworth, informs us that it has purchased the stock and goodwill of Straker-Squire, Ltd., with the object of continuing the manufacture and supply of spare parts for that make of vehicle. Official Orders in June.

Amongst the orders for commercial motor vehicles given out by Government Departments during June last was one placed with Morris Comtnrcial Cars, Ltd., by the Admiralty for 1-ton trucks. The Air Ministry gave out an order for four-wheeled and six-wheeled lorries to Morris Commercial Cars, Ltd., and the War Office one for motor road rollers to Raiford and Perkins, Ltd. The G.P.O. authorities ordered a number of lorry bodies from W. Harold Perry, Ltd., passed an order for vans to Morris Commercial Cars, Ltd., another for lorry chassis to the Albion Motor Car Co., Ltd., as well as dividing an order for electric vans between Victor Electric, Ltd., and Electromobile, Ltd. Chassis were also ordered by the Crown Agents

• for the Colonies from the Albion Motor Car Co., Ltd., and Bean Cars, Ltd.

A Darlington Company Acquires a Cambridge Concern.

It is officially stated that the Reliance Express Motors, Ltd., of Darlington, has just acquired the Varsity Pullman Coach Co., of Alexandra Street, Cambridge, with the view to extending its ramifications. The latter undertaking works regular daily services between Cambridge and London, and the former company, as reported in our issue for last week, is shortly to launch a sleeper bus service between Newcastle and London.

Morris Lorries in Brazil. The Brazilian agent for Morris Commercial Cars, Ltd,—,T. C. Cotton, Ltd., of Rio de Janeiro and San Paulo—is devoting considerable attention to the popularization of Morris lorries in the Republic. One of the vehicles carrying a load of 25-ewt. recently made a successful trip from San Paulo to Santos and back, the performance attracting much notice.

Growth of Traffic in Paris.

Some interesting figures relative to the growth of traffic in Paris during the past 25 years are contained in a recent issue of Le Poids Lourd4, and these show that, excluding bicycles and motorcycles, the number of vehicles used in the city has increased nearly fivefold. Front the statistics which are given we have compiled the following table showing the numbers of different classes of vehicle in use in the French capital at the two periods :—

A noticeable feature is that, despite the great increase in the number of motor vehicles, the figure for horsedrawn vehicles is almost as large as ever.

Our contemporary points out that the figures do not include the vehicles registered in the Departments of Seine-etOise and Seine-et-Marne, large numbers of which—estimated at 30,000—are daily used in Paris.

It would be interesting if it were possible to obtain accurate figures as to the corresponding growth of ,traffic in London during the same periods, but we doubt if any reliable records are available of the number of horse-drawn vehicles in use in the Metropolis 25 years ago.

Belgian Military Tractor Trials.

Some trials of 4-ton and 6-ton tractors have lately been carried out by the Belgian military authorities. The purpose of the trials was, however, much discounted by the non-appearance of several of the machines which were entered. In the 4-ton class four entries had been received, but only two—the Pavesi and the Citroen—actually competed, whilst of three makes of 6-ton tractors entered only one—a Pavesiaimeared.

A New Type of Bus Offence.

Under the motor regulations recently issued by the Northern Ireland Ministry

of Home Affairs it is an offence to speak to the -driver of a public-service vehicle while it is in motion.. In the Belfast 'police court recently a bus passenger was prosecuted for having broken this new law, but the charge was dismissed as it was the first of its kind to corns before the court. The magistrates hoped that the case "would act as a warning to others."

The Brazilian Market Receives More Attention.

During the past year there have been hopeful signs of a greater interest on the part of British motor manufacturers in the potentialities of the Brazilian market. Several leading British makers are now represented in Rio de Janeiro, and it is hoped that a study of B22 trade conditions in the country will lead to an organized effort to secure for Great Britain a larger share of the 40,000 or more motor vehicles which Brazil appears likely to continue to import annually.

Motor road construction continues to be actively undertaken, especially in the central states of Brazil, and this iu itself suggests that the demand for motor vehicles is likely to increase year by year.

