WHEELS OF INDUSTRY.
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The Dunlop Report.
The report of the directors of the Dunlop Rubber Co., Ltd., for the year ended August 31st last shows a net loss of £8,320,007. The amount carried forward front the previous year's account, amounting to £1,700,324, after deducting the preference dividends paid for the quarter ended November 30th, 1920, viz., £77,188, but adding the premium (less expenses of issue) arising from the last issue of 3,000,000 ordinary shares, has been transferred to reserve account, which now stands at £2,767,645.
The manufacture of motor vehicle tyres is now carried on exclusively at Fort Dunlop, where the new types of tyres are being produced Under advantageous conditions. The new works of the French company at Montlueon are almost complete, and its output will probably have advanced sufficiently to enable the old. works near Paris to be closed down daring this month. The building programme at the cotton mills, Rochdale, has been completed, and the output suffices to meet the needs of the company for tyre fabrics, as well as to provide a margin for outside trade. The company's rubber estates have been well maintained, but, in view of the state of industry, new clearing and planting have been suspended.
The Time to -Light Up.
Considerable confusion has arisen concerning lighting-up times, and, with a view to assisting users, we would point out that vehicle lighting is at present governed by two different regulations. The important point to be borne in mind is that, under the Road Vehicles (Registration and Licensing) Regulations, dated March 9th, 1921, issued by the Minister of Transport it is necessary to illuminate the back number plate during the period between half an hour after sunset and half an hour before sunrise. The display of a front light and the rear red light are governed by the Motor Car (Use and Construction) Order, 1904, which requires such lamps to be illuminated during the period between one hour after sunset and one hour before sunrise. It naturally follows that the number plate must be illuminated half an hour before the head and tail lights are lighted. It is, therefore; better to give the earlier hour as the lighting-up time.
The March Tractor Trials.
We have received a copy of the regulation.s and general conditions governing the demonstration of agricultural tractors and tractor implements organized by the S.M.M. and T., which is to be held at Stoke Canon, near Exeter, on Wednesday and Thursday, March let and 2nd.
The demonstration is open to all classes of agricultural machines and implements, the entrance fee for each tractor or selfcontained motor plough being £10, for each self-propelled gardee cultivator £5, for each cable set £20, and £2 for each plough, cultivator or other implement.
One grade each of petrol, benzoleiand paraffin fuel will be provided for B2
machines driven by internal-combustion engines, and one grade each of coketor coal for steam-driven machines, and entrants must declare the class and quantity of fuel required 'pea nour of running, under full load at the date of entry. Any entrant desirous of using special fuels may do so provided the machine be entered acoordingly.andehat the entrant provides sufficient surplus to enable proper analysis and teats to be made.
The demonstration will open at 10 a.m. and continue until 4 p.m. on each of the days mentioned.
Hull Bus Service:,
The six months' working of the Stoneferry bus service of the Hull Corporation shows a loss of £413. The costs are particularly low, averaging about 16d, per bus-mile, due to the fact that the buses are new and that no new buildings had to be fitted up.
Eastbourne-Seaford Road:
The state of the Eastbourne-Seaford road was responsible for much comment during the motor coaching season of last year, as e. result of which plans were made for widening the road and also for improving the surfaces. While the corponation is widening and generally improving that past of the road that is within the borough at a cost of £40,000, the rural district council declines to continue the work in its own area on the ground that the Ministry of Transport's offer of a 50 per ceut. grant on the estimated outlay of £50,000 is totally inadequate.
Death .of Mr. Charles Davies.
There will be widespread and genuine regret at the death of Mr. Charles Davies, so many years the.popular representative of Messrs. Foden's, of Sandheal:. He retired from their service a few years ago, going to live at Black. pool, but from time to time we met with him in trade circles, and the .last time we saw him was at the last Olympia Show, looking hearty and well. He had many friends. He took pride in being known as Foden Davies, and it was never the wrong time to talk about steam wagons. In addition he knew the share market thoroughly, and made moneyover the Oldham cotton boom.
The Metropolitan Boroughs Joint Committee is asking the L.C.C. to increase the number of ambulances.
Kent Films Motor Transport Co., Ltd., of King's Theatre, Ramsgate, advise us that they will shortly be opening a large garage and repair shop in Ramsgate, and they will accordingly be pleased to receive price lists of equipment, etc.
