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WHEELS OF INDUSTRY.

" The wheels of wealth 2vil1 be slowed by all difficulties of transport at whatever points arising, as .a carriage s by the roughness of the roads over which it runs."—John Beattie Crozier.

The C.M.UA. London Parade.

The list of team entrants for the C.M.TJ.A. Parade, which takes place at Lincoln's Inn Fields on Saturday, March 25th, is now completed, and the following concerns will participate :—AngloAmerican Oil Co., Ltd. (5); Clia.s. Arkcoll (1); Beck and Pollitzer (4); British and Argentine Meat Co., Ltd. (6); British Petroleum Co., Ltd. (2); Carter, Paterson' and Co., Ltd. (1): Frederick Braby and Co., Ltd. (2); Bryant and May, Ltd. (3) • Cement Marketing Co. (1); Coxes Lock Milling Co., Ltd. (1); Crosse and Blackwell. Ltd. (2); Gas, Light and Coke Co., Ltd (6); Gardner, Locket and Hinton, Ltd. (2); Hoare and Co. Ltd. (1) ; John Knight, Ltd. (3); John Lenanton and Sons, Ltd. (1); 'London Wholesale Dairies, Ltd. (1); F. Medhurst, Ltd. (1); Geo. Monro, Ltd. (2); National Benzoic Co., Ltd. (1); Robert Porter and Co., Ltd. (1); J. Robertson and Sons Ltd. (2); Sanders Bros. (3); Shell-Max, Ltd. (4); Smith, 'Garrett and Co., Ltd. (2); South Metropolitan Gas Co. (2); • Joseph Travers and Sons, Ltd. (1); United Yeast Co., Ltd. (1); Westminster City Council (8); Chas. A. Wells (2); T. Wethered and.' Sons, Ltd. (2); R. White and Sons, Ltd. (1). This brings the number of team entrants up to 32 and the actual number of teams (which is represented by the figure indicated in brackets) to 75, and as each team consists of throe. vehicles the number of individual machines taking part will be 225.

Blackpool Coach Owners Meet and 'Dine.

The first annual general meeting and dinner of the 131ackpool and District. Motor Char-A-banes Owners Association was held at the Silver Grill Cafe, Talbot Road, Blackpool, on Thursday last, when a representative gathering of local owners was present, Mr. J. Leavesley, the president of the Association, being in the chair. The toast of " The Corporation and County Borough of Blackpool " was proposed by the President, and responded to by Councillor L. Newsome, who said that Blackpool had the finest char4banes fleet of ally town. Mr. J. hlallalieu proposed " Our Guests " in felicitous terms, coupling A-ith it the names, of Mr. C. M. le Gosselin, chairman of the North-western Division of the C.M.U.A., and Mr.W. Atkinson, the secretary of the same division. Mr. Gosselin said that Blackpool was the playground of Lancashire and 'Yorkshire and the industrial population of the Midlands, arid in dealing with the ehar-Sabancs service he said that as commercial motorists they shad a -great responsibility in Blackpool. r He urged the assembly, as members of a great Association, to stick together, -and pull together, for • there was never a. time when they were more required to do en. They had been assailed in certain quarters by the Railways Bill which as facing them to-day. If the railway companies received their powers the char-is

E4

banes owners, he said, would be up against. the stiffest proposition in the way of competition that they had ever encountered in their lives.

Mr. T. Clark, in replying to the toast of "The Association,' proposed by Mr. W. Atkinson, said that the char-A-bancs industry was equally as important as the cotton industry in Lancashire.

Reviewing the work of the year, the secretary's report mentioned that an important matter was the substitution of chars-à-bancs for tram services on Whit. Sunday. The coaches provided a service which was appreciated by the public. The strength of the Association can be gathered from the fact, that, with the exception of about three individuals, all the motor coach owners in Blackpool were members of the organization last year. The chief trouble which the Association has had to tight has been the rate-cutting which has been prevalent in the central and busiest area, although it should be mentioned that the. ownerdriver is not responsible for this shortsighted policy.

Asking for Buses.

The New Mill District Council is inquiring from the Huddersfield Corporation when the motorbuses are likely to be run to the New Mill district. Failing a satisfactory reply; it was resolved that. the private company at .present running motorbuses to Melthitm should be communicated with.

