WHEELS OF INDUSTRY.
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"The wheels of wealth will be slowed by all difficulties of trartsport at whatever points arising, as a carriage is by the roughness of the roads over which it rues. "—John Beattie Crozier.
New York's Traffic Problem.
The Mayer of New York has submitted to the board of estimate arid apportionment of New York City a comprehensive municipal transportation plan. This includes the construction, acquisition and operand n of si complete municipal system, not coneeeted in any way with financing and operation by et private company.
The plan, which is to be moulded into an accepted municipal programme at the earliest possible moment, contemplates the immediate introduction and operation at municipal buses, requiring an estimated investment at 2h.,4-/00,ul-ili• The buses would serve where the street surface lines have been discontinued, and where inadequate, local transportation is provided ; also where they wouldoperate better and more economically than the surface street railway lines.
The buses, however, are to be operated as an integral part of the proposed rapid transit system. Construction of two subway trunk lines through Manhattan would be started immediately: one on the east side and one on the west side, with branches and extensions to servo the requirements of the other boroughs. This would meet the more pressing transportation needs of the city. Besides, there would be constructed a number el other extensions, cross-tawn Lines, and tunnels to serve and connect the several boroughs. The . plan contemplates also the " recapture" of most of the existing subway lines, in part financed by the city and now operated by the private companies under the rapid transit contracts.
if the plan • is carried out, the city would own arid operate all the buses and all the subways, except one line left to the Interborougli -Ranid Transit Co.
The curt of financing the plan has been estimated at $600,000,000, to cover the cost of buses and the new construction schemes. The city has already a. subway investment of about $300,000,000; so that its total investment with the completed project would be about $900,000,000.
The New York Transit Commission has been working for the establishment of a unified_ ,syetem of control, but its efforts will apparently come to nothing because the companies will net accept valuations of the properties on the basis of their present rendition and their remaining serviceability.
The .mayor's plan of an independent municipal system is said to be the only reasonable way out of the-difficult situation. It will provide new transportation facilities for the city, which, it is generally agreed, have been deemed necessary for some time past.
Satisfaction from Large • • Pneumatics.
The Valley Combing Co., of Bradford, have in use afour-ton Pae-kard Gainmercial vehicle fitted with pneumatic tyres which have given remarkably good service, doing heavy work for the past two years. The rear wheels are shod with 44 in. by 10 in. tyres, and the front ones with 38 in.by 7 in. tyres, and a set recently completed 12,000 miles. B20 Three tyres were then in usable condition, and were kept in reserve, and their performance was considered to be very satisfactory. The driver reports that he personally gains considerable advantage by the easy running of the vehi61e, on pneumatics and he is able to perform his work with much less fatigue. Many long journeys are done, a notable one being from Bradford te Lincoln and back, a distance of 180 miles, in a day.
Punctures have been sustained, but the only serious one was when a stone bottle, broken in hail, was run aver. In most other instances it has been possible to run home before the tyre settled down. The machine is fitted with an engine pump, and even when a puncture has been sustained it has been pi:ea.:Wes to
keep up the tyre by means of an occasional charge on the road. During the two years the vehicle has been in use tho driver has never been called upon to clean the jet of the carburetter, and he pays a tribute to the economy in running of the vehicle. Repairs have been prac
tically nil. The tyres at present fitted are three giant Firestones and a Goodyear.
The important article in this issue entitled " Losing the Advantages of the Lubricant" is reprinted from the columns of our contemporary, The Commercial Vehicle, which is published in Now York.
We congratulate the editors and staff of our associated journal, The Motor, upon the wonderful circulation figures attained by that journal. The circulation has been growing steadily, and naturally (for, as with all Temple Press publications, no attempt of any sort, beyond the provision of interesting, attractive and informative contents, is ever made to force circulation), and it culminated in a demand for over 90,000 copies of the report number dealing with the Motor Shows at Olympia and the
"White City. This is believed to be a world's record in motorcar journal sales.
Traffic Growth in the North.
The results of the census of road traffic taken in the North of England have presented ia the vast majority of cases . striking testimony of the extent to which manufacturers and concerns of all classes "have turned to mechani6ally propelled transport daring the past 10 or 12 years, and the figures indicate beyond all possible shadow of doubt the everlocreas-ing popularity of the newer made of locomotion in the Nerth Country.
Interesting. -figures and comparisons are provided in the summary submitted by the surveyor to the Felling Urban District Council relative te the traffic over the Sunderland and Shields roads, two very thapertant highways.
