Answers to Queries.
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Saurer Vehicles.
[4052] (Supply).Saurer commescial vehicles are built at Arbonne in Switzerland. The English model is the Hanford, which is built by J. and E. Hall, Ltd., of Dartford. Both are excellent machines.
A Crane to Carry on His Lorry.
[4053] (Haslingden).—A suitable crane for fitting to your lorry could be obtained from the following:— Buck and Hickman, Ltd., 2, Whitechapel Road, London, E. Geo. Hatch, Ltd., 20, Queenhithe, London, Bristow and Co., 11, Tothill Street, Westminster, London, S.W.
About Austin Lubrication.
[4054] (Langley Green).—The information given by your letter and sketch is not sufficient to enable us to assist you. We have returned them direct. We suggest that you get into communication with Austin Motors, Ltd., Longbridge Works, Northfield, Birmingham. Our experience of this company is that it is very willing to assist all inquirers.
Drivers Wanted.
[4055] (Salop).—There is no surplus of drivers at present. There is but a scant supply of discharged soldiers, so far. We have sent your letter to the Secretary of the Commercial Motor Users Association, and asked him also to see the Honorary Secretary of the Joint Committee which is dealing with the matter of re-employment of discharged motor drivers.
The W.D. Subsidy-model Specification.
[4058] (Manufacturers).—The Government subsidy specification for W.D. lorries is out of print, and it will not be reprinted until after the war. We have our file copy, but we do not care to let that out of the office unless it is very urgently wanted. If it is so wanted by your company, and you will give us a formal undertaking to preserve and return it, we shall be happy to lend it for a few days.
Alleged Over-rated Load Capacity.
• [4057] (Caught).—If representations were made to you that the vehicle which you bought was capable of carrying a four-ton load, and if you Can prove that it was in fact only fit to carry a three-ton load, you apparently have a good case. We think you will certainly not bring a transaction like this to a head unless you serve a writ on the people forthwith, and, as to a good expert. we can recommend .Mr. Geo.
Watson, M. In st. A. E., M.I. Mech. E. Consulting Engineer to the Commercial Motor tsers Associa tion, whose address is 83, Pall Mall, London, S.W.
Passible Claim for Road Damage.
[4058] (Timber).—It is not easy to give an opinion on the validity of any claim for extraordinary-traffic damage, and most of all in relation to timber haulage. Such haulage is sometimes not held to be extraordinary, and at other times is so classed. It will be better to do all possible to comply with the suggestions of the County Surveyor, whose letter appears to be couched in very friendly terms, as to the manner of user of the road. You might write asking-that he will tell you in detail how he thinks it best to use the wagon, at the same time pointing out that the securing.of the timber is essential to the requirements of the Government at the present time, and that it is being undertaken by and in consequence of the order of (here giving the name of the people on whose instructions you are vetting the timber). In law, the liability for extraordinary-traffic damage is laid upon the person "by or in consequence of whose order" the work is done.
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The Best Description of the "Caterpillar" Tractor.
[4059] (Glasgow).—The " Caterpillar " tractor was fully described and illustrated in our issue of the 27th January last, is now out of print. We gave the article the title of " Caterpillars for Farmers."
Bought a Motorvan Cheap for Re-sale : Finds It Is Unlicensed.
[4061] (Novice).— You can probably get out of the difficulty in which you find yourself by making a brief explanation of the circumstances to the Inland Revenue authorities, and they may tell you how to proceed in order to claim exemption from the fourguinea tax on the ground that the van is being traded in," and not used for pleasure or other purposes. Unless you can prove this, we think you will have to pay the four guineas. If you have used the van even once for recreation or pleasure purposes, even for a matter of a mile or two, you will undoubtedly have to [say the tax, and will possess no remedy. People who buy motorcars without looking into the law about them cannot expect to avoid the consequences, however hard they may be.
Inter-county Traffic.
[4062] (Local).—Who is raising the points concerning inter-county traffic ? We do not understand how it has arisen, and it is very dangerous ground, from
the point of view of motorists, to do anything to encourage interference by the County Councils with the present continuity of roads under the Highways Act and the Motor Car Acts. We know that the 'CountyCouncils are trying to get control under the Local Government (Emergency Powers) Act, both by regulation and by toll, but there are many considerations both for and against, and in our view those against predominate, in the absence of guarantees of any value that once anything of the kind is established as a precedent the County Councils. and other road authorities, will not draw matters tighter and tighter, in order to keep down the wear and tear on their roads, until the benefits of the wonderful road system which exists in this country are nullified.
The "Gearless" Motorbuses.
[4063] (Provincial).—Any motorbuseswhich you may have seen in London with the word " Gearless " on the side panels are not gearless. The word merely implies the name of the company which was formed to run them. The vehicles have chain-driven gears in the gearbox, similar to those which are adopted by the L.G.0.0., the Daimler, and other makers. Compared with an ordinary spur-gear box, in which the teeth are in constant mesh, in a gearbox of the chain-drive type the shaft-centres are set a little farther apart, and the shafts drive one another by the use of silent-type chains, instead of by the meshing of the teeth on the gearwheels. The toothed wheels are loose on the shafts, and are locked thereto as required by "sliding dogs. It was originally pro nosed to construct the motorbuses for the "Gearless" with a netrol-electric drive.