The Motor Omnibus World.
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The Amalgamated Motor Bus Company, Limited, recently put its second Brush double-deck omnibus to work on the Peckham and Oxford Circus route.
Major Renton, M.P., moved the second reading on the Lights on Vehicles Bill in the House of Commons on the 15th instant, when, after a prolonged discussion, the Bill was read a second time, and referred to the Standing Committee on Law.
Our business department requests that any advertisements intended for the " Sundries " page in our issue of the 4th proximo should be in its hands not later than the first post on Thursday morning, the 28th instant. The necessity for this is due to the occurrence of the Easter holidays.
Drivers of motorbuses who not infrequently pull up too close behind other omnibuses should take warning from an action against the London and District Motor Omnibus Company, Limited, which resulted in the awarding of .170 damages to the plaintiff, a lady named Miss Agnes Smith. This lady's hand was crushed, as she was ascending the stairway of a horse omnibus, by the contact of one of the defendant company's motorbuses whose driver had cut things too fine.
The London Motor Omnibus Company, Limited, adopted a novel plan, on Monday last, by way of inaugurating its new route between Willesden Green and Victoria Station, via Mount Pleasant Avenue to Kensal Rise, Kilburn Lane, Harrow Road, Great Western Road to Notting Hill Gate, Kensington High Street, and Sloane
Square. Eight motorbuses conveyed Passengers free of charge over the whole route, and back again, after which they took up their regular service. Wandsworth Borough Council recently wrote to the L.C.C. asking that body to include in its next General Powers Bill a clause providing that motor-omnibus companies should be responsible for the acts of their servants in the case of damage to lamp columns and their fittings, caused by skidding, etc. In a report circulated on Monday last, the General Purposes Committee of the Borough Council notified that it had received a letter to the effect that the Highways Committee of the Spring Gardens authority had considered the matter, but did not see its way at present to advise the L.C.C. to take action in the direction indicated.
This journal prides itself upon nothing more than the position of its editorial staff, every member of which is practically acquainted with road haulage. We are glad to be able to take this opportunity to announce that, in pursuance of this policy of giving a preference to motor engineers, we have been able to secure the exclusive services of Mr. George W. Watson, A.M.I.Mech.E., who resigns his position as chief draughtsman at the Basingstoke works of John I. Thornycroft and Company, Limited, to join us. It is becoming increasingly important, in motor journalism, that only those who have had actual road experience should be allowed to deal with the various topics which arise in the various branches of the subject, and we feel sure that our growing body of supporters will agree that Mr. Burford's view (page 69) follows upon our set de
termination to have neither railway nc tramway engineers per se on our pel manent staff or amongst our exclusiv contributors.
Having secured the tariffs aimed al namely, so pfennigs for 3 kilometre and 15 pfennigs beyond (minimun basis of 1.25(1. for 2 miles 1,308 yards) the Berlin Tramcar Company wil shortly launch its fleet of zo motor buses. Three of the vehicles have al ready performed trial trips over thi proposed routes ; in fact, these threl are being used for training purposes They are stored at the Charlotten burg depot, on the first floor. The be. ginning of April will probably see then at work, and, later on, 40 more.
The last meeting of the Executive Committee of the Motor Van, Wagor and Omnibus Users' Association hrs. been held, for the new committee will take up its duties, after the annual general meeting of members announced for the 26th instant, as that of the Commercial Motor Users' Association. The attendance at the committee meeting of the s3th instant included : Colonel R. E. Crompton, C.B. (chairman), Dr. H. S. Hele-Shaw, F.R.S., Messrs. F. C. A. Coventry (Great Western Railway), S. D. Gilbert (London Motor Omnibus Company), II. Howard Humphreys, M.Inst.C.E., H. Thomson Lyon (Westminster City Council and Metropolitan Asylums Board), W. G. Lobjoit (Hounslow), Douglas Mackenzie, A.M.I.Mech.E., J. C. Mitchell (London Road Car Company), E. Shrapnell Smith (Honorary Treasurer), and Mr. W. Rees Jeffreys (Secretary). It was reported that, on the advice of Mr. W. M. Hodges, general manager of the City and Suburban Motor Cab Company, Limited, certain recommendations in regard to the draft Cab Order had been communicated to the Home Office. [These were published in our last issue.—ED.1 It was confirmed that the annual general meeting should be held at r, Albemarle Street, W., on Tuesday, the 26th instant, and the annual report and accounts, as submitted, were agreed. Mr. Howard Humphreys reported the position in regard to the condition of certain bridges in Cambridgeshire, and concerted action with Mr. W. Joynson Hicks was approved.
