The Claims of the Motorbus for 1913.
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By the Editor.
The ensuing twelve months promise fully to maintain the rate of progress in the motorbus world for which 1911 and 1912 were so remarkable. Not only will this advance be sustained in Greater London, but prospects in the Provinces are at last becoming more encouraging.
Greater London's Needs.
The increase in the number of licensed motorbuses in London has exceeded 1000 during the year 1912, and it is now evident to all that we are well on the way towards the 5000 vehicles for which the Metropolis and its suburbs can easily find support. That total figure of 5000, when we adventured upon it more than seven years ago, brought nearly as much ridicule to us as did our forecast of two years ago that the London County Council electric tramcars were about. to be seriously pressed by the L.G.O.C. motorbuses. At the moment, within the administrative county of London, the L.C.C. electric tramcars serve in the aggregate less than one-half the total street mileage which is served, and better served, by the L,G.O.C. motorbuses. This fact, as we pointed out recently, is one that has not been taken into account by those enemies of the motorbus who are everlastingly harping upon the theme of the alleged greater danger of the more mobile unit.
Why Belittle Tramcars?
For the purposes of another particular reference to the London situation, we may appropriately quote a communication which reached these offices on Friday morning last. It comes, not altogether inappropriately, from a very wealthy friend of ours in the North of England who happens to have made a considerable fortune by association with an American group in the importation into this country of American goods, Whether his very material connection with Americanowned products and industry gives point to his criticism, or detracts from it, is a matter which is beside the question. He writes by way of suggestion --which we accept with alacrity : "ONE HEARS
" Constant expressions of astonishment, that the 'C.M.' should, in season and out of season, push the American-owned motorbus, and ignore its crooked little ways, while, whenever a possible opening occurs, it belittles the London-owned tramcar.—Verb. sap."
We should like to point out, with all the emphasis of which we are capable, that we back the motorbus against the tramcar, not by reason of its more-recent rapid development at the hands of a progressive financial group of which a particular gentleman is the leading spirit, but because of our absolute belief in. the merits of the self-contained public-service vehicle, both now and in the future. Even though it be granted that London passenger transit has been revolutionized on American lines, it cannot be overlooked that there has been enormous benefit in the result to London workers, both directly and indirectly, whilst it should not be forgotten that much English capital is embarked along with American capital in these varied arid huge undertakings.
The Reasons for Our Attacks.
We shall continue to attack the tramcar, in season and out of season, because we are convinced that it is an out-of-date vehicle for a huge city like London, and is deserving of like condemnation for many other cities and towns in the Kingdom It flourishes, alone, where it is protected against competition. The in
elusive operating costs for a tramcar system are now greater than those for a motorbus sustern, and the facilities for travelling are inferior, taking into account all circumstances, not exclusive of the problem of dealing with the crush-hour traffic both morning and evening.
Capital Value of Motorbuses Low Enough for Ample Reserves to Meet Crush Hours.
Having regard to the accomplished low capital cost per motorbus owned, which we .observe is erroneously put by electric-tramcar enthusiasts at the old figure of £1000 per unit, whereas £600 is nearer the mark, to-day, and having regard also to the certainty of regular and uniform working which is now assured from approved types of motorbuses, it is wholly feasible tor the proprietors to purchase and keep in reserve the requisite number of extra omnibuses to deal with the peak of the proposition. We admit that this has not been done adequately in the past, but it may come as a severe disappointment to the tramcarbound opponents of the motorbus to know that it will be done very soon under the American management which they set. out to decry and fight.
One of the features of the year 1913 will, we have good reason to believe, be a systematic tackling of this single remaining reproach to the motorbus—the lack of full provision of extra vehicles to cope with crush-hour traffic. This new move will certainly be one that will further establish the motorbus as a popular vehicle with the travelling public. In the circumstances which asserted themselves during the several years that have been available for organization, it should not be an occasion for surprise that this important detail of final motorbus organization should have been left almost to the last. It will sound the definite knell of the electric tramcar.
The Future of the Vehicle Our Concern.
We desire to protest, in no uncertain way, our detachment from any particular devotion to the cause of the parties who are at the moment pre-eminent in the London motorbus world. Whilst the writer reserves the right to a personal opinion on the political aspects of municipal trading, lie is writing non-politically on this topic. Our quarrel, as a iournal, with the London County Council does not find its genesis in the class and source of the finance which has made the premier motorbus undertaking so grave and real a competitor to existing and contemplated tramcar extensions. We shall continue to fight against the County Council schemes for tramcar extensions in London, in the first place because we believe, as stated earlier, the motorbus to be the more suitable vehicle, and in the second place because we do not Wish to see the giving over of additional streets to what in effect are railway tracks, the rails and slots of which cause damage and delay to all ordinary wheeled traffic. Were the L.C.C., however, to decide to throw over its electrictramcar undertaking, and to go in largely for motorbuses, which expedient course we consider is by no means outside the bounds of possibility, we should give to it the same support that we have given since the year 1905 to all and every motorbus undertaking which was handled on commercial lines, and not for the purpose of extracting money from the public without regard to prospects.
The Way to Rescue L.C.C. Millions.
Furthermore, we would point out to the Highways Committee of the L.C.C., and most of all to Sir John Bonn, that there is a better policy before them than to throw more good money after bad by trying to. rescue the tramways. They say that the twelve. millions sterling which has been sunk by the ratepayers, amongst whom, we again desire to remind everybody concerned, we are ourselves to be reckoned, must not be lost, We reply, that they are not setting about the recovery or service of that capital in the right manner, and we state that view in the light of facts which have transpired during the last two years of motorbus operation in London. We commend to those gentlemen, who profess such great concern for the interests of the L.C.C. ratepayers, the outstanding fact that Sir Edgar Speyer and his associates have made good and rescued non-dividend-paying capital, inclusive of capital sunk in specific electric undertakings, not by pouring further money into those undertakings, but by the expenditure of a relativelysmall amount upon motorbuses. As compared with the achievement of Sir Edgar Speyer, the making good of the twelve millions of capital that have been sunk in the L.C.C. tramways is a mere bagatelle, provided the L.C.C. has the pluck to give up its fetish of tramcars and tramcars only, and to go in for motorbuses. 'Will 1913 disclose a revision?
We have, our critics and friends alike must agree, controverted by the foregoing declaration the suggestion for which our friend in the North is responsible, that we are ready to praise the action of any particular individuals. Such is not the case. Our praise is for the vehicle which has already come to the rescue of certain electric undertakings, and which other
people might use, for the same purpose, did they only possess the perception equal to that of Our abused American geniuses. We admit that the motorbus was not even on the horizon at the date when the L.C.C. became committed to electric traction.
Enormous General Scope.
Finally, on the all-round prospects of the publicservice passenger vehicle for the ye.ar 1913, all reports, both from makers and from owners, indicate that the motor-coach and the motor char-kebancs fields are by no means exhausted, but are capable of alraoet indefinite further development. Of course, the high earnings that were recorded during the beautiful weather which was enjoyed in the summer months of 1911 may not return, and may not be experienced by new purchasers. Average earnings of half-a-crown a mile are none the less easily to be maintained, and that is a paying figure, in spite of the shortness of the touring season, but it must not be forgotten that many owners of such vehicles manage also to do exceedingly well out of them during the autumn and winter months, on conversion for goods-carrying purposes. There are at the moment upwards of 4500 motor coaches, motor omnibuses and motor chars-hbanes at work in the United Kingdom outside London. That another 1000 will be added to the provincial total during 1913 will in all probability prove to be a low estimate.