The Wheels of Industry.
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"The wheel of wealth will be slowed by ail difficulties of transport at whatever points arising, as a carriage is by the roughness of the roads over which it runs."—John I3eattie Crozier, Proceedings of Local Authorities.
The Consett U.D.C. has resolved to purchase a self-propelled refuseremoval wagon.
Sheffield Corporation is about to spend 235,000 on additional tramcars—not on additional tram-track extensions, Sheffield Town Council has resolved to buy its annual supply of motor spirit from Meade-King, Robinson and Co., of Liverpool.
The Bournemouth T.O. has applied for L.G.B. sanction to a loan for the purchase of a motor fireengine and a motor escape-carrier.
The Health Committee of the Accrington T.C. has decided to spend 21000 on a petrol motor wagon, inclusive of special equipment.
Brighton Corporation has appointed the Chairman of its Works Committee and the Borough Surveyor to investigate k. the working of motor-sweepers. The Tyne Improvement Commission has approved the construction of new landing stages for a new motor-ferry service between St. Anthony's and Bill Quay. The Cleansing Committee of the Burnley Corporation recently took delivery of its new Leyland motor tipping-wagon, supplied through Mr. Oswald Tillotson, of Burnley. The Bedwas and Machen has decided to make application to Parliament, by the promotion of a Bill in the ensuing session, to enable it to run a service of motor omnibuses in the district.
Stockton R.D.C. has received conditional approval from the Ministry of Munitions for the delivery of a steam wagon, subject to an undertaking to sell the wagon to the Government at any time if required.
The Durham County Council has decided to ask from id. to lid. per motorbus-mile, according to size of the motorbus, for the right to run on new routes. We hope that no local users will agree to such exorbitant terms.
The Derbyshire County Council has decided that it will accept payment, at the rate did. per motorbus-mile, from the Chesterfield Corporation, on account only, and subject to the right to make a claim for the full increased cost of maintenance, if any later.
The Blackpool Corporation will promote a Bill in the next session of Parliament to obtain powers to establish a motorbus system, in conjunction with the Corporation tramways, embracing services to Poulton-le-Fylde and Hardhorn, Marton Moss, Blowing Sands and other districts.
n30 Gazette.
Mr. Sidney Louis Edells, of 158, Bishopsgate, EC., has been. appointed liquidator in the voluntary liquidation of the Thames Haulage and Motor Co., Ltd.
At an extraordinary general meeting of the Transport Motor Construction Co., Ltd., recently held, a resolution was passed that the company be wound up voluntarily, and that Mr. Charles J. March, Chartered 'Accountant, 23, Queen Victoria Street, E.G., be appointed liquidator.
Recent Registrations.
J. T. Wybrow and Sons, Ltd. (25000), to take over the business now carried on at 114a, Loughborough Park, S.W., including that of a motor garage.
Stratford Motor Transport Co., Ltd. (22000), with its registered office at 1, Church Court, Old Jewry, E.G. to carry on the business indicated by the title.
Ahster Kirk and Co., Ltd. (210,000), with its registered office at 22-28, Dunbar Street, Belfast, to take over the business and assets of Messrs. Mister Kirk and Co., motor engineers and salesmen, of that address.
S.Y.S. Engineering Co., Ltd. (21200), with its registered office at 18, Park Royal Road, Leeds, to carry on the business of manufacturing component parts, machinery, implements, aircraft and munitions of war, etc. The first subscribers are A. Yewdall, A. Smith and Major Sheldon.
Traction Development, Ltd. (230,000), with its registered office at Hampden House, Kingsway, W.C., to carry on the business of manufacturing locomotives, traction engines, motorcars, aircraft, and all heavier-than-air flying machines, and fittings for same, and to adopt an agreement with R. F. Macfie and Macfie and Co., Ltd.
Standard Valves, Ltd. (25,000), to take over the business of manufacturing and dealing in. valves for aeroplanes and motorcars, now carried on at the Standard Works, Balmoral Road, Northampton, which is the address of the regis. tered office.
B. K. Vickers (Leeds) Engineering Co., Ltd. (25000), with its registered office at Gascoigne Street, Boar Lane, Leeds, to take over the engineering department of the business carried on in Leeds by B. R. Vickers and Sons, Ltd., and to carry on the manufacture, repairing, refining, importing, exporting and dealing in. metals, engines, boilers, turbines, motors, shafts, propellers, lubricators, etc.
Dennis Bros. (1913), Ltd.
A final dividend of 5 per cent, has been announced by the directors of Dennis Bros. (1913), Ltd., bringing the total distribution for the last financial year up to 15 per cent., less tax.
R A.S.E.