The directors of the Great North of icotland Railway have arranged to put a daily service of MiInes-Daimler notorbuses, between Newburgh and bercleen, as from the 1st proximo.
A motorbus driver in the employ of he Associated Omnibus Company, jrnited, has, in an appeal to the King's 3ench Division, been held to be a worknan within the meaning of the Erniloyers' Liability Act of 188o, on the ;round that his duties amount to his )eing " engaged in manual labour." fustices Darlingarid A. T. Lawrence iirected, on the t5th instant, that the .-!ase should go back to be retried.
Amongst the tire exhibits at the re:ent show, the stands of the Sirdar and ihrewsbury and Challiner Companies :ontained examples which had corn)leted enormous distances on the road. IThe latter company was very widely -epresented by its -" Giant " tires, as Ilustrated on page 42 of our last issue, And an inspection of the various van and other chassis in the exhibition provided remarkable evidence of that tire's 3opularity with users.
The report of the Star Omnibus Company, Limited, for the year ending December 31st last, which was submitted to the shareholders on the r8th instant, discloses a net available balance of only ,4:4,015, which the directors have decided to carry forward. The poor results are chiefly attributable to the competition of the L.C.C. tramways, tube railways and new motor omnibus companies, and the directors have agreed to take no fees until the preference dividend is paid.
At Hampstead Borough Council meeting on the 14th instant, a letter was received from the L.C.C., drawing attention to recent explosions of petrol in sewers where men were working, and pointing out the penalties to which owners of motor garages rendered themselves liable in this connection. it was resolved to inform the Spring Garden authorities that the Borough Council had already taken precautions to prevent such occurrences, by prohibiting gullies in all motor houses. Application was made recently for a winding-up order against the Motor Omnibus Construction Company, Limited, but it is likely that a scheme for a cash payment of 5s. in the 4', and the issue of second debentures for 15s. in the on account of the amount of creditors' agreed claims, will be carried through.
It transpires that the Munich Corporation has shelved the question of acquiring additional motorbuses until it learns the fate of its application for a concession to run tramcars through certain quarters of the city. In the meantime, the buses are being worked at the rate of some too miles a day, and the pressure of traffic is very great.
At a motor congress held in Vienna, the Government representative present stated that the authorities intended creating a network of motor roads throughout Austria, and had given the necessary instructions to that effect. In view of the movement to establish State motor lines under a communal guarantee—to which reference has been made on more than one occasion in " THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR "—this step does not -cause much surprise. That the roads are wanted, travellers in Austria know full well.
An extraordinary general meeting of the shareholders of the Edinburgh and District Motor Omnibus Company, Limited, was held at Salisbury House, London Wall, E.C., yesterday (Wednesday), when a resolution was submitted for the voluntary liquidation of this undertaking. Certain proposals were also discussed for the constitution of another company to purchase the present undertaking, and the directors attributed the necessity for the intended winding-up to the failure of the contractors for the company's chassis to fulfil their engagements. This company, which was formed in February of last year, with an authorised capital of ,21)13,004), is presided over by Mr. William Roberts, at one time a director of the London Motor Omnibus Company, Limited, the other directors being Sir Robert Dashwood, Bart., Mr. John Wilson, and Mr. Norman D. Macdonald. The Isle of Wight Express Motor Syndicate, Limited, has appointed Mr. Douglas Mackenzie, A.M.I.Mech.E., as its general manager, the appointment to date from Monday last. This augurs well for the future success of this company, whose past has not been altogether roseate. Mr. Douglas Mackenzie's wide experience in road transport matters, both as regards public service vehicles and goods vehicles, should enable him to reorganise this undertaking, notwithstanding the state of monumental disorganisation into which we understand it has been allowed to lapse. In connection with this announcement, it is interesting to report that the adjourned annual general and extraordinary general meeting of the shareholders, which was held at Ryde on the 14th instant, resulted in the re-election of Messrs. Angove and Macklin, who had retired from the board prior to the meeting, and in the non-election of Sir Alexander Onslow, Colonel Hamilton and Mr. Milward.
At the Boat Race.