Brighton Taxicabs.

Endeavours are being made in Brighton to remove an anomaly in local taxicab licences, which has given rise to considerable .inconvenience in the town. At present a vehicle which is licensed in Brighton cannot pick up a passenger in Hove, and vice versa. Visitors to the two places do not appreciate the distinction between the two boroughs and regard the divided jurisdiction as totally Unnecessary.

A Useful Map.

A very useful four-sheet map of England and Wales has just been published by George Philip and Son, Ltd. of 32, Fleet Street, London, E.C.4. The size of each folded is 8 ins. by 3/ ins., and the largest of the four opened. out measures 44 ins. by 33 ins., the scale being 6 miles to the inch. The areas covered are.: London and East and South-east Coasts, covering 100 miles from London ; Central and Southern England, from Leeds to the South Coast and from Cambridge to Dolgelley; Southwest England and Wales, covering the country west of Birmingram and south from Liverpool; and Northern England, Southern Scotland, ctivering from the Clyde and Forth to Sheffield. On paper the price for each sheet is 2s., and on cloth 3s. 6d. They should be most useful to the commercial vehicle industry.

,s By a slip in a footnote to a letter in our correspondence columns of last week, the article to which our correspondent referred was inaccurately ascribed to " The Inspector."

Closing of Roads in Yorkshire.

The general secretary of the C.M.U.A. has received notice from the Roads Department of the Ministry. of Transport that a local inquiry will be held at the County Hall, Beverley, on April 25th, to consider an application which has been made by the County Council of the East Riding of Yorkshire for an Order prohibiting or restricting, subject to such exceptions or conditions as to occasional user or otherwise, as may be specified in the Order, the driving of heavy motorcars and locomotives on the following roads :— (1) In the borough of Beverley the road from Railway Street at its junction with Wednesday Market through Wednesday Market. Butcher Row and Toll Gavel to Register Square. (2) In the urban district of Pod:lington the roads known as Clark's Lane, Post Lane, Waterloo Lane, Waterloo Square and Pens Lane ; and (3) In the rural district of Sculeoates the roads known as Ladywell Gate, Welton, and Potterill Lane, Sutton, and the road from the Hull-Willerby Road through the village of Kirk Ella to the road junction near Kirk Ella Church. The application is being considered by the association, who will be represented at. the inquiry. All users of heavy motorcars who are interested in opposing th3 application should communicate with the C.M.U.A., at Ball Mall, London, or at 20, Bond Street. Dewsbury.

Noisy Coach Passengers.

At the last meeting of the Brighton Town Council, the Watch Committee recommended a by-la W prohibiting , the use of " noisy instruments " on motor coaches while passing along the public thoroughfares; but it met with general ridicule and was withdrawn for further

consideration. There is an impression that the authorities will endeavour to deal with the matter in another way.

700,000 Gallons of Petrol-Offered.

The Works Committee of the Westminster City Council reports that it has considered a. letter from the Director of 'Navy Contracts, stating that the Admiralty has for disposal about 700,000 gallons of Trinidad spirit, now lying in tank at Thames Haven, and asking for an offer per gallon for the purchase of the whole or any portion of the spirit.. The purchaser will be required to tate delivery 'ex tank. The spirit, is required to be collected at the earliest possibla date. The City Cleansing Surveyor states that he has gone carefully into the matter, and is of opinion that the council could obtain a sufficient quantity of the spirit to cover its requirements for a year on very favourable terms. The committee accordingly recommend the surveyor to tender for a quantity of the spirit equal to the councir's estimated requirements during one year, at such a price as, with incidental expenses, will not exceed the sum of £2,916.

New Ford Prices.

A. and S. Andrews, Ltd., -Uxbridge Road, London W.5, advise us that new Ford prices became effeotive on March 14th, and that the new figures for the standard and.14on models are as follow : Standard chassis £135, standard van £155, ton chassis £170, ton lorry £210, ton van £210. A self-starter and demountable rims are not included in the prices for the standard chassis and van, the price of the former accessory being £15 arid the latter £5 extra. The 1-ton models ore not equipped with a selfstarter, Long Journeys by Lorries.

