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News from Central Europe.

7th May 1914, Page 17
7th May 1914
Page 17
Page 17, 7th May 1914 — News from Central Europe.
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Austria and Saxony Establish Many State Motor Lines. Petrol Used for Engines driving Lighting Dynamos Does Not Qualify for Rebate in Germany.

Germany's Fire Engine Trade.

German firms making a speciality of automobiles for fire-extinguishing purposes are busy, most municipalities having begun to motorize their fire-brigade vehicles or announced their intention of motorizing them. The N.A.G. alone has executed orders for no fewer than 22 German cities and parishes.

Austrian Motor Postal Lines.

Austria continues to expand her network of motor postal lines, for which there exists an undeniable urgency, Austria's railroad system being far from coincident with the needs of traffic in most parts of the country. Quite a large number of automobiles for working these State and semi-State lines have come from the Austrian Daimler Gesellschaft, and we include on page 24b a photograph of a Daimler automobile and trailer, snapped on a picturesque mountain road. The chassis is the firm's 3-ton type, with gear drive, the engine develops 45 h.p. These motors can take a full load up a 20-percent. gradient. In view of the hilly nature of many of the roads to be negotiated, the motor vehicle has three sets of brakes.

Berlin Cab Company's Success.

The Berlin Automobil-Betriebs Gese Ischaft, owning petrol and electric cabs, recently issued its balance-sheet for 1913. The threetors declared a dividend of 7, per cent on an entire share capital. of £226,000, net profits amounting to some 217,800. The preceding twelvemonth's working also gave a dividend of 7 per cent., hol, only on two-thirds of the capital. The company's rolling wtock is valued at about £20,000, with allowance for depreciation and renewals. Behind the Betriebs Gesellschaft is the N.A.G., and behind this the allpowerful Allgemeine ElektrizitatsGesellschaft. The directors anticipate better results still during the present twelvemonth, although the taxi driven/ strike, which is spreading, may upset Own. calculations.

State Motor Lines in Saxony.

The Saxon Government includes in its new Budget the sum of 190,000 for the creation of 19 new State motorbus lines, and the taking over of two private lines. As to the new lines, the realization will depend on the satisfactory issue of negotiations with the interested parishes. An existing State passenger line is also to be extended and opened for goods transport. The amount in question will enable the Government to increase the working length of its lines from 200 to 700 kiloms.

British Machines in Odessa.

From Odessa we learn that there are at present in that city seven Humber taxicabs and five Cominercars, out of a total of 19 British-built motor vehicles of all kinds. The balance, however, is made up of pleasure ears. Of motor vehicles produced in other countries, but which are to be found in Odessa, there are 107 German, 83 French and 81 American. The reason for the smallness of the British contingent is stated to be piincipally that British manufacturers require payment, for ears on shipment from an English port, or even in some cases before the car is built, whereas the German, French and American manufacturers give credit, and this is the only way in which business can be done on any scale in Russia. The lengtli of time necessary for delivery is also against English production as compared with its three principal rivals in that country.

No Petrol Rebate for Cab-lighting Sets in Germany.

As in England, the German fiscal mind works unceasingly to expand taxation by pedantic readings of Finance Acts. The latest effort of the Revenue Department here in this direction is to declare that motorcab owners who use the engine to drive a dynamo for supplying current for outside and inside cab lamps are not entitled to receive duty-free light mineral oils. In the case before us, the fiscal mind relies on the proviso : "Should the motor be used wholly or partly for the generation of light." On the other hand, the petrol engine generates light concurrently with propulsive power, practically no more petrol being required to drive the cab than to turn the dynamo and propel the vehicle at the same time. The Act was certainly never meant to apply to a case of the kind. Presumably, zealous and pushful Revenue officials get premiums for discovering new ways and means of "tapping" the wretched German taxpayer.

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Locations: Odessa

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