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Concerning Petrol Vans and Lorries.

16th February 1911
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Page 19, 16th February 1911 — Concerning Petrol Vans and Lorries.
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

Keywords : Karrier, Rootes

A Liverpool Success.

Mr. Edward J. Allen, Managing Director of Owen Owen, Ltd., London Road, Liverpool, writing on the 30th ult., about his company's Halley vehicles, says:—' I have pleasure in saying that the three Halley motor vehicles supplied to Owen Owen, Ltd., Liverpool, 12 months ago, have proved entirelysatisfactory Costs Going Down.

Mr. Ellis Evans, Wholesale Confectioner and Grocer, Gloucester House, Llanelly, writing to us on the 10th inst., says:--" I have had my Lotis vast in use for nearly three years, and she is running quite as satisfactorily now as when I first had her. The running costs for the third year will not he as much as for the first and second years."

Earlier Views Confirmed:

Mr. W. Doig GM, Chief Engineer to the South Metropolitan Gas Co., 709, Old Kent Road, S.E., writing to us on the nth inst., says :—" The only additional information I am able to give you, to that sent with my letter of the 16th February, 1910, is as to the number of each make of car now in use, At the Present time we have : 13 Milnes-Daimler; 1 Lacre 1 Dennis; 3 Albion ; and 2 rebuilt."

F,Mr. Gibb, a year ago, wrote to prais„. the regularity of service obtained. --ED.]

Every Satisfaction Given.

Mr. G. H. Howarth, Wholesale Fruit, Flower and Potato Salesman, Commission Agent, etc., Wholesale Market and Brook Street, Huddersfield, under date the 17th January, 1911, writes:—” The two-ton Karrier ' motor lorry I bought from you, delivered to me in June, 1909, has given me every satisfaction, and I am very pleased with the running of it. I might tell you that it has run over 12,000 miles, and, as you are aware, with very little cost for repairs, and it has 'some very hilly country to travel over."

A Good Help to Business.

Mr. E. Staight, of 42, Clarence Street, Kidderminster, under date the llth inst., writes to us ;—" I enclose photograph of my 4 Karrier ' muter lorry, purchased July, 1909. I still find it most reliable and trustworthy, standing up to its work as well as ever. I find, by looking well after the car at home, I get no stoppages on the road, and, the cost of working being satisfactory, would not like to go bock to horse traction. Our customers appreciate this mode of delivery, and altogether I find it a great help to business."

Thornycroft Two-tonners.

James Blackledge and Sons, Ltd., Derby Road Mills, Bootle, Liverpool, under date the 31st January, 1911, writes :—" We are so far satisfied with the suitability and economy of your Thornyeroft motor chassis for our trade, that, after having run the first one 40,000 miles and the second 28,000 miles, we are now ordering a third from you. Both our chassis are still in excellent running order, and, with careful overhauling periodically, we expect th:_en to do a lot more service."

Not One Penny for Repairs in 18 Months.

Messrs. John Crook and Sons, Wholesale Grocers, Colonial Buildings, Corporation Street, Preston, writing to the makers on the 10th inst., say:— " We wish to let yon know that the 31-ton petrol motor you built for us in August, 1909, has been most satis factory in every way. So far, the wagon has not cost us one penny in repairs, though the daily distance covered is very considerable. The petrol consumption works out at about seven miles to the gallon."

About Three-ton "Commer Cars."

Messrs. R. Vinstm and Co., of Court Lodge, Orpington, Kent, under date the 8th inst., write to Commercial Cars. Ltd.. as follows:" In answer to your inquiry in respect to the running or our Y.C. three-ton van, we have pleasure in stating that we have been using the van daily for the first six months, doing an average of 60 miles per day, and are perfectly satisfied wids its performance ; we have had no troubles of any kind. The petrol used averages one gallon for 11 miles. We are enclosing herewith an order for a similar van, and it may interest you to know that we shall probaldy lie buying two more."

Results the Best Now.

Messrs. Blesard and Mackie, Rose Grove, Burnley, under date the 7th inst., state :—" We have now run a two-ton Halley industrial motor vehicle for 11 months, during which time we have been well satisfied with it both for cost of running and reliability; it has now travelled just over 10,500 miles, and is at present doing its best performances."

Totally Outside the Possibilities of Horse Vehicles.

Messrs. Cooper and Co., of 8-38, Howard Street, Glasgow, write:— " We have much pleasure in stating that the Albion commercial cars we have in use at present have given us every satisfaction. It is fully five years since we adopted commercial motorcars, and we have now sixfour of them being Albion cars—with a carrying capacity varying from one to two-and-a-half tons, each car haying a daily mileage of about thirty miles. It is unquestionable that the use of motorcars as commercial ye-. hides has permitted us to enlarge in a marked degree the scope of our delivery arrangements, totally outside the possibility of horse vehicles, and we now deliver goods daily to our clients up to within a radius of thirty miles from our central warehouses.

"So far as we have been able to judge, each of our motors has allowed us to dispense with from four to five horses, and the economy of motors as compared with horses, while not so marked in the case where delivery is to be made comparatively near to our central warehouses, is certainly very pronounced where goods are for de-. livery at any distant*. Without the aid of our commercial motorcars, our goods delivery area would be very much smaller than it at present is." Lotis Vans Do Well.

Messrs. Horleston Bros.. Confectioners, Longton, Staffs., under date the 9th December, 1910, write—to Sturrney Motors, Ltd.,' Coventry :— " No doubt you would like to hear that the two business vehicles, which we purchased from you in 1908, are still running splendidly and Riving us every satisfaction. They haveleen a greater success than we thought possible."