The figures taken-over the first-named road, together with the figures when the last census was taken, in 1913, are most instructive. They are as follow for the average number of vehicles per day:— 1913. 1922.
Motor vehicles ... 201 1,121 Horse-drawn vehicles 856 427 Whereas in 1913 the total -weight of motor and other mechanical 'vehicles was only 534 tons per day, it has now increased to 4,485 tons, a daily average increase of 3,951 tons. Similarly the weight of horse-drawn transport has fallen from 816 tons to' 345 tons.
On tho Shields road the averane daily number of motor vehicles is now 311, representing 1,520 tons, and the horse figures are 237, representing 186 tons.
The census taken at 20 different points in Northumberland, by the Northumberland County Council, reveals the fact that, as compared with 1912, the roads are now carrying 16 times the total weight of truffle, the-figures Blinwing an
increase of 1,590 per cent. The vast majority of the increase is stated to relate to motor omnibuses, lorries. etc., of over two tons capacity. The report was compiled by the Bridges and Roads Committee.
Bus Running Economy.
Rotherham Corporation Tramways Committee proposes to convert a rail. less bus to a rront-entrance vehicle so that it may be used for one-man operation, with the idea • of reducing the o ierating expenses on the rail-less route. the altered boa proves satiefaetory, other vehicles will he similarly conerted..
The committee also shargests that one of the large petrol buses ho old be converted to a front-entrance bus, so that it may be used for one-man operation on lightly lOadeel trips.
Tracking Down Speedy Motors.
In his quarterly report, the East Riding Chief Constable says motor traffic continues to receive special attention, more particularly as regards enforcing the 12 miles per hour speed limit of heavy motor vehicles, which are largely responsible for the damage to the roads throughout the Riding.
During the nine months from January 1st to September 30th 901 cases have been dealt with for various offences under the Motor Car At and Orders. Of this number 203 were under the. Heavy Motor Gar Order, 1904, and fines amounting to £1,725 were inflicted. Prosecutions have been ordered in 112 further cases which are still pending.
The Chief Constable states that the provision of speedometers, at a cost, of -.£90 15s., for the motorcars and cycles belonging to the police, has been amply justified, for without these speedometers it would have been impossible accurately to gauge the speed at which the motor vehicles were travelling and 'to obtain ronvictions by the aid of two police officers instead of the fear who were necessary underthe former system of taietal testing by stop-watches.
French Oil Interests in Galicia.
The following statement, giving particulars as to the Galician oil-fields in which French companies are largely interested, ha been forwarded to the Department of Overseas Trade by the Commercial Councillor at Paris.
The article, which is taken from the Information Fimancire points out that the nominal amount of French capital invested in the field reaches the considerable figure of 678 million francs and that half the total output is wader French control. The companies concerned are the following, the figures in parentitesie being the capital of each in million francs.— Credit General des Paroles (10); Societe des Paroles des DahroNva (138); Societe Financiere des Paroles (25); Societe Franco-Polonaise des Paroles (165); Societe. des Petrolea Grabownica .(4); Societe Frarmaise des Petroles Maiopolska (30); Omnium des Gas et Petroles '(6); Societe des Paroles de Polana (4); Societe des Peirolea de Sambor (14); Societe des -Petroles Premier (125); SoCiete des Potrolee de Zagorz (4); Societe Francaise de Silva Plana (68). The writer is confident in the future-ofthe field in spite of the undeniable fall in output, which amounted to ,2,086,000 tons in 1909, 1,087,000 tons in 1910, 875,000 tons in 1919, Dnd 513,000 tons in 1921. He remarks that the field suffered great damage during the war, that some pits were sequestered by the Polish Government on the conclusion of peace_, and that new pits must be sunk, which have to be carried to a great depth.
Traffic Diversion.
Glasgow Cornoratiort suggests the diversion of light vehicular traffic into tho harbour tunnel so as to give greater facilities for heavy vehicular traffic via the ferry.
Nottingham Bus Proposals.
Nottingham Corporation proposes to run a service of motor omnibuses on the Beeston and Chilwell route under powers obtained in 1920 under an Act which empowers the county authority to impose mileage charges in respect of county roads affected.
No Lower Speeds,
Asked by the Hornsea, Urban District Council to seek an order limiting the speed of heavy motors passing through the district, the Highways Committee of the East Riding County Council refuses to ale so on the ground that the speeds, now in force are eatisfactory.
A Paper on Standardization.
