WHEELS OF INDUSTRY.
Page 4
Page 5
Page 6
Page 7
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
The wheel of wealth wall be slowed bp all difficulties of transport at whatever points arising, as a carriage is bv the roughness of the roads over which it runs.' John Beattie Crozier.
Leyland Profits.
The report of the directors of Leyland Motors, Ltd., for the year 1919 covers nine months of the operations of the old company and, the first three months of those of the new concern. Results have been affected by the execution of a number of old orders at much below current prices, by the moulders' strike, and other difficulties in connection with labour. The gross earnings of the company' are £347,800, from which interest on loans, income-tax, directors' fees, and depreciation absorb £233,100. The proportion of profits for the first nine months, .£86-,800, not being distributable, has been placed to c.apital surplus account, leaving £28,000 assailable for dividends, reserve, etc. The directors propose to pay the balance of the dividend on the 6 per cant, preference shares (bringing the rate thereon up to 7i per cent.) and a 10 per cent, dividend on the ordinary shares, the sum of £4,000 being carried forward. The directors announce that orders from the new branches that have been opened in Australasia, Canada, South Africa, and elsewhere, and from agents abroad have exceeded the available output.
No More Slough Auctions.
At Frascati's, London, on Wednesday, the United Motor and General Insurer ce Co., which is now associated, with the Liverpool Marine and General Insurance Co., held a very successful dinner attended by reostsof the leading agents of the country. This insurance company is the first attempt or :he Motor trade to institute •an entesprise in the insurance world which is _confined, po far as the agencies are concerned, to motor dealers, and although, in common with other insurance companies, their last year's results have not been so good as expected, high hopes were held out by leading traders, such as Mr. A. N. Mobbs, 0.13.E., Mr. A. R. Atkey, M.P. Col.
Alan Burgoyne, M.Ps, and Mr. K. Starley, President of the M.T.A., for the future success of theconcern.
• At this meeting, Mr. Mobbs made the announcement that, on and after July 1st, all auction sales from the Slough Depot will be stopped, and that sales will be proceeded with brIthe usual advertisements in the technical press. This "Mr. Mobbs announced, was an-effort on behalf of the Slough Depot. to stabilize the commercial vehicle industry, which has been seriously affected by these auction sales.
The Makers Should Do It.
The secreAry of the North Western Division of the Commercial Motor Users Association draws the attention of manufacturers of heavy commercial vehicles to the fact that finished vehicles are often turned out without the actual weight:or speed limit being painted on the chassis, and that, .also, ill many cases where the numbers required by law are displayed on the velnele they are often painted on the left-hand sicie instead of on the right. Purchasers, in several instances, assume that the vehicles are ready for the road when D22 the registered number has been painted on, and overlook the matter of the axle weights and speed limit; and, in consequence, summonses are frequent. On the whole, it seems that this is a matter which should conie within the purview of the manufacturer, as, in any case, his facilities for weighing the machine in the stripped condition are greater than those of the purchaser.
The Royal Show.
We have laeen unavoidably compelled in our report of the Royal Show at Darlington, to be found on pages 516-533 inclusive, to exclude many illustrations of the exhibits and certain matter dealing with them, including all reference to manufacturers of accessories, oil, greases, and other supplies and sundries suitable and necessary for farm and other agricultural uses. We shall deal, in our next issue, with these omissions.
Extraordinary Traffic Case.
The subscribers and guarantors to the fund, which at present amounts to a little over £9,000, established in order to enable the Commercial Motor Users Association to fight the Extraordinary Traffic case, must feel very great satisfaction at the present position of affairs; and there is no question but that the extra amount that is required in order to increase this fund to carry the figbt through the final stages will be readily forthcoming.
, Gear Cutting.
We understand that prompt attention will be given to large or small orders for grinding, milling, gear cutting, etc., by Timms Motor Engineering Works, 8a, William Streets "West 'Kensington, W. 14, where 20 Or so modern machine tools are devoted to this class of work.
Sentinel Works Magazine.
Following the example of so many others; the Sentinel works are now proclueing a magazine for the staff, and we have been favoured with the first number of this interesting organ. It includes an instructive article entitled "Did the War Leave Us Rich or Poor?" and the whole question is dealt with in a very thorough manner, Two pages are devoted to gardening ands& small section to photography. Topical questions such as housing are dealt with, and, in fact, the whole production reflects great credit on its Editors.
Petroleum in Venezuela.