Suitable for Small-van Work.

Mr. Arthur E. Collins, M.Inst.C.E., the City Engineer of Norwich, under date the 30th January, 1911, writes:— " In answer to yours of the 25th inst. (Commercial Vehicle Department), during the last three years the average cost per annum of our 6 h.p. de Dion car has been :— Total ... 138 1 0 " The mileage has been between 10,000 and 11,000 per annum."

A GoodIDennis Differential-gear Record.

Peek, Frea,n and Co., Ltd., of London, under date the 8th October, 1910, addressing Dennis Bros., Ltd., of Guildford, writes :—" Replying to your letter of the 6th inst., regarding the mileage which the differential on Van No. 217 has run, it is a little difficult for us to say exactly what this is. We have kept records since October, 1907, and the total is 30,448 miles. We received the van from you in June, 1905, and, although we kept no accurate records before 1907, there is no reason for supposing that the annual mileage

ould ho any less than subsequently, and we do not think we should be far wrong if we added 20,000 miles to the above figure, making the total 50,448. If anything, we should be rather indined to think this underestimating than nverestimating it."

Never Yet Been Stuck on a Hill.

Messrs. F. Kenning and Sons, Hardware and Oil Merchants, of Gladstone Buildings, Clay Cross, under date the 6th January, 1911, write :—" We feel that we ought to write you with reference to the two-ton ' Karrier ' car we had from you in Ahguat, 1910. We are pleased to inform you that we have used this every flay since its arrival, and have had practically no trouble with it. Although we are in the hilly district of Derbyshire, we have never yet been stuck at any hill with a ' Karrier ' car, although it is invariably loaded to its full capacity. Besides our own business of Hardware Merchants, we are Sole Agents for a. large district for The British Petroleum Co., Ltd., and we use it for conveying oil and motor spirit as well as goods.

" Ws are greatly satisfied with the change we have made, in substituting a lorry for horses. We are able to work a larger area, and can also give prompt deliveries, which of course means increased business for us. We hope soon to be ready for a second lorry, and shall certainly give the Karrier ' our first consideration."

From New Zealand.

The Superintendent of the Auckland Fire Board (Auckland, N.Z.), on the 5th October, 1910, gave this written testimony re his 45 h.p., two-ton

Thornyeroft: — " The Thernyoroft motor has been in commission for 12 months, and has given every satisfaction. I cannot speak too well of its

efficiency. It has not cost anything for repairs," 150 Miles a Day.

The Albion Brewery Leeds, Ltd., addressing Mr. C. Pemberton Wooler, in July last year, writes :—" We have pleasure in stating that we have been running a Thornyeroft, 30 h.p., four-ton lorry since May, 1909. During that period it has run over 22,000 miles and we have had no breakdowns whatever. Two and sometimes three days a week, we send the lorry a journey of about 75 miles out and home—that is, 150 miles in the day— over very bad roads. We consider this a very severe test, and are highly pleased with the satisfactory way the nrachine has stood it."

Cheaper Than Even a Single Horse.

Mr. J. S . Weir, the firemaster of Dundee, writes direct to us, under date the 8th inst., as follows:—' The ' Argyll ' muter fire-tender, purchased in October, 1908, has proved of great advantage to the department. Less than half the time is taken in reaching the scene of fire. During the two years and four months the motor has been in commission, it has attended 250 calls to fires, and on 123 occasions it was the only machine turned out. This shows the great reliability of the motor. The distance travelled by the motor, going to and returning from tires, was 1,437 miles. The cost of its running upkeep for two years and four months is approximately £60, exclusive of depreciation and insurances. It will thus be seen that the upkeep of the motor per annum is cheaper than the upkeep of one horse.

" The Town Council of this city and myself are highly satisfied with the

Argvlt ' motor tender, and have again decided to place an order with Argylls, Ltd., Alexandria, for a 75 lip petrol motor (combined turbine pump, fire-ladder, and first-aid) engine, at a cost of £1.085."

Big Savings Here.

Mr. W. R. Grierson, of CastleDouglas, N.B., has furnished these particulars :—" I have carefully kept an account of my motorvan expense, for a year which expired on 6th October, 1910. Please find enclosed my detailed account as to the upkeep of four horses, which I have discarded in favour of the motorvan, together with detailed account of running expenses, repairs, etc., of my motorvan, but also note that I have added to my journeys 80 miles extra in the work. My motorvan (an Albion) is giving me every satisfaction, and I am thinking of buying another motor in the near future, and doing away with horses altogether.

CAPITAL OUTLAY (HORSES).

£ a.

TWO vans 0 Two sets harness at 27 .. 14 0

Four horses at £32 ... 128 0 Stables (utensils and fittings) 4 10 £216 10 RUNNING EXPENSES (HORSES).

£ s.

Man's wage at £1 2s. ... 57 4 Four horses, keep at 15s. for 52 weeks... ... 156 0 Repairs and harness ... 2 0 Repairs to two vans ... 20 0 Shoeing ... ... ... 10 0 Veterinary — ... ... 52 0 Interest on 1:216 108. at 5 per cent. —... ... ... 10 16 Depreciation at 15 per cent.... 32 8 £340 8

6,009 miles of running £341 8s. equals 13.6d. per mile.

CAPITAL OUTLAY (MOTOR).

One 16 lap. ..klbion one-ton van... 420 Registration fee and number plates 1 Spare tools ... 1 £422 Ten thousand miles of running at £291 15s. 9id. equals 7.0d. per mile, or a saving in favour of motor of 6.6d. per mile of service. Economical, Reliable and Fast.