We recently published a paragraph referring to a journey made by three Straker-Squire motorbuses from Plymouth to Birkenhead, a distance of 305 miles, without a hitch of any kind, the vehicles having already seen a year's service in the south. Clement-Talbot, Ltd., of Bartley Road, London, W., now inform us that this month they have sent three A.E.C., seven Karrier, and Jive Dennis 4-ton lorries to Liverpool and district, all of them being reconditioned in the company's workshops, and that they all arrived at their destinations well within two days without trouble of any description.

R.P. Pump Lubricators.

As the business of A. W. Richardson and Son, Ltd., of Ashton-under-Lyne, has gone into voluntary liquidation and the business has closed down, users of RP. lubricators are left without any reliable source of supplies in. this direc.tion. Mr. C. W. Richardson, as the inventor and original maker of this well'known lubricator, has decided to commence business on his own account sit Reliance Works, Lower Carrs, Stockport, from which address lubricators and spare parts can be supplied and repairs executed

Buying a Bus Undertaking.

Cardiff City Council recently gave plenary powers to the Electricity and Tramways Committee in connection with the purchase of the Llandaff North and Whitchurch motor omnibus undertaking of the Cardiff Tramways Co. It was stated that the Corporation was negotiating for the purchase of the company's rolling stock and their premises at Llandaft% There was a big difference between the sum the Corporation offered for the undertaking and the price asked for it, and it was inevitable that the mater should go to arbitration.

Institute of Metals Journal.

Noteworthy in many ways is the latest volume of "The Journal of the Institute of Metals." Occupying a foremost place in the volume, which runs to 772 pages, is the hitherto unpublished May lecture by Professor Thomas Turner, in which the author points out that the casting of metals is not a science but an art, yet an art which is based upon scientific principles.

It is to a reo6rd of the work done at the recent Birmingham meeting of the Institute of Metals that the major portion of the volume under review is devoted. Here we have published in full the 12 valuable papers read at that meeting—papers touching every phase of the non-ferrous metal industry.. In addi tion, there are many notable contributions to the discusaion of these papers from prominent metallurgists who were unable to participate in the verbal discussio-ns.

The president of the Institute, Engineer Vice-Admiral Sir George Goodwin, K.C.B., LL.D., •recalls the fact that since the inaugural meeting of the Institute in Birmingham, in 1908, the membership has grown to nearly 1,400 on the occasion of the first return visit to the Midland metropolis. The concluding section of the volume is a very comprehensive survey of papers recently published throughout the world dealing with the non-ferrous metals and related industries.

The book worthily upholds the high traditions of the Institute of Metals, and constitutes a volume that should be on the bookshelf of every metallurgist, engineer and other user of metals. It is published at 31s. 511. net, and cart be obtained from any bookseller, or direct from the offices of the Institute, 36-38, Victoria Street, London, S.W. 1.

• • • • •

The Driver's Appearance.

All motor vehicle users, and particularly motor coach owners now that the season is fast approaching, who pay special attention to theaappearance of their drivers, Will be interested to know that serviceable uniforms can be supplied by Messrs. Gardiners, 1, Commercial Road, London, E.1. This ,company spe dalize in clothing for drivers of all kinds of motor vehicles, and their goods are backed by 70 years' expenience. They can supply jackets and breeches or overcoats, in four shades, at 84s., and . they are prepared to embroider the name of the owner on the collars of the uniforms o-r on the drivers' caps.

New Bus Stand for Worcester.

The Worcester City Council has decided that a new motorbus stopping place be appointed in Sidbury. This is a decision which coach and bus proprietors will welcome, as the city is badly off for such stopping places except in the very centre of the town.

Liverpool Coach Fares.

Motor coach fares in' the Liverpool district will, this year, be in the vicinity of 1-1d.oper passenger per mile, minimum, which is bout the same as last year.

Already coach .owners are receiving inquiries for coaches for private parties at Easter and Whitsun, and there is every indication that the season will have a very auspicious opening. Most coach concerns are now busy in working out in practical detail their programmes, and, whilst 'no novelties in the matter of tours have been heard of, there is not the least doubt that the various owners' programmes will have the same merit of appeal as in previous years.

