CO885-(20-21) — Page 674

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

TIC.O.885

21 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO

8

bridges. When motor transport was first started culverts were conspicuous by their absence, their place being taken by "Irish bridges," or in other words "wash-outs," which necessitated the vehicles being pulled up dead, and frequently partially off-loaded, on all the principal roads; these have now been replaced by stone and cement culverts constructed to take a 6-ton axle load. The unmetalled roads in the dry season are quite good as regards surface, and surprisingly fast when kept clear of grass; they dry very quickly after the local thunderstorms.

The motor vehicles at present in use are run by the Transport Department, and

are:-

1 Two-ton Lacre Sheet Van, 16 II.P.

12-ton Commer Company Lorry, 24-32 H.P.

1 Lacre official car, 5 seats, 16 H.P.

1 Roc military motor cycle, 4 II.P.

1 Lacre sheet van, 16 H.P., on order.

1 Commer, 2 ton, on order.

1 Aveling and Porter, 6-ton light tractor, on order.

The Lacre machines are about the best class of vehicle that I have met with for this class of work; they are eminently suitable for being driven by natives, as they are practically fool proof," but at this altitude, 4,000 feet above mean sea level, the power is not quite enough, and as this firm do not at present make a lorry of higher power, another make was selected; this, the Commer, has now been running some four months, and is giving satisfaction. It is considerably faster than the Lacre's, but the body work seems unnecessarily heavy. A local German firm has taken up the agency for Commer vehicles and Polack tyres, and have a machine on the way out. Another firm has an I. C. tractor with trailers also on order. There are also a few privately-owned motor cycles in use. Aveling road rollers in use, and a Roc motor cycle.

The Public Works Department has two

All the I. C. vehicles are run on paraffin by means of the Cotterill vapouriser, petrol only being used to warm them up. We have found here that ordinary petrol fitments are quite suitable for paraffin, it only being necessary to provide a suitable hot air supply; this we do by fitting two Cotterill tubes in the exhaust pipes, the outer ends being in direct communication with the atmosphere, and the inner in direct connection with the main air supply of the carburettor, a throttle being fitted in the connection to control the amount of air passed. The only alteration necessary for a bicycle is a small helmet oiler on the top of the float chamber for the prelimi- nary filling with petrol. The engines do not seem to soot up excessively, as it is necessary only to clean them out every 2,000 miles; the mechanical lubricators as supplied with the vehicles hardly permit of the supply being cut down sufficiently low, paraffin fuel seeming to require less lubrication than petrol. The paraffin fuel used is made by the Asiatic Petroleum Company, and is known as 150 test; it is an illuminating oil, and I am unable to state its specific gravity or flash point; it costs landed in Entebbe 1s. 4d. a gallon, whilst petrol works out at 4s. 6d. per gallon; Jubricating oils and greases are all Vacuum Oil Company's products.

The ignition on the Lacre's is by low tension magneto, and is beautifully reli- able, the engines start up on first turn of the handle, the Commers have high tension magneto, and also coil and accumulator; the latter form is, however, not used, as we have no reliable source for charging frem.

The tyres first used were De Nevers grooved; these have not been entirely satisfactory, as in soft ground they sink at once, and also require special machinery for their replacing. Polack tyres are now being tried. I think that tyres should

be made of softer rubber than that used at home; I think it would resist the action of the gritty surface of the roads better.

All road wheels are wooden, and no trouble is experienced from shrinkage; they could also be more easily repaired here than steel ones.

Chains should be much better protected than seems the general practice; liquid mud falling off the driving wheels quickly reduces their efficiency and life; I do not think that entirely enclosing them would do, as the cases would get seriously damaged when the vehicle gets bogged, but I think something like a metal upper half with a dasher of leather stiffened with steel outside the lower portion of the chain would give sufficient protection.

Larger surface radiators should be fitted to all classes of I. C. vehicles for this country, and vehicles should be capable of running continuously on second speed without overheating when under full load.

9

Garages. At present there are two, one in Entebbe, with accommodation for two vehicles, with their necessary stores, &c. It is fitted with a roomy pit, and has abundance of water close at hand. The other garage is at the transport head- quarters at Kampala, and has accommodation for five vehicles, with stores, &c. This garage is also fitted with an inspection pit.

The repair shop is at Kampala, and has only just been started; the machinery at present consists of one five-inch Drummond lathe, similar to the M. T., A. S. C. pattern, one pillar drilling machine, and a large assortment of hand tools; well- equipped blacksmiths' and wheelers' shops also are established in the transport lines; castings and heavy work at present have to be done at Nairobi, British East Africa.

R. BOUCHER HILL, Captain, Acting Director, Uganda Transport.

32758

No. 8. BARBADOS.

THE GOVERNOR to THE SECRETARY OF STATE. (Received 4 October, 1909.)

(No. 170.) MY LORD,

Government House, Barbados, 20th September, 1909. I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your Lordship's circular despatch of the 28th of May last* on the subject of mechanical transport in various Colonies and Protectorates, and asking, if any such system has been introduced in Barbados, that certain information may be filled in in the blank columns of the forms which accompanied your despatch so as to show in each case the figures arrived at as the actual result of experience in connection with such service.

2. I referred your Lordship's circular to Mr. George Lingwood, the engineer of the Water Department, who reports that the two motor waggons which were imported for this Department for the purpose of conveying coal from Bridgetown to the pumping station at Bowmanston, a distance of 14 miles, are not on regular duty yet; but that in a short time, say six months, when they have had a fair trial and there are available data, he hopes to be in a position to give all the information asked for in the copies of the table transmitted in your Lordship's circular.

33383

No. 9.

SOUTH AFRICA.

I have, &c.,

G. T. CARTER,

Governor.

THE HIGH COMMISSIONER to THE SECRETARY OF STATE. (Received 9 October, 1909.)

(No. 597.) MY LORD,

Government House, Cape Town, September 20th, 1909. WITH reference to your Circular despatch of May 28th,* I have the honour to enclose, for your information, a copy of the undermentioned documents on the subject of the use of mechanical transport on roads.

I have, &c.,

WALTER HELY-HUTCHINSON,

• No. 44 in [Cd. 4589].

21223

High Commissioner.

B