Correspondence.
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Motor Wagons for Natal.
The Editor, "THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR."
Sir :—I enclose herewith a copy Of a letter which I have received from one of our members in Natal. It appears to me that the publicity to be derived from its reproduction in your valuable journal is the best way to secure the desired information.—Yours faithfully, II. E. PERRIN, Secretary, The Institute of British Carriage Manufacturers, Queen Victoria Street, E.C.
[We hope manufacturers will send their catalogues and quotations to Mr. Perrin without delay.—ED..
[Copy of Letter referred to by Mr. Perrin.]
" Dar Sir :--1 am most anxious to get full information in regard to motor trolleys. There is in this district a good demand for transport, as both stone and lime are being worked in this county, but the cost of ox-wagon transport is both expensive and slow; in fact, too slow to meet the demand. I shall, therefore, esteem it a very great favour if you can put me in touch with some good firms who will supply me with the particulars required. At the same time I should be pleased to get your opinion, as much depends upon the information received, and if a success in this county I feel sure other parts of the Colony will follow our example. I am putting a few questions which present themselves to my mind, but, of course, there are others which I may not mention that are equally important. One of the places to be worked is a stone quarry, which is supplying stone to a very large building which will take about six years to build; it is about eight miles from the railway. The other place where lime is found would be farther still from the rail-head. Both are fair roads, taking ini.o consideration what South African roads are like, and there are a few steep hills to climb. The more simple the mechanism the better.
" What motor power do you think best, petrol or steam? What rate would the motor lorries travel? What would be the cost of purchasing, say, one for a start, and if more than one wagon is required, could I not arrange to build my own wagons as required under license or otherwise.? (This would save the cost of importing the wagon or wagons, and would enable us the sooner to get another motor, presuming the first is a success.) Presuming the motor could carry, say, six to ten tons, at what rate could it travel? Or, would you suggest a motor—steam or otherwise—to carry a less tonnage? (The usual weight an oxwagon carries is from three to four tons.) " The mechanism would not have to be too low, owing to the dust in the winter and mud in the rainy season, and shall want the lowest prices and best terms from the firm who may do business with us. hoping you will be able to assist me, and that you will excuse my troubling you."
The Abandoned A.C. Van Trials.
The Editor, "THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR."
SIR :--With reference to the recently postponed van trials, we had entered both a delivery van to carry loads up to rocwt., and a lorry to carry loads not exceeding 3ocwe We were not particularly keen on these trials, as we have getter_ ally our hands very full of remunerative business; but having taken an interest all along in same, and having attended the various meetings which have been held, we entered two vehicles in perfect good faith, expecting that we should derive a certain amount of advertisement out of their consistent running, which is typical of all the De Dion manufactures.
We have devoted a considerable amount of our time and expended a certain amount of money over these trials, and it seems to us that it would not have been out of place for the Automobile Club to have suggested recompensing, to some extent, those firms who had entered, and who were having cars prepared for these trials. It is quite certain that we shall hesitate to enter vehicles for any future trials with any club or society showing such a vacillating policy.—Yours truly, DF. DION BOUTON, LTD., J. W. Stocks,
no, Great Marlborough Street, W. Manager. September 7th, 1905.
The Commercial Motor.
Conducted by EDMUND DANGERFIELD, Editor: E. SHRAPNELL SMITH. Manager: ERNEST PERMAN
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An Omnibus Company for the Nottingham District.
The Editor, " THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR."
Sir :--I beg to thank you for your paragraph in " TnE COMMERCIAL MOTOR " of August loth, with reference to the motor omnibus company for Daybrook and Arnold, which, I am pleased to say, is progressing very satisfactorily. Some slight unavoidable delay has occurred owing to the fact that so many of our supporters are at present absent on their holidays. The only other apparent difficulty we have had to encounter has been caused through the directors, officials, and temporary beneficiaries of a certain tramway undertaking endeavouring to persuade prospective shareholders in the motor bus company that the investment could only involve them in a serious financial loss. But the attempt having ended in complete failure, we now hope to register the company with a nominal capital of ,4;to,000 at the earliest possible date.
At the risk of encroaching too much upon your valuable space, might I add a few words in praise of the Incorporated Society of Motor Omnibus Engineers? Such a practical and useful organisation is, in every sense of the term, highly representative of our best interests, but the A.C.G.B. and I. is nothing of the kind, and never has been. It is purely representative of the pleasure and touring motorcar, and performs all duties appertaining to this part of the movement in a thoroughly efficient and satisfactory manner; whereas, on the other hand, with regard to the commercial motor vehicle, which is undoubtedly by far the most important branch of automobilism, it does absolutely nothing at all, and does it very well. Indeed, Sir, permit me to say that, without the valuable assistance we have received through the enterprise and foresight of your excellent paper, I ant becoming daily more convinced that the commercial vehicle would never have occupied the proud position it does to-day. I will only, in conclusion, point to the fact that, if municipalised, many tramways have since become an additional burden upon the ratepavers—e.g., Ilkeston, a small town only a few miles from here, has lately had to put on a shilling rate to make up for the losses incurred on the trams—or, if owned privately, they have involved their unfortunate shareholders in irreparable loss and ultimate ruin.—Yours faithfully, J. N. BREVOR.
29, Queen's Walk, Nottingham.
fiNe hope our correspondent will soon see the company completed, and are sending him some information and particulars which should prove of service.—Eo.l.
The Editor, "THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR."