Altrincham Motor Services.

Important motor omnibus developments are pending in the Altrintlam district. The prospectus has just been

issued to the public of the'Altrincham District Motor Services,. Ltd., a company whose authorized capital is £10,000_ This company. has been formed to acquire the motorbus -undertaking established by John Wood and Sons, Ltd.,' whose services eover,'Most of the outlying districts within a radius of ten miles. " These services it is intended to develop by the employment of other buses.

Speed Limit at Worcester.

There is a movement on foot in Worcester to obtain a speed limit. • A previous application to the Ministry of Transport for a speed limit was. turned down. The reason for this, it is understood, was because the application was made for a speed limit for the whole. of the city. The new application has for its object the reduction of the speed of heavy vehicles in the centres,or the, city only. The Chamber of Commerce has decided to support the City Council:

We recently published an illustration . of three 32-seater Leyland single-deck buses, supplied to the Preston Corporation. We are given, to understand that the bodies of these vehicles were made by the English Electric Co., Ltd _, and that they seat 30 passengers, not 32.

Unsuitable Roads.

West Riding County Council Highway.; Committee is supporting an application from the Rotherham Reral District Council for an order prohibititg the driving of heavy motcr vehicles along Brampton Lana and Wood Lane from the junction of Brampton Lane with

Penny Hill Lane.to the junction of Weed Lane with Common Lane, a distance of 1,230 yards.

The lanes vary m.-width, being wide

at. some points and ft. at the narrowest point, and are quite .unsuitable for heavy motor traffic.

' If the lanes are prohibited to heavy traffic there is an alternative route within reasonable distance.

Roads in South Wales..

The Caerphilly Urban District Corineil recently decided to convene a meeting with representatives of the Pontypridd Council earl Board of Guardians to dis;cuss the advisability of immediately pro-. needing with the projected new main road between Pontypridd, Caerphilly and the Aber. Valley, and linking the Pontypridd and Rhondda road routes with the Caerphilly-Newport road. At present road transport is inconvenienced by the lack of direct communication between those populous mining centres. Road transport between Newport and Bristol and Pontypeidd and the Rhondda Valleys is considerably handicapped by the present youndabout and hilly routes of inter-valley communication. The

Goren-anent has offered to bear half tho Cost of the undertaking. When this road and the OgmoreRhondda roads are completed, an alternate East to West Wales route, passing through the industrial areas, will be open; the present, route is threugh Cardiff and the agricultural Vale of Glamorgan. For the first time, too, the Monmouthshire and Glamorgan mining centres will be linked by short and direct roads of service to local transport users.

Pontypridd's Electries.

When the Pontypridd Chamber of Trade members recently visited the council's generating stations they were informed that the five electric motors used for refuse collecting had effected a great. saving, and were proving a source of 'satisfaction. Many municipalities have had similar success With electric.

New Chinese Bus Companies.

group of Kiangsu merchants are organizing the Soochow-Kashing-Huchow Motor Service Co., Ltd., with a capital of $3,000,000. Bas services are projected over the following routes :—Soochow to Huchow, 181 miles; Pingwang to Hashing, 36 miles; Soochowto Fushan, 166 miles; Sooehow to Tatisang, 100 miles; Hashing to Chap], 80 miles; and Huchow to Hwangtele 172 miles. Another company has commenced a service between Suisen and Huchovv. When these services are established many of the important centres will be linked together.

Electrics in the States.

Manufacturers of industrial electric vehicles in America state that the demand for their products in steadily, if slowly, increasing ; in fact, the manager of one of the largest Concerns recently stated that he had booked more orders between January 1st and February 15th this year than during the first five months of 1921. Other manufacturers also report business as improving.

. An electric vehicle show will be. held in New York City, from April 3rd to April 15th under the auspices of the Automobile Bureau of the New York Edison Co. The first week will be devoted to a display of pleasure 'cars, lorries and batteries, and the second week to an exhibit Of industrial vehicles and batteries.

