Loose Leaves.
Page 46
Page 47
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WE are often asked if such-and-such a municipal body is entitled toconduct a bus service and to enter into agreements with bus owners to run buses on approved routes. A municipal authority is only entitled to do those things that are specifically authorized in the local Act and those which are incidental to the powers so conferred. Usually, the powers which are given to a municipal body to own and run buses are wide enough to allow it'to let out the buses themselves to a contractor, but if the municipal body does not actually own any buses it would not, as a rule, be entitled to let to a bus operator the right to operate buses on the routes authorized under its Act.
Except in those cases where a municipal bus service has been run for some years, is adequate to public needs and there is no interference with facilities for travel beyond the boundaries of the town, we hold that municipalities should confine their attention in the matter of bus services to the licensing and inspection of vehicles and the approval of services, holding the balance between the prevention of unfair competition and the encouragement' of enterprise and draWing royalties on wayleaves. Where operators feel themselves to be dealt with unfairly, an appeal to the Minister of Transport under the provisions of the Roads Act of 1920 would be the proper course. In suitable eases the Minister would arrange for an inspector to hold a local inquiry, at which all interested persons would be allowed to give evidence. WE should hardly dare to look upon' The Com mercial Motor as a 'family. magazine, and yet evidence is not wanting to show that the youngsters do not ignore its pages. Only 11. few weeks ago, while chatting with a well-known coachbuilder, we were amused to learn that the arrival of this journal at his home is regarded as quite an auspicious event by his son of under 10 years, who carefully marks up interesting parts for his father's perusal.
Then, again, at an ex-&rvice men's dinner, where we came across many readers of the paper, we were interested to hear from two present that the journal, after being seen, passes around the family, the kiddies cutting out many of the drawings, etc. We are not, however, at the moment, considering the addition of a'" Children's Corner," but, apparently, the younger generation is becoming just as Interested in technicalities as the older.
IN the page which we devote to the contributions of drivers and mechanics we recently published a letter from a driver giving some tips relating to the starting -of large engines. This letter, like one that was published recently on the subject of bigends, brought letters from all parts of the country from owners of lorries pointing out the difficulties that drivers have to start large engineS, especially on cold mornings, and describing the various dodges they have found by experience to help them in this exhausting task.
. Many of the correspondents Call attention to the fact that, although engines have been gradually increasing in size, practically nothing has been done by the designer to ease the task of starting. Many of the letters point out that difficulties in starting not only inconvenience the driver, but, in bus and coach work, punctuality, which is of great Mr portance, is affected. Engines that• frequently cause delay and upset time-tables therefore become unpopular, not only with the drivers, but with the operating managers.
One of the letters contains a suggestion that appears to be worthy of consideration. Knowing the difficulties of providing an electric starter ' for the large engines used on commercial motors, the writer of the letter proposes that a small singlecylinder engine, similar to those used in motorbicycles, should be fitted and used to start the larger engine. This suggestion, like many others which appear in the page devoted to the suggestions of drivers and mechanics, is worthy of the serious consideration of engine designers. The portable engine starter serves well enough in the garage, but the assistance is needed at every restart throughout a day's run.