The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-05-26
ENGLAND WILL BUY SIXTY AEROPLANES Great Struggle for Suprem- acy in Transportation THE MOTOR TRAFFIC Controversy in Germany Over the Duel Recalls Times When the
 Practice Was in Vogue
 in England
THE MOTOR TRAFFIC
By PHILIP EyERETv

effort in the matter of aeroplanes. The news that the treasury has authorized l the purchase of GO machines and is pre- pared to increase the number to 100 as soon as there are pilots trained for the l service will be read throughout England with general satisfaction. It Is the first practical proof the authorities have given Of their conversion to the urgent needs Of the nation.
 The conversion has been slow and
 painful, notwithstanding the practical demonstrations of efficiency afforded in this country by the competitions fo- prizes Invaluable time has been wasted in dlsputing the military value of aero planes, In discussing plans for schools and ind>~ising means of shifting the btrden from the government by appealing
 te the viearious charity of private indi-
 viduas.
 Not less important, and even more in- l teresting, is the announcement that the l hyGro-aeroplane, upon which naval ex- | perts have been engaged has passed be- l yond the stage of experiment. If this 1 problem has been solved a most valuable I addition has been made to the strength al.G mobility of the navy. The diff culty has been to design a machine which
 slall be at once a flyer and sailor-a l craft that will float securely enough to I enatle it to begin and end it's flight under
 th, lee of a battleship or cruiser. Even
 new it will be long before we can hope
 to come up with our competitors abroad
 TLey have been doing while we have
 been discussing and dsputing.
 
 I If all our laws were enforceds carpen-
 tors and ioiners would have a busy time
 erecting stocks throughout the country. 4 Tna pilory has been formally abolished, ' but a still unrepealed act of 1677 penal ties with two hours in the stocks any per
 sor who shall do or exercise any worldly
 lahor, business or work of his ordinary calling upon the Lords day or any part thereof; shall travel or come into his inn l or lodging upon the Lords day, or shall use, employ or travel upon the Lords
 day any boat, wherry, lighter or barge except 1t be upon extraordinary business 1 to be allowed by some justice of the reace."
 1 One of The keenest fights of modern tires is in progress for supremacy in the l transport of Londons millions of pas seneers Omnibuses are pitted against on nibuses, and they in their turn are waging a great struggle with tramway l cars The war is none the less deadly be- l cause 1t is going on quietly and In many lrerts unnoticod. Millions are involved 1 One of the first symptoms is an intern
 ecine sort of warfare among the omnibus ] group. The "Octopus" as the London
 General has been not inaptly called, has
 spread it's tentacles into nearly every
 par. of London and in so doing has en-
 cl cached on the domain which other com-
 panies have hitherto looked upon as their OWL The immediate fight Is between lthe General and the Metropolitan Steam Omnibus eompany-the latter of which l owns 62 omnibuses.
 The first attack has been made by the smaller company, which on Good Friday l declared a rate war by drastital1y cut
 ting down nearly all their fares by 30 to !, 8 per cent. "This was in answer" Mir. l Clifford, the general manager of the com
 pany. stated ito a hostile move on the part of the London General company, who 1 hac commenced two services which touch 1 our ground between Herne HAl and Put | nev and Brixton and the city. We made l tho route they have come to reap the
 benefit of 1t, but we intend to put up
 stiff fight
 The immediate benefit to the public iu 1 tlis quarrel is that some exceedingly cheap rides may be obtained. For in
 stance, the public may now travel by a l Metropolitan omnibus between kenning- 1 ton Gate and Cornhill for i penny. The fare used to be tuppence. The journey may be extended to Brixton for anothe' l 1GllpennN. DdlStOn JuiltNlOH to iilc rsit- plant costs cents; the /re was forni- 1 erlv cents. Many penny stages have been cut down to a halfpenny. Althouef the. revised rate has only had short trial the management express themselves sat isfed with the result
 In the meantime the London General coupany have made no reply to this at tack, and 1t is not their intention at pres en to reduce any fares. But their whole energies are given over to perfecting and developing their system, so that once the | Iublic have acquired the omnibus habit | they will retain it through the excellence os the service given.
 l The remarkable progress of motor
 t'affic is shown by the figures of the annual census taken by Motor Tractol in Fleet street. London, on St. Georges day. Between a. m and 8 D. m. on that
 day not single horse omnibus passed along that busy thoroughfare, while motor oalnbuses totaled 21l0.
 Five years ago there were 2241 horse orinibuses to 99o of the motor-driven type
 while two years earlier there were prob ably 5000 horse omnibuses and no motor
 omnibuses at all. The progress of motor cabs is even more remarkable In the
 cfrsus taken on April 23, 1907, there were only iS motor-cabs to 1902 horse cabs. Or April 23 last the motor-cabs numbered 1ass, while the number of horse cabs hai | sl ~unk to 22S.
 Another interesting feature of the census
 is tfat for the first time motor vehicles
 exec eded those drawn by horses. the ig- ures being: Motor 4l,9s6, horse 4i,60i-a ma, ,ority for motors of 3S2. Tn 1911 the
 pos ition was reversed. horse vehicles hay ing majority of SS7.
 The controversy around the duel in Germany recalls how duelling flourished an eng the Irish squires of the past. It was the dessert of the dinner There is
 the story of the Galway gentleman who was seen practcng with the pistol in his
 back garden And the explanation. I've
 a dinner party of friends this evening, ne explained, and am getting my pls- ioi hand in practice" One recalls, too. atl MacDonagh's note of dying squires last words of advice to his son. God bless you my boy' he said. II leave you nothing but debts and mortgages; but I'll
 give you one piece of advice-never drink with your back to the fire, and never fight a opel with your face to the sun" Travelled 10000 Miles to Serve 2 Days From The Manila Times
 | Ten thousand miles of travel by land and sea brought Second Lieutenant Pier son to the Philippines. and after two days of duty with the regiment to which
 he had been appointed it Is possible that he will turn in his tracks and travel