The American Railway Express Go. recently placed a further order for 54 electric lorries, making 104 purchased since December. The company, who have branches in all the larger cities throughout the) country, propose to use their New York vehicles on a 24-hour basis. This will he accomplished by means of standardized, interchangeable batteries, each vehicle being provided with two storage batteries. Thus, at the end of the first shift, the exhausted battery will be removed and a freshly charged unit put in its place.

Oil Possibilities. in Newfound land.

The oil possibilities of Newfoundland lie wholly on the west coast. A series of . Silurian sediments extends from Port-auPort northwards to the extreme end of the northern peninsula, and occupies a narrow strip on the sea coast of an average width of two miles. At different points this strip has been intruded by diorite and traps, the result being that the sediments are highly contorted, folded and faulted. At different points oil seepages occur, especially at Port-auPort and north of Bonne Bay to Flower's Cove. Numerous drill holes have been seek, but in no case has a flowing well been struck, although some of the wells at Parson's Pond produce from one to. two barrels of crude petroleum per day. The chance of tapping an oil basin ,of any large capacity is remote, mainly owing • to the fact that the sedimentary series is greatly contorted and broken.

Driving the Coaches Away..

Mr. Eccles, of the Eccles Motor Transport, Ltd., Gosta Green, Birmingham, informed a representative of The Commercial Motor recently that thea char-flbanes business in the Midlands had been conducted at such cut prices that they had decided for the coming season not to work their, vehicles irons Birmingham but to send them to seaside places, such as Rhyl, Llandudno and Weston-superMare, where the demand for them was greater. He considered that the charnbanes business generally was overdone, but that there was a great future for the motor caravan and trailer caravan, both as regards the sale and hire of these, vehicles. His firm has concentrated on caravans of both types. ;

a Davenport and Co., Ltd., 99-105, Clerkenwell Road, London,. E.C.1, have appointed Mr. Herbert Ellis as their resident representative for the Liverpool and Manchester district.

Spanish Agriculture.

An outstanding feature of the industries and commerce of Spain decing. the past year has been the increasing demand for all classes of agricultural machinery. The Spanish farmer, although very slew to adopt modern Methods, is being gradually educated by the assiduous propaganda of the German and American agents. Local agricultural societies encourage tractor trials, and at the annual " Ferias" agricultural machines of all kinds are now a prominent exhibit. • At this year's fair at Seville, one of the most important in Spain, it was of interest to note a threshing machine from Czecho-Slovakia, while German reapers end tractors were side by side with those of American and national manufacture. Thera was only one British exhibit ! It is much to be regretted that no British nanufacturer appears ta be able to produce a trader which can compete in price with these from the United States. There would appear to he an excellent openingin the country for ai firm or group of firms to establish a branch in the country, with their own showrooms, as Spain is essentially a good market.

Vulcan Service. .

Vulcan Motors (London), Ltd., have established an the outskirts of -London, a large service station where repairs and overhauls of Vulcan lorries will be executed. All repairs will be done by experienced Vulcan mechanics, and a full stock of spare parts will be carried.

Incidentally, the company are now in a. position to give immediate delivery from stock of practically every part used In the construction of their standard lorry.

EdintnArah's Central Tramway Poles.

The National Council of the Scottish Commercial Motor Users' Association have selected among others Councillor E. G-raharn Guest, J.P., MA., B.Sc., IVLInst.T., Councillor W. J. Thomson, M.I.A.E., and J. C. Caldwell, Esq., Glasgow. to give evidence at the inquiry to he held by the Ministry of Transport on the sppEcation of -the Edinburgh Corporation for permission to erect central poles in Princes Street.

Commercial Aviation in Colombia.

There is considerable public interest in the subject of aviation in Colombia, according to a report issued by the Department of Overseas Trade but, up to the present, very little has been accom plished. Various French and Belgian projects have been put forward, machines sent out to Barranquilla and Medellin, and successful trial flights carried opt, but so far none of these projects has taken practical form.

A few months ago a company was formed by a combination of certain people in lgreclellirt with German residents in the country, and they established a limited hydroplane service from Barranquilla to Gieardot, carrying a small quantity of mail and two or three passengers, and making the return journey coca in about every 14 days. The establishment. of such a mail service will show a saving of time of about ninedays in the transmission of letters between Begotil and Landon.