Active competition for new concessions is taking place in Venezuela amongst representatives of several of the large oil companies. Much of the ground is at present held by the Colon Development Co., Ltd., under a 50-year concession, covering a total of about 5 million acres ; as only two 'thousand acres; have been occupied in the 13 years during which the concession has been ill force. The Government is seeking in the High Federal Court to have the concession annulled. The result of this suit is being awaited with interest.
More Straker Capital.
Messrs. Straker-Squire, Ltd., are Issuing at par £300,000 worth of 7 per. cents, income tax free, short term notes, repayable at 105 per cent in five years' time. The notes will be in denominations of £25, £50, and £100, half yearly interest coupons being attached, interest being payable on January 1st and July let in each year, the list of applications closing mirk before Saturday next, July 3rd.
The company have orders in hand aino-unting to one million pounds, and further capital can, for the time being, be profitably employed. The work t at Edmonton stand on freehold land of 14 acres, the buildings at present covering seven acres. They are thoroughly well equipped, and, in the course of a visit which we recently paid, we came to the conclusion that they are exceedingly well organized, being replete with the most modem machinery and labour-saving appliances to permit production on a large scale. The profits for the year ended March 31st last amounted to £46,564, which includes compensation for disturbance andoprofits on the sale of the old premises; but for the delayed production of the last five months, the directors are of the opinion that the profits would have exceeded 275,000. The new A type lorry is a -particularly fine production, for which a large and growing demand must be enjoyed as it becomes better known and appreciated.
London's Bigger Buses.
In a recent issue of The Commercial Motor (having some foreknowledge of -what was being done in the matter) we dealt with the need for still further increase in the size of motor omnibuses for London. It is now becoming, • in a measure, known that the London General Omnibus Co. intend to introduce a type of bus which represents a substantial advance on the B type, which 'seats 34 passengers, and on the X type, which seats 46; the new type accommodating 28 outside and 28 inside. All the outside seats face forward as usual; of the inside seats, the two in the front face inwards, but all the others face forward. and each seat is provided with a press button to enable the passenger to corn, inunicate with the driver.
Lincoln Garages.
Those who go to Lincoln for the tractor trials will find the garages of Messrs. R. M. Wright and Co., Ltd., and of Messrs. Stocks, Ltd., in proximity, well able, to garage commercial as well as tour
vehicles. Messrs. Wright are running tike Maxwell, Guy, and .4.M.C. commercial vehicle agenCies; and have purchased adjoining premises for early extension. Messrs. Stocks, Ltd., opened their garage in February, an make a Special feature of the C.M.I.T.A. night service. On the pavement outside their premises is a Bowser filtered petrol pump that;is proving of great convenience to passingmotorists. These and other pumps of alike mauve are becoming more and more in favour.
Alcohol in Atistralia.
The motor fuel question is becoming a serious one in Australia. Already cupplies of petrol are being rationea, and the opinion is being freely expressed that the price of petrol will be increased to 5s. per gallon within 12 months. The question of utilizing wage molasses for the distilling of power alcohol is being taken up actively in Queensland, and experiments are being conducted to test the properties of this fuel in running, and starting motors from cold. It is painted out that 7 million gallons of molasses were wasted in Queensland in 1.917, and this quantity would have produced nearly 21 million gallons of power ipirit. Australia's output of 300,000 ma of sugar represents 15 millon pions of molasses annually, which would iroduce nearly five million gallons of Dower alcohol.
Bartle One-man Hood.
One of the most novel and practical me-man hoods for chare-&-banes has been iroduced by Jas. Bartle and Co., the rail-known engineers and enachbuilders, d 236a, Lancaster Road, W.11. This uxxl will probably be seen by many of ear readers who are visiting the Royal how at Darlington, -where the hood is shibited on a J-typo Thornyeroft char-banes.
The Bartle one-man hood is so simple
its ecnistruction that the only stirrising fact is that other people have not eveloped the idea. It is anade up in ietions for each seat, each section being amplebe in itself, with the hood igerial, hoop _sticks, and brackets for le latter. Wqteir erected each section , held to _its neighbours by neatlyesigned eccentric hood locks, so rranged that the act of locking draws Se sections together. At each joint are vo separate water plates, which preant, rain from penetrating the hood. he complete hood is strained by straps tached to the front wings and to the mopy portion over the driver. The ar-most section has its material ;tached to the rear of the body by cons of the usual turnbuttona.
