News and Comment.
Page 12
Page 14
Page 15
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
The St_ottish Automobile C:..b's official report on the long-distanee trial cif Darracq-Serpollet onmibus will be found on pages 7 and 8.
We publish (pages 18 and 19), as the officially-recognised organ of the Motor Van, Wagon and Omnibus Users' A-soeiation, extracts from a numbel letters addressed to the Chairin.,L. Colonel R. E. B. Crompton, C.B. relation to the Van Trials deadioek.
Amongst the latest orders for mechanical transport to be placed by the War Office cure two for Aveiing and Porter compound tractors. Two of these powerful machines were ordered several weeks ago, after an exhausiive trial near Rochester : the severe tests included the climbing of a veritable grade of i in 8 with a 12-ton trailing load. The tractor itself weighed 5 tons i8lcwt., including water, fuel, and driver, ready for the road.
Apropos the various eulogistic reports in relation to America's intentions as to the encouragement of free alcohol for industrial and power purposes, and the U.S.A. new law which is to come into operation cm January ist next, we find that equal congratulations should be Riven to the representatives of the South African colonies. According to article number 17 of the Customs Union Convention, which was provisionally agreed to at a conference held at Pietermaritzburg in March last, and which has since been officially issued : "Any colony or territory belonging to the Union may, under suitable regulations, rebate the whole or part of the day on methylated spirits or alcohol, imported solely for manufacturing or scientific purposes, or for fuel, within its borders." We believe that this article has escaped even the notice of Mr. J. B. King ! According to the Convention mentioned in the previous paragraph, motor omnibuses will have to pay a duty of 15 per cent, ad valorem on entering South Africa, subject to a rebate of 3 per cent, ad valorem on all such as are of genuinely British manufacture. On the other hand, motor wagons and trailers will go in duty free, provided they are manufactured in the United Kingdom, whilst the duty on other machines of this type, including tractors, is only 3 per cent, in the event of their being of foreign origin.
The value of Japan's total imports of "machinery and engines" rose from .4-,i,008,00o for the year 1904 YO .472,134,000 for the 3-ear loos. The United Kingdom's share increased from ,L492,000 to .4;854,000, or, as i is to 1.74; Germany's advance was from Ll15,000 to ,4;233,000, or as t is to 2.03; whilst the U.S.A. record is from 4371,000 to 4.1,012,000, or as i is to 2.73. British motor manufacturers should be on the alert to cultivate the Japanese market, which will be of more importance as the Government's new road-construction programme is carried out. It is impossible to extract the relatively small percentages of motor imports from the aggregates quoted above : enough has been taken from a report issued by the Board of Trade's
commercial intelligence branch to show how active Americans have been in the Far East. It is to be hoped that British makers will not rest content.
The Corporation of the City of London has recently supplied the superintendent of its street-cleansing department with a 10-12h.p. Coventry Bomber. A large saving of time, and better Supervision, has already resulted, Says the " Municipal Journal," in reference to the van trials deadlock : " If the trials are held by the Automobile Club without the support of the Motor Van, Wagon and Omnibus Users' Association, they are likely to be of little or no value to the users."
One suggestion before the Society of Motor Manufacturers is that nobody shall be recognised as an agent unless he is : (a) the tenant of a showroom or garage ; (h) has at least one car or van in stock, and uses at least one car or van for trial, running, and demonstration purposes ; and (c) is a member of the Society in question.
Mr. G. T. Harrap, Assoc.M.Inst.C.E., M.Inst.hlech.E., of 5, Budge Row, E.C., who was an original director of the Clarkson and Capel Steam Car Syndicate, Limited (now Clarksons, Limited, of Chelmsford), is acting as consulting engineer for the Engineering and Machinery Exhibition, which will open at Olympia on Saturday next.
The Trades Union Congress at Liverpool, last week, passed a resolution calling on the Government to repeal the old Acts of Parliament governing London's cabs, and to pass a new Act forthwith. The resolution Also included a clause urging that the London cab services should be placed under the control of the London County Council, or of "some such body." The Automobile Club will hold a competition to test appliances and methods destined to reduce or obviate the emission of visible vapour by motor vehicles fitted with internal-combustion engines, on Monday, December loth, and the trial will extend over a distance of 300 miles.
The Local Government Board issued a short order, on the 31st ultimo, announcing that the index mark " L.N." has been assigned for the third series of London's motorcar registrations. The Board's intention was announced in " THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR of August 2 n d .
An attractive showcard, which was issued by the North British Rubber Company, Limited, of Castle Mills, Edinburgh, some four months ago, has proved very acceptable for display purposes in a large number of garages. This handsome production, which is in ten colours, suitably depicts the various uses to which this company's famous Clincher and other tires may be put, including the motor omnibus. It is in the last-named connection that the Clincher "Grid" and Clincher "Block" tires are, largely owingto their durable qualities and the marked diminution of side-slip which attends their use, coming into increasingly favourable repute with owners ; in fact, this is the case for all chassis designed to carry loads of from zi to 34 tons. The company will be pleased to forward a copy of this showcard to any member of the motor trade who is willing to exhibit it. The Peebles Motor Company, Limited, has been registered in Edinburgh with an authorised capital of o,000 in .4.:t shares, to acquire the business of Mr. Laurence Bell, of Peebles. The registered office is at Tweed Green Works, Peebles, N.B.
l\That promises to be a very active winter session will be opened by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders on .Wednesday, the loth proximo, when a dinner followed by a discussion on " Highway control and the dust problem," will be held al the Hotel Cecil. It is probable that the principal discussion will be on the application of sums raised by motor taxation to highway improvement by means of a central governing department.