M. "'Vauban, 73, Rue de Retiilly. Paris, writing to the Mors Co. about his 12 11.p. van, on the 31st January, is terse but to the point.—" The coinniercial motor that you sent us for our delivery service has given us complete satisfaction. We find it extremely economical, reliable and fast, and it proves most useful to us."

Repeat Order the Proof.

:Messrs. Fremlin Bros., of Maidstone, writing to Dennis Bros., Ltd., state .—" We have much pleasure in saying we have been working one of your five-ton lorries for the past 12 months, and have not had a mechanical breakdown in any way, and our opinion of the same may be very well summed up, in that we have just received delivery of a further fivetonner."

Its First Overhaul after 20,000 miles.

Messrs. Kendal, Milne and Co., Manchester, under date the 6th February, 1911, write :—" Replying to your letter of January 28th, respecting the running of our Dennis ' vehicle, we have pleasure in saying that the van is giving satisfaction, having run some 20,326 miles without any really serious mishap. We are obtaining some 11 to 111, miles to the gallon, which we think is satisfactory considering the hilly country the vehicle has to negotiate. It is now undergoing its first ON erhaul."

Reliable Motors.

Reynolds Sons and Co., Ltd., 55, Charterhouse Street, London, B.C., writing on the 10th inst., states:— " We have great pleasure in testifying as to the running, etc., of the first Commer Car' we had from you, which covered in three years over 42,000 miles, without practically any real breakdown, and the few repairs were of a most trivial character. The new car we had of you has now been running about three months, covering in that time 3,600 mike, without giving any trouble. Considering that the journeys are principally over country roads, this seems a very-convim ing proof of its reliability."

No Trouble Whatever.

Mr. S. Etchells, Removal Contractor, Cecil Street Depository, Greenhays, Manchester, writing on the 31st ult., says :—" I am desirous of expressing to you my sincere appreciation of the running and wearing capabilities of the two three-ton Halley vehicles with which you supplied me last year. I have found them to be most economical and exceedingly reliable, neither of them having given me the slightest trouble or cause for anxiety whatever. The cost of upkeep is exceedingly small, and they are wonderfully light on tires and petrol. Personally, I May say that I judge the Halley vehicles, from results which I have obtained, to he the finest in the market." TemperAnce Carrying.

Mr. R. P. Rawlings, of the Nonal Co., Ltd., Lillie Road, Fulham, S.W., writes :—" We have run a ` Commer Car ' light commercial car for ten months, uver a distance of about 8,000 miles, in London. It has cost only a few pounds in repairs, and the tires are still in good condition. I attribute this to two things--firstly-, the excellence of the car, and, secondly, it being carefully looked after by a competent chauffeur."

Complete Satisfaction.

Mr. E. H. WaLshaw, a director of Walshaw, Drake and Co., Ltd., of Rosemary Dye Works, Rastrick, under date the 10th January, 1911, writes: " In reply to your letter of the 5th inst., the three two-ton Karrier cars supplied by you are still giving complete satisfaction, and we have great pleasure in giving you the mileages for the respective wagons, for twelve months ending December 31st, 1910: No. 1 wagon, 9,278 miles ; No. 2 wagon, 10,460 miles ; No. 3 wagon, 10,361 miles."

Abreast of Our Work.

Mr. Win. Hartley, Manager of The Industrial Co-operative Society, Ltd., Wellington Street, Bingley, under date the 6th January. 1911, writes:' We have had your Nether ' car in use since August, 1909, and it has stood the test of hard wear on hilly and in ninny instances very bad roads, in all kinds of weather, when the conditions for ordinary vehicular traffic have been most trying and very slow. We have, however, with the aid of the motor wagon, kept well abreast of our work. We should not like to go back to horse-drawn vehicles. Our work for it is chiefly to our branches, with flour, groceries, etc., which, with loads of two to three tons, we can accomplish expeditiously, and this in our business is of great advantage. To any one who has weights to move quickly, we can recommend a Karrier ' car. The approximate mileage weekly is about 100."

"Allenbury " Albions.

Mr. Reginald J. Hanbury, a Director of Allen and Hanburys, Ltd., the widely-reputed British food specialists, writes to the Albion Co. thus ;—" We have to say that the motor vehicles of your manufacture, which we purchased some years ago, have always been satisfactory and economical in use. You are at liberty to make use of this letter, or part of it, should you at any time desire to do so."

Five Years Old and Hardly Knows It.;

Mr. R. A. Boardman, on behalf of Messrs. Boardmans, Stratford, London, E., giros this written opinion of Albion vans, one of which is illustrated herewith :—" We are pleased to say that our 16 lep. motor vehicles manufactured by you have given every satisfaction, and are daily covering distances which would be impossible with horse-drawn vehicles. Our oldest van, delivered nearly five years ago, is still in excellent condition, and our latest van, delivered close upon two years ago, has run practically daily without a stoppage of any kind. This we think is a very creditable record. We are hoping for equally-satisfactory results from the new two-ton van."

Argyll First at Nearly 1,000 Fires.

Mr. William Frost, Chief Officer of the Sheffield Fire Department, under date the 9th inst.. writes:—

" In answer to your letter of the 10th inst., re economies effected by our Argyll motor-tender escape, I have pleasure in informing you that I reduced the number of horses kept in this department by two when the motor was placed in commission on the 17th October, 1907. This means a saving of £78 per annum on stable expenses. The net cost of upkeep of the motor was, for the first year, £31 8s. 6d. It ran to five fires during the first 24 hours it was in Sheffield, and it has certainly been the means of saving eight lives; it has travelled approximately 5,000 miles, and has been the first machine to reach the scene of nearly a thousand fires." After 40,000 Miles.