Each bracket carrying the hoop sticks Ids over in the centre and down against Eta end of the seat, so that it does not otrucle in any way. The hoop sticks so fold down neatly with their portions
hood over the backs of the seats in such a way as not to inconvenience the passengers, and the front hoop of each section fits into small clips provided on each hoop-stick bracket. The extension arms for the canopy portion can be withdrawn h-cm their sockets and placed under the driver's seat.
To erect the hood the work is commenced starting with the front portion, and, if required, one or more of the rear portions need not be erected. To fold the hood each section is released from that in front, the whole operation taking a minute or so, and capable of being performed with the greatest ease by one man. The advantages of this con% struction are that, if damaged, a section can be replaced at a low cost, and with great rapidity; the weight of the hood is evenly distributed over the whole length of the body, and not concentrated over the back seats, as happens with the ordinary type; and, lastly, the view of the driver towards the rear is not obstructed.
Commers in the Spanish Trials
News has come to hand that the two Commer Car vehicles which are competing in. the Spanish commercial vehicle trials, an international event in which eight countries are represented, have successfully completed the first four stages of the trial. The first stage was from Barcelona to Lerida, a distance of 161 kilo, the next Lerida to Huesca-, 153 kilos, the next Huesca. to Zaragoza, 72.600 kilos, and the fourth stage Zaragoza to Alahma, 114.600 kilos. During the first and second stages of the trial petrol-was used as fuel, on the third alcohol mixture, and on the fourth benzoic. lie fourth stage of the trial was very exacting, as the route lay over a range of mountains, and the vehicles had to run in convoy. Two stages have still to be completed.
Appointment Wanted.
We know of an officer, recently demobilized from the Army after 4i years' service, who, before the war, was secretary to several British companies and has a very complete knowledge of eompany law, and who is desirous of obtaining an appointment of a similar nature, preferably in the London dietrict. Letters seat to J. J., care of Editor, The Cotimercial Motor, 7-1.5, Rosebery Avenue, London, E.C. 1, will be forwarded.
The Inst. of T. Dinner.
The first dinner of the Institute of Transport was held at the Royal Automobile Club last Friday, with the first President, the Right Hon. Sir Erie Geddes, G.C.B., M.B.E., M.P., in the chair. He was supported by the Right Hon. Edward Shortt, M.P., Secretary of State for the Home Department; the Hon. Sir Arthur Stanley, G.B.E., and many men prominent in the transport industry and associated with the technical institutions. The level of the
speeches was particularly high. Mr. Snortt proposea the toast of "The Institute ox Iransport," and showed the value of the Institute to the industry, in enabling men to acquire and assimilate a knowledge of the acience'of transport. Ho said that transport is essential not only to itself but also to everything else. He dealt a good deal, in his speech, with the, Minister and the Ministry of Transport; in fact, like king Charles's head, this subject cropped up constantly.
Sir Eric-Geddes in reply, said that the Institute -had the 'ideal of the advancement of transport to a science. He dealt humorously swith the comparison of the circumstances attending the birth of the Institute with the troubleus times which the Ministry had -been going through. Turning to roads, he said that whatever was best for all kinds of load users the Ministry would adopt. The great weight of opinion had been thrown in favour of a system—not perhaps the beat but a good system—of raising money for the benefit of the roads, and he could say that, with the £8,000,000 sterling at their disposal, and with Sir H. P. Maybury at the head of the Roads Department, roads would receive the finest scientific treatment. The roads, were being classified, and it was the intention of the Ministry to provide highways of one gauge right through. Break of gauge had handicapped canals, roads, and railways, and was likely to create a diffiaulty in the electripeation of railways, but there was an opportunity now, at. the commencement of a new era, to lay down big, broad roads whereVeriit was necessary to carry heavy traffic. We were becoming idealists in road traffic and we shauld lead the world in. it. He said that transportation is the servant of the community, but it, required the confidence of the community, because TIO servant can give good service if he is always being damned.
Sir Arthur Stanley proposed the toast of "The Transport /ndustry " in one of Iris witty speeches, Sir G H. Clangliton, Bart., Chairman L. and N.W.R., replying in what was afterwards described by Sir Erie Geddes as a statesmanlike speech. •
Sir Henry P. Maylaury proposed the toast of "The Guests" in his usual felicitous manner, Mr. Arthur Neal, M.P., Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Transport, making a brilliant speech In reply, largely aimed at justifying the methods of the Ministry. He did, however, make an appeal for the removal of the present uncertainty with regard to the future of the Ministry's railway policy, because, said he, " uncertainty is one of the greatest handicaps that any community can suffer."