A general meeting of the Institution of Production Engineers will be held on Friday, November 24th; at the Engineers' Club, Coventry Street, W. 1, at 7,30 p.m. On this occasion Mr. G.
Hey, member of council, managing director of Jigs, Ltd., of 132 Long Acre, WO., will deliver a paper dealing with " Standardization."
Lincolnshire Roads.
.It will occasion satisfaction amongpassenger-vehicle proprietors, as well as the travelling public, to learn that, despite the constant scare which has been raised as to the exPancling volume of coat, the Holland County Council, at its recent meeting at Spalding,. decided to reconstruct 71 miles of the Boston-Slutford road in tar macadam, at an estimated cost of £27,125. Thereis,probably no part of the Fen teiritory in which the traffic, particularly during the summer months, is heavier, these highways affording some of the main avenues of access to and front the;coasta The improvement, which has been long needed, cannot fail, therefore, to result in a large measure of public advantage. The season of excursions, which has row ended, has afforded evidence of abundant enterprise upon the part of the leading motor coach proprietors, whose operations radiate from many Midland centres to Skegness, Sntton-on-Sea, and Mablethorpe, and, whilst remunerative results have continued to accrue from the trips into Derbyshire(and the sylvan. territory of North Notts., which form perennial features of the programmes, it is from the Lincolnshire traffic that the more substantial results have unquestionably been reaped:
HeavyNotors andWater Mains.
The Public Control Committee of the L.C.C. reports that a complaint was brought to its notice that road vehicles of excessive weight, chiefly mechanically driven vehicles, caused damage to water mains, and the suggestion was made that serious consequences might ensue in the event of a fire occurring!simultaneously with, and in the same district as, the bursting of a water main. The committee invited the observations of the Metropolitan Water Board on the matter, and in reply the board stated that the increasing weight of vehicles using the public thoroughfares had caused, and was .still causing, considerable inconvenience and expense in respect of repairs to and renewal of water mains. The board added that its ,present practiceds to lay all mains -with 3 ft. of cover, but that there are long lengths of main of varying diameters still in the roads with much less cover than 3 ft., which are either renewed or lowered as opportunity offers, The colmoitteo hos decided to take no action.
Defeating the Railway.
Where a sufficiently large.load can be secured the six-wheeler presents several advantages in the case of economical long-distance traffic, in support of which fact we would refer our readers to one of the illustrations on this page. The Scammell six-wheeler shown in the picture has a load of yarn which has been spun in the Bradford district and is on its way to Leicester, nearly 100 miles away. The load weighs nearly 10 tons, and yet this big bulk can he transferred this great distance with approximately the same labour cost as a small load, and, what is of equal importance, with only one hantfring at each end, as mu pared with two, intermediate handlings by railways.
There is a regular flow of traffic between the West Riding and the hosiery district of Leicester, and generally the vehicles make the journey out on one day and return the next. So important has road traffic become in connection with the textile trade that the railways now employ men to cheek the empties consigned to the various factories, and they charge full rates for ekips (containers-for yarn and weft on bobbins) and beams (rollers to hold warns) if they have not been sent 'by rail in the first instance. Doubtless this.means increased revenue for the railways, but manufacturers resent, such actions, and they are accordingly adopting road transport because of the added convenience.
A New Welsh Bridge.
The Penybont (Glam.) Rural District Council recently received a deputation from the Ogruore and Garry Council suggesting a joint scheme for the reconstruction of the Abergarw bridge. Several members stated that the present bridge was totally inadequate to toe needs ot modern road traffic, and was a danger to motor vehicles.
The surveyor pointed out that the Ministry of Transport was prepared to bear a portion of the cost, estimated to amount to £3.000, providing a joint scheme was immediately put into force for building a new bridge. The council decided to co-operate with the adjoining local authority in the work.
Electric Omnibuses.,
Allnery Council, New South Wales, is considering a proposal for a service of electric buses similar to those which have proved successful in New Ply mouth, New Zealand. The buses would be worked be batteries charged from the high-tension wires of the municipal electricity undertaking at night, when the load is off.
Ideas in Taxation.
At a conferenceof the Shire authorities of New South Wales a proposal that every individual in New South Wales should be taxed £1 for main reads was defeated. The conference agreed that councils should be able to regulate the weight of the load that can be carried upon any road and also favoured a Width of Tyres Bill.