Messrs. Allen and Co., of 145, Grosvenor Road, Westminster, S.W., addressing the makers, write :—" In reference to your inquiries regarding the ' Commer-Car ' lorry which you supplied us with, we have much pleasure in informing you that it has done close on 40,000 miles and we are entirely satisfied with its record."

The Drivers are Men from the Stables.

Mr. Edwin Jones, Chairman of Bon Marche', Ltd., and Jones and Higgins, Ltd., London, wrifes:—" I have much pleasure in stating that your Albion motor vehicles have given us every satisfaction. We find them reliable; consequently, we hardly ever get a breakdown. Our drivers are men from the stables, which indicates the simplicity in the construction of the Albion motors. I have recommended the cars to several firms, and believe they have been thoroughly satisfied with them."

Difficult to Beat.

Mr. James Stirling, Secretary and Manager of the Glasgow Dairy Co., Ltd. writing on the 10th inst., says:— " The following particulars will no doubt serve your purpose re our 12-15 h.p. four-cylinder Argyll delivery van. We took delivery from the Argyll Co. on 26th March, 1910, and from that day till now the van has been on the road every day (except Sundays) doing an average of 30 miles per day. On referring to our annual amounts made up to the 3rd of December last, I find that the upkeep figure—apart from drivers' wages for the 36 weeks from 26th March—is £32 2s. Id., or equal to a running cost of a 10. per mile approximately.

" The van is fast, silent, reliable and in every way suitable for our work. From the day we got it up till the present moment, we have had no trouble whatever. No repairs, except for tire-cover cuts, no accidents, and it has never been idle. We think it would be difficult to beat the record of our Argyll van." What Should We Do Without It?

Mr. Wm. Hartley, manager of the Industrial Co-operative Society, Ltd., Wellington Street, Bingley, under date the 10th inst., writes to us :— " Having had a longer experience of the Karrier ' car than when I wrote to you a year ago, it has in no measure lessened my appreciation of its usefulness over horses. We had the car delivered on the last (lay of August, 1909, and the first winter was a very trying one, especially in such a district as ours, which is very hilly, whilst some of the roads are never free from loose limestone, which is used for mending and never rolled in ; consequently, it is very trying for the tires—so much so, that about three months ago we had the tires renewed. Notwithstanding this expen.se, we think work for work, and taking into consideration the much-quicker despatch, it is preferable to horses.

" Tho consumption of petrol is about 30 gallons per week, and the car miles run about 100; this, however, includes the hoisting of the goods by the engine into the upper storiesof 13 different stores. We are confident that in its usefulness all round it is superior to the old method of transport. The feeling with us now is what should we do without it? That, perhaps, is the best testimony of its utility."

Accurate Cost Not Kept, but Every Satisfaction Given.

Messrs. Parke, Davis and Co., Manufacturing Chemists, Beak Street, Regent Street, London, W., write direct to us, under date the 10th inst., thus We regret that, owing to the fact that our loads vary considerably in weight, we do not keep accurate records of the cost of transportation by motor. We can, therefore, only make the general statement that the large Milnes-Daimler machine purchased about two years ago is giving every satisfaction."

Obtains and Holds New Business.

Samuel Shield, Ltd., addresses Dennis Bros., Ltd., as follows :—" We have much pleasure in replying to your inquiry re Dennis motorvan. We have been running our van since November, 1907, and we have every reason to be gratified with its performance. Just before buying it, we had under consideration the purchase of three more horses, which would have made 13 horses, but decided against the horse and purchased the motor. Soon titer we had settled down, and learnt what the motor would do, v:e sold three horses. That is to say, it displaced six. Notwithstanding that our business has grown considerably in the meanwhile, yet we now have only six horses.

" It would be very difficult for us to make any comparison as regards costs of running against horse-vans, be-. cause the motor seems so radically to alter the conditions of collection and delivery. But we can say this, that it has helped us to obtain and hold business that we could not have held without it."

A Renowned Silversmith's View.

Mappiu and Webb (1908), Ltd., says —of its 12 lep. Mors :—" We are pleased to inform you that our Mors dteivery van has given us every satisfaction, and is working as well to-day as on the day when it was delivered to us.'' Indispensable.

Whitbrend and Co., Ltd., addressing the makers, writes :—" Our threeton Dennis lorry has been in constant use KilWe 8th February, 1909, during which time we have carried 3,986 tons, end covered 22,440 miles, with 0111 or gears having once failed, giving tis every satisfaction ; it is indiseoleedde to our business."

Petrol Economy Here.

Mr. W. L. Ingle, Governing Director of W. L. Ingle, Ltd., Tanners, Carriers and Leather Manufacturers, Millshow Leather Works, Churwell Leeds, under date the 7th January, 1911, writes:— " Respecting the two-ton Karrier ' car you supplied to us, this car has done 12,933 miles on 1,237 gallong of petrol. We are very well satisfied with the machine, and are prepared to recommend it to anybody who is looking for a serviceable wagon."

A Unic's Third Year.

