News and Comment.
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This journal is known to possess the influence, the staff, the standing and the leading circulation. It is exclusively read by the heads of many wealthy commercial houses throughout the World.
A happy Yuletide to all our readers.
Rotherham Town Council has accepted the tender of Leyland Motors, Ltd., at -,U05 14s., for the supply of a motor lorry.
The value of motorvans at Christmastide is just now being realized to the full by both retail and wholesale houses who have to deliver under considerable pressure.
The apparent disappearance of imminent risk of further railway strikes will not, in our judgment, cause the flow of orders for commercial motors to slackensee page 3:21.
The R.A.C. and the S.,11.31.T. have voted the sum of £50u each to the funds of the Third International Road Congress, which will take place in London about 18 months hence under auspicious conditions.
Commercial Testimony,
One of this year's testimonials to the business value of THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR, across which we happened to come when turning over papers connected with the " Overseas Annual " now in course of completion, reads as under. It is from one of this country's bestknown makers of commercial vehicles—Commercial Cars, Ltd., of London and Luton.
" We feel sure it will interest you to know that we find our regular page advertisement in T.HE COMMERCIAL MOTOR to be of the greatest value to this company, the substantial inquiries which we receive from all parts of the United Kingdom, and also from all parts of the world, are proof of the very wide circulation that your journal possesses, and of the benefits it has conferred, and is still conferring, on this branch of the industry."
Harrods Fleet Grows.
Still another order for six Albion vehicles has been given by Harrods, Ltd., and this latest purchase, the third within the last few months, will bring the total of motor vehicles with Albion chassis, in the service of Harrods Stores, to 55. The Albion Co.'s extensive London depot is extremely busy, and promises to keep so.
A Canadian Opinion.
A Montreal subscriber to this journal writes : " Permit me to congratulate you on the general appearance of THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR. It is well balanced and smartly written. Many friends of mine who are interested in the motor world are very keen readers of the paper, and ask for my issue before I am through with it myself."
Next Week, Friday.
We invite attention to the notice elsewhere (page 528), on the part. of advertisers and contributors. Subscribers and other purchasers of this journal will please note that are obliged to press for the early supply of matter that will go into next week's issue, as, failing that course, we could not hope, after Christmas, to print everything in a single day. We shall keep open only for specially-urgent and late news on Wednesday morning next, and the last issue for the year, which will be _No. 355, and dated the 28th inst., will not come out until one day late—Friday of next week, instead of Thursday.
Trade with India: Likely Big Increases.
Our Calcutta correspondent, whose carefully-chosen list of addressees for the receipt of our " Overseas Annual" came to hand by last week's mail, confirms the opinion of many importers throughout the great Dependency, that trade in commercial vehicles of all classes is likely to go ahead very considerably. Whilst our " Indian and Colonial Supplement of the '23rd March, 1905— nearly seven years ago, was sent by us, together with the ordinary issue of that date, to some 500 picked recipients in India, this year's " Overseas Annual" will go to a far-greater number—in fact, to an approximate total of 1,000 important people. The action of the Amir of Afghanistan, in driving roads in many directions through his previously-inaccessible country, which action as first reported in this journal, is likely to prove a far-reaching influence in all Darts of India. A correspondent of "The. Standard," writing in that journal on the 16th inst., gives the following consonant opinion: "I think the Indian Government is making a great. mistake in extending the light-railway system instead of employing road motorcars. Over all the densely-populated plains of India, gradients are practically non-existent, and the roads are excellent for motor travel. Services of road ears could be established to cover the whole country, and with less cost and with far more completeness than can be achieved with light railways. The services could run, say, 40 miles actoss country to the main trunk railways. They would find an immense traffic, both of natives, down to the river banks and railways, and of goods. A notable advantage, too, would be the cheapness or petrol, which could be obtained from Assam and from Borneo. Indeed, there are vast possibilities for commercial motorcars in every new country in the world. They Carl be run with very satisfactory returns where it is impossible to run a railway properly, and the stimulus to trade that would result from the establishment of efficient services is obvious."
These views are shared by many competent experts who have prover knowledge of 'India, and who have resided there. Salford's Ambulances.
In answer to an inquiry to hand as this issue is going to press, we find that Saliord's decision to buy two motor ambulances was announced in our issue of the 7th September last (page 9).
Motor Mails in Ireland.
Proposals, are afoot for the establishment of a motor-mail service between. Londonderry, Moville and Greencastle, and the matter is now being investigated by the Postmaster-General, largely through initiative of Mr. Philip O'Doherty,
N. P.
Motor Taxes and London Roads.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer, in reply to Mr. F. Hall (Dulwich), shortly before the House rose for the Christmas recess, stated that the amount available in the hands of the Road Board, for application to Loudon, had for the present been set aside with the object of assisting the construction of new approach roads, for which plans and estimates are in course of preparation. This Goys. rn iii e ii Lad announcement confirms the situation which we explain(d in our issue of the 30th ult. (page 273).
