News and Comment.
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This journal fosters, represents, and chronicles commercial motoring in all its branches; it is recognised and supported by Users, operating engineers, and the motor industry at large.
The Kaiser is expected to open the Berlin Motor Show to-day : our first report will be found on pages 178 and 179 of this issue.
The diploma d'onore, the award next to the gran prernio, and above a meclaglia d'oro has been won by the Hele-Shaw clutch, at Milan.
The Hon. Arthur Stanley, M.P., C.V.O., Chairman of the Automobile Club and of the Motor Union, will propose the principal toast at the opening luncheon at the Olympia Snow on the 12th instant.
An " Antoinette " type of motor, as used last week by M. Santos Dumont his successful attempt to fly on a pltne, and which weighs slightly over 2 lb. per horse-power, is now on view at the London office of the Adams Manufacturing Company, Limited, 147, Queen Victoria Street, E.C., where it can be seen by those interested.
The Secretary of the Motor Union, Mr. AV. Rees Jeffreys, will be pleased to receive any suggestions, either verbally or in writing, which may be of service to the Fuels Commitee of the Union. This committee has already held a couple of sittings, and has had before it several able witnesses.
At the third annual general meeting of the shareholders of the Car and General Insurance Corporation, Limited, held at the Cannon Street Hotel, E.C., on the 25th ultimo, the report and accounts were unanimously adopted. It was subsequently resolved, at an extraordinary general meeting, that the authorised capital of the company be increased from 4.roo,mx) to .4250,000.
The agency control scheme mooted by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders has been dropped. The difficulties in the way of carrying-it into useful effect have proved, for the time being at least, to he insuperable. The Enfield Autocar Company, Limited, of Hunt End Works, Redditch, whose managing director is Mr. E. H. Lancaster, is now completing its agency arrangements for next year. The company's range of business includes motorvans, as well as all types of touring cars.
Mr. Sherard Cowper-Coles, Assoc. M.Inst.C.E., M.I. Mech. E. , M.I. E. E., will read a paper, on Monday next, the 5th instant, at the Royal United Service Institution, Whitehall, before the Society of Engineers, on " Recent storage battery improvements." The chair will be taken at 7.30 pin, precisely.
The latest report of the Cardiff City' Engineer, Mr. W. Harpur, in relatior to the behaviour of that authority'r motor wagons, which are used for scavenging purposes, indicates no improvement in the results that have been obtained. We expect to return to this subject, at some length, in our next issue, after a visit to Cardiff.
At the last meeting of the East IIam Town Council, the Works Committee reported having considered a proposal to convert a steam roller for haulage purposes. After weighing the observations of the Borough Engineer thereon, they recommended that the oldest steam roller be sold with a view of obtaining a steam tractor in its place. This was agreed to.
In our issue of September 7th, 1905, w illustrated a 5-ton Leyland lorry which had then worked two months for Richard Dickeson and Company, Limited, of High Street, Aldershot. This company has now to be added to the list of users of Leyland machines who speak very highly of their performance, and we quote from a recent letter addressed by the company to the builders " We have been rather heavy on the engine, as she has done a tremendotts amount of work, and, with the exception of one day a week, which we leave her in for cleaning and overhauling, she has been at work daily since we had her. . . We consider the motor to be extremely reliable . . . she has never been broken down and been left away from home.
• . . Unfortunately, a great deal of our traction has to be carried on to camping grounds and fields, which is rot suitable country for a motor Wagon." The Lancashire Steam Motor Company's 5-ton steam lorry has given great satisfaction to the Sea Point Municipality, Cape Colony. It has been found that this Leyland machine can climb a gradient as steep as i in 6, whilst it has displaced five carts, ten horses, and four men. Mr. E. J. Heward, the engineer of this authority, believe.s that a 2-ton petrol lorry might also be of use, and is prosecuting enquiries on the subject.
The Motor Union has decided to make an excursion into the realm of company promotion, and it has drawn up a scheme which holds out various irdefinite promises in reference to economical management, the settlement of claims by official repairers, lower rates, improved policies, large profits (20 per cent.), and other similar irreconcilable statements. We cannot agree that the scheme is one of " mutual insurance," because the shares will be held by only a section of the Motor Union, whilst the directors are to take 4;10300 a year in fees ; those members who become share. holders will, at an early stage in the company's career, be forced, by competitive influences, to look after their own financial interests to the exclusion of any sentimental attachment to the Motor Union, which, as a body, will be unable to control the company. The idea that such a company can be worked without the ordinary expenses which inevitably attach to the claim and other departments of an insurance company is fallacious, and, whilst heartily approving any steps which are calculated to increase the advantages of membership of the Motor Union, we befleve that a grave mistake has been made in this instance, because existing insurance companies will now be obliged to fight the Union in the province.
Motor-wagon Contest in America.
A motor-wagon contest, organised by the Automobile Club of America, will be held in New York from the 7th to the loth instant. The contest is open to all types of motor wagons and trucks used for commercial purposes, whether made in the United States or abroad. The entrance fee has been fixed at only and all types of vehicles, whether electric, steam, or gasoline, are required to compete under the same classifica
tion. The useful load must be at least so per cent. of the weight of the vehicle in running order, and each contestant has to provide this load. It will be observed, from the accompanying plan maps, that a 4o-mile journey is to be covered on each of the four days : this distance is divided into three stages, each starting and ending at the Club House. The first is via Fort George, Wallington Bridge, Jerome Avenue and Seventh Avenue ; the second and third to and from the Battery. All the vehicles will be stored overnight at a depot provided by the Club, and will be under the custodianship of representatives appointed by the Club Committee. Any passengers carried in addition to the driver and observer will not be credited as part of the useful load_ There will be no stops on the first day's contest ; a number of specified stops wilt be called for on the second day ; no useful load will be carried on the third day, whilst no stops will be demanded ; and, on the fourth day, another round without load, but with specified stops, will be undertaken. It is announced that the awards will be based upon the cost of operation per ton mile of paying .load, and will consist of : to the winner, a silver cup ; to all other contestants, certificates of performance.