Mr. -Jahn W. Esans, a director of Evans, Sans. Leacher and Webb. Ltd., writing from 56, Hanover Street, Liverpool. on the. 10th inst., states:

lii reply to yours of the 9th, our third year of experience with our Utile van has been (as in the former years) gool. The total mileage has been our usual One of beteeen seven to ten thousand miles; the repairs have been small. and the only heavy expense we have had has been again the usual one of tires. As mentioned before, this van is fitted with pneumatics all round, and these, especially on the back wheels, are verycostly. This van has proved a great success, and we can strongly recommend this make to anyone contemplating a light delivery vehicle of 10 to 15 cwt."

For Travellers.

Mr. W. David Phillips, a director of Godfrey Phillips, Ltd., 112, Commorels'', Street, London, E., under date the 26th January, 1911, addressing the de Dion Co., writes :— " We should like to put on record our satisfaetion with the two double-purpose 8 hp. de Dion motors which we purchased from you sonic four months bock. One of these is in use in London, and the other in South Wales. Both have given the utmost satisfactime and our Welsh traveller writes US that he has tackled all the hills which abound in that district with the utmost ease, and the car has enabled him to double the number of calls he makes per neck.

" In the London district, the ease with %Odell this ear gets through the traffic lins not only enabled our representative to (lonble the number of his

calls, but has also enabled him to widen the radius in which he makes his calls, till's materially adding to his turnover in that short time."

Good Service Maintained.

Mr. Arthur Ellis, M.I.Mech.E., A.M.) .E.E.„ City Electrical Engineel. and Manager, Cardiff, writes to us, dated the 10t1 inst., thus :—" I can only confirm what I stated in a previous letter regarding our motor wagons. Both of this Milnes-Dainder wagons are still in service, and doing excellent work ; they are also in excelhint condition, and, ,jedging by our past experience. I see no reason why they should not continue to give good service for many years to come. They cost us very little per annum in upkeep, and are economical in every respect. In fact, we could not desire to have better vehicles for the work which they have to do."

A Press View.

Edward Lloyd, Ltd., the well-known newspaper proprietors, of 12, Salisbury Square, Meet Street, London, E.C., sent this letter to John 1. Thornycroft and Co., Ltd., in June last For over 16 months, we have been using one of your 1.6 hp., two-cylinder, 30cwt, lorries, which has done over 15,000 miles without missing a journey, and without any repairs beyond the usual minor matters, i.e., grinding valves, etc., etc. The material is good and shows little sign of wear. The vehicle is very economical to run, light on tires, and simple to drive—altogether a class of machine suitable for the rapid and cheap distribution of loads up to one ton. The second model we recently purchased also promises well."

Lotis Mail-van Experience.

From Mr. W. Duffield, General Manager of the Bridge Garage, Ltd., Briggate. Leeds, to Sturmey Motors, Ltd., Coventry. in Jim° last :—" With reference to your inquiry respecting our experience of the Lotis wail van in connectioa with our Post-Office service hetweeu Leeds and Bradford, we wish to say that since we commeueed this work two years .ago the van has run a distance of 21,600 miles. and we are perfectly satisfied with it. More particularly are we pleased with the unique (and apparently everlasting) gear, which, in our experience, is so simple that even a novice can satisfactorily take charge of the machine with the minimum of trouble, also with the general workmanship and the strong back axle ; and we are convinced that when you have fitted the four-cylinder 24 lep. engine, which YOU propose doing to this season's cars, you will have an ideal specification, and one which should give satisfaction anywhere and in any country. You might alsa point out to your clients that, in connection with our new mail service, we have recently ordered from you one of our latest 25 cwt. models."

Has Run Well.

Mr. E. B. Collier, of 1.1011X'S Brewery Co., Ltd., 268, Tottenham Court Road, W., writes :—" Re Commor Car.'—Our two-ton car has run well during the last year; it has covered roughly 13,000 miles and never beeu off the road except for its weekly halfday in the garage, and the cost of petrol has not been more than id. per mile."

Extra Cost Unnoticeable.

Messrs. Butler and Son, Brass Founders and Finishers, Thorough Brass and iron Works, Dukinfield, nr. Manchester, under date the 27th January, 1911, write :—" Respecting running costs for our de Dion car, used for commercial purposes, we do not keep any record of the difference, if any, between the present and our former method of delivery. We find it more handy and serviceable, that it can cover a much-larger radius in a shorter time, and we save the usual overlapping, as we can generally hold some goods back a little time until something else is ready for a client in the same district, owing to the quicker covering of the ground. We are glad that we made the change, as the extra convenience well repays any extra, cost, which cannot he very much, if any, or it would have been noticed and. traced."

Can Work All The Year Round.

Mr. W. -Wallace, the head of the Sutherland Motor Traffic Co., of Lairg, on the 8th December last, wrote thus to the Albion Co., of Glasgow :—" As another season comes to a close, I am very pleased to be able to write you with regard to the behaviour of the 16 h.p. Albion cars which I now have running up here: As every person knows, the roads in Sutherlandshire are acknowledged to be the worst in Scotland, and I think it is indeed a credit to any firm to be able to turn out a car that can run on these roads under every adverse condition and stand up to. the work the way mine do. In winter, the roads are deep in snow, but, since we instituted a service of motor-mail cars, we are able to maintain a postal connection with the extreme North of Scotland all the year round—a thing which was impossible beforehand with horses.

" The cost of upkeep of the vehicles for the work that is done is infinitely less than that of horses, and the work now done could not possibly be undertaken in this district with the latter.

now keep a resident engineer and have my own workshop ; thus, I am able to undertake all my own repairs, overhauls, and keep the cars in con stantly-good running order. I ,attribute this to a great extent to the sim plicity and reliability shown by the Albion cars. I have no hesitation in saying that I have every faith that the cars will continue to give the satisfac

tory results that they have done in the past, and will still be the means of opening up the North of Scotland to a greater extent."