There have been some rumours of late, that there might be no•R.A.S.E. Show at Cardiff next
June, and in any event no Implement Section at such Show. The proceedings at the council meeting of the R.A.S.E. on the 8th inst. indicated that these reports are inaccurate. The Show will be held, and there will also be a demonstration of agrimotors, at the specific request of the Board of Agriculture, and with the approval of the Ministry of Munitions. The demonstration will not be in the nature of a competitive trial. The exact nature of the restrictions upon th( exhibits have not yet been agree( between the Society and the Minis try of Munitions.
Drake and Gorham, Ltd.
M. B. M. Drake, M.I.E.E., Chairman of the company, presided at the 15th annual general meeting of Drake and Gorham, Ltd., at the company's head offices, 68_, Victoria Street, Westminster, S.W., on the 9th inst. The report showed a net profit of 28527, compared with 23817 for the previous twelvemonth. Mr. Drake drew attention to a considerable number of new contracts which the company had secured in general electrical engineering and equipment work, and to the increased sales of batterypropelled vehicles for commercial haulage ; vehicles had already been supplied to Chester Corporation, Manchester Corporation Broughton Copper Co., Ford ifotor Co., Bruruier Mond and Co., etc. 44 B.P." Spirit.
Mr. Pretyrean, replying to questions in the House of Commons On the 9th inst., stated that the whole of the capital of the British Petroleum Co., Ltd. was held by or on behalf of a German company, and is now vested in the Public Trustee. Russian, French and Belgian interests claimed to be entitled to 494 per cent, of the capital of the German company. The question of how best to deal with the shares in the national interest was under consideration.
We understand that the company was given permission to import petrol quite recently. The company claims that it will—one day in the future—really be British.
Manufacture by Licence.
Several correspondents have asked us whether ordinary repairs
can be undertaken, having regard to the New Order under the Defence of the Realm Act, which was issued on the 7th inst., whilst others have written to point out that there is nothing in the Order to prevent repairs being, done. It is quite clear that the Order, which was in the "London Gazette" of the 3rd inst., does not interfere with the carrying-on of repairs. Mr. W. F. French, Chairman of French's Garage and Motor Works. Ltd., of 314, Balham High Road, Balham, S.W., in particular received a letter from Sir Albert H. Stanley, Director-General of Mechanical Transport, stating that "The notice by the Minister of Munitions, dated the 3rd November, is not intended to interfere with the repair or maintenance of motorcars or motor vehicles completed before the date when the said notice becomes operative (15th November)." Two Taxicab Cases.
A driver named William Legg, of London, was tined 20s. at the Marylebone Police Court, on the 7th inst., for refusing to drive a "fare" from Edgware Road to Holland Park, on the 26th ult.
At. the York County Court, on the 70 inst., a farmer named W. H. Shields sued a taxicab proprietor named Herbert J. Marshman, of York, for 230, for the value of a horse which had to be destroyed after collision with the defendant's taxicab. The horse got out of a field on to the high road, and the taxicab wa,s'airiven into it by the defendant. The plaintiff relied in part upon a recent decision of the High Court, in the case of Heath's Garage, Ltd., v. Hodges, that there was no obligation to fence the highway, but his Honour held that there was no proof of negligence on the part of the defendant, and gave judgment in his favour. Major E. J. Burt, representing John Mowlem and Co., Ltd., and Mr. N. E. Wentworth, representative of Hay's Wharf Cartage Co., Ltd., have recently been co-opted members of the General Committee of the O.M.I..T.A.
Brarnco, Ltd., 1, Ellys Road, Coventry, draws our attention to the fact that possible impending litigation in regard to units for converting Ford cars into commercial vehicles can have no reference
to the Olson converting unit, for which the company is agent.
Gold Medals from Sir C. C. Wakefield.
Sir Charles Cheers Wakefield, a few days before completing his year of office as Lord Mayor of London, handed over to General Headquarters of Home Forces, at the Horse Guards, S.W., some 350 gold medals for distribution to officers and men who shared the responsibility for bringing down Zeppelin " LI5 " at the end of March last, in the Thames Estuary.
This was the only course for Sir C. C. Wakefield, with official approval, to adopt in discharge of his promise to give £500 to the first person or persons who brought down a Zeppelin in Great Britain.
"The Motor" Anniversary Number.
There is now on sale, price Id., dated the 14th inst., .which date coincides exactly with the cominginto-force of the 1896 Motor Car Act, the Anniversary Emancipation Number of our sister journal The Motor."
Birmingham's Motorbus Guide.
