News and Comment.
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This journal has an exclusive, genuine and maintained circulation: members of its Editorial stall have practical experience and knowledge of the construction and use of commercial motors.
Our summary of the French Trials will be found on pages 367 to 369.
We have had to hold over several letters from our correspondents.
Care and Pride.
We were obliged last week, from want of space, to omit certain details about the C.M.U.A. prize scheme for good driving.
Our readers will, however, have gathered from our comment in that issue (page 335 ante) that we heartily approve the scheme. It has been evoled from a suggestion which this journal advanced in July, 1906, and it should, if properly executed, have beneficial effects in the direction of the intended encouragement to drivers to do their best on the road, to be careful with the plant entrusted to their care, and to take a pride in both themselves and their work.
Important Dates.
The dates for this year's parades have been fixed for the 18th July and the 3rd October, at Manchester and London, respectively. We hope these dates will be noted by those of our readers who are interested, and we are glad to know that it is the intention of the C.M.U.A. to invite the co-operation of a committee of local gentlemen at Manches, ter, where it already has a valuable nucleus amongst its own membership. Copies of the schedule of particulars, one of which must be filled up by the owner in respect of each vehicle that is allowed to attend the meet, may be had on application to the Secretary of the Association, at 1, Albemarle Street, W. We desire, once more, to emphasise the fact that these further parades are not limited, as was that of last year on the Thames Embankment, to steam wagons and tractors; they will be open to all classes of commercial motors.
At Southampton.
The Parsons Motor Company Limited, of Town Quay, Southampton, during the recent show of the Royal Counties Agricultural Society, organised and conducted a special garage at the show-yard, where the accommodation provided was highly appreciated by many visitors.
Motorcabs at Manchester.
The Watch Committee of the Manchester Corporation has had several long discussions on the subject of motorcab licenses, and the City Council has referred back one of the Watch Committee's recommendations, i.e., the licensing of certain motorcabs to ply for hire on the basis of is. per mile, compared with 9d. per mile for horse cabs, by 47 votes to 38. This reference back occupied the Watch Committee at its meeting on Tuesday last, but the results of its deliberations had not become public at the time of our going to press. Certain of the licenses which are now in force hold good only until the 24111 instant.
The Safir Agency.
Mr. William P. Durtnall, M.I.A.E.,. advises us that he has secured thesole agency, for Great Britain and the Colonies, for the well-known Safir ve
hicles. These range from to-12h.p. sizes to as much as 5oh.p., and we hope, at an early date, to be in a position to deal with the various models at length. For the time being, the preliminary organisation of this important agency is being conducted by Mr. Durtmill from 153, High Street, Putney.
Chain Manufacture.
The Coventry Chain Company (1907), Limited, of Coventry, an exterior view of whose new works we reproduce, finds trade very brisk. The group of buildings occupies a space of. 68,465 square feet, and the whole has been specially laid out for the production of power driving chains of the highest quality at competitive prices. A description of the company's older factory was given in our issue of the 241h May, 1906. Few people understand the great number of operations. which are represented in chain manufacture, and the necessity for careful inspection after each, but we are well satisfied that systematic production alone can enable any company to keep. in the front rank. Apart from the excellent interior equipment, we may add that the flooring of the factory is of maple and concrete throughout, the power installation and distribution i& electric, and the heating and ventilating arrangements of the latest. The company is exhibiting in the machinery hall of the Franco-British Exhibition.
A Motor Picnic.
We illustrate on page 359 a group of foremen of Leyland Motors, Limited, who were taken on the recent occasion of their annual picnic. It goes without saying that one of the company's 35h.p. chars-h-bancs was employed for the outing, and this is in evidence behind the group. Pleasure trips of this kind are becoming increasingly popular in Lancashire and 'Yorkshire, where a good hiring business is done by many individual owners of motorcabs.
S.M.M.T.
The Commercial Vehicle Committee of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders has been strengthened by the addition of the following new members :—Mr. R. Brown (Alley and MacLellan, Ltd.); Mr. George Hoare (Tasker and Sons, Ltd.); and Mr. H. A. Neal (St. Pancras Ironworks Co., Ltd.). This committee has recently decided that no further provincial meets shall be organised, so this year's opportunity for showing the Provinces any muster of the kind will evidently be limited to the good driving scheme of the C.M.LT.A., support for which is not derived only from owners.