. Sir Lynden Macassey, K.C., K.B.E., proposed the toast of The Press." to which the Right Hon. Lord Riddell replied.
Shale Oil in .Spain.
A recent report issued by the Sociedad Industrie Quimica de Zaragoza says that an experimental installation has been set in operation for the purpose of investigating the possibilities of the bituminous shale deposit* in the province of Teruel. The experiments so far appear to have given satisfactory results, and iteis hoped that the working of the -depOsits. will prove profitable, since there are no particular difficulties in connection therewith and the concern possesses. the advantage of being able to use ase as foal the sis,ale employed in the distillery.
Petroleum Wells at Plaza Huincut.
According to recent advices from
• Bneuces Aires, the boring of a second oil well has been completed at :Plaza Huincitl. The Department. of Mines announces that, according to-telegrams received; the production of this second veil amounts to 2,700 litres daily, and the Department considers that, to view of the resulte obtained, the eireliminary exPloretion stage may be looked upon as terminated and that the industrial expeitation of the wells may be organized at once.
Et 1?essonen report& that the Minister of Agriculture has decided to proceed without deley with the construction of works on: a laige scale, and that the Department has been authorized to spend the sum of 250,000 pesetas on the preliminary operations...
Meat Refrigerator Vans.
The Liverpool Transport Co., Ltd., which handles a very considerable quantity of perishable traffic, ate going ahead with their scheme for the prevision of refrigerator vans, and very shortly they will have from 20 to 25 in commission. They will be cork insulated, with hinged doors on the sides, after the style of the railway refrigerators. Each van will have a capecity of five tons, and willhe • ring-topped, so that it can be lifted frorit the platform of the car, when this is needed for other loads.
It is a strange fact, we are informed, that when meat, no matter how well it is sheeted and covered, is sent by road, a journey of 40 mike or so, it is impoesible to exclude the presence of particles of duet.
The covered van will overcome this de-' feet, and, what is more, vehicles carrying meat will no longer he required to be unheeded and their contents placed in cold store overnight if the journey is net to be commenced until the following morning, as at the present time, with the use of motor refrigerators. The problem ' of return loading has not been solved, arid no doubt a way out will present itself in the course of the. experiments which are to be carried out.
• The company bare on larder a number of 1 tanners for the distribution during the eusuidg summer. months of ice, of which is lead was recently taken from Liverpoced to Leeds.
To Minimize Char-a-bancs Accidents.
In the south-west Lancashire diritri7t lately there have been a number of motor ehar-a-hancs accidents, and a proportion Of them, at least, have been caused by drivers having no knowledge of the vehicles that have been following them alongea road. We have observed that very few of these vehiclel carry traffic vellectore, and believe, if more of them were so equipped, accidents would be fewer. Two useful suggestions have been made on this topic, the first being that -the top right-hand corner of the windscreen, if it is high enough, should be silvered and made into a mirror. The other is that the rear seat in the coach should-be raised and a mirror placed in front of one of the end seats, so that the person seated there could communicate the presence of -ether traffic to the driver by means of a bell.
To its long list of triumphs the Austin farm tractor has now added the highest • award—a silver medal—given at the show of the Staffordshire County Agricultural Society, held at Hanley Park on June 16th and 17th, for the best new farm implerneut
Police and Road Traffic.
We have heard of several instances lately of increased vigilance on the part of the police authorities for minor breaches of the law by owners or drivers of commercial road vehicles. The manager of a big fleet in the North told us that hi's cars have on several occasions recently been stopped because of obscuretion of numbers which it is contended should be visible on both sides,
Other evidence lies reached us to the effect that the police in some places are keeping a watchful eye on those cars that are regular incureioniste to their locality; that these attentions are resented by drivers; and that, to avoid them, in some cases more devious routes: have been taken, so as not to give the guardians of the law any trouble.
The blue paper has been far to much in evidence lately, and it seems etrange that in those districts where the police are extraordinarily courteous, they are exceptionally "down." en the poor motor owners and drivers.
We conclude from the statements of transport men, to whose word we attach some reliance, that, important as road haulage is to great terminal centres, there are still some small townships which regard heavy metors as an unmitigated nuisance. It is regrettable that there should be this apparent hostility, and while we realize and approve 'of every precaution being taken to ensure public safety, local authorities are not likely to achieve theie soul's ambition by an idle policy of pin-paicldne.
We have heard of drivers giving Prescot, near Liverpool, and Sandbach a wide berth.
'Mirrors on Motors.