Sir :—Had I known sooner that you were issuing a special supplement for market gardeners and fruiterers in connection with motor delivery vans, I should have sent you particulars of my experiences in that direction, which, being experimental, should be of interest to others. I believe my van is the only one of the sort on the road, and certainly the only one in the industry. It is a four-cylinder 16-2oh.p. Gnome chassis, with gft. wheel base, and runs on heavy pneumatic tyres. The body is of the box type, and made of aluminium on light wood framing. The whole thing was built to my own design, to fulfil special requirements, and I am glad to say it does these entirely. What we wanted was not so much a van to take great weight as one to go at a high speed. In the Reading district, where there are so many important towns within a matter of 8 to 16 miles, it is absolutely necessary to have a machine that will cover these distances in as short a time as possible, and thus leave sufficient time to do the ordinary rounds from shop to shop both at home and in the outlying towns. To do this one must sacrifice weight capacity for speed, but the result is that business can be done at a distance far beyond the reach of the heavy, slow lorry, and I find that the weight carried during the day is soon made up by the increased number of journeys. My van will carry 25cwt., and will do 20 miles per hour easily with that load. The number of miles covered during the day is surprising, and needless to say the condition of the fruit at the end of the journey is splendid. The pneumatic tyres enable us to carry the most delicate flowers and fruits with perfect safety. As to whether it pays, time alone will tell; we have not yet been through a winter. However, we started running late in June, and since then our business has more than trebled itself ; our own grown stuff is more in demand than we can supply by half. On the other hand, I have had great difficulty in getting competent drivers; the men sent out from the London "schools" have proved utterly incompetent to a man, and on several occasions I have had the differential smashed up by a careless or ignorant fellow who had yet to learn the first principles of motor driving. I enclose a photo of the van.—Yours faithfully,
R. S. FINLAY.
Thames Valley Horticulturies, 4, Tudor Road, Reading.
Farm Motors.
The Editor. "THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR."
Sir :—I want a motor for general agricultural purposes, but four considerations present themselves :—(T) Engineering is a separate trade from farming, and I neither know, nor want to know, anything about technical engineering. (2) Horse power is frequently growing into money, while motors are not. (3) All farmers have a heavy capital locked up in their own legitimate business, and motors are expen sive, and local repairs are ruinous. (4) Engineers can raise capital at a cheaper rate than farmers. To ask a farmer to buy three tractors for L:1,150 is equal to asking an engineer, without any experience of or interest in animals, to buy and keep up, say, 76 cows, or 115 young beasts, or 575 sheep, merely as an adjunct to his main business, and to displace something that he thoroughly understands in his own trade, and for a problematical benefit. I doubt if, under such circumstances, engineering enterprise would rise to the bait. This, I think, will show the reason for the legitimate reluctance of farmers to adopt mechanical power.
Can you recommend me a motor suitable for general agricultural work, such as ploughing, drilling, cultivating, har rowing, rolling, reaping, mowing, hauling etc., the makers of which are prepared to place it on a farm, with a competent driver, at a regular rental per annum covering all cost of repairs and upkeep, and with a guarantee to work so many hours a week, or other unit of work as agreed? If such a motor could be procured, it would prove the utility of the motor for farm work ; it would have the fairest possible test against horse labour ; and, if successful, would command an enormous trade, and be of use to engineers and
farmers alike.—Yours faithfully, FARMER."
[Our correspondent does not quote a parallel when he suggests that an engineer should buy and keep cows or
other animals, because such a purchase would be a) senseless one on the part of any engineer, whilst the purchase of motor tractors for farming is proved to be a sound business investment by the independent testimony of users. An example of this is provided in the various letters which we published in our Market Gardeners' and Fruit Growers' Issue of August 3ist, and there is nothing more convincing than the views of satisfied users. We may point out, as bearing on the various points raised in the foregoing letter—(i) An engineer is not necessary to drive and look after a *farm motor. A man with ordinary common sense is required and noth ing more, hence we feel that" Farmer" should have no difficulty on that score. (2) A motor, by the amount of work it can do, and by the fact that it can work night and day, whether ploughing, thrashing, cutting wood or engaged in any of the other dozen classes of work it can be put to, is unquestionably fully as useful on any farm as six or more horses. By obtaining a better yield from the land, and often by saving a crop when the weather is bad, the motor certainly earns its place. (3) If a farmer has not sufficient capital to purchase three
tractors, he will not have sufficient work for that number, and it is quite likely that the majority of farmers
will require only one tractor at a purchase price of some
,400. In this connection, we may usefully draw attention to the hire purchase system—for the supply of
motor vehicles of all kinds—which has recently been instituted by Motor Vehicles, Limited, of 22, Broad Street, Bury. In regard to repairs, agricultural motors which are now on the market certainly cost less than
£20 a year in replacements and repairs. (4) This is answered under the previous heading, and we believe
that the extra charge for the accommodation of spreading the purchase price over three years amounts to only six per cent, per annum. We certainly can recommend our correspondent at least three motors which are eminently suitable for the work he names, but manufacturers are in the industry to sell machines and not to act as hiring contractors. This is a separate class of undertaking. The businesses are distinct, as is witnessed by the dual existence of trac tion engine builders and steam ploughing companies, but we are unaware of any corresponding firm or com pany to do agricultural motor work by contract. That day will come, but at the present time there is ample evidence to justify the purchase of a tractor by any farmer who is ready to give it fair play and enough to do. Further, the makers have too many orders in hand to do hiring work.—ED.1
The Editor invites corresbondence on all subjects connected with the use of commercial motors. Letters must be on one side of the paber only, and type-written by preference. The right of abbreviation is reserved, and no responsibility for the views expressed is accepted.