The Wheels of Industry.
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" The wheel of wealth will be slowed by all difficulties of transport at whatever points arising, as a cari lagis by the roughness of the roads over which it runs, "—John Beattie Crozier, Approved Depots.
The next article in our series dealing with "Approved Depots" will not appear until after Whitsuntide.
Trade Cards.
We have beef closely informed, by not a few friends in the industry of the difficulties through which they have been passing at their works during the past week or more. Having regard to the sufficient publicity .concerning these difficulties in the daily Press, and to the impossibility. of serving any useful purpose by going into detail, we refrain from comment.
Petrol for Private-hire Cars.'
On and after Sunday last., the 13th inst., the use of motor spirit for the purpose of any motorcar let for hire, except where the letting of the car is for certain specified purposes, or is authorized for some special „purpose by the Board of Trade; is prohibited under a new Defence of the Realm Regulation. This regulation does not apply to any motorcab or motor omnibus plying for hire in any street, or any public place, or any railway station. The Board of Trade will settle any dispute as to classification. We perceive that the new regulation is not directed against genuine hackney-carriage. services and ' facilities but against the continuance of the purely private use of motorcars which are let under long jobbing contracts.
, Men Over 41.
In the House of 'Commons on the -711inst., Mr. Rutherford asked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether the advertisements for motor drivers, category A, B, or C, up to forty-five years of age, are official advertisements of. his Department as appearing in the daily papers ; whether the .men over forty-one who join in consequence of these advertisements, but fail at certain tests, are forthwith drafted into AIM infantry, the pay being 1s. 2d. against 2s. 4d. ; and, if so, whether he will say why this method of recruiting men over forty-one has been adopted? Mr. MacPherson : An over-age man accepted for the Mechanical Transport who fails in his test is sent to the Mechanical Transport 'School for training, and it not transferred. to the infantry. If my hon, friend has some instance to the contrary in. minds I should be obliged if he will give me detail. It is, now officially notified that men can volunteer for all branches of the Army in two groups, A ccordin to age : '41 to 45 1 46 to 60.
LS-3 Coal-gas Makes 'Headway for Propulsion on Common R aads.
We again seriously invite our supporters not to sneer at the claims of coal-gas for use as a fuel for their vehicles which are fitted with internal-combustion engines. It may in some respects be inconvenient and troublesome to refill a flexible gas-holder every 10 or 16 miles, but that practice is, we sub-. init, infinitely preferable to laying up their commercial motors. The economy gained by the use of gas is a justification for its use. ,
We have stoutly' 'advocated the claims of coal-gas •since July. last, and we believe that users of commercial motors Are at last generally awakening to its immediate intportance to their( . They have been able to carry on with restricted petrol supplies, and they have hesitated to equip themselves to use coal-gas by reason of their not liking the flexible holders, and not being able to obtain priority certificates for the supply of steel containers. There must, none the less, be many hundreds of readers of this journal who will have to adapt themselves hurriedly to circumstances.
Anglo-American Tractors.
The manufacturing scheme of the Ministry of Munitions, in respect of Fordtractors, following the negotiations with Mr. Henry Ford, has now taken definite shape.. The scheme covers production in British factories extending to a preliminary order for . 10,000 .` M.O.M." agricultural tractors. The word " Ford " is thus, by common consent, not to be. retained, although nobody wishes 'to' deprive that maker of the credit of helping as he has done the solution of the food-production problem in the United Kingdom. .As specimen "M;O.M." agrimotor, .with -working drawings, is now available for inspection at the Agricultural Machinery Branch, Ministry of Munitions, 8, Northumberland Avenue, W. C. 2, to which department. any communications on the subject should be addressed. There are now two agrimotor sub-branches at the Agricultural Machinery Branch of the Ministry.: one is called the Tractor Machinery Branch ; the other is called the Ordinary 'Agricultural Machinery. Branch. • Mr. S. F. Edge is Controller of the whole branch in its
entirety. . •.