The present commercial situation does not seem to indicate any favourable prospect for commercial aviation, but British aircraft manufacturers will be well advised to observe the trend of events closely and be prepared to Lake advantage of the opportunities which this market may well afford when business has recovered,

.Traffic at Lowestoft.

To secure the more efficient regulation of traffic the Lowestoft Roads Committee has scheduled special stopping' places for motorbuses and charssa-banes.

No Limit to Bus Traffic.

Writing to the Mailing Rural District Council, the Ministry of Transport says it has no power ta restrict the number of motor omnibuses over any particular road-.

A Municipal Garage.

Wakefield City Council proposes temporarily to use part of the market ground as a public garage, charges to he as follow : Motor chars-a-Panes 10s. by the week, 2s one day, Is. short periods. Ordinary motorcars 1s. per day.

Doncaster Bus Bill.

West Riding County Council has lodged 'a petition against the Doncaster Corporation Bill with' a view to obtain

log the necessary provisions protecting the interests of the County Council with regard to running of omnibuses on main roads, chiefly outside the borough.

Numbering the Roads.

The Ministry of Transport in classifying the highways in the country has assigned to each road a number, and consequently each of the principal trunk roads will be known by this number throughout its wbold length. It has been decided to make a start with certain of these trunk roads radiating from London and to have these. properly signposted throughout the country. The Lancashire County Council has intimated to the Ministry its: willingness to en-operate in the sign-posting of the London to Carlisle treel• roads which is known as No.. 6. Tie Lancashire this read can best he described as the Mare ehester-Preston-LancastereKendai Road, and the county surveyor has been instructed to include the cost of property sign-posting this road in next year's estimates.

Cab Fares in Burnley.

Having considered the proposals of the Burnley and District Road Transport Association with regard to the revision of the existing scale of charges, the Burnley Corporation Hackney Carriage Subcommittee has recommended the Le!lowine scale of charges for the hire of horse-drawn and mechanically •propelled hackney carriages :— For Distance. • •

One or two passengerseeds. 6d. for the first. mile; 4.1d. for each succeeding sk mile, Or part: thereof. (Minimum fare, Is. 6d.) Three OT more passengers.-2e. for the first mile; 6d. for each succeeding 4;

mile, or part thereof. (Viriimum fare-, 2s.)

Waiting time.--First 10 minutes, no .extra, charge.; for each Ishour afterwards, or part thereof,. ls. •

For Time.

-6s forthe first hour. le. for each sueceeding A. _hour, or part thereof. (Minimum fare for engagement by time, 6s.)• Fare to be &imputed on the distance actually travelled by the passenger-, or the time during which the passenger actually eceupies the vehicle, as Heal case may be.

Journeys between 12 midnight and 7 a.m., half fare extra.

OnO or -.twee children under 10 years count as one person. Parcels carried outside the vehicle.2d. per package. Bicycles, mailearts andperambulators. —6d. each.

The town clerk is to prepare and submit to the Ministry of Health draft bylaws with respect to. hackney carriages (a) -embodying the above scale • of .charges ; (b) empowering the •eorporation to require licensed motor hackney carriages driving for hire to. be provided with an efficient taximeter ; and (te.) amending the hy-lavrs at present in force within the borough relating to hackney carriages.

Mr.R. H. Foster advises us that lie has taken over the businessof Jamesea s.nd Foster, Ltd., of Mill. Dam, South Shields, including the sale of the 25-cwr. Atlaschassis, for which the company -were the sole concessiannaires.

Spanish Roads. .

According to a Department of Overseas Trade report little improvement is to ho noted in the country roads in Spain. Madrid is gradually being repaved with granite setts, and a recent call for tenders for 10 road-rollers, open only in the first instance to Spanish manufacturers, is of interest.

Mention should also be made of a new road from Balagner, an important agri. QuItural tovaa situated north of Barce ions, to the French frontier, a distance of 211 kilometres, This road is expected to be open during the present year, but under normal conditions it will not be of use to motor traffic for more than about four months of the year,

Steam Wagon Costs.