A proposal in favour of a wheel tax was defeated, despite a quoted " horrible example " of a man carrying 310 bags of wheat with a. 'bullock team four abreast, which took three days to go eight miles and did about £310 worth of damage to the road.
More Plymouth Services.
Plymouth Corporation Tramways Committee has decided to seek power to inaugurate new motorbns services to Tavistock, Yealmpton, Compton, etc.
A Spot Welding Machine.
We have recently received particulars of the spot welding machine manufactured by the M.P. Electric Welding Machine Co., 28, Hatton Garden, London, E.C. 1.
Electric spot welding is a machine process of joining together two or more pieces of metal by the simple operation of depressing a pedal. No special preparation of the pieces is required beyond seeing that they are fairly clean and free from scale, whilst no added metal and no flux are necessary. The process is adaptable to metai of any thickness, from the thinnest gauges up to about half an inch added thickness, and welds can satisfactorily be made in iron, steel, brass, copper, zinc, and other metals and
The principle of working employed is that Of causing a very heavy current at a low voltage to pass directly through the pieces to be welded at a single spot, the metal being raised to heating point for welding by virtue of the resistance offered to the flow of current by the imperfect contact between the surfaces. The current is applied by means of two pointed copper rods, which are brought into contact with the work by depressing the aforementioned pedal, the same movement actuating a: switch and causing the current to flow through the pieces at the spot where the contact is made.
Spot welding can be done at a fraction of the cost of riveting, and the welded joint is stronger than the riveted.
Interesting Traffic Statistics.
Durham County Engineer gives statistics of trafficon the Great North Road between Durham and Gateshead, taken over a period of years, to which he has added the result of the last census which has just been completed. Between 1914 and 1920 there was a total increase of 100 per cent., between 1920 and 1921 the traffic remained practically stationary, due -no doubt to the coal stoppage and trade slump. During the past 12 months however, it has again greatly increltsed and is 50 per cent. above that of last year. The percentages of the different classes of traffic remain practically about the same, but it should be noted that "all other traffic," which includes horsedrawn traffic, ordinary cycles, cattle, etc., is only 3.8 per cent. of whole. It is instructive to note, in relation to the pre-sent cost of road maintenance, that the total of traffic in 1922 is, in weight, six times that of .1912. The statistics on this 'road may he taken as typical.
Below' will be seen a summary contrasting motorbus traffic, heavy motor traffic, motorcar and motorcycle traffic and the total of all other traffic, in weight per yard, width of road, and as a percentage of the whole.
Improved Midland Roads.
In few parts of the Midlands, are the demands for improved roads in the interests of users of commercial motors,. more exigent than in Lincolnshire. Hitherto efficiency in such matters has been largely impaired in the county by the undue proportion of highways which are classified as district, roads, and the Lindsey Council has now taken the enterprising step of adopting a scheme, which is estimated to cost 2135,000, whereby 184 miles of important district avenues of traffic are now to he classi • fled as main highways, entailing, with regard to more than a third of these, the necessity for complete resurfacing. Towards the ontlay the Ministry of Transport is expected to contribute 267,500.
Apart from much-needed improvement of highways, work incidental thereto in relation to the rebuilding of .canal and other bridges is urgently required in Lincolnshire, as in many other areas, and it is satisfactory also to learn that this aspect of the matter, with the promised assistance of the Ministry, to the extent of 50 per cent., is not being neglected by the Lindsey anthority.
Motor Taxis in Florence.
A new service of motor taxicabs has been launched in Florence, the entrepreneurs being veterans of the late war. Cider the title of the Associazione Reduc.i di Guerra, the company have placed 35 motor taxicabs on the streets, all being of Italian manufacture, of tho landaulet type, and' propelled by fourcylinder monobloc ,20 h.p., engines. Fifteen additional cabs are now under construction and are expected to be placed in service very shortly. The authorized tariff is 1.50 lire (nominally Ls. 3d.) for 300 metres, or nine minutes' wait.
Satisfaction from N.A.P. Tyres.
We reproduce on this page an illustration which shows part of a fleet of Napier and W.G. vans in the service of Oliver Dringt Ltd.; Which are shod with N.A.P. cushion tyres. This company are the well-known and old-established Cambridge sausage manufacturers, and they have used N.A.P. tyres on their eommercial vehicles for the past five
years. As users of this type of tyro equipment over a period of years, their opinion that they are unequalled cannot be treated lightly. The mileages which the company have obtained from N.A.P. tyres range from 20,000 upwards.
