Answers to Queries.
Page 17
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British. made Tires.
[2471] (Normanton).—We see no reason why Britishmade tires should not give you the same satisfaction that you have obtained in the past from Continental
A Resiliency Gauge.
[2472] (Market).—The instrument which we ourselves use for testing the resiliency of solid tires is the Shore Instrument Co.'s " Sico ' yield gauge. We believe it can be obtained from Brown Bros., Ltd., Great Eastern Street, London, E.C.
Tractor with More Than One Trailer.
[2473] (Edgware).—A steam tractor—that is, a miniature traction engine under five tons. tare—may only draw one trailer. If you require it to draw more, you must take out a traction-engine licence, which in itself is only available in one county. An addition to the licence, either daily or annual, is required for each extra county in which it is desired so to run. Applications should be made to the local licensing authorities. Some counties demur to registering the same engine in both categories, but our view is that they are wrong in so objecting.
Alleged Horse Costs.
[2474] (Middlemen).—Your friends must reconcile themselves to a heavier outlay on capital account. As to size of van, if they require in every case to set out from their premises with a three-ton load, they will do well to retain that size of unit. Having regard to similar experiences of which we have information before us, we should say that they will need to purchase eight three-ton lorries, and possibly as many as ten, the actual number depending on the necessity for simultaneous deliveries along diverging routes, to replace 30 horses and 20 vans. Of course, if deliveries can be rearranged to suit the changed method of transport, even to a reasonable extent, eight three-ton motor wagons should replace the 20 horsed vans, and do it very easily. The inclusive working costs for such vehicles, reckoning that each machine does not leas than 350 miles of running weekly, should not exceed Dd: per mile run, covering driver's wages, but not those of a second man per vehicle, all stores, maintenance, proportion of rent and rates, insurances, depreciation and interest on capital. Nothing is included in this figure for supervision or management. We cannot accept the statement of your friends that they can run each van close upon 40 miles per day at the low average figure of 2200 per unit per annum. The experience of Messrs. Shoolbred, when they were running pair-horse vans, and charging nothing against the vehicles for rent, was that £400 per unit per annum was the actual average over 10 years for each pair-horse unit and rest horses. Even allowing for the fact that a proportion of the vehicles is used with single horses, the average figure per mile run, on the basis of 36 miles per unit per day, is incapable of attainment, so far as figures furnished to us by other horse-owners enable us to express that opinion. We think you should call for proof of their statements, and above all that they are inclusive of all proper charges which it is suggested the motors should replace.
We consider 5d. per mile run an excellent figure for a one-horse van, and 8d. per mile run an excellent figure for a pair-horse van. These two may be held to yield an all-round average of 6-id. per mile, for a mixed fleet. If each of the units in your friends' fleet, with only 10 spare horses to the 20 vans, travels on its wheels 200 miles a week, which appears from the figures you put forward to be about the average, the cost per unit per week will be in excess of 25, and in excess of 2280 annually. In fact, we should say that the inclusive costs are under-stated for the horse
equipment by not far short of 21650 per annum. They place the total at £4000; we suggest £5650. Their , costs also probably apply to average outward loads of 30 cwt. or 35 cwt. Eight three-ton motor vehicles, at an average of 9d. per mile run, for 350 miles of running weekly per unit, will each cost approximately £620 per annum, or the eight will cost slightly below 25000 per annum. You will see, therefore, that the actual cash economy is one which depends upon the verification of the alleged horse figures, beyond which consideration there are the greater range, convenience, adapa,bility at holiday times, savings on packing, losses, delays, etc.
Buying a 15-cwt. Van to Travel 500 Miles and Make 280 Calls Weekly.
[2476] (Wholesale Grocer).—Our free standard costs sheet should be of help to you. We have posted one. You can take the 15-cwt. costs as midway between those for 10-cwt. and one-ton vans. Your man should be told to stop his engine at each call which is likely to last more than a minute, and it is found in practice, in most delivery rounds, that it takes an average of three minutes to make a call. As to speed, it is good and average practice to be content with an allowance of 5 mins. per mile in. towns and villages, and to reduce this to 4 mins, for really open country.
Charges for Three-ton Hire.
[24. 76] (Isle of Ely).—The rates about which you inquire are generally calculated on a revenue per mile run (adding together light and loaded mileage) which is reckoned as likely to pay. This should not fall below is. per mile for a three-ton lorry, except in the face of severe competition. The rates are generally quoted at so much per ton for the journey, calculated m the above-mentioned manner. If the hiring is by the week, it is usual to make a minimum charge of, say, 212 10s. per week for not more than 250 miles of running, or a higher charge if it is likely to be paid, and to charge is. per mile for any distance in excess with a possible reduction to 10d. per mile for any distance in excess of 350 per week. Each week is a, separate bargain, and not averaged with other weeks. Now, with three-tonners so scarce, one might reasonably
; charge more than is. per mile.
Roads in the Antipodes.
[2477] (Melbourne).—We cannot do better than refer you to our several July issues dealing with the Middlesex Bill before the House of Lords Committee, both as to the evidence and our leading articles. These give much data to help you. They will be in your hands as you are a subscriber. The present admitted recoupment figure for water-bound macadam country roads is d. per omnibus-mile, and the figures to which we refer you show how excessive any such figure is on city roads. The cheapest roads at home, for motor traffic, have lately been found to be tar-bound or asphalt-bound macadam, and particularly either material when topped with a carpet of bitumen and sand. The roads are generally constructed out of loans, with a repayment period varying between 10 years and 20 years, according to the intensity of traffic. The damage due to motor or any other traffic is practically nil, beyond superficial wear and tear, so long as the road material is held by the tar or bituminous matrix, thereby preventing interstitial wear. As to the opinions of well-known authorities, the views of the city engineer of Westminster and the borough engineers of Fulham and Marylebone, as given in our issue of the 23rd July, are cases in point. The other surveyors, who appeared for the Middlesex authority, were speaking of badly-founded roads in the suburbs, and not of well-made roads laid upon concrete.