• A statement has been prepared by the surveyor to the Brampton (Cumberland) Rural District Council on the running costa of a 5-ton Foden steam wagon. For one we.ek, lie says, working full time, the cost was £15 9s., and when

standing idle 12 19s. He expressed 'the view that there was little doubt that the steamer was economical -when in use providing it could be found work for two-thirds of the year. He suggested that a further trial should be given to it., especially in view of the fact that the estimated cost of the steamer was 9th per ton-mile as against a horse at 13. "3d. per ton-mile, arid the matter was referred to the highways committee

Bridlington Buses.

The Bridlington, Rural Council does not object to the institution of bus services by a local firm of motor vehicle owners, who propose to put four motorbuses On the route from Bridlington to Sewerby and Flamborough and from Bridlington to Bempton and Flamborough, the intention being to mainWI) a one-hour service all the year round.

A New Punjab Bridge.

The last link in the Grand Trunk Road from Delhi to Peshawar was forged when a bridge over the Chenab was opened last month. Just over half a mile in length, the bridge has 17 spans. The road stir face is of cement concrete laid on reinforced concrete decking. Apart from its military value, the new bridge was necessary to the •development of road transport in the Punjab. The ferry formerly in use was never able to cope with traffic congestion at this point.

Indian Taxation.

The Bombay Municipality has increased the scheme of tanation on motor vehicles, and a system of taxItion according to weight and not according to horse-power has been adopted. The rates for vans, lorilas and trailers are based partly on the weight and partly on the type of tyres fitted. •

Town Traffic on Country Roads.

The West Riding Highways Committee, having regard, as it contends, to "the fact that the wear and tear on county main roads is preponderatingly due to the traffic arising from and conducted between the county boroughs in the West Riding" has appealed to the Ministry of Transport to alter the basis of contribution from the Roads Fund towards the total cost of maintenance and the repair of classified roads and bridges -with a view to " equalizing the burden of highway expenditure as between administrative counties and county boroughs."

Albion Dividend.

The directors of the Albion_ Motor Car Co., Ltd., have resolved to pay on April 3rd a half-,yearly dividend on the 6 per cent. cumulative-preference.shares at the rate of 6 per cent. per annum less income tax for the half year acted December 31st, 1921. They also aesolved not to close the share transfer books at the present time, but to pay the aforementioned dividend to the registered holders at the date of the resolutton.

Street Obstructions,

The Homo Office has asked all authorities in the metropolitan police area, having regard to the safety of the public, to make a by-law simila,r to that adopted by the L.C.C. requiring the lighting, by means of red lights, of all street obstructions at night..

LOcal Proceedings.

The Worcester City Council is buying a new fire-engine.

Worcester Watch Committee has decided to obtain juices foritheasupply of a motor fire-engine.

Lichfield City Council has arranged to combine with the Lichfield Rural Council to purchase a motor fire-engine.

The Electricity Committee of the Worcester City Council has decided to purchase a reconstructed petrol lorry at a cost of about £450.

The Stores Committee of the London County Council recommends the purchase of two motor vehicles at a total estimated cost of £700. .

The Health Committee of the Macclesfield Town Council recommends the purchase of two 2-ton motor lorries for the collection, of house refuse.

Stretford Urban District Council has decided to make provision in the next estimates for the purchase of a motor machine broom at a cost of £975.

The surveyor to the Tonbridge Rural District Council has been requested to include irk ins estimates £260 for the provision of a motor ambulance for the (lapel Hospital.

Though Hove Corporation has obtained prices from Electric Cars .Ltd., for the supply of two electric vehicles for refuse collection, it does not propose to poxchase such vehicles at present.

The surveyor to the East and We Ardsley Urban District Council is to submit a report as to the saving that would be effected in the scavenging department by the use of a motor tip. wagon.

The Camberwell Unemployed Engineers' Association has aSked the Camberwell Borough Council to reduce horse traction to a minimum and adopt motor traction, by which big economies could be effeated.

The chairman of the Fire Brigade Committee reported at the last meeting of the Lichfield. Rural District Council that it had conferred with the Lichfield Corporation and had agreed to contribute one-half of the cost of the purchase of a new motor fire-engine, and to pay £100 per annum towards the upkeep of an efficient fire brigade, an arrangement which was approved by the committee.