Dunlop Rubber Co.
Mr. Harvey du Cros, JP., presided at the thirteenth ordinary general meeting of the Dunlop Rubber Co., Ltd., on the 14th inst., and in the course of his speech explained that the dividend of 20 per cent_ was in reality one of 60 per cent, when the bonus shares were taken into account. Rubber had, during the year under consideration, readied the extraordinary price of 12s. Gd. per lb., and it was at the expense of companies like the Dunlop that some people had made large fortunes. He regarded the normal price as perhaps 4s. Gd. per lb., and he did not know which had affected the company mostthe rise or the fall in price. The price of tires was 11C.Ver put up in any way commensurate with the rise in the price of raw material, as manufacturers agreed that it would be unwise to follow that immense advance, which they regarded as only temporary. Further, the policy of the motor manufacturer was to get his ti rss as cheap as possible, in
lie: iii motor transport. They had heen 14 years in building up their enormous business, and they were determined not to lose a scrap of it. and they certainly would not foist upon the public inferior tires made, of cheaper materials. During the first. quarter of the current year, as compared with the corresponding period of the year under
review, their trade showed an improvement of 59 per cent in the tire branch alone.
North of England Show at Manchester.
Mann and Overtons, Ltd., of 10, Lower Grosve»or Place, London, VV., has extensive premises in Manchester, situated only about one, minute's drive from the Midland Hotel, and that company is prepared to garage cars, vans, etc., during show week next February. Early application should be made to the local manager at 57, Whitworth Street West, Manchester.
Liversidge's Address.
J. Liversidge and Son, Ltd., notifies us that all goods should be consigned, and all communications addressed, to 581, Old Kent Road, S.E., at which enlarged and freehold works the company will now carry on the whole of its business. The lease of the old premises at 196, Old Street, E.C., will shortly expire—hence the concentration, which is also an expansion, at the company's other place of business.
Shoolbred's Vans.
In our issue of the. 29th June last, we published an article from the pen of Mr. Leycester Barwell, a partner in the firm of Messrs. James Shoolbred and Co., under the title of " A Million Miles a. Year." That article, one of a series which we have exclusively been able to publish in relation to the initiation and conduct, of motor transport. by this important London firm, is one of the selected articles which we are including in the " Overseas Annual."
Mr. Barwell, writing to us under date the 15th inse, proceeds as follows: " The first two vans completed six years' service on the 2nd October and 9th October last, Yespectivcly, and are both doing as good work as ever ; in fact, we have been running one of them lately on our longest round (Ha.slernere and Hindhead) for three days it week, doing 120 miles a day. This van would do about 60 miles the other three days, say, 540 miles a week. Each of these two vans must now have run 110,000 miles." Shoolbred's pioneer success has greatly benefited the van trade.
Waring's Subvention Team.
Mr. T. E. Harrison, of Waring and Gillows, Ltd., notifies us that his company's team of " CommerCar " delivery vans has now been officially passed by the subvention inspectors of the W.O. Each machine has been fitted with the necessary special draught hooks, etc., by Messrs. Jas. Bartle and Co., Western Ironworks, Lancaster Road, W.
The Encouragement of Drivers.
Pages 3234325 of this issue contain the latest available particulars in conneetion with the Sixth Annual Parade to be organized by the Commercial Motor Gsers Association. The careful attention of owners is directed to the announcements therein made, and above all to the new scheme of engineering inspection at the depots and store-sheds in which the vehicles are housed. The change from the old plan of judging on parade, which imposed almost-impossible tasks upon the judges, has been abandoned, and we feel confident that the alteration in the. scheme of judging will meet with universal approval. A good start has already been made in regard to the contributions to the general and special prize funds.
London Petrol Storage.
The L.C.C. has granted an additional licence, to the Anglo-American Oil Co., Ltd., for the storage of 100,010 gallons of petroleum at Fulham. The company is already licensed to store 43,000 gallons. In the discussion at the L.C.C. meeting, Sir John McDougall protested against the granting of the licence, and dwelt in his customary fashion upon imaginary risks. The Council, however, took the rational view that increased storage facilities must march " pan i passu " with increased consumption.
The L.C.C. will seek Parliamentary powers, next session, to compel the registration of existing above-ground storage depots for petroleum (including motor spirit). The Bill is drafted so as to exclude depots at which comparativelysmall quantities of inflammable oil areused.