On Saturday afternoon last, a party of gentlemen, at the special invitation of Mr. Bernard Hopps, left Olympia in the new British Thomson-Houston petrol-electric bus to view the Universities' boat race. A start was made soon after 2 o'clock in the direction of the river. Dense crowds were encountered at Hammersmith, and this afforded a striking testimony to the efficiency of
the general control of the bus. At Barnes the bus was run into a field overlooking the river and a good view of the race was obtained. On the return journey, a traffic block delayed the bus for nearly an hour, and although the engine was kept running during the whole of that time, one could not help noticing the absence of vibration throughout the vehicle, and, inside, there were no loose fittings to keep up an irritating rattle. Omillustration shows the B.T.H. bus at the riverside, in company with a " Unic " motorcab, and other public-service vehicles of the
horse-drawn variety. Earlier in the week the B.T.H. bus took several agents and friends from the show to visit the works of the Wolseky Company at Cravford.
Four De Dion motorbuses are now in service for the London Motor Omnibus Company, Limited, the last of these having been put on "Service No. 4."
L.G.O.Accounts.
The directors of the London General Omnibus Company, Limited, who met the shareholders in that undertaking a fortnight ago, have not given sufficient information, either in their report or accounts, to permit of any useful analysis such as we made of the accounts of the London Motor Omnibus Company, Limited, in our issue of the 18th October last. The company's effective motor omnibus stock increased by exactly moo per cent, in the six months ending 31st December last, viz., from 83 to 166 motorbuses, and the average number of vehicles "in commission " over the period was 125. On the other hand, the total number of horses owned was reduced from 15,617 to 14,680 in the six months. The total number of passengers carried in the six months was 108,665,313, in comparison with /0808,399 for the corresponding period of 1905. There is a net decrease of L15,690 in the total revenue, and the amount carried to profit and loss account is only £1,430 compared with £19,122 for the same period of 1905. The revenue and expenditure account shows that the general administration charges have increased by only £1,634, and the traffic expenses by 1:0,501, whilst the yard expenses have diminished by £6,269. Maintenance charges, too, have fallen by no less than £32,708, but these two reductions are nullified by an increase of .L40,510 under the heading of" General—omnibus, harness, yard stock and fixtures."
There is nothing definite in the accounts to indicate what provision has been made for depreciation of the company's motorbuses, but Sir John Pound, the chairman of the company, in moving the adoption of the report, declared that it was on a liberal, if not an excessive, basis. He complained that the average fares were too low, and regretted that it should be necessary to draw £15,000 from reserve account to pay a 5 per cent. dividend on the company's ordinary shares. A satisfactory feature in the report is the continued healthiness of the company's assets : cash and first class investments amount to £201,700, apart from £120,000 uncalled preference capital at the 31st December, whilst property in freehold and leasehold land, etc., amounts to
;6657,471. The Company is one of the few that can afford to stand heavy losses over the present motorbus competition, and, if rumour is to be credited, the policy of squeezing the newer companies, even at the cost of writing off a quarter of a million of capital over the operation, is not altogether beyond the range of intention.
Vapour Emission Trials.
Twelve, out of the total number of thirteen cars, which were entered to take part in the Vapour Emission Competition inaugurated by the R.A.C., were present at the garage in Brick Street, Down Street, on Tuesday last for the purpose of the tests; each car had to mount a platform, having an approximate grade of r in 7, and the engine had to be run, at its normal speed, for 20 minutes--m minutes with
the back of the car at the top of the incline, and JO minutes with its forepart in a similar position. Each car was fitted with a half-inch cock in the silencer, for the purpose of attaching a cylindrical copper vessel, in which the exhaust gases were collected, so that a subsequent analysis could be made.
The following points will be taken into consideration when making the awards : (a) The car which independently of the skill, or care, of the driver, gives an exhaust least offensive to the public using the road ; (b) the car best constructed to enable the driver, by reasonable care, continuously, to obtain an inoffensive exhaust ; and (c) the best system, or device, to enable the driver to observe the nature of the exhaust (such as a small by-pass, or a mirror).
A road test took place yesterday (Wednesday), and this constituted the second portion of the competition. Each car had to cover a distance of about 1.5o miles. In order to render the results as complete as possible, the judges made it a proviso that, if necessary, the engines should be over-lubricated, or ntn upon an unfavourable mixture.
At the time of going to press, the results have not been announced, and we shall look for the publication of the official report.