One of the most striking features in commercial motoring at the present date is found in the fact that a number of orders are being placed by individuals who were most strenuously opposed to this form of transport until quite recently. It is an old saying that
Nothing succeeds like success," and the frequent repetition of economies by owners of motorvans, steam lorries, and tractors is proving irresistible. Whereas, three years ago, tales of woe and regret preponderated, the great majority of users are now conscientiously able to speak in favour of self-propelled vehicles generalIV. There are, of course, cases where it has to be recognised that the people in charge would run a steam lorry in such a manner that the cost might be expected to come out as high as 2s. 6d. per mile, instead of varying between sd. and 8d., according to the nature of the work undertaken.
Motor fire engines in various large cities, both British and Continental, are suffering from the inexperience of their drivers. Risks have, no doubt, to be taken when lives are endangered by a conflagration, but we think that only skilled and expert drivers should be allowed to handle the machines when an alarm is sounded other than for practice calls. By all means let a number of the firemen be trained, by degrees, to take their turn at the wheels of these engines ; but their probationary evolutions should be carried out in surroundings which do not involve the risk of serious damage to third parties.
Amongst the recent deliveries to purchasers in the Tyneside district may be mentioned two s-ton standard St. Pancras steam wagons for the Newcastle Breweries, Limited, and John Rowell and Sons, Limited, of Gateshead. Both these orders were obtained by the St. Pancras Iron Work Company, Limited, in open competition, and we illustrate the second of the machines named. They are fitted with the company's new patent boiler, and with its patent rocking fore-carriage. While referring to the output of this company's steamwagon department, we may also mention that other recent orders include wagons for the East Lancashire and Oldham Carrying Company, Limited, Prudential Buildings, Oldham; John Walsh, Limited, furniture remover, Sheffield; and Mr. Robert Hudson, of Liverpool. The Oldham order was placed-as the result of a fuel consumption test, when the St. Pancras wagon used only two sacks of coke compared with five sacks by the proxime accessit.
The Auto-Garage and Auto-Cabs Company, Limited, has been registered with a capital of 422,75o, divided into 5,625 ordinary shares of .4:4 each, and 5,000 founders' shares of is. each, to acquire the business carried on by C. Loukaitis, of Cairo, Egypt. The registered office of the company is at 37, St. Mary Axe, E.C.
A driver, named Edwin Fearnside, was fined Li and costs at Heywood (Lancs.) police court, oil the sth instant, for driving a steam wagon down Prettywood Brow, Bury New Road, at an excessive speed. It appears that the gear lever had jumped out of its notch, in which circumstances, knowing the hill as we do, we think the man is to be congratulated on the fact that he got his load to the bottom safely.
A company has been registered, with the title of Abingdon-Ecco, Limited, and an authorised capital of 4too,000, to acquire (I) the business of the Abingdon Works Company, Limited (incorporated in July, 1896), and (2) the business of the Ecco Works, Limited (incorporated January, 1897). The principal object is to manufacture cycle and motor chains, and the first directors are Messrs. H. F. Woodward, J. P. Heaton, T. Evans, H. G. Atkinson, D. W. Bassett, and F. Hulse. The registration was made by C. Doubble, of 14, Serjeant's Inn, E.C.
A twelve-year-old boy, named Coolse, was killed at Chester last week by falling from the coupling bar between a motor wagon and its trailer. The driver, as has before occurred in similar cases, was unaware of the accident until he was called upon to stop by some people who witnessed the fatality, and we think that owners might seriously oonsider the more general adoption of a " boy-proof " sheathing, such as that introduced by Mr. John A. Brodie, the City Engineer of Liverpool, and illustrated in our issue of July 12th last (page 397).
William Allehin, Limited, of Globe ‘Vorks, Northampton, promises to come into the front rank of steamwagon manufacture. The company has been going along steadily, during the last two years, in perfecting its road lorry on the basis of its previous extensive experience in traction-engine construction, and has now reached a stage at which it is satisfied that the system is thoroughly proved. The design embodies various commendable features : the construction is simple ; the locomotive-type boiler is a quick steamer ; the driving chains are completely encased ; and care has been exercised to render all working parts readily accessible. The boiler has a heating surface of no less than 86 square feet, and the compound horizontal engine has cylinders 41 inches and A inches in diameter, whilst the piston stroke is 6 inches. A full description of the machine was published in our issue of March 29th last (Vol. III, number 55, page 54). The Northampton Brewery Company, Limited, has two of these +vehicles in regular daily service, and, in the course of a week or two, we hope to give some details of their working.
In the course of his speech at the 19th annual general meeting of the shareholders of McNamara and Company. Limited, held at the Great Eastern Hotel, E.G., Alderman Sir John Pound, remarked that the company's requirements for commercial motors were in the immediate future. As this company is the largest of the G.P.O. horsed van contractors, this statement is significant.
The question of water supply for steam wagons crops up at intervals. The latest case is near Dundee, and we wonder why owners of these vehicles do not make systematic arrangements for roadside supplies. Such a course is a real economy, and the saving is greater in proportion to the frequency of the service along a particular road. A 200-gallon cylindrical tank, with ball-valve supply, can be put in position, including the cost of excavation and coupling up, for an expense varying between Liz and 425, according to locality and circumstances. This capital expenditure is negligible, when one remembers that it ensures a clean and regular supply to the wagon or wagons. An alternative arrangement, which was described in our issue of October 26th, 19o5, is the water post as manufactured by Ham, Baker and Company, Limited, of 13, Grosvenor Road, S.W. The Metropolitan Water Board, which has had this question under consideration so far as Greater London is concerned, has been disappointed that no applications have been made for its half-guinea licenses, which it offered to issue to any householder, tradesman, or publican, in order to facilitate the sale of water for consumption in motor wagons. The Board is now occupied in considering the question of fitting up watering stations itself in various parts of London.