. We congratulate . all parties to the settlement upon the thoroughness with which they have worked to secure it, and we are hopeful of quick results. Recent Registrations.
J. Rawson and Sons, Ltd (k3500), with its registered office at 24, man Street,E.C. to mahufacture and deal in motor vehicles, lubri4 cants, enamels, etc.
John Chorley. . and Son Ltd. (g1300)., with its registered office at .53, Conybere Street, -Birmingham, to carry' 'on an engineering and. brass-founding business. .
Wifliarri Marshall ard Son (Blackpool), Ltd. -(E1500), with its registered office at South Shore Garage, Promenade,' Blackpool; to carry on a motorear and char-a-bapcs busi-• nesS.
.Rivera .Engineering Co., Lid. (E5000); with its registered &lee at Cremorne Wharf, Lots Road, Chelsea, S.W.; to acquiire a inechanical; electrical and ,engineering business' at the address given.
Raynal Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (21,000), with its registered okiee at 124, Pritchett Street, Birmingham, to manufacture and deal in motorcar and motorcycle accessories • and parts, frames, etc.
L.G.O.C. Employees.
The L.G.O.C. is negotiating direct with its employees in respect of an increase of wages, and not through a certain trade's unien to which numbers of its employees belong, owing to the fact that the union in question has not observed Class 3 of an agreement'dated the 22nd. September, 1913, and a minute dated the 6th January, 1917. The present petrol shortage entitles the company; under the existing agreements,, to withdraw.: the minimum Weekly wage, the minimum daily wage, etc., but the ectinpany has not done so, and is 'paying out /natty thousands of ssotinds in excess of its obligations. • •
We are well satisfied that :sn amicable arrangement will bereached between the L.G.0,0. and its employees, on direct negotiation, or by arbitration. We have reasons for believing that a new union of ,inotorhus employees will be formed ; their interests should -not. be made the sport of taxi' drivers.
A strike was ordered early on Sunday morning laSt, with the re-. stilt' that nearly 80. per cent, of the Service's were net -run on Sunday..
There was also consideralole: shortage On Monday. The officials of the London companies are hope: ful,.-as we. go to press,that' they will aditistall matters of difficulty, and quicklySre-establish. a satisfactory service. so as to meet, within the limits of the -petrol supply, all public demands by Saturday. Proceedings of Local Authorities.
The Derby T.C. proposes to purchase an Edison electric motorbus for local service, for the sum of 2325.
The Finance Committee of the Aldershot U.D.C. has been asked to report on the advisability of purchasing a motor fire-engine.
The purchase of a motor lorry for the Parks Department of the Leeds Corporation, announced in our issue of the 10th May, is to be referred back to the committee for reconsideration.
The Sheffield Public Health Comrnittee has been authorized to carry out a scheme for the collection and utilization of matters usually found in house refuse. The collection is to be done by light Motorvans driven by women.
Considering the fact of the economical work of the steam tractor already purchased, the Notts C.C. has included in its estimates 2930 for the purchase of a Clayton and Shuttleworth 5-ton steam wagon and two 3-ton trailers.
The Walsall Corporation, which is seeking to encourage the establishment of new industries in the town, mentions that the Corporation is now running important motorbus services; which last year carried one and a half million passengers.
The Kensington B.C. reports having considered claims in respect of damage to a motorbus and injury to passengers owing to such motorbus colliding with a street refuge in Bayswater Road. The compensation paid by the company (inchiding medical and legal fees), also for repairs to motorbus, amounted to 2300 5s. 6d., towards which a, payment of 2100 has been made by the Council. In addition, further payments totaling £16 10s. have been made to the driver and • conductor of the vehicle in settlement of their claims. St. Helen's Hospital is raising funds for a motor ambulance.
The Clayton-le-Moors U.D.C. is to invite tenders for a motor mowing-machine.
The Hereford Corporation will shortly be considering the provision of a motor fire-engine.
Further to the announcement in our issue of the 19th April, the Worcester T.C. has decided to purchase motor lorries and street sweepers.