Authority to increase their motorbus fares by 100 per cent. has been received by the Middlesbrough Corporation from the Ministry of Transport. A sub-committee of the tlorporation Tramways Committee is.to discuss the question of charges..
The Extension to Olympia.
In lasteweek's issue we referred to the fact that this year's Motor Exhibition will probably be accommodated under one roof, and we are now in a position to say that the directors of Olympia (1912), Ltd., have been constrained by representations made to them by the S.M.M. and T. to recognize that the accommodaa lion at present afforded by Olympia is inadequate. Teeneet these requirements and those of other large trade exhibitions, the directors have now made arrangements to build a new hall on similar lines, connecting up with the present building, with an entrance in the main Hammersmith Road. The floor space of the new building will, when complete, give a total area of over 300,000 sq. ft. It is interesting to hear that every endeavour is being made to complete the extensions by next autumn.
S.T.D. Motors Report.
The report of the directors of S.T.D. Motors, Ltd. (formerly A. Darracq and Co. 09051 Ltd.), for the year ended September 30th, shows aunt profit, after writing off depreciation of buildings and other charges shown in the profit and loss account., of £151,382, to which most be added £57,740 brought forward from the previous year's accounts, making a total of £209,122. A dividend on the preferred ordinary shares for the halfyear ended March 31st at the rate of 7 per cent, per annum, amounting to £64,043, together with dividends on further shares exchanged with the Sunbeam Co., amounting to £4,816, must be deducted from this sum, thus leaving a balance of £140,263, from which the directors have paid the half-year'e dividend on the preferred ordinary shares at the rate of 7 per cent, per annum, i.e., £64,043, leaving a balance of £76,220 to be carried forward.
Petitions Against Scottish Proposals.
At a general meeting of users, held in Glasgow last week, it was intimated that the Scottish C.M.U.A. had lodged petitions in opposition to the granting of the f011owing Provisional Orders :— 1. Railways (West Scottish) Group.
2. Aberdeen Corporation Provisional Order.
3. Glasgow Corporation Provisional Order.
4. Ayr Burgh Provisional Order.
Under the three last-mentioned Orders the corporations are inter alia taking powers to run omnibus service's beyond the corporation or burgh boundaries. These powers are being opposed on the ground that there is no public demand for omnibus services along the routes proposed which is not met or capable of being met by the local traders.
Calcutta Wants Oectrics.
The General Committee of the Calcutta Corporation recommenals that tenders be invited for eight electric lorries.
Cumberland,. Roads.
The adverse effect of the recent wet weather on the roads, more particularly those where the surface had not been treated with tar, was commented upon by the county surveyor, at a quarterly meeting of the Cumberland County
Council. The effect, he poieted. out, would be more evident during the early summer months, and a higher proportion of surface tarring would-lae rendered necessary during the next season. It was becoming more and more essential for the conversion to tar macadam of
• those lengths of main roads subjected to a considerable amount of motor traffic, and especially these followed by the motorbuses.
The Ministry of Transport, the clerk of the Highways Committee reported, had not yet fixed the date of the public inquiry into the char-a-bancs traffic.
An Institution of Welding Engineers.
IVIembers of the various sections of the welding industry met at an inaugural meeting recently held, and adopted the interesting proposal to form a new society embracing all systems of welding A strong committee, with power to add to their number, representing the different interests, was elected te draft the constitution with a view to registration after same has been approved by a general meeting which wilT be called at an early date.
The name agreed upon is The Institution of Welding Eegineers, and all interested in the welding and allied incius. tries will be eligible for membership. The offices (pro tern.) are at 30, Red Lion Square, London, W.C.1.
Manufacture ot Tractors in Australia,
According to an advice from Melbourne, the Minister of Customs, replying to a question in the House of Representatives recently, statecl,that no firms in Australia were engaged in the manufacture of steam tractors. There • were, however, five firms making oil tractors, and during the past 12 month, 92 tractors, valued at L'56,150, were produced
in their combined works. Under the tariff, traction engines of a class and a kind not made in Australia were dutiable as follows ; British preferential, free; intermediate, 5 per cent.; general tariff, 10 per cent. So soon as the tariff was Snally disposed of, a definite decision would .be given as to the types of tractor admissible under the tarifa A Memorandum on Taxation..