We understand that considerable progress has recently been made in the production of N.A.P. tyres, under a new patent of the company dealing with the N.A.P. press-on type tyre, and interesting developments in connection with the tyring of the heavier types of vehicles are to be anticipated shortly. The works of the N.A.P. Pneumatic Tube Tyre Syndicate, Ltd., are situated in Stonlionse Street, Clapham, London, S.W.
Pump Fees Increasing.
Durham County' Council suggests. increasing from El to 22 the annual acknowledgment fee in respect of petrol pumps.
Buses in Manchester.
Manchester Corporation Licensing Committee has refused an application from the .British Automobile Traction Co., Ltd., for permission to run motorbuses on certain routes in South Mancheste r.
Suspended in Anticipation.
East Riding County Council has declined to seek the closure of a yarrow road in Lelley to motorbus traffic as the bus service has now been discontinued along the road, which in parts is only 10 it. 9 ins. wide..
Buses for Hull.
Hull Corporation Tramways Committee has decided to purchase three Bristol chassis at 2892 'each, and three bodies from the English Electric Co. at £435 each, for the Hedon Road bus Service.
Transport Economy.
An economy committee of the Hull Corporation recommends that transport and conveyance of members of the corporation, officials, etc., in and about the city be placed in the hands of one official. The amount at present paid for this work is nearly 23,000 per annum, and it is recommended that the tramway manager be appointed to this post, and that a.-11 conveyances required shall be obtained through him. The committee is of opinion that the above amount can be reduced by 2500.
Local Proceedings.
Solihull District Council is to purchase a motor cesspool-emptier at a, cost of 21,500.
Sheffield CorpOrat.lon is recommended to purchase three Leyland chassis at . 2875 each.
Manchester Corporation propeses the purchase of a. new motor ambulance at a cost of 2850.
The Carmarthen Town Council has under eonsideration the purchase of a motor fire-engine.
Barnstaple Rural District. Council is to consider the advisability of purchasing a motor fire-engine.
Durham County Council proposes the purchase of an 8-ton petrol locomotive at a cost. of 21,070.
Plymouth Corporation Tramways Committee has empowered the manager to purchase an additional tower wagon.
Newcastle City Council has obtained permission to raise a loan of 210,500 for the purchase of more mechanically propelled vehicles.
Glasgow Corporation has received tenders for the supply of a motor vehicle required fat removing refuse from the slaughter. house.
The Watch Committee of the Neath Town Co II cil recommends that the Chief Constable should submit a report on the cost. of a Motor fire-engine.
It is proposed to purchase a 15-cwt. Guy chassis for the gas department of the Rotherham Corporation and to get a suitable body built by thetramways department.
Rotherham Corporation Tramways Committee recommends the purchase of a 25-cwt. Guy chassis from Guy Motors, Ltd., at 2430, and the supply of an ambulance body by Fleetwood Motors, Ltd., at 2250.
At its last meeting the Swansea Rural District Council considered a letter from the Swansea District Colliers' Rescue Association stating that a mines rescue station was about to be built at Loughor, and suggesting that the council should meet it in the provision of a fire-engine. The council decided to seek the, cooperation of parish councils with a view. to the purchase Of an engine.
A Hove Petrol Store.
At a meeting of the Hove Watch Committee the inspector submitted an application from the Anglo-American Oil Co., Ltd., for a licence to keep 250,000 gallons of petroleum at their store at Aldrington Basin.
At the annual renewal of licences the company applied for permission to increase the quantity stored from 170,000 gallons to 250,000 gallons, when a temporary licence for 1'10,000 gallons was granted for three months to enable the company to give effect to certain'alterations and additions which the inspector required to be carried out, and this lieence was further extended for a period of two months to enable the company to complete their arrangements.
The inspector now reported that these arrangements had been carried out to his satisfaction and recommended the licence being granted for the increased quantity. The committee agreed.
Cumberland County Council has forwarded a letter to the Ministry of Transport requesting that the question of increasing the taxation on heavy motor vehicles in proportion to the increased cost of road maintenance should receive urgent consideration by the Government.
Motorbuses in China.
A report received by the Department of ,Commerce from the American Commercial Attaché at, Shanghai says that a motorbus service has been inaugurated in the international settlement of that city, carrying passengers from the lower part of the town to Jessfield, a distance of five miles, for a fare of .30 dollars silver.
A motorbus service between Changsha and Siangtan has been started by a French company with head offices in Hankaw. The company has 24 buses.
Six German Benz buses have been bought for a Foochow motorbus service.