Management of Motor Omnibus Companies.
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The Editor," THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR."
Sir :—I strongly uphold you in your article on Motor Omnibus Management. There is no possible doubt but that the board of directors are greatly to blame for a big share of the trouble attached to same, especially in the selection of their chief engineer. This official should he a thorough, sound, practical, all-round man—a man that can walk through a shop and take in at a glance the exact position of affairs, and, still further, a man who can take up a job and do it himself, thereby knowing well how it should be done and the time it should take to complete it. .k rancy, theoretical man is absolutely no good to a company ; he is an expensive individual altogether, and a millstone around its neck. What we really want in London are more men such as Mr. Turner Smith, of the Motor Omnibus Construction Company, a man who really knows his work and is capable of carrying it through by himself. It is not necessary to have a large staff of figureheads such as some companies have. For instance, one company 1 know of has a chief and two assistant engineers, a foreman and an assistant foreman for the day work. The night shift is not so bad, but I can safely say that there is not one of them that really knows his work, and, what is more, they are afraid of each other. How, under these circumstances, can a company expect to prosper? The number of its buses approaches forty, and of that total there are twelve or fourteen in the yard every day, besides others running in for small repairs. This will show you plainly that the heads are not capable men.
Why is it that these companies prefer certificated theoretical electricians, etc., to good men with practical coinmon sense who can do their work? What can an electrician know alxiut an internal combustion engine? Nothing I Then why should he hold the post as chief and suck the brains of his men? It is not their ability that puts them there, but influential members of the company, and it is the same regarding the minor positions. T am thoroughly convinced that, until this sort of thing is done away with, the business will never be much better.— Yours faithfully, A MOTOR MAN.