News and Comment.
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This journal chronicles, fosters, and represents commercial motoring in all its branches : members of its Editorial stall possess practical experience and knowledge of the construction and use of commercial motors.
" Hornoc " concludes his series of six articles in this issue.
We shall be happy to forward any communications from manufacturers to our New Zealand correspondent whose enquiry is reproduced on page 475, or to give his name to supporters of this journal who have agencies out there.
The Edinburgh Public Health Committee, after considerable deliberation, has resolved to purchase a further motor ambulance, and to spend ',44o on the chassis. A garage for the accommodation of the four motor ambulances will be built.
"Commer Car" Fire Engines.
The second of the three six-cylinder " Commer Car" fire-tenders for the L.C.C. is illustrated on this page. This is the second of a repeat order for soh.p. chassis, each of which 1, arranged to carry a 6o-foot escape ladder with its ordinary wheels, and is the fifth "Commer Car ' for the L.C.C. The tender easily accommodates the usual supply of hose, and from six to eight firemen in addition to the driver ; it also carries first-aid apparatus, consisting of a 40-gallon tank, two air bottles, a hose reel, and 200 feet of one-inch hose and connections. The hose is always connected with the tank, ready for use, and can be unrolled from the reel on either side of the vehicle. There are, in addition, two hand extincteur:s, The wheel base is made specially short, to enable the vehicle to turn shortradius curves, and it will be noted that the engine is set forward to an abnormal extent in order to counterbalance the overhang of the escape when that is in position at the back.
Preparations for the Manchester Show are reported on page 462; together with typical illustrations of the buildings at Belle Vue.
An Arrol-Johnston lorry, amongst a number of successful trips in the desert, has travelled from Khartum to Kassala and back, a distance of slightly over soo miles.
Further Westminster Trials.
The Westminster City Council has decided to test a Leyland petrol wagon, paying hire therefor at the rate of 355. per day, and beginning about the first week in April next. The trial will be supervised by the lighways Coinnil
Tractor or Traction Engine?
The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders gave its financial support, in respect of a recent appeal against the classifying of a tractor as a heavy locomotive, the successful result of which appeal was reported in our issue of the 28th ultimo (page 426 ante).
Liverpool A.C. and 5.-P.T.A.
Mr. William E. Moss has been elected Chairman of the Liverpool Automobile Club and Self-Propelled Traffic Association, which dates back to the year 1896. Messrs. Edward R. Pickmere (Town Clerk of Liverpool), Walter K. Poulsom and E. Shrapnel! Smith have been re-elected to the Committee.
Fire-engines for Reading. —
The Reading Town Council has recently considered a report from the chief officer of its fire brigade, who recommends that a sum of approximately -1:1,900 shall be spent upon a petrol motor fire-pump and a petrol tire-escape. It appears that the upkeep of the Reading steam fireengines and horses is costing 277 125. per annum, exclusive of wages, and it is estimated that this would be
reduced to less than per annum, as the average number of mites run is only 200 in each 12 months, and the probable working of the pumps would not be for more than icio hours in a like period. An incidental recommendation is that the present plant be sold, and the whole matter has now been referred to the Fire Brigade Sub-Committee for a detailed report.
"Sentinel" Wagons.' R,,u;;:;
Page 474 of this issue bears at its foot reproductions from photographs of two Sentinel wagons, which make is constructed by .Alley and MacLellan, Limited, of Glasgow. One of these, recently supplied to the order of Messrs. Robert Allen and Company, of Barhourne Brewery, Worcester, is of the standard six-ton type, and is shown dealing with a total load of ten tons, which is a customary job for a number of Sentinel machines in the service of brewers. The other and smaller machine, an endtipping wagon for five-ton loads, is owned by the G. W. Lewis Tileries, Limited, of Nuneaton : its tipping gear consists of a double-acting hydraulic cylinder and ram, these being served by a pump on the driver's footplate, in accordance with the standard Alley and MacLellan design. The full load can be discharged in less than one minute. Yet another brewer is to be recorded as the purchaser of a threeton petrol lorry, this time it being Messrs. Whitbread, of London. The accompanying illustration shows the Dennis lorry in question, and there is no doubt that considerable economies will be effected by its use.
Vacuum Oils.
The Vacuum Oil Company Limited. whose automobile-lubricants department is at Caxton House, Westminster, S.W., requests us to draw attention to the fact that its motor lubricants can be obtained, at greatlyreduced rates, in larger packages than the familiar white cans which are used in so many quarters.
City of London Accidents.
Mr. Alpheus C. Morton, a member of the City Corporation, writes to
point out, apropos the figures which we published last week, that the corresponding figures for the fourth quarter of 19o7 showed a total of 380 accidents within the City area, 379 of which were non-fatal. The only fatal accident was due to a motor vehicle, which also accounted for 87 of the non-fatal accidents. It is, of course, impossible to draw correct inferences from the records for any isolated quarter.
French's, Limited, Motor Jobmasters.
The Ryknieki wagon, of which we reproduce a photograph on this page, is a remarkably-handsome vehicle. It has been put into service by French's Limited, motor-johmasters, of Balham, under contract for the retail delivery work, in the London district, of the Anglo-American Oil Company, Limited. This machine is the first of a fleet which will shortly be running in the service of the oil cornpanv ; it has a highly-finished body by -Dodson's, and is painted in that green tint which is the familiar colour of Pratt's tins. The chassis is of the standard, 4oh.p., gear-
driven, Ityknield type. The wheels are shod with Shrewsbury-Challiner tires; those on the hind wheels are of the xi--inch " World " pattern.
The contract which French's hold provides for a minimum rnileage for
each wagon of soo miles every it days, but it is anticipated that the daily journey will actually amount to between bo and 70 miles, as it is the intention of the Anglo-American Company to effect a retail delivery to an their agents throughout Greater London on six days per week. The vans each hold soo two-gallon tins.
Amongst a number of other serviceswhich this company is maintaining, we would mention that in which three wagons have been engaged for Messrs. Truman, Hanbury and Buxton during the past twelvemonth. As a result of a careful comparison between the results from various forms of haulage, these brewers have found, over a period of nine months, that the costs of delivery of bottled beers average : per dozen bottles, 2.06d. by petrol van ; 2.25d. by horsc van; and 2.5d. by steam wagon.
A Motor Sweeper.
The avant-train Latil has for some months been adapted to the haulage of an ordinary horse broom, by the Paris Municipal Authorities, and an illustration of the complete machineis given on this page. The Latit system of front-wheel drive has been remarkably successful, and this particular combination was, as we then reported, exhibited at the last Paris
Show. Strangely enough, in this country, the system has not made any headway, in spite of the peculiar merits which it possesses, and the fact that it allows existing plant to he u=ed in conjunction.