For 8-10 Cwt. Loads.

La Societti Maggi, which owns six Mors commercial vehicles, writes to the makers, under date the 10th instant:—" We have pleasure in informing you that the 10 h.p. chassis purchased from you last year has given entire satisfaction. These vans average about 70 miles a day, generally over very rough roads, etc., and we have never had the least trouble with them. They are most economical to run, and light on tires."

Have Recommended Them.

W. and R. Jacob and Co., Ltd., the well-known Biscuit and Cake Manufacturers, of 286 to 294, Scotland Road, Liverpool, writing to Leyland Motors, Ltd., under date the 11th inst., states :--" Replying to your favour of the 10th inst., we have pleasure in informing you that we have five of your motorvans (petrol) at work, and some of them for a considerable period. We have found them very reliable. and very well suited for our business. We have recommended them to several people, who have made inquiries from us, and we should not hesitate to do so again."

Condition Excellent.

Mr. A. E. Faithfull, Lipton, Ltd., City Road, London, E.C., dated the 10th inst., writes to the makers :— " About 1`2 months ago, we had the pleasure of reporting upon the favourable performance of our • Commer Car.' You will probably again be interested to hear from us that the vehicle, which was in the R.A. Trials of September, 1907, has, up to date, completed nearly 45,000 miles, and still running.

"This particular vehicle has just returned from your works, after usual annual overhaul; after being stripped, all parts were examined by me, and, considering the work the vehicle has done (full three-ton to four-ton loads daily) and the country journeys, it was particularly gratifying to find everything in such good condition ; the fact that no renewals were re-Tittired for gearbox. pinions, differen

tial, etc., speaks volumes for the class of material used in the construction of the vehicle."

Concerning Six Halleys.

Mr. A. E. Anderson, Managing Director of the " X " Chair Patents Co.. Ltd., writing to us on the 10th inst.. says :—" We have no particulars to hand you this year all we can say, is that we are very satisfied with our Halley lorries.' ' Expectations Surpassed.

Messrs. Wm. Landless and Sons, Clowbridge Mills, near Burnley, dated the 7th inst.. say :•—" The Halley industrial motor lorry supplied by you at the end of August, 1910, has run about 6,000 miles, during the interval, and has given satisfaction, running in all weathers—.even surpassing our expectations, especially during snowy and slippery weather."

More Than Was Promised.

Stewart and McDonald, Ltd., Glasgow, writing to the Albion Co., under date the 4th November last, state :— " Following up our testimonial of last year, we are pleased to say that the delivery ears we have had from you continue to give perfect satisfaction. They have fulfilled all that was promised regarding them, and a little more."

Goods in Better Condition.

Messrs. J. and W. Campbell and Co., of 137. Ingram Street, Glasgow, write to the Albion Co. as follows :— " We have much pleasure in informing you that we find the motorvans we purchased from you to be a decided improvement on horse-vans. They undoubtedly enable us to deliver our goods more quickly and in better condition. This is specially noticeable in wet weather. Formerly we were caused a great deal of trouble and expense by goods getting wet. We have also been able to give a better delivery to suburban customers, and are now able to deal with parcels that formerly we had to hand to carrying companies." Lyons's Albions.

Messrs. J. Lyons and Co., Ltd., of Cadby Hall, Kensington, W., write:— "You will be pleased to know that the 1910 Albion models which you supplied to us in the early part of the present year are doing excellent work and giving us every satisfaction. Several of them have already covered more than 12,000 miles and have not required any repairs, other than a week-end clean and tune up."

Concerning Argyll Cabs.

Mr. W. Dawkins, Secretary of the New Park Motor Cab Co., Ltd., 22, Earl Street, Westminster, S.W., writes to us, under date the 12th inst., thus ---" I herewith send you a few items of information respecting the fleet of cabs (Argylls) that we are running at the present time. We were practically the first company that put. fourcylinder cabs on the London streets, at the commencement of 1908, and they were constructed by Argylls, Ltd., before the reconstruction of the present company. The cabs that we now have are certainly a great improvement on the old type. The lubrieation in the present system is altogether different, and I might say almost perfect, the amount of oil used per cab per day being very small indeed, as compared to what we had to use on the older type. The clutch, when properly adjusted, is an ideal one, and, whatever may be said from other quarters in favour of leather for clutches, our drivers are prepared to swear by our clutch as the best there is on any cab in London. The brakes, both hand and foot, are reliable and powerful, and it is very seldom that we have to spare any time adjusting brakes. The hand brake, with its pull-on and compensating action, is all that can be wished for, and the cabbies who are on the cabs and have driven three or four other types of cabs besides our own say they have never driven a cab of any description with such a lovely footbrake ' as those on the present Argyll cabs.

"In comparing these cabs with others now running about the great Metropolis, just look at one on a rank, and see the difference of the build of the body, as against any other, and you will see that they are set up higher and have a more-commanding appearance than any cab belonging to any other company. As it was in the days of the horse-cab, so it is up to the present time: we always liked a wellset-up cab ; they attracted the eye of the regular cab rider and looked bolder, and we still hold the same opinion to-day about the motorcab.

"With regard to opinions expressed by the hirers to our drivers, they are many and different, and it wants a good head to remember them all, but one given by an American visitor, to ono of our drivers, impressed itself on my memory, because I could only half guess at its meaning. He said : Cabby, I guess this motorcab of yours is as slick as a " Most Satisfactory in all Respects.