The most-complete guide to any congeries of motorbus services outside the Metropolitan area is undoubtedly that which is issued in respect of Birmingham and distriet. The guide is published by the Tram Guides Co.? 147, Corporation Street, Birmingham, and contains particulars of no fewer than 54 local serviees, for which the Birmingham and Midland Motor Omnibus Co., Ltd., is responsible.
Garner Lorries.
Recent sales of Garner lorries have been as follows :— Two 2tonners, to Messrs. J. Chilton and Co., Birmingham ; one 2-tonner (repeat order), to Laurie and McConnell, Ltd., Cambridge ; one 2-ton and one 3-ton vehicle, to Messrs. Hendy and Co._, Southampton; one 25-cwt. and one 2-ton vehicle, to the Central Garage, Ltd. Bradford ; One 3-ton vehicle, to Mr. A. H. Jones, Canal Wharf Mills, Market Drayton ; one 6-ton vehicle, to the Ancholme Steam Packet Co., of Brigg, Lincs.
Motor Manufacture Restricted.
The following is the text of the Order to -which we refer on the first page of this issue :—" The Minister of Munitions gives notice that he prohibits until further notice any person, firm, or company engaged in the manufacture or repair of any vehicle designed for mechanical transport or traction, or any part of such vehicle, from carrying out in any factory, workshop, or other premises, without a permit issued under the authority of the Admiralty, the Army Council, or the Minister of Munitions, any work consisting in the manufacture, assembling, or erection of any new or unused motor internal-combustion engine, designed or adapted for mechanical traction, or of any new or unused motorcycle, motor chassis, motor wagon, or of any tractor or other motor vehicles of any kind propelled by mechanical means.
"This, however, is subject to the following exception : Work required to complete contracts placed by the Admiralty, the War Office, the Minister of Munitions, or an Allied Government, on or before the date of this Order." [3rd Nov.— ED.)
heffield Corporation Surveyor's Department.
Ur. W. J. Hadfield, the City Sureyor of Sheffield, appears to be as een on the use of motors in conection with the highways departlent of the Sheffield Corporation B is Mr. A. R. Fearnley in connecion with the tramways departlent. Mr. Hadfield's report, for bie year ended the 25th March 44, contains an interesting 'refernee to the use of heavy motor vehiles, and to the economies which ave followed their more-general doption in. the City of Sheffield, like by the Corporation and by nportant manufacturing works nel companies in and around the utlery city. As regards road mainenance, we note that Mr. Hadeld makes a point of giving a 'stitch in time," thus saving abormal expenditure due to late reairing, or to the extension of "potoles " or other flaws in the crust [rider traffic.
The cost per mile of highway laintenance in Sheffield has only ieen L111 during the year 1915-16, =pared with more than double bat rate in normal times, so it is O be hoped that the need far deerred work will not prove in the nd to lead to undue expenditure .fter the war, and towards the ✓ oidance of that undesirable retilt Mr. Hadfield and his Comaittee appear to be taking all posible precautions. The substitution if tar macadam for waterbound aacadam continues to progress, vitb the usual satisfactory results. As to motor-sweepers, Mr. Hadield reports that Sheffield's first narchine of this type had covered 2,200 miles, at the 24th March last, nd the second machine 4495 miles. Iorse machines have been reduced, oy the use of these two motorweepers, from 19 vehicles to 4 .ehicies.
The Surveyor's 1/apartment is 61so responsible for the maintenknee of the tramway track, the ombined cost of repairs and retewals to which has worked out luring the year 1915-16 at 0.705d. )er car mile, or, expressed as cost aer mile of single track at 2316 3s. ad. Mr. Hadfield finds that ksphaltic road surfacing is much nore economical than wood paving )r granite, and contemplates a nore-general adoption of this matrial for certain of the Sheffield ,horoughfares. He is concerned vith 60 miles of tar macadam roads ind 191 miles of waterbound macWarn roads, other classes of road aaving being: gianite, 67.00 miles ; vhinstone, 2.02 miles ; freestone, r6.53 miles ; wood paving 13.23 niles ; combined wood and granite, ).17 mile ; boulders, 12.33 miles ; Irainway routes—wood centre and riacadam Bides, 4.91 miles, and ;ranite centre with macadam sides. L66 miles. Mr. W. A. Tritton.
The Right Hon. E. S. Montagu, the Minister of Munitions, has communicated his thanks to Mr. W. A. Tritton in. writing, for the very notable share which he took in the production of the "tanks," for his being mainly responsible, with the assistance of Major W. G. Wilson, and for working out the mechanical design. The congratulations refer to the great success which was made possible by Mr. Tritton's whole-hearted assistance and expert knowledge and advice. Mr. Montagu has at the same time asked Mr. Tritton to convey his warmest appreciation of the efforts of all the men who were concerned in thy manufacture.