The Tractor Trade in South Africa.

The imports of farm tractors into South Africa during last year amounted to 481 machines, valued at £96,722, as compared with 230 and £49,804 in 1926. Imports from the United States greatly predominated, numbering 446 tractors, valued at £80,513, as compared with 206 (£33,963) in 1926. There was a severe slump in the demand for tractors following the post-war boom, but since 1924 the use of tractors on farms in the Union has steadily increased. This movement is now believed to have attained a permanent character, and a slow but steady increase in imports is looked for.

• New Zealand Imports.

A return just to hand shows that 30 motorvans, lorries and buses valued at £7,314, were imported into New Zealand during the three months ended March last. The imports of industrial chassis during the same period are returned at 3-38 in number. and £73,159 in value. The United States is credited with the largest number both of complete vehicles (19) and chassis (267), Great Britain following with 10 and 65 respectively.

Bus Stands at Halifax.

It will be recalled that on May 1st the Ministry of Transport held an inquiry at Halifax into the proposals regarding bus stands in the town, and the Minister has now issued an Order which eaine into force on August 1st.. The time during which any bus will be allowed to remain on any of the stands or stopping places set out will not exceed 10 minutes. There are eight distinct stands sanctioned, on two of which only one vehicle is allowed to stand at one time. Another Plying-for-hire Case.

Yet another aspect of the plying-forhire question has been discussed at Blackburn, where, on August 24th, the chairman of the magistrates is due to give a considered decision in a ease involving Messrs. Wood Bros., motor. coach proprietors, of Coronation Street, Blackpool, who were summoned for plying for hire with a vehicle without the required licence. Summonses were also issued against Thomas Cooper, the driver concerned, and Arthur Dinham, of Blackburn, -an agent for Messrs. Wood Bros., for aiding and abetting in the alleged offence.

The contention of the Blackburn Corporation was that it made no difference whether the plying for hire took place in the street or on private land. Defendants were stated to have used a site situated in a yard off Victoria Street

as a parking place. The defence was based on the facts that Messrs. Wood

Bros. were also Blackburn ratepayers, and that they had the key to the yard gate when it was closed. There was no active solicitation for fares, which was stated to be essential before the corporation could prove that they were plying for hire. The most that could be said, they continued, was that there were notice boards in the yard, but these did not constitute solicitation any more than the publication of advertisementa in the Press.

As stated above, the magistrates will give a considered decision at a later date.

An Unusual Flea.

As the result of an unusual plea being advanced by a driver of Landers, Swansea, who was summoned for driving a heavy motor vehicle" at a speed greater than 12 m.p.h., the Pontardawe magistrates have adjourned the case for the ,investigation of the legal point raised by the defendant.

The police evidence was that the defendant drove a heavy steam lorry at 20 m.p.h. The defendant contended that the ease must be dismissed, as he was charged under the Motor Car Act with exceeding the speed limit with " a heavy motor v..hicle," whilst in law, he claimed, a locomotive was not a motor vehicle and he produced evidence concerning previous actions in support of his ease.

A Chrysler 20-cwt. Van.

Chrysler Motors, Ltd., of Kew Gardens, Surrey, the touring cars of which are now widely known in this country, has recently adapted its 50 chassis for industrial purposes. The new product•is a 20-cwt. van equipped with an English-built body. The specification includes a four-eylindered engine with an R.A.C. rating of 15.6 h.p. and a bore and stroke of 31 ins.

by 4/ ins. respectively, The trans mission is through a single dry-plate clutch, three-speed gearbox and bevel gearing. Both electric lighting and starting are provided. The road wheels are of the detachable rim variety and are shod with 29-in. by 31-in, low-pressure pneumatics. The standard body is fitted with a sliding panel behind the driver's seat, a double windscreen and oval windews at the sides and back. The overall length of the vehicle is 12 ft. 9 ins, and the track 4 ft. 8 ins.

Plymouth's Co-operative 'Traffic.