The Lewisham B.O. has passed plans submitted by the AngloMexican Petroleum Co. to build a _kerosene tank, spirit store, office; and pump house, subject to the, sanction of. the L.C.C. being obtained.
The Southwark B.C. is to purolia,se from Straker-Squire (1913), Ltd., at 2950 each, a motor gulleywagon, and a motor road-washing machine. The Works Committee reports that the machines which are now in use are, working very satisfactorily, and have effected an economy. A paper on motor refuse collection was read recently by the surveyor to the Southall U.D.C.
The Road Board has passed the £1572 estimate of. the Woolwich Council for making up the "cinder path" of two Eltham roads to fit them for motorbus traffic.
Subject to the granting of permits by the Ministry of Munitions, the Sheffield Corporation is to seal a contract with the Yorkshire Commercial Motor Co. for two more steam-wagons.
The Ripon C.C. being unable to purchase a motor fire-engine, its appeal for the sanction of a loan for such being announced in our issue of the 5th April, is to get a steam fire-engine for the time being.
The Borough Engineer of the Woolwich B.C. has been instructed to inform the Ministry of Munitions that the Council strongly objects to Westrnount Road being used as a motorbus route, for munition workers as suggested by the L.C4.0.0., supported by the Minis= try of Munitions. A New All-British Fuel for Motors.
Developments are in hand to render available considerable supplies of a new home-produced motor spirit. This fuel has a satisfactory range of evaporation, cornparable with the •best grades of petrol. It is not an intermediate between petroleum spirit and paraffin; it is not., in fact, derived from crude petroleum, but is of different origin. It can be usecl. in any ordinary commercial-vehicle engine, in place of petrol, without' ' alteration. .
The output of the moment is stated to be In the vicinity I,1
10,000 gallons a day. This quantity, of course, is relatively insignificant in relation to demand, but it is distinctly encouraging to know that, subject to proper financing, the output can be brought up to many millions of gallons. annually.. Members of our staff have tested the spirit in their own cars with good results.
We are willing to undertake to forward inquiries to the suppliers, if such inquiries are Sent to us, addressed to the Editor, and marked In the top left-hand corner "NEW FUEL." No money is to be enclosed in any such letters. There are reasons at the moment for our not disclosing the names of those who are interested in the process. Engine Design.
Mr. Louis Coatalen (of the Sunbeam Motor Car Co., Ltd.) lectured last night, the 16th inst., to m-embers of the Aeronautical Society of Great -Britain' at the Society of Arts, John Street, Adelphi. His subject was "Aircraft and motorcar engine design, from the standpoint of a designer and manufacturer of both types." Mr. Dugald Clerk, F.R.S., presided.
Wakefield Agrimotor Oil.
Many of our readers will no ' doubt be glad to know that M,ssrs. C. C. Wakefield, of Wakefield House, Cheapside, E.C., are supplying a special type of lubricant for use in agriniotors. This can be obtained through all recognized dealers, or direct from Messrs. Wakefield by buyers who receive wholesale terms. A special showcard dealing with this kind of lubricant. is available for all dealers.
Briton Motors.
The directors of the Briton Motor -Co. (1912), Ltd., in their annual report for the year ended the 31st. December last, show a trading profitof £14,490. ' Depreciation and other charges reduce' this to a net profit of £10,193. A dividend of 10 per cent, less income-tax, is .being paid, .27000 placed to reserve, the preliminary expenses account extinguished, and the balance—subject to a special vote to the chairman, Mr. Edward Lisle—carried forward.
"Income Tax Simplified."
We have perused with much interest an admirable exposition of the income-tax laws, as published by Mr. A. Fieldhouse, of 66, West Parade, Huddersfield. Mr. Fieldhence has succeeded in presenting the facts in concise form, and at not undue length. His review of income-tax legislation in its prent state is lucid and Practical. He examines the case under each of the known schedules, and deals in a readable manner with super-tax and excess profits. The book is priced Is: 2d., post free, from the address which we. have given.
Charging Stations for Electric Vehicles.