James Drummond and Sons, Ltd.. Worsted Spinners, Lumb Lane Mills, Bradford, Yorkshire, under date the 9th inst., writes thus to Thornycroft's :—" It gives us pleasure to be able to say that the 16 h.p. two-cylinder lorry you supplied to us in January, 1910, has proved most satisfactory in all respects. It has been in daily use ever since it was delivered, and has covered 11,500 miles without any mishap ; this, as you are doubtless aware, in a very-hilly district."

Relieved from Worry and Anxiety.

Mr. Samuel Pearson, West Bromwich Glass Bottle Works, Charles Street, Swan Village, under date the 6th January, 1911, writes :—" am quite satisfied with the 31-ton Karrier ' car which I bought from you about eight or nine months ago. Before I had the car, I kept eight horses, and I find that it will do as much work as the eight horses, and it has also taken a lot of worry and anxiety off my mind, especially at week-ends and holiday time."

Over 100 Miles a Day.

Mr. C. W. Brearley, a director of the Menpes Printing and Engraving Co., Ltd., Watford, dated the 1st inst., writes:—" We have much pleasure in saying that the Halley motorvan which we purchased from you last May has given us every satisfaction. After a most-troublesome experience, extending over three or four years, it has been a great advantage to us to have. your van running in such a reliable manner. The van performs a daily journey of upwards 100 miles, and we have always Found it perfectly satisfactory in running and the upkeep quite eennomical."

A Country Baker's View. A partner in the firm of Messrs. Goodfellow and Steven, Bakers, 75, Gray Street, Broughty Ferry, N.B., writes :—" I will state our own case, which I think proves the value of a small de Dion car for work such as ours: (1) Saving of time—where horses have been replaced, there should be a saving, but in our case we did without three messengers at 6s. per week each when we put on the car ; we have also the advantages of having good deliveries by a man instead of three or four boys or girls, and have therefore little or no trouble with parcels going wrong. (2) Greater range as compared with horses—this applies to bakers who can take in a few extra villages or small towns, although I think it pays a baker to go as few miles as he can and stop as often as he can in his own district, but this does not suit every man.

"Thus working of our business has been greatly eased because of the ear.

My wife, who despatched part of the goods, finds there is little or no trouble over any parcels, and the want of friction with customers is of great value to any business.

" There is DO doubt that for commercial work the great thing is to get a good car to begin with, even though it may cost more to start. . . . We can give you a record of the cost from November, 1908 to last August.

Expenses for 22 months:— s. d.

Petrol, oil, tires, etc. ... 51 3 7 Ooachbuilder's account (small repairs and doing up) 4 2 6 Insurance (third party dam age to car, etc.) ... 12 0 0 De Dion account 10 1 Part rent of shed ... 6 0 0 £73 16 2 "

You will, perhaps, think this a small sum, but it is right( as everything within the time has been got from one firm, and the sum mentioned will include, say, .R5 for mechanical repairs.'' Never Had a Compulsory Stop. John Shentall, Ltd., Wholesale and

Retail Groeers and Provision Mer chants, of Whittington Moor, Chester field, under date the 13th January, 1911, writes :—" We wish to say how pleased we are with both the Karrier ' motor lorries [One 3,-tonner and one 21--tonners -En.] purchased from you last year. They have been doing

hard work ever since we had them, and have never had a compulsory stop, and, as we are situated in a very hilly district, we consider it very satisfactory. They just came in time for our business, and we wonder now how we managed without them for so long. We should not like to go back to horses

again for our long journeys." .

10.i Months andNo Repairs.

Mr. I). Bobertson, Secretary to the General Post Office, Wellington, N.Z.' writing under date the 7th September, 1910, says:-" In accordance with the request of your letter of the 18th ult., I beg to give you the undermentioned information in connection with the running of the Albion motor lorry by this Department from the Hth October. 1909, to the 27th August, 1910: Miles run, 1,558 (approximately); petrol consumed, 376 gallons ; wages, 138 5s.; oil consumed, 15 gallons; waste (cotton) used, 14 lb. ; repairs to engine and gearing (re-soldering pipe), 2s. 6d.; tire renewals, nil ; general renewals, nil ; average weight of loads, 1 ton 3 cwt. 1 qr. (approximately); nature of roads operated over, part blocked and part metal."

Backbone in Them.

Mr. Thos. Bell Kirkland, Traffic Superintendent of the Dundee Motor Lorry Co., Ltd., under date the 7th inst., writes thus to Halley's " The fleet of the Halley two-cylinder threeton lorries we are running continues to do well—hetter, really, than the writer expected. as, during the winter, we have had more long-distance country work to do than we anticipated, and to send a. two-cylinder 20 h.p. lorry away on a 40-mile run over bad and hilly roads, loaded with three tons, is really a severe test. That the vehicles are doing this work and are doing itevery day, driven by carters, men with absolutely no mechanical knowledge, are running on steel tires on rear wheels, are out in every condition of weather, and are working at their highest limit from 12-16 hours per day, is a practical proof that there is sonic backbone in them."

Likes the Hele-Shaw Clutch.

Johnson and ..kkam, Ltd., Timber Merchants, Old Park Saw Mills, Harris Street, Bradford, under date the 9th inst., writes thus to Thornycrofts :—" The 16 h.p. two-cylinder motor wagon you supplied to us in May, 1910, has been an unqualified success. It runs six days per week, and, during the whole time we have had it, has not missed a single journey; this, in a hilly district like the West Riding of Yorkshire, says far more than any words we can write. The whole machine has given surprisingly_ little trouble. One of the outstanding features in our minds, and one that contributes more to the protection of the engine and gears from sudden strains, is the pretty-well-perfect clutch which you fit. as standard."