The Motor Legislation Committee has forwarded to the Minister of Transport a memorandum on the taxation of motor vehicles in which a demand is forum lated that the present system of taxation shall be reconsidered with a view to reverting to the principle of motor spirit dirties in the Finance Bill of 1923. . Pending that reconsideration, it is urged that, pledges given on behalf of the Government' by Sir Erie Geddes, when Minister of Transport, shall be fulfilled, and that revision shall be made in this year's Finance Bill for a reduction of the present scale of taxation by 25 per cent., to take effect from the beginning of next year. The statement referred to in paragraPh 6 of the memorandum is that
issued by the Motor Legislation Committee on the Finance Bill, 1920, in support of the maintenance ef the petrol duty as a basis of motor taxation. It was pre-dieted that the present system would " benefit those users of motor vehicles who can afford to tray, mid operate unjustly on the vehicle owners of more moderate means." It was added that the system would produce '! prejudicial effect not only on the motor trade of the' country, but on the normal development of economical road transport."
The Railway Proposals and Municipal Passenger Transport
In regard to the efforts of railway companies to secure road transport powers, the manager of the Stockport Corporation Tramways is directing the attention of local authorities which own -taaanwa,vs to the fact that this raises the broad question of competition ' with municipally owned tramways and motorbuses, and also the minor questions of adaptation, alteration, or reconstruction of roads and bridges.
Some municipal authorities are suggesting that the matter should be dealt with by the Municipal Tramways Association with a view to action being taken to safeguard the interests of municipal authorities.
Proposed Export Combine in the United States.
Proposals to establish an export combine of 130 motor vehicle manufacturers, in order to enlarge credit resources and reduce the overhead cost of foreign trade, were considered by delegates to the convention of export manse gers of the National Automobile Chamber of Commerce at New York.
The plan, as proposed by Mr. C. F. Bauer, secretary of the organization's foreign trade committee, is said to provide facilities for American automobile manufacturers to compete with foreign manufacturers in extending credits to European distributors.
A Motorbus Station.
Birkenhead Corporation proposes to acquire land at a cost Of “' 00 for the purpose of a bus station at Moreton.
New Type of Double Decker
The Birmingham and Midland Omnibus Co., Ltd., has produced a doubledeck bus, which, although riot yet passed by the watch committee, will, it is hoped, shortly be licensed for use on the company's various routes. The chassis is the same as that of the Fesent single-deckers, a Tilling-Stevens, and the seating accommodation is for 29 inside and 22 on top, a total of persons. against the 32 held by the existing buses, The seats in the interior are well upholstered, and there ia an emergency door at the rear, the main entrance being in front. The staircase for the top deck is also in front, arid the back of the bus thus presents a clean appearance. The interior has -windows, which Can be raised or lowered by the passengers.
The driver is in a geparate coupe earnpartmentaat the right of the engine, -the conductor standing on a platform at the left. If this bus is licensed, the company hope to be abk to make a considerable reduction in fares, owing to the eatra number of passengers which can be carried on one vehicle.
Horse v. Electric Transport.
The December statistics as to collection of house refuse at Ilford show the cost by horse-drawn vehicles to have averaged 10s. 8.2d. per ton, and the cost by electric vehicles to have averaged 15s. 0.7d. per ton. St. Pancras Borough Council, on the other hand, reports that two electric vehicles are working satisfactorily, and are an economical preposition, the cost of collection by electrics averaging 13s. Ild, per toe compared with a cost of 15s. 8d. per ton by horse vehicles.
Rotax (Moth r Accessories), Ltd., Rotax Works, Willesden Junction, Louden, N.W.10, inform us that they have appointed the following two firma as their official service agents : Messrs. Salmons andSons, 8, Upper .St. Martin's Lane, W.0.2, for the W.C. district of London, and Messrs. Falconar Cross and Co., 7 and 9, Ridley Place, Newcastleon Tyne, for the district of Newcastle on -Tyne.
Mileage Charges for Buses.
Recently the Cresville Motor Co., Chester, applied to the Ministry of Transport under the provisions of Section 10 of the Roads Act, 1920, for the determination' of its liability to pay mileage charges to the highway authorities concerned hi respect isf the use of certain roads by the company's omnibuses. Now the Ministry hasvlecided that the liability shall be determined as regards the use of the following roads in Chester :—Brook Lane, Gorse Stacks, Victoria Crescent, George Street, Victoria Road, and St. Werburgh Street.
Licensing Exemptions.