The quarterly report of the Plymouth Co-operative Society shows that the receipts from the operation of the society's motor coaches during the quarter ended June 2nd last amounted to 12,252, a decrease of a few pounds On the receipts during the corresponding 13 weeks of the 'previous year. The traffic department, which had a turnover of £1,404, showed an increase of 1400, this result being mainly due, it is stated, to the expansion of the furniture-removal section of the business.

Blackburn Company's Appeal Fails.

The Alinistry of Transport has notified the town clerk of Blackburn that the appeal of Lewis Crenshaw, Ltd.; against the decision of the Blackburn Town Council in declining to grant licences for two buses to ply for hire between Wensley Fold and Northgate and Calder Street and Northgate has been dismissed. The appeal was heard in Blackburn on July 17th.

• Nottingham's New Fire-fighting Appliance.

The Nottingham Corporation, which was amongst the first in the country to motorize its fire brigade, has recently been responsible, through operations carried out in its own workshops, for the addition to its equipment of a combined tender and ambulance.

Supplementing the new machine's fire-extinguishing appliances, which are

sufficient to deal with any small outbreak, stretchers, together with other. first-aid and ambulance adjuncts, have been incorporated. Incidentally, the machine also carries pumps which supplyfresh air to smoke-helmets.

The special chassis has a wheelbase of 12 ft. 6 ins. A supply of water is carried in a 30-gallon tank under the driver's seat. \

South Wales Bus Fusion. A number of fusions of private bus concerne-operating in the South Wales area has been reported from time to time in The Commercial Motor. Another amalgamation of bus companies is likely to be brought about in the areas covering Ystradgynlais, the Swansea Valleys and Neath. Negotiations are proceeding whereby several of the

private operators in these districts will be absorbed by one of the leading South Wales bus companies, and it is understood that certain local authorities have already been approached for the conditional transfer of licences in the event of the arrangements being completed.

Revising a Bus-ticket System.

From the official organ of the Great Western Railway Co. we learn that a completely revised system of dealing with tickets used on the company's motorbuses is !being tested and will shortly come into general operation. With the rapid growth of the services the storage accommodation available had become inadequate. The old arrangement, therefore, under which each conductor used a separate series is being replaced by a system under which all conductors are being supplied from a common stock, thereby reducing by some millions the number and variety of tickets which have to be printed and stored at various stations throughout the system.

A further reduction in the number of tickets to be printed, stored and carried, has also been effected by abolishing special tickets for return journeys, and utilizing a single-fare ticket of the same value by means of a special punch. To complete the scheme, the conductors' waybill has been revised, and the booking-office accountancy arrangements have been completely overhauled. It is anticipated that a considerable saving in expense and labour will result from the alteration.

Northampton Gives Permission.

Northampton Watch Committee has granted an application received from the No Plus Ultra Services for permission to ply for hire in Northampton in connection with a through service from' Sheffield to London.

A Tramways and Bus Manager Wanted. Mr. W. Chamberlain is resigning his Position as general manager and chief engineer of the tramways and transport undertaking of the Leeds Corporation, having been appointed general manager and chief engineer of the tramways -undertaking of the City of Belfast. The Leeds authorities are inviting applications for the position at the salary of £1,500 per annum.

Manchester's Bus Decisions.

Manchester Watch Committee has decided that in future liceaces shall not be granted for any bus carrying 20 or more passengers unless it be fitted with an emergency door and folding step. The owners of all existing buses now licensed, but not fitted with emergency doors, are to be required to furnish a return showing the time such buses have been in use, and licences for them are to be withdrawn after the vehicles have been in service for seven years.

Limited-stop Bus Developments in the North.

In the past week or two there have been further limited-stop bus developments in Tyne, Wear and Tees districts. Middlesbrough and other Tees-side residents are provided with a choice of two express road services to Blackpool by vehicles owned by Messrs. Appleton a ad

Sons and Smith's Safeway Coaches.

