Culled from Contemporaries.
Page 18
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Chiefly about the Parade and our "Twenty Points for Users of London Taxicabs."
Fodens Deserved the Cup.
Haulage contractors might have learnt a useful lesson from an inspection of the Eastern Motor Wagon Co.'s fleet. This company won and certainly deserved THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR Cup for the owners of the best team.—" The Cycle and Motor Trader."
For Our Country Cousins.
A valuable pamphlet has been issued by THE COMMERCIAL Moxon giv jug " Twenty Points for Users of London Taxicabs." . . . These few hints may be of use to readers who may visit the Metropolis during the summer, and wish to travel per lexica Heist eat I Gazette."
A Remarkable Advance.
Evidence of the remarkable advance of motors as vehicles of commerce was afforded by the fourth annual parade held at Lincoln's Inn Fields on Saturday last under the auspices of the Commercial Motor Users' Association. . . The chief competition was that for a handsome silver cup presented by the proprietors of THE COMMERCTAL MOTOR.— " The Surveyor."
The Parade Prize Fund.
I consider the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, the wealthy trade body, is well nigh deserving of censure for only contributing ten guineas to the general fund for the provision of awards to drivers, irrespective of the make of machine. The Royal Automobile Club set an example by contributing double that amount, yet the commercial motor movement is not particularly its concern.—H. Massac Buist, in " The Observer."
His Little Peculiarities.
A convenient little pamphlet which has been prepared by THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR is called " Twenty Points for Users of London Taxicabs," but might equally well be entitled " How to Deal with your Cabdriver." It brings out clearly a number of matters with which even habitual users of London taxicabs are not always fully conversant. . . . The pamphlet urges, very properly, that all extras, as for a third passenger or for lugp,-age, should be recorded by the driver on the taximeter in the place provided for that purpose. This view is opposed both to the principles and practice of some drivers, who affirm that by arrangement with their masters such extras are regarded as their perquisites. It is by no means clear that any arrangement of the kind is recognized by the cab-proprietors, but if it does exist the sooner it is abrogated the better. The great advantage of the taximeter is, or should be, that it. informs the passenger precisely what amount he can be legally called upon to pay, and if he is to be liable to be asked for indefinite sums which are not shown on the instrument, obviously the door is opened to extortion, especially in the case of strangers who are ignorant of the London cabdriver and his little peculiarities.—" The Times." Becoming Indispensable.
The motor wagon and trolley have made enormous progress in the last few years. They have been an English speciality from the outset. . . . The commercial motor, it is evident, will supersede the cart horse to a very large extent wherever a large and busy " round '' has to be worked. It is often a clattering, heavy vehicle, rather a nuisance on the road, but it is becoming in pensable to manufacturers.—'' The Western Morning News."
A Burlesque of the Cart-Horse Parade.
The annual parade of commercial motor vehicles for the award of prizes to drivers who have taken proper care of their machines seems in one aspect almost a burlesque of the annual horse Parades with their .prizes for humane and careful treatment. There is a good deal to be said for it, however, in so far as it encourages good driving, and possibly a good deal more for it as helping both the sale and the choice of vehicles of proved excellence for special purposes.— " The Yorkshire Daily Observer."
A Pearl of Admonition.
No ordinary patron of the taxicab has time to study the infinite variety of the regulations that govern the relationship between the driver and his " fare." . . . One pearl of admonition is included in the 20 points. That is. if the taxicab breaks down anywhere, the hirer must at once request the driver to display the " Stopped " disc. Otherwise the ingenious clockwork of the taximeter will continue piling up time charges at the rate of 2d, for every. 4 minutes, for as long as the driver is attending to the puncture or other ailment with which the running gear may be affected.—"The Daily Express," London.
Cruelty to Horses.
An interesting event was the fourth parade of the Commercial Motor Users' Association, the cart-horse parade of automobilism, so to speak, at Lincoln's Inn Fields. No branch of the motor industry on land or by sea or in the air has such enormous ultimate possibilities, as has already been recognized by many prescient firms who devote their energy and output to nothing else, regardless of the glamour of the more showy side of the business. To give a small idea of the progress of the heavy branch of the industry, although the vehicles entered had to have behind them a record of 4,800 miles before 31st March last, there were 78 entries, including 37 petrol and 35 steam driven, and some of them had done enormous distances. such as a Milnes-Daimler petrol omnibus, entered by Messrs. T. Tilling and Co., which had 148.000 miles to its credit. As Mr. Joynson-Hicks, chairmae of the Motor Union, said at the luncheon which preceded the parade, in proposing the toast of the association, he felt sanguine that for commercial purposes horse traffic was doomed, and he gave some interesting corroborative statistiss. To my mind
there is little doubt of it and many lovers of horses will be only too glad to. see the horse absolved from many tasks of commercial locomotion which, by reason of the strenuous effort required, cannot but appear cruel. A contributor to "The Standard."
In Tabloid Form.
Although the taxicab is such an established feature of London life, there are still very many who are profoundly ignorant of the laws and regulations affecting it. The lot of the average passenger is certainly better than it was in the days of the horsed cab, but even now there are many things which he should know fur his own protection in case of dispute with his driver. The publishers of THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR have issued a booklet, entitled " Twenty Points for Users of London Taxicabs," which contail's in tabloid form all that essential. information which enables the cab user to make sure of his position.—" Pall. Mall Gazette."
Promenade for the Family Hen.
That the motor has first claim to the. roads was boldly insisted at a luncheon under the auspices of the Commercial Motor Users' Association on Saturday. The roads were not for children's playgrounds or for promenades for the family hen, said one speaker. Certainly the increasing importance of the motor vehicle in commerce was shown by the fourth annual parade of such vehicles, arranged by the Commercial Motor Users' Association in connection with their scheme for for good driving, in Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, on Saturday. Compared. with 41 entries for competition last year. there were 96 vehicles brought for the final adjudication, making, with others which took part in the parade but did not compete for the prizes, just over 100. —" The Morning Post."
Like the Cart-Horse Festival.
Four years ago a number of firms whowere using the self-propelled vehicle for commercial purposes decided, through their organization, the Commercial Motor Users' Association, to hold an annual parade of motor wagons, lorries and tractors. Like the cart-horse festival in Regent's Park each year, prizes were awarded to the drivers of the vehicles for the condition of the "iron steeds."
On Saturday the fourth of these annual parades in connection with this scheme to encourage good driving washeld, when 100 motor-drawn vehicles assembled in Lincoln's Inn Fields. This was a record attendance, as 90 out of 96 of those entered for the competitions were waiting for the judges' inspection and 10 non-competitiors were present.
It was a notable sight to witness the variety of industries that were represented, Post Office vans, brewers' lorries, mineral-water wagons, City and Borough Councils' dust and water carts, drapers' delivery vans, furniture lorries; millers' drays, and a chemist's tri-car, beside steam tractors with trailing wagons, whose usual load is produce for Covent Garden.—" The Daily Telegraph."