News and Comment.
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This journal has a certified circulation and is the only authority on commercial motor subjects.
There will be a plethora of choice be-, tween provincial motor shows during• the next few weeks.
We have already animadverted upon the fatuity of fresh promoikrs who hope for any general direct support from ma n u tacturers of commercial motors. It is THE MIDDLEMAN to whom they must look in the matter.
All who are interested in utility vehicles, and who anticipate any difficulty as to their ability to go up to London for the Agricultural Hall Show, which will have a large and representative commercial motor section, should not fail to visit the nearest local exhibition. According to report, the one at Liverpool, which city pioneered the heavy traffic side of motoring in this country, will be satisfactorily supported by our best-known makers of steam and petrol vehicles.
The East Lancashire and Manchester Carrying Company, Ltd., has been registered with an authorised capital of ,4:2o,00o in .4't shares, with the object of undertaking road haulage between the Burnley district and Manchester. The registered office is at zo, Prudential Buildings, Oldham.
Horn, Littlewood and Co., Ltd., engineers, of Gainsborough, is the latest company to enter the ranks of commercial motor vehicle manufacturers. This company's operations will include the production of vans and lorries, titted with internal-combustion engines, suitable for loads between i and 4 tons.
Candidates for Parliamentary honours who have been actively opposed to motoring are now experiencing the sor rows of those who try to be " all things to all men " when it is impossible to recall their words and signatures. We take no share in party politics in this journal, but it is as
well that we should remind our supporters of the 12 gentle
men who circularised the local authorities of this country in July last with resulting anti-motor resolutions :- Sir James Fergusson, Bart. (Manchester, N.E.) Ernest Gardner (Berks., Wokingham). Lieut-Gen. J. W. Laurie, C.B. (Pembroke, Haverford west).
Col, C. Wyndham Murray, C.B. (Bath).
Major Sir F. C. Rasch, Bart. (Essex, Chelmsford).
Brooke Robinson (Dudley). Rowland H. Barran (Leeds, North).
Frederick Cawley (Lancs., Prestwich). F. A. Channing (Northants',' East).
George Lambert (Devon, South Molton).
Ernest Soares (Devon, Barnstaple).
J. C. Wason (Orkney and Shetland). We shall publish, four weeks to-day, a special issue which will be known as our " Country Estate and Hotel " number.
The pleasure car has revolutionised all ideas of one's daily programme in the country-it is possible to do more between tea and dinner than one could manage in a whole busy day eight years ago. We intend to enforce the meaning of this change upon the proprietors and management of every large estate and hotel throughout all parts of the United Kingdom.
Utility vehicles must appeal to all who own country estates and hotels, because they are dependent upon satisfactory road transport facilities for the necessaries and conveniences of life. The passenger char-A-banes, the singledeck or double-deck omnibus, the station cart, the motor lorry to carry produce to market, the estate wagon, the tractor for use on the farm and on occupation roads, the mechanical roller, and other types of self-prepelled haulage plant, can no longer be ignored by these interests:
11-28 Austrian A.C. Show at Vienna. Cordingley's Tenth Annual Show: Agricultural Hall, N.
We believe the field which exists in the quarters that will be invaded by this issue to be practically limitless. The development of many estates and hotels has been allowed to remain in abeyance solely from force majeurc : their owners have not seen any solution other than tw the construction of a light railway, but the cost has been fatal to the project in 99 per cent. of the cases. By advancing the legitimate claims of commercial motors, we intend to show how a reasonable expenditure upon these vehicles may he made to bring a huge return to the purchasers.
A progressive and forward policy has for sonic months been occupying the attention of the secretary and executive committee of the Motor Van and Wagon Users' Association, whose offices have recently been transferred to i, Albemarle Street, London, \V. Its ranks now include some zoo members, but this is only a tenth part of what they should embrace. We find in this fact powerful testimony to the lack of trouble which users of commercial motors enjoy : were it otherwise, every owner would crowd in. But this attitude is hardly fair to the few who have laboured to organise a body which has proved its ability to take useful, concerted and effective action in reference to matters legal and parliamentary. It is the duty of each and every owner to remit one guinea—which, incidentally, will entitle him to "Tim COMMERCIAL MOTOR " free of charge each week —to the secretary, Mr. W. Rees Jeffreys, who furnishes full particulars of the association as a supplement to this issue. There is no other body to watch and protect the interests of motor an and wagon users in the United Kingdom.
The London Road Car Company is about to construct motor garage in Wellington Road, Battersea Bridge.
Now that Oxford ratepayers have decided against electric traction, it is probable that many other towns in Great Britain will follow its lead. Eastl)ourne had the pluck to institute motor omnibuses several years ago, but the fetish of electric traction dies hard.
The second annual Birmingham Motor Show will be opened to-morrow (Friday) at 3 p.m. by the Lord Mayor of that city, and will remain open daily, from ix a.m. to to p.m., until the 27th instant. The management anticipate a record attendance at Bingley Hall.
It is reported that a syndicate has been privately formed to work in conjunction with the Ullsvvater Steam Navigation and Traction Company, the owners of the steamers on that lake, in order to place a service of motor omnibuses on the road between Penrith and Pooley Bridge. Passenger traffic from Patterdale and Langwathby Stations will also be developed during the coming summer.
Motor Lorries, Limited, has been registered with an authorised capital of L:io,000 in £t shares, with the principal object of acquiring the business carried on by a Mr. J. E. Gibbs, of 7, Thomas Street, York, which address now becomes the registered office of the company.
The town crier of Eastbourne has been killed by falling off an omnibus when the vehicle was turning a sharp corner, The coroner's jury brought in a verdict of accidental death and attributed no blame to the driver or conductor.
The competition which we foresaw between motor omnibuses in London has now commenced in earnest. One may travel from Cricklewood to the Law Courts, a distartre of 6i miles, for 3d. This yields a rate per mile which compares favourably with the majority of electric traction undertakings in the United Kingdom.
There have recently been some labour disputes at the Beeston works of Humber, Limited, where about go society men handed in their notices and left work, coo account of alleged preferential treatment. We are officially informed that the matters in dispute have now be cleared up, and that certain society restrictions have been re
fro laxed, which will result in a considerable increase of output -and in greater earnings for the men concerned. a r.
Leipzic has its motor cabs now. Prince Louis of Bavaria, heir to the Bavarian throne, who manifests a lively interest in improvements of traffic, inspected the newcomers on January 4th, and, at the invitation of the directors of the company, allowed himself to be driven back to the palace in one of the cabs, his Highness thus having been the Leipzic cabby's first fare. Three days afterwards the cabs were plying for hire by ordinary mortals. As previously explained, the vehicles are the Adler type, and are fitted with taxarneters for mechanically registering the fares.
The Motor Union of Great Britain and Ireland has arranged that its members will be admitted free of charge, on production of their membership tickets for 19°6, to the Bir-. iningham, Newcastle, Manchester, and Glasgow exhibitions. A Motor Union membership ticket practically becomes a season ticket for each of these shows.
The number of motor omnibuses actually in service in London has been increased by only 14 vehicles since the first of the month. The race for the head of the list, between the Road Car Company and the London Motor Omnibus Company, is very interesting, the younger company leading with 59 machines against 57. The Cricklewood-Elephant and Castle route has the most frequent service, no less than 69 omnibuses being upon it, whilst Milnes-Daimler, Limited, chiefly owing to its having specialised in this branch before any other constructors, holds the palm amongst the makers with io6 omnibuses out of the total. The Straker-Squire and Bussing machines come next wilh a combined total of 46.
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