Answers to Queries.
Page 17
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Motors for Mexican Mountains.
[1,791] " SMELTERS " write We shall be glad if
you wilhfurnish us with the names of the best makers of gasoline-driven vehicles, suitable for rough work, as we are contemplating a trial of this class of vehicle for hauling ores in the mountainous district of Mexico."
ANSWER.—We presume that you will require tractors for use in Mexico, as their large-diameter wheels generally suit rough country better than the smallerdiameter wheels of self-contained lorries ; they provide the additional advantage of the distribution of the total weight over four axles instead of two. We have sent the names and addresses of several makers who produce machines suitable to the conditions."
An Auto-Carrier for Soiled Linen.
[1,792] " PRIVATE PERSON" writes " I am think
ing of getting a small motor, of sufficient power to take a couple of linen hampers or luggage, etc., to a laundry in the country. I suppose the maximum load would not be above 5 cwt., not including the driver. I do not care how slowly it goes ; I expect about 10-15 m.p.h. would be sufficient. There are long hills in my neighbourhood, but they are not extra steep. What horse-power do you think would prove satisfactory? How many cylinders should we have ? Solid or pneumatic tires'? A trolley-shaped body would be sufficient, with low sides, but no top. What would be the probable initial cost ; also the cost of upkeep ? If 5 cwt. should appear to you to be too big a load for what I propose, can you answer these questions with reference to a 2-1-cwt. load 1" ANSWER.—The class of machine which is most likely to meet your requirements is the Auto-Carrier, sold by F. B. Goodchild and Co., Ltd., of Craven House, Kingsway, W.C. The trouble is that vehicles for light loads are not constructed to travel at low speeds, but the carrier named is the nearest approach of which we know. It has pneumatic tires, a 6 h.p. engine, two gear ratios, and can be fitted with any class of body. The cost complete with body and lamps is about £97 10s. It should not cost you more than 2id. per mile, including all cha rges. It will carry up to 6 cwt.
Transfer of Numbers and Licences.
[1,793j " BUCCANEER " I venture to write to you
for advice as follows. Sonic two years ago, in order to learn how to drive a car, I bought a 10 h.p. ; it has four seats, back entrance, no hood or screen ; it was about seven years old when I got it. Having now acquired some confidence, I am taking delivery
of a 15 h.p. . My idea is to transfer the number and licence, which I took out on the old car in January last, to my new car, the amount i!,1 being in each case onaccount of the cylinder bore of the old car. I also intend to transfer my I:10 10s. insurance to the new car. My old vehicle I intend to pass over to the business entirely ; its present form will be retained, however. We should occasionally take out small goods, etc., with it on a long journey ; in fact, we have already frequently done so. The other uses would be for taking men to work in the country, and for any member of the firm or staff to call upon customers, but in no case should we use it for pleasure or for hire.
" Should I not come under the 15s. tax, and no more ? There is no objection to painting the name of the firm on the side of the body, if necessary.
" Should I not be entitled to buy my petrol and oil on trade terms? I will only add that I should let out for hire my new car, having promised the first call to the leading hotel here, and I should exhibit, a card in our window as follows : '15 h.p. ear for hire, terms within.' One of our odd men is a good driver and would be the driver of both cars, and would have the care of them ; I should occasionally drive."
ANSWER.—We have given careful consideration to the points which you raise. Under the licensing regulations which came into force with the k inance Act of 1910, an owner is bound to supply particulars of identity of the car for which he wishes to obtain a licence' as he has to supply the registration number, and that is the key to the other particulars. Previously the motorcar licence took no account of the identity of the car, but permitted the owner to use one motor vehicle, so long as it complied with the simple weight classification.
In view of these requirements, you must take care that, if you use another car under your old licence, the horse-power qualification does not exceed that of the original machine for which the licence was obtained. The wording of the Act in this, as in several other parts, is distinctly ambiguous, and it is certain that the local authorities will request the payment of a new tax, and you will then have to furnish par ticulars of your new machine to show that your new horse-power does not exceed that of the old car, even although you can satisfy them that you no longer intend to use your first car for anything but commercial-vehicle purposes, in which employment a vehicle is not liable to taxation other than that pertaining to the consumption of petrol. So far as the registration number is concerned,
you will obviously still require one OD the old
and, even if you were surrendering this and putting the old car out of service, you would not be able to transfer your registration numbers to another machine, and you would have to surrender them and secure a new registration.
If, for sentimental or other reasons, you wish still to retain the original number which you have thus
surrendered, you can, as a rule, secure the new registration on the old figures. You should be able to transfer your insurance policy by arrangement with the company which does your business.
If your old ---car is in future to be used solely and entirely for business purposes, and never on any occasion for pleasure, you will need to pay no tax at all, as intimated above.
We are unable to advise you that you should be able to buy your petrol and oil on trade terms. Why should you ? You do not suggest that, similarly, an owner of commercial vehicles should secure trade terms from a builder for the erection of his garage? At the end of your letter you say that it is your
intention to let out the 15 h.p. on hire. You,
of course, must not allow it to ply for hire without securing a hackney-carriage police licence to do so, that is, of course, assuming such licences are required in — . If you intend only to use your — for private hire, then your simplest way to go to work is not to pay the horse-power tax, but to pay only as a hackney carriage, and to secure a hackney-carriage licence from the Inland Revenue authorities. We must register a strong protest against your opinion that a nine-year-old pleasure car, of comparatively-unknown origin, should be any good for commercial purposes. In acknowledging receipt of our reply, our correspondent wrote "I am extremely obliged to you for the very full reply you have given me. I appreciate it very much ; it could not possibly be clearer."