The Middlesex County Council notifies the Willesden Urban District Council that it has no authority to exempt the urban councils disinfecting van from licence duty, but may charge the duty to either of the rates under paragraphs 5 and 6 of the second schedule of the 1920 Finance Act, and would be prepared to charge the licence duty most advantageous to the urban council. The Willesden Council reports that the difference between the two is, however, only per annum. The council has already paid £20, without prejudice, for the licensing of the vehicle, and this is the lower of the two rates referred to.
Cost of the Great North Road.
The disproportionate share of expense entailed upon the authorities of the smallest county in England.in the maintenance ofS the Great North Road has been the cause, of I late, of frequent representation 'to the Government Departments concerned, but the Rutland Coencil has received little encouragement, the receipt being reported tat the last meeting of a communication from the Ministry of Health, atatingfothat the rate for classification maintenance could not be increased, as had been suggested, from 50 to 75 per cent. In reply to a protest against the burden which the county, with it sinall rateable value, has to bear in respect of a proportionately large amount of the North Road running through it. the County4Councila' Association which'had also been appealed to to take action, has expressed the view, whilst sympathizing with the Rutland authorities that it is impracticable to ask for increased road grants at present.
Plymouth Municipal Transport.
In the course of a paper read at a meeting of the Institution of Municipal and County Engineers, Mr. T. P. Frank, borough engineer of Plymouth, referred to the transport 'work of the corporation. He said that before a920 thescouncil had in its work& department two mechanically propelled vehicles (other than rol-' iers); these were two ,3 ton steam wagons used on house refuse collection. The remainder of the transport work was carried out partly by contract and partly by the 40 horses ,owned by the corporation.
Since then certain types of mechanical vehicles had beenyobtained,,and a table
gave the comparative costs per hour (based on net working time) during the six months ceding September 28th last. The figures in "cost perbour " column were comprehensive. A relatively short estimated life had been assumed; this, and the fact ' that the " renewals contribution" had, in the case of mechanical vehicles, been based on the 1920 or 1921 prices, tended to increase the costs per hour. Evensso, the costs were materially below those which the council would have had to bear had the work been undertaken by other agency. The table is as follows :—
Traffic Towers.
Some little while ago five traffic towers were erected along Fifth Avenue, New York, by Dr. John A. Harris, special deputy police commissioner, at his own expense, as an experiment for the control' of' street vehicles. They have proved so efficient in use that their permanent retention has been decided on, although the temporary structures originally built will make way for a more
ornamental type of tower. The new towers are the outcome of a contest which was organized by the Fifth Avenue Association, when prizes were awarded. for the throe best designs submitted.
We reproduce an illustration of the winning design of tower, which, according to an announcement of the Association, will be constructed almost entirely of bronze, with a granite base 4 ft., square and 3 ft. high. It will be 23 ft. in height. The base is to have granite "striking blocks " at each corner to fend off traffic and, to protect the tower itself. The tower part of the structure will be open so as to allow an unobstructed view up and. down the avenue. The space at the top, which is to house the traffic policeman, will be enclosed in glass windows, so operated as to allow the policeman in the tower to open or close all of them at one time with a single swing of a lever. The tower will he heated by means of an electricstove.
Mudguards for Buses.
Senth Shields chief constable has managed to get the North Eastern Railway Co. and the Northern General Transport Co. to deal with, complaints of mudsplashing by their motorbuses. The N.E.R. have fixed mudguards to their buses, anti the Northern General Transport Co. have promised. to obtain a device which they hope will be able to prevent ,splashing.
Rival Sweeping Machines.
Harrier Cars, Ltd., have written to the Sydney (N.S.W.) Municipal Council regarding the purchase of an Elgin street-sweeping machine and an Elgin auto-gutter sweeper, Claimingisthat the patent Harrier combined sprinkler, road sweeper, apd refuse collector would carry out the, whole work satisfactorily and at a cost considerably below that of the two sweepers proposed to be purchased. The council, nevertheless, has resolved to purchase the two American sweeping machines.
Bus Company and Road Repairs.
The Willesden Urban District Council has notified the 1,,G.O. Co. that it will hold the company liable for any extra expense incurred in road maintenance as a consequence of the proposed extension of a bus service from Willesden to Neesden. The council contend that the route is unsuitable for omnibus traffic.
The bus company have replied contending that the licensing duties on its vehicle* has been substantially increased for the purpose of highway construction and reconstruction, and declining to accept-' any' further responsibility in the matter. -The company suggest that the council should make representations to the Ministry of Transport with .a view to, that authority making-a contribution towards .the cost of maintenance.