Brewery Taxation Delays Further Orders.

Mr. Chas. Gaskell, Asst. Gen. Manager of Win. Hancock and Co., Ltd., The Brewery, Cardiff, under date the 10111 inst., writes :—" With reference to the letter which we wrote you on the 18th of February last year, in regard to commercial motors, we really have nothing further to add to the contents of that letter. The number of lorries employed by us is exactly the same, amid, therefore, beyond the fact that all the lorries are one year older, our position remains exactly as it was then.

" We should no doubt have increased our number of lorries, were it not for the hardships that we, in common with all other brewery firms, have suffered through legislation." [We reproduce the earlier letter, which is endorsed as showing the current opinion of this important owner.— En.] " This company purchased its first steam wagon in June, 1901, and its first petrol vehicle in February, 1905. We now have seven Mann steam wagons, two Milnes-Daimler petrol lorries, two Dennis petrol lorries, and two Ryknield petrol lorries. Each lorry does the work of four horses, and carries five tons. For last month, each steamer averaged 525 miles, and each petrol vehicle 745 miles. We have never found goods to be damaged, and our frequency of delivery is fully 100 per cent. more than it used to be, whilst the radius of direct delivery from the brewery has been increased from 12 to 30 miles."

What Younger's Think.

Mr. J. D. Crombie, Managing Director of Robert Younger, Ltd., St. Ann's Brewery, Edinburgh, writing on the 8th inst., to the Halley Co., states :— " We are pleased to inform you that 28 h.p. motor lorry supplied by you has now completed a year's running, and has given us entire satisfaction. During the year, the lorry has run 10,150 miles without a single mechanical stop, and without any repair.'' Not Missed a Journey.

Messrs_ George Beaumont and Sons, Dyers and Finishers, Rowley Mills, Fenny Bridge, Huddersfield, under date the 8th inst., writes :—" We are lad to be able to state that these (our Thornycroft van and wagon) are still running to our entire satisfaction. We have always found them reliable and ready for the journeys we send them_ In fact, since we got the van it has not mi&sed a journey, which we think is very good, seeing that it started running in August, 1909."

More Lancashire Costs.

Mr. A. P. Coppinger, Manager of the Manchester branch of the Paroles de Grosnyi (Rus.sic), writes, under date the 11th inst., to us :—" We have much pleasure in giving you herewith the average weekly results, taken over the past 12 months, for the running of our four-ton Leyland motorvan. We are more than satisfied with the excellent performance of this wagon ; the consistency with which it has kept the road under the most-trying conditions is in itself a high tribute to the excellenc,e of the Leyland workmanship and skill. The wagon is tired with Polack tires, and these have contributed very largely to the success of our working, the average mileage covered by a set of tires being about 15,000 miles, although, on our table of cost, you will notice that we have only allowed for the guaranteed mileage.

"The average ton-mile rate works out at about M., and, as the average

ton-mile rate for the class of goods we carry, by rail, is about 7d., we are enabled to show a saving of approximately 50 per cent. in carriage ale."

Average per week, 300 miles. Average load carried, 3 tons. Total ton-miles per week, 900.

Cost of four-ton petrol wagon : Nine hundred ton-miles for £12 148., or 3.4d. per ton-mile (say, 10.2d. per vehicle-mile).

DAIMLER (RENARD) ROAD TRAINS.

Messrs, De Roubaix, Oedenkoven and Co., of Antwerp, write:—" We have pleasure in reporting about our 'Renard ' (The New Daimler) train. The following are the principal points in connection with the running of this train, since its arrival in July, 1908. With the exception of a few small repairs common to all vehicles, the train has behaved exceedingly well up to now, and we must own -that we are surprised at not having had during the whole of this time to make any serious repair to the principal working parts of the iwo. followers we have. In our opinion this is a remarkable result, and one which demonstrates the great practical worth of the system. Our train has covered to now 19,500 kilometres and has transported

18,680,043 kilogrammes of merchandise. Taking into account the journeys made with empty trucks, this weight would have been 28,936,950 kilogrammes. On these figures we have based the average cost per tonkilometre, which we find works out at 25 centimes, the corresponding figure for horse traction being 60 centimes. In the calculation for the ton-kilometre we have calculated C per cent. interest, 20 per cent. depreciation, and 6 per cent. upkeep, but are glad to say that this last figure has not been reached.

" The exceedingly-had pavement existing in Antwerp, and more especially in the suburbs and in the neighbourhood of the docks, is certainly the greatest strain that could he put upon wagons for transporting heavy loads, and we cannot but congratulate ourselves upon the very excellent results obtained from the system. In our estimation, no other motor system for heavy loads can hear comparison with the Renard (Daimler) system, with which it is possible to go forward or backwards with the greatest possible ease, no matter how congested may be the traffic."

Mr. C. E. Colbear, Works Manager of the California Trona Company, ti Johannesburg, California, writes :-" In reference to the efficiency and general behaviour of the Renard road train recently imported by the California Trona Company, we have found the train of greatest service in moving our freight. The speed is about eight miles per hour under burden, and this over hilly and somewhat sandy roads, The total cost of running the train, leaving out of account depreciation, which, of course, we cannot tell at this early date, is about four cents per ton-mile. Comparing this with the cost by contract of freight hauling by horses, the advantage is in favour of the Renard train about 10 to 1. Taken altogether, the train is a success, and enormous improvement in traction machinery."


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