WHEELS OF INDUSTRY.
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Institute of Transport Officers.
Sir J. G: Brooclbank (Port of London Authority) has been elected president for the year conimeticing October lst.next, past-presidents who will continue to serve on the council being the Right Hon. Lord Ashfield, Sir Henry P. Maybury, and Sir Sam Fay. The new vicepresidents will be H. E. Blain, C.B.E., Sir J. E. Eaglesome, K.C.M.G., H. H. Gordon, J.P., E. S. Shaapnell-Smith, C.B.E., Sig. Herbert Walker, K.C.B., Arthur Watson, C.B.E. Mr. Phillip Burt will be the new hon. treasurer, and Sir William Joynson-Hicks, Bt., the hon. solicitor. Mr. H. E. Blain relinquishes the office of hon. secretary as from October 1st, and Mr. A. Winter Gray, who has so_ ably assisted him since the Institute was founded, has been appointed secretary in his place.
Mr. G. J, .Shave delivers a lecture on "The Design and Maintenance of Commercial Motor Vehicles" to the graduates and students of the Institute of Transport in the lecture theatre of the Institution of Electrical Engineers, Loudon, on Tuesday next, May 15th.
The International Road Congress.
The Fourth International Road Con. gress is now taking place at Seville, Spain, and will continue the whole of this week. The reports that are being presented and the papers that are being read deal with the following subjects ;— "Surfacing of Roads with Concrete" (eight papers); "Use of Bitumen and Asphalte for Surfacing" (eight papers); "Laying Tram Rails on the Various Kinds of Road Surface" (nine papers; "Progress made in Modern Mechanical Appliances Used in the Construction and Maintenance of Roads" (11 papers); "General Traffic Regulations" (10 papers); and the "Problem of Traffic on Congested Roads and Streets of Towns" (seven papers). .
Proposed Ban on Lancashire Roads.
The main roads committee of the Lancashire County Council reports that it -has been unable to come to an agreement with the Commercial Motor Users Association with regard to a list of roads that should not be used for heavy traffic in the 13-1Verstori district. It, therefore, proposes to make application to the Ministry of Transport to prohibit or restrict the driving of vehicles on the following 13 roads Cartmel Division.—Longlands Farm to High Newton, Borrow-hanks, through
Staveley to Fell Foot. .
Hasvkshead Division. — Graythwaite East Lodge, via Bassicks Hill and Cnnsey to Ferry Road at Satterhow • Roam Lane, Tottlebank, Spark Bridge, to junction of Lowick Bridge, via Brantwood, on the east side of Coniston Lake, to Waterhead, travelling in a northerly direction; Toll Bar, Haverthwaite Moss, via Roam Lane and Booth to Causeway End, via Beeches to Rusland Vicarage and Salt Park ; Ealinghearth, via Firathwaite to Stott Park.
High Furness Division.—High Cross to Tent Lodge; Dove Ford, via Foal BS Bridge to junction of main road above Bank End ; Buck Horn to Chapels.
Low Furness Divis'on.—The Flan to Newland Bottom and Newland Bridge to Newland Bottom, and Alpin Vale to Tarn Cottage; Green Lane, via Lowfteld to Bardses; North Hill, via Dendron to' Dalton boundary ; Pennington Town end, via Pennington to Beehive Inn.
, Opening a Municipal Plant.
A function of peculiar interest to all connected with municipal work took place last Thursday, when the Minister of Health, The Rt. Hon. A. Neville
Chamberlain, M.P., opened the new salvage plant of the Sits' of Westminster Et Lock Wharf, Gatliff Road, Ebnry Bridge Road, London, S.W.
The invitations to witness the proceedings were issued by the chairman of the highways committee' Captain H. F. Basset, who is well known in the motor trade as managing director of the Union Motor Car Co., Ltd.
The new salvage plant has been installed by the Coppee Co. (Great Britain), Ltd., 44, Grosvenor Place, London, S.W.1. Its interest, so far as we are concerned, is chiefly connected with the extensive use made of motor vehicles for the transport, of the refuse and for dealing with the materials after sorting.
With regard to our paragraph in the issue of Tim Commercial Motor for March 27th, having reference to Mr. H. G. Burford's period of service with Humber Ltd., we are now informed by Messrs. Humber that Mr. Burford has had nothing to do in any way with the present design of Humber Cars.
With regard to the recent appointment of a receiver for the debenture, holders at Belsize Motors, Ltd., we are given to understand that the works are now being re-organized, so as to . enable a quicker and more efficient service to be given to Belsize clients whilst sparse parts are now folly available.
Another Sahara Mission.
It is stated that an official Italian mission is to attempt to cross the Sahara on ordinary motor lorries. The organizer of the mission is Major Ignatio Florio, brother of Major Florio, to whom is doe the famous automobile contest held annually in Sicily. It will not be possible for the mission to start before November, when the vehicles are to leave Marseilles for Algiers.
The route to be followed will not be the same as that taken by the Citroen mission, as it is proposed to traverse Senegal; it will, however, be equally difficult, including long stretches of teriitory without wells up to 700 kiloins.