Thanks largely to the activities of the Electric •Vehicle Committee of .GreatBritain, of which Mr. F. Ayton, Electricity Works, Ipswich, is hon. secretary, a healthy improvement is occurring in . the matter of new facilities to charge battery-equipped vehicles. We are .indebted to our contemporary " The Electrical Review" for the loan of the map which we reproduce on page 246; it will be observed, by reference to page 251, tha,t`a, morecomplete map of charging stations in-London, supplied by the General Vehicle Co., Ltd.. is now available. : Haney's Interim Dividend.
The directors of Halley's Industrial Motors, Ltd., at a meeting held on the 27th ult., resolved to pay an interim dividend of 5 per cent. (actual), less Meanie tax, in respect of the year ending the 30th September next. The dividend is at the same rate as a year ago, but the paid-up 'capital is £140,000, as cornpared with £105,000 when the previous interim dividend was paid.
Works Fire Brigades at Luten.
An interesting competition took place at Luton„ on the 28th ult., the scene being the Highways depot of the Corporation, between mcmbers of the private fire-brigades of local factories. The winners wore: oneman drill, Jackson (Skofko) and J. Sharpe (Vauxhall) tied, Jackson winning the " run-off ; two-Man drill, H. Evans and Jackson (Skefko) ; three-man drill, Anderson, Day and Conquest (Cormier Cars) ; four-man drill, Cowley, Lowings, Slater and W. White (Kent's). Gold medals were awarded to the winners, and a. £30 challenge cup, to he held as a championship trophy for one year, was carried off bv the Skefko brigade (Chief Officer, H. J. Evans), with an aggregate of 24 points, the Vauxhall briaade being second with 20 points. The arrangements were in the hands of a committee consisting of A. J. Hancock (Vauxhall), J. Eaton Smith (G. Kent, Ltd.), and Hafner (Skefko Ball Bearings). Summonses at Rayon.
We observe that numbers of motor-lorry drivers were summoned recently at Royton Police Court, for various breaches and atleged breaches of regulations under the Motor Car Acts and the Heavy Motor Car Order. Nearly all the eases concerned excess speed, in connection with which we presume the drivers were individually warned at the time of the occurrence of the incident? One case was against a steersman of a steam lorry who had no licence, and ih this case only costs (5s. 6d.) were required from the defendant. Most of the fines for exceeding speed limits were 22s., and arose from speeds which were. recorded in the Rochdale Road over ,a measured e-mile length. Russian Trade Catalogues.
Lady Muriel Paget, Hon. Organizer of 'the Russian Exhibition, which will remain open during the present month at the Grafton Galleries, Bond Street, W. asks us to point out that there is a Russian Commercial Bureau and a Russian Trades Section at the Exhibition.
From " L'Exportateur Francais."
In view of the present transport difficulties in France, the Chamber of Commerce of Limoges has organized a motor transport service. Since the 26th January, a service of lorries leaves for given towns in the district, providing a three-ton load is assured. Return)oads are taken, for which the cost of carriage is less than for the outgoing journey Interchange of Courtesies Between American.and British AutoMobile Engineers. • The Institution of Automobile Engineers has received a telegram from the Society of Automobile Engineers of America. The telegram expresses the view of the American engineers that the farm tractor is one of the most-potential elements in solving the food problem, and offers co-operation of all kinds in the common struggle for democracy. The telegram particularly emphasizes the advantages oi standardization.
Albion Dividends.
The Albion Motor Car Co., Ltd., on the 30th ult., paid a final dividend of 3 per cent. (actual), less tax, on its 6 per cent. cumulative preference shares, and a further dividend of 15 per cent. (actual), less tax, on its ordinary shares, bringing the distribution on the ordinary shares so far, in respect of the year ended 31st December last, to 20 per cent. (actual), less tax. The directors hope to announce the date of the annual general meeting before long. The -usual difficulties are being experienced in the matter of adjusting the proportion of profits payable to the Government under the Munitions of War and Finance Acts.
Star Engineering Co.