At the County Councils Association the Highways Committee reported having considered aletter from the Warwickshire County: Council in favour of the universal adoption of e regulation requiring the use of mirrors on the offside of heavy mechanical vehicles for the purpose of enabling drivers to observe traffic approaching from the rear. The Association approved ofe the suggestion, and decided to communicate with the Ministry of Transport on the point. •
Tractors in Spain.
The Ford Motor Co., Ltd., has been organizing on a large scale in Spain a campaign in favour of the employment of agricultural motor tractors, and it is stated that a number of Fordsons are already on the way. There is still much primitive machinery in the essentially agricultural provinces of Ciudad Real and Toledo; but representatives of motrir -tractor manufacturers have been hard at work converting the farmers, who are bound down by routine, to the use of modern machinery.
Native manufacturers of agricultural machines are constantly improving their methods of production, and, by reason of the struggle between farm owners and their workers, which is forcing the farmer to depend more than eves on machinery, there seems to be a very encouraging future for the industry
increased Rail and Motor .Costs.
Merchants and manufacturers are yery • _oncerned at the possibility of a 40 per :eat. increasa on rail goods traffic, and, is showing how the auva,need rates corntare with those of motor haulage, we lave obtained from the Liverpool Motor dasdage Clearing House the following ipprosurnate quotations:—
Cotton and Linen Goods' Manchester to Liverpool.
We believe, in view of the impending tcrease in rail charges that it would be good' business move on the pall of tubers to keep comparative statistics I the costs of transport by rail and by sad respectively, and put them before sssible clients to show those clients of mirs who are very conservatively inined, that road transport is a sound sintnercial proposition, not to mention s other advantages
L.G.G. Co. to Find 72 Million Penny Fares.
Those who are responsible for Len. m's vast omnibus system make no &action to paying their fair share under o new scheme for the taxation of road affic. It is obviously to the interest id advantage a the motorbus commies that the appalling condition into hich many of our principal roadways ive fallen during and through the war ould be repaired as rapidly and as °roughly as possible. A bad road is e worst enemy with which the motor. is has to contend.
There appears to be an impression 'road that the large passenger-carrying ncerns are going to get off lightly tder the new taxation, as compared ith the lesser road-users. It has been
suggested in some quarters that the annual tax of 284 per licensed buswill mean to the London General Omnibus Co., Ltd., an incretise, of only 7 per rent, under this head of taxation. 1919 is art impossible year for purposes of comparison, as the processes of reconstruction and recovery* from the war kept the numbers of the buses in use constantly changing. But, taking the yrar 1918, the average payment in taxation per licensed bus was 263, an increase of no less than 33 per cent. It is estimated that the new impost will involve additional taxation of 251,500 per annum for the L.G.O. Co. That represents over 12.000,000 pearly fares.. The total estimated taxation which the L.G.O. Co. will ' have to meet under this head in the incoming year will be nearly '2300,000 (72 million pennies). For one single concern operating within one single circlewith a radius of some 15 miles, that seems a con-siderable pro. portion ol the 29,000,000 annually which Sir Henry Maybury requires for road repairs throughout the whole country.
A Good Performance.
A Harrier 5 ton lorry owned by the Liverpool Transport Co. recently made' a good performance in a, return trip to London. Leaving Liverpool' fully lcaded at 10 a.m. on a Monday morning, after discharging at London, it returned to Liverpool by 5 p.m. on the Wednesday evening. A short time previonaly another Harrier and trailer made a similar journey without a bitch.
Standardized Tenders.
At a meeting of the County Cour-wilt Association, the Highways Committee reported having had a further letter from the Association of British Motor Manufacturers, Ltd., in regard to its suggestion for the adoption of a standard tender form for use in con leelion with the supply of motor vell'cres
to local authorities. The Association pointed out that the main object was to secure the standardization of general conditions of sale rather than of types of vehicles.
The County Councils Association, how. ever, reiterated its view that the -standardization of general conditiors of sale is -unnecessary. Opinion throughout the trade, however, is strongly in faveur of it.
Preparing for Buses.
The Southend Corporation Highways Committee has had before it a report upon negotiations which had been entered into between the Light Raihvays and Electric Lighting Committee and the Westcliff Motor Char-k.hancs Co:, in regard toa proposal to Tun a service of buses between the High Street and Hamlet Court Road, and the -borough surveyor has reported as to the necessity for tar-dressing the surface of Het roadways traversed by the buses in order to render them fit to tike the additional wear. He was directed to arrprig.,: for this work to be carried out according,ly.