The expedition will -be furnished with four Fiat lorries, fitted with twin pneumatic tyres on the back wheels, It will be led by Major Ignatio Florio. It is stated that credits amounting to nearly 2,000,000 lire will .he provided, and that the first of three caravans sent to establish stocks of petrol at various points in the desert will leave next month.
Bus Queue Tickets Not Practicable.
Attention has more than once in the past been called in. Parliament to the dangerous practice of large numbers of would-he passengers attempting to board motorbuses-at some of the busy stoppingplaces, and a few days ago the Home Secretary was asked whether it would . not be possible to adopt the system which is in vogue in Pars, whereby intending passengers are given tickets which entitle them to 'board, a vehicle in rotation.
The Under-Secretary of the Home Office replied, howevert that the conditions under which omnibuses operate in London are dissimilar from those in Paris and that the ticket system would not be practicable.
Council Against a Road-closing Order.
The Middlesex County Council has recently considered a communication from the Hornsay Town Council asking it to make application to the Ministry of Transport for an order prohibiting or restricting the driving of heavy mechanical vehicles along Upper Tollington Park and Endynuon Road. It appears that complaints have been made to the town council that much damage is being done by• the heai:y traffic along these roads engaged in carrying surplus material from, the tube railway works. Contractors who have been communicated with in the matter say that they cannot make detours to avoid private houses, rair can they restrict sub-contractors to the Use of any particular road. The Middlesex County Council has, therefore, intimated to the .-Horrisey Town Council -that it is not prepared to seek the order suggested, The Royal Air Force pageant, instituted in 1020, again takes place at Hendon, on Saturday, June 30th, when it is hoped that H.M. the King, Chief of the Royal Air Force, will be present. The programme which is being arranged will be fully i equal in interest to that submitted n previous years.
Examination of Hackneys.
The Nottingham Watch Committee recently carried out its annual inspection of hackney carriages in use in the city. On account of the raunber of vehicles to be inspected, the proceedings were spread over two days, during which 113 taxicabs, 142 motorbuses, and six horsedrawn vehicles used as hackney carriages were subjected to examination.
The watch committee has of late displaced the old leather armlet worn by taxicab drivers, and has substituted a neat little badge. The badge, which is of enamel, hiaa the coat of arms of the city in the centre, with the shield in red, the word "hackney " on a red ground forming the base. In future a card of fares is to be shown in each cab, and the figures will include the 50 per cent, increase permitted by the watch committee, and which is subject to revision, Tolls for Dock Roads.
In their omnibus Bill now before Parliament the London and South-Western Railway Co. included a. clause by which it was proposed, for the first time, to estahliSh the principle of special taxaticin for the use of dock roads.. The clause was a direct challenge to the rights, of the public to free and unrestricted access to shipping at Southnmpton docks. The company -sought authority to levy a toll of a shilling per tonin cases where consolidated rates were not paid on goods conveyed in road. vehicles to or from the docks.
The Motor Legislation Committee ppos'eci the proposalon behalf of the motor interests, and the Automobile Association, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, and the.Commercial Motor Users Association, were associated in the petition that was presented to Parliament against it. Other opponents included the Associated Chambers of Commerce, the Southampton Chamber of Commerce, the Federation of Jlritish Industries, and the Chamber of Shipping.
Many conferences took place with regard to the propoisal, and negotiations with the railway eraripa,ny ensued. Arrangements-were made to oppose in Parliament at every stage.
The South Western Co. have now undertaken to withdraw the clause when the Bill reaehes committee dn the Houso of Lords.
Refuse Collecting in. South Wales.
The Ebbw Vale Council has received a report from the surveyor showing that, basing his figures' on the result of last year's experience, the cost of scavenging by motor lorry in the corn-, ing year would amount to 4s. 7d. pee ton, and to 5s. 2d. per ton if carried out by horse team labour. The saving of 7d. per ton by the motor vehicles would represent a total saving on the work of £466 13s. fid. by using lorries inStead of horses. Both methods are now employed.
The Council bas approved a recommen-, dation of the committee for the purchase of a 4-ton lorry for refuse collecting in the South Ward. Consideration will be given at a later date to the question of using only ,.motor lorries for the work.
Satisfaction from a New Service.
It may be remembered that a proposal was made some weeks ago to establish a motorbus service between Colne and Earby. Objections were raised by certain members of the Caine Town. Council in the score that remunerative operation was not possible.
Contrary to these expectations, however, the service has proved successful, _and since its inauguration at the end of January 54,761 passengers have been carried, and the-receipts have amounted tei 2623. Expenses during the period, including all charges, have amounted to £538,'so' that on three months' running the service has ilhow n a net profit of £85. An indication of the success of the service can be gained from the fact that the town council has decided to purchase an additional motorbus.
The Problem.
Hull Corporation Works Committee is considering whether it will repair an old steam wagon which fiaa been worked hard since it was purchased in 1910, or purchase a new Sentinel steam wagon at a cost of £825.