Overoads Motor Coach Services have just inaugurated the first limited-stop service having Sunderland as its starting point, the route being to London, and passengers are picked up at Hartlepool and Middlesbrough.

Tyneside developments include a new daily service from Newcastle to Leicester, via York and Selby, by Kane's Motor Services, and another between Newcastle to Coventry, via Leeds, Sheffield and Derby, by the Fawdon Motor Omnibus Co., Ltd., which has hitherto concentrated on short-distance journeys.

Holiday Luggage Transport. Despite the fact that, in this country, the railway companies run for the benefit of holiday-makers a luggage-inadvance system and arrange, in conjunction with local carriers, for the collection and delivery of such luggage, the system is not always as efficient as it might be, and many annoying delays are often experienced. We were reminded of our experiences in this direction on the occasion of a recent visit to the South of France, where in most of the pleasure resorts we noticed that quite a number of Normandy vehicles are run B24 by enterprising firms for conveying luggage to and from the railway stations. The vehicles are ordinary light pleasure-car chassis fitted with the open Normandy body so popular in France, and they appear to do quite a big business and are not only a convenience to the travelling public but, it would seem, a source of profit to the enterprising owners.

Jarvies versus Buses.

Whereas in Belfast the great opposition to motorbuses comes from the tramcars, in Waterford it is the local car drivers who are doing their best to make the efficient operation of bus services difficult. Recently the local jarvies petitioned the corporation to have the buses removed from the principal stand in the town, and it is an indication of the corporation's sympathy that it agreed with the juries' request.

Much indignation has since been expressed by residents in the city, as considerable inconvenience has been caused to travellers and business people by the removing of the stand to what is considered to be an unsuitable part of the town.

Unifying Road and Traffic Signs.

At a conference recently called by the British Engineering Standards Association at the request of the Association of Public Lighting Engineers, the question of standardization of signs and signals for erection on roads was considered. . It was felt that the time was hardly ripe to recommend the set:ting up of a committee, and six months is to be allowed to elapse before the matter is further considered.

The object in setting up a committee is to provide a clearing house for particulars of all experimental work now being conducted in different parts of the country. It was made clear that what was desired was the unification of the signs erected on the roads so as to give the maximum help to the road user.

'Ware Loose Chocks.

It is safe to assume that carelessness is the root of almost all accidents on the roads. The truth of this remark was borne out when we recently observed a heavy lorry, with a chock attached to a chain sliding and bouncing along in the road behind it. The chain was unusually long and, as the lorry was travelling quite fast, the chock, which was on the off side of the vehicle, swung sideways—particularly on corners—protruding at times to an alarming extent into the track of oncoming traffic.

Fortunately we saw no vehicle pass when the chock was swinging to the oft side, but had a cycle, motorcycle or even a heavier machine passed just as the obstruction came into its way there is no knowing what injuries and damage might have been caused, simply through the carelessness of a driver in forgetting to replace the chock or to examine the chock hook.

An S.P.D. 12-tonner.

S.P.D., Ltd., the transport undertaking associated with Lever Bros., Ltd., the Sunlight soap concern, has recently put into service a 12-ton sixwheeled lorry. Interest in the vehicle lies in the fact that it has been built by the engineering staff of the S.P.D. works out of standard parts from other vehicles.

Remarkable Motor Traffic Growth.

In 1918 the number of motor vehicles in use in Sweden was 8,000, but since that time the number has increased by an average of slightly over 15,000 a year, and during the period from 1924 to 1927 by 18,000 a year, whilst in 1927 the increase was 24,501. On January 1st of this year the total number of motor vehicles in Sweden was 145,363, 35,228 motorcycles being included in this figure. Only about 7,000 drivers' licences were issued in 1918, but at the end of 1927 275,000 such licences had been issued.

A Change of Address.

Picard (Accessories), Ltd., which manufactures and distributes a range of motor accessories and garage equipment, has removed to more commodious premises at 43, Great Marlborough Street, London, W.1, where Bavox air compressors and tyre inflators, Margib hydraulic jacks and other lines can be inspected.