New Midland Roads.

The proposal to construct a new road in the Wortley rural district, to connect the Wakefield and Sheffield and the Halifax and Sheffield main roads, at an estimater cost of £100,000, has been plated before the Ministry of Transport., but the Ministry states that it is not in a position to accede to the application for a grant. In the event of other funds becoming available, the Ministry proposes to invite local authorities to submit further applications.

The North British -Rubber Co., Ltd-, have made arrangements with Henry 'Hayes and Sons, Ltd., Rose Place, Liverpool, for the installation of a band-tyrefitting press.

Mr. S. Osborne has ceased to represent the R.A. Accessory Co., which company bold the sole manufacturing and patent rights for the Boatall economizer, orders for which should be sent to them direct.

250 sq. yds. -After successfully negotiat• lag these obstacles and travelling a. distance of about 40 yds., a barrel was placed on end, head on to the -transporter. The driver was instructed to pick up the barrel from this position. It was found., on lowering the elevating arms, that one arm engaged itself in one end of the cask. On the driver proceeding to elevate, the barsel swung round to its greatest diameter, or bilge; order to accommodate the other arm of the lifting attachment. The time taken from the start of this short journey, negotiating difficult angles, picking up the barrel from this irregular position, and driving back to the starting point was a little over 15 secs.

• This Roadcraft transporter can be delegated to fill other rides. The elevating attachment is removable, and in its stead may be arranged a table or platform suitable for loads of wool or other imports in bales and boxes. By the use of a second attachment, the machine may be used for tiering general merchandise.

Roadcraft, Ltd., are now building what they term a Model 2 truck, and in this design (shown in the diagrams accompanying this description) the machine Is constructed for another sphere of service, although it will embody the aboveMentioned applications. It is understood that the body portion (containing the -batteries) in the rear part of the existing truck will be removed and will be fitted underneath the chassis. The platform of the new truck will be 5 ft. 6 ins. long-. by 3 ft. 4 ins, wide, and will be capable of carrying 30 cwt. On both mollels there will be an attachment at the rear of the vehicles, which will enable 3 to 4 tons to be hauled on trailers. The cost of running is, roughly, about 2d. per ton-mile, including driver's wages, charging, etc.

The machine shown in onr photograph is rigidly constructed and has the driving rooter underneath the heavy steel chassis frame. The elevating motor is to the special design of Roadcraft, Ltd., and is connected through a series of gears. The power is transmitted through a worm, which is fitted to the bottom of the, screw, the screw being suspended on double

thrust bearings and 'self,aligning 'bearings. The carriage, which is .connected to this screw by means of a large nut, is supported in trunnion bearings, and in this way, should any irregularity se far as alignment is concerned through stress or strain take place, it would net interfere with the operating screw, the thrust of the elevated weight. being taken (as will be eV served) by four pulleys.

The wheel-controlled steering is operated by worm and sector. The wheels are so designed that the (entre of the

tread of thewheel is diametrically opposite the centre of thairrioving.axis. The wheels thus move on their own dead. centre.

Thercontroller is operated on the contact system. The contacts are externally expanding and interlock; with the main switch.

To drive the transporter the driver must frost of all depress a pedal, • which releases the brake and closes the main circuit. The advantage of this arrangement isthat, if the machine is running at top speed, to bring it to standstill all the driver has to do is to release his foot. This switches off the current and automatically applies the brake: If the controller is left in the

" " position, after the main drcuit has been switched, off, it is impossible to restart the truck until the controller is set at neutral. Two coils are fitted to the switch, and if the controller is left in any " on " position, these coils become excited and hold the locking attachment. The driver, therefore, has to start, from No. 1, No. 2, and so on.

The machine almost defies the wills of the foolish, for to operate the truck drivers mast adhere to the makers' instructions. At the same time as the trucks are in the custody of unskilled men the driving arrangements are the quintessence of simplicity.

The distance limit is between 50 and 60 miles. which is adequate for dock work. The capacity of the batteries is 36 volts, or an ampere capacity of 415 at the 5-hour rate of discharge. The doublepole change-over switch in connection with hoisting and lowering automatically 'replaces itself in the neutral position..