Bolton Prosecution Collapses.
Last week, at the Bolton police court, several drivers of steam wagons were summoned for the alleged offence of driving at a greater speed than five miles an hour over a certain road in Bolton. The defence was conducted by Mr. T. W. Grace, of Manchester, and it was proved to the satisfaction of the Bench that a serious error in the measurement had been made by a member of the staff of the borough engineer of Bolton, in consequence of which the cases were dismissed, and the defendants' solicitors were allowed, in two cases, seven guineas and four guineas costs. We are glad that carelessness in the matter was visited upon the prosecution in this manner, as it is not always that the defence is able to establish its contention in regard to the accuracy or inaccuracy of measured
distances. We understand that two at least of the defendants were drivers of Leyland lorries who bear the highest reputation for steady driving.
A Further Westminster Trial:
In October of last year the Westminster City Council accepted an offer by J. I. Thurnycroft, Ltd., of a week's free. trial of a petrol motor wagon. The rnctor was found, the Highways Com-: rnittee reported at the meeting of the Council last Thursday, to give excellent results, in the case of street watering, owing to the speed at which it iscapable of travelling. The week's trial: was, however, insufficient to test theusefulness of a petrol motor for the work of the department generally, or to compare it with the Council's steam motors. Instructions have thereforebeen given for the petrol motor wagon to be hired for four weeks, the Thornycroft Company to provide a driver, and everything necessary to run it, for 355. per day. The Assistant City Engineer states that the use of the motor will save the hiring of six horses and drivers daily, or upwards of ;C.,' res.
Seeing the Derby.
We were interested to note that Derby Day was made the occasion of a run to Epsom by Mr. W. E. Sebree with two of his sight-seeing chars-à-banes. Mr. Sebree's intention, in coming to London from America, was to capture the American visitors who were anxious to see the British metropolis, but on this trip (which included the run to the racecourse and admission thereto, returning in the evening to town, at a cost per head of D is.) was, we are much amused to hear, patronised entirely by Londoners. Fifty ladies and gentlemen -filled the two vehicles, to the whole extent of their seating capacity, and spent a particularly delightful day in the open, securing a splendid view of the racing. Although the ears left after the conclusion of the last race, they easily out-distanced the old-fashioned, but picturesque, coaches which had left immediately after the Derby.
On Friday last, a similar trip was. undertaken to the Oaks, and Mr_ Sebree is to be complimented upon his enterprise in catering far the sporting section of the public. We understand that, a number of intending passengers had to be refused, owing to the fact that the electric vehicles run by Mr. Sebree were considered by him to be too slow for this lengthy run, and also because of their limited battery capacity._ Quick Delivery.
Mr. R. D. Waddell, of Glasgow, the world-famous maker of sausages, is one of the numerous traders of the Clyde city who appreciate the importance of prompt delivery. An early supporter of the commercial motor movement, Mr. Waddell has recently taken delivery of a two-ton Halley lorry, and we are pleased to have received a photograph of it for reproduction purposes. A large number of shops require their supplies between particularly narrow limits of time, during each day, and no method of delivery has proved so satisfactory as that by motor. Dealers and their customers are pleased, a larger trade can be done, both by Mr. Waddell and those who buy from him, and an all-round economy is the net result.
One-ton MiInes Daimler.
The excellent one-ton van which is constructed by MiInes-Daimler, Limited, of 221, Tottenham Court Road, W., did not have the chance of showing its powers during the R.A.C. trials of September-October last, as it was the victim of pneumatic-tire troubles. Since that date, Mr. H. G. Burford, M.I.Mech.E., the managing director of the company', has been able to de rnonstrate to the satisfaction of many enquirers and old customers of the company, that the van is a good invest_ ment, and a thorough success. One recent delivery has been to Messrs. E. Stillwell and Sons, the large scalemakers, of 214, Old Street, E.C., and
the accompanying illustration will show how smart and businesslike the vehicle looks, whilst its mechanical construction and reasonable price should render such a -purchase commercially attractive in all respects. We believe that early delivery can be given.