We congratulate the directors of the Star Engineering Co., Ltd., Wolverhampton, upon their showing a net profit of £22,036 for the 12 months ended the 31st December last. After paying 7 per cent. on the preference shares, and a dividend of 5 per cent. on the ordinary shares, there remains £12,500 to be placed to reserve, bringing the general reserve up to £40,000.
Government Uses for Motor Chars-a-bancs.
The C.14.15.A. has for some time past been in communication with the proper Government authorities, to the end that motor chars-à-bancs may be inspected, with a view to purchase, inclusive of the bodies, for various military services at home, including the transportation of wounded soldiers, Fuller information is obtainable from the secretary, Mr. E. G. Bristow, 83, Pall Mall, S.W.
Straker-Squire Trading. • The trading position. of StrakerSquire (1913), Ltd., for the 15 months ended the 31st December last; are sufficiently good to justify a distribution at the rate of 10 per cent; per annum, which is equivalent, to the rate of. distribution for the preceding period (nine months ended the 4th October, 1915). Whilst the company has clearly made good progress, the usual uncertainty in respect of the taxation position prevents the issuing of . either the usual accounts or a full report. The annual general meeting will take place to-day (Thursday), at the Cannon Street Hotel, E.C., at 12 noon,
Allied Petroleum: The Right Man Still to be Found.
The trend of events, which last week prompted us to use the same heading as that yre have adopted for this paragraph, developed almost immediately after publication of -the last issue of THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR. The Petrol Contra Committee tendered its resignation to the President of the Boare ,Ptrraale,, and we-hope, despite a semi-official dementi, that the resignation will prove to be permanent.
Cisrusien reigns supreme at the present time, owing to the multiplicity of Counsels and officials, in the matter of world distribution of petroleum products, inclusive of motor spirit. We believe that a parallel policy will be adopted to the policy of the Allied nations in matters of finance. There will have to. he something in the nature of effective pooling, to the end that tank steamers shall not be sent on superfluous, long-distance, twoocean voyages, the while Great Brit-am is starved of petrol.
Civilian France is flooded with petrol. The aggregate demand in civilian walks of life in.-France-may be much lower than the aggregate demand in civilian walks of life in Great Britain, but the fact that so many private-car users in France,' without any military or war-service claims, are getting. more than 16 gallons a week each at the present time, indicates a position which must be adjusted by intelligent control. such control to envisage the world's supply and distribution within Allied direction.
Gazette.
A committee of inspection has been appointed, in the voluntary winding up of the London Motor Hire Co., Ltd., to act jointly with Mr. F. Westcott, the liquidator, 15, E as tell eap, E. C. , and with Mr. Henry Hackett.
Creditors of the Dunn Motor Body Co., Ltd. are asked to send particulars of claims to Mr. G. H. Tyler, 43, Cannon Street, Birmingham, or to Mr. G. G. Poppleton, 26, Corporation Street, Birmingham, -the liquidators, on or before the 4th June,
The partnership between Fredk. Hobson and Frank Mitchell, carrying on business as motor-haulage contractors at Regent Street, Heywood, Lancs., has been dissolved. Debts due to and owing by the late firm will be received and paid by Fredk. Hobson.
The last. day for receiving particulars in respect of notices of intended dividend in re the failure of L. R. Littler Squire, motorcar manufacturer, 75-77, Shaftesbury Avenue, W. Is the 30th inst. The
trustee is Ai i Mr. A. H. Partridge, 3, Warwick Court, Gray's Inn, W.C. 1.
Mr. Henry H. Nathanson presided at an extraordinary general meeting of the Imperial Motor Industries, Ltd., at the registered offices of the company, 11, Denmark Street, Charing Cross Road, WC., last week, when a. resolution was passed that the company be wouncl. up voluntarily.Mr. S. G.• Cole, 4g, GreshamStreet, E.C., is the -liquidator.
Y.M.C.A. Hut Week.
Attention is directed to the illustration at the bbt-tona of page 253. We can personally vouch for the value of the work done by this association on behalf of soldiers and sailors, and strongly recommend its support.