From Our Berlin Correspondent.
Page 15
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tesults oi the Second War-office Trials.
Of the firms which recently competed ar the 1Var Office subvention, the fol)wing qualified for the plaque : Motoren-Gesellschaft, Marienfelde ; 4.iddeut sche Automobilfabrile, Gag;enau ; Norddeutsche Autornobil und 4otoren-Aktiengesellschaft, Bremen ; brzeugfa bri le Eisenach, Eisenach ; ,iacke Motorenfahrik, Coswig; and he Podeus Gesellschaft. All these are ntitled to participate in the million larks (o,000) comprehended in the mperial Budget for moo. In too8, the
uhvention vote was and the 'umber of subsidised vehicles, which tood at 158 in that year, will probably
raised to xgo. The available money s likely to be distributed amongst the irms in the ratio of the workmen cm
■ loyed.
Germany Elbowed out of Java.
Habitual detractors of native merit m your side are mightily fond of crying lp German business methods to the distdyantage of the British, but, accordng to a German Consular report from -ava, viewed in connection with the :omplaint of a buyer of a German autonobile, Germans have simply allowed :hernselves to be pushed out of the stand, where there appears to be a 'airish market for commercial vehicles, rho Consul writes that the German tutornobile industry has been thrust in he background by foreign competition, lamely, French, American, Italian and Dutch ; British is not included in the Zonsular list. As to the private corn)laint, the purchaser acquired for fioo 4 make which ' stuck " on the gralients, although—let the habitual detractors mark—" the firm which supplied the automobile had received full instructions respecting its mechanical requisites, and also shipped on a prebus occasion a vehicle which failed
o answer." Then, again, German louses are poorly represented in Java. Altogether, German prospects are not .trikingiy rosy, and Germans have hemselves to thank for it. Possibly, ritish firms might think it worth while o.study the potentialities of this maret. Traffic in Java is sadly in need • f improvement.
Montenegrin Motor Postal Vans. I forward illustrations[One only is reproduced.--En.1--of the types of selfpropelled vehicles which Messrs. Laurin and Klement are working, under a Isyears Government contract and with the assistanre of a State subvention, between Montenegro and the Austrian port of Camaro on the one side, and be tween suell onteneg-rin towns as Cetiss,ne, l'odorizza and Plavnica on the other. As stated in my first note on the subject, which was published in " THE
COMMERCIAL Imps " of the fith August, roo8, several firms tendered for the contract, amongst them Italian houses, but the contract was settled prior to Austria's annexation of the Turkish Provinces. The successful Austrian firm, which has been displaying considerable energy of late in pushing the industrial class of automobiles, secured the monopoly from the Government of Montenegro, which thus follows in the footsteps of the Bavarian and Austrian Governments, to whose motor postal undertakings-I have referred on more than one occasion.
pattern. As a result of his experiences, a " stumpy " type, was evolved, and its chief points are clear. Very handsome the vehicles do not look ; but " handsome is as handsome does," the automobiles having been built for work and not show. Like the Irishman's gun, they appear to be admirably adapted for " shooting round a corner."
The vehicle intended both for passengers and maiIs is a truly curious combination, as far as body-work goes. Its three roofs rise in staircase fashion. In front, we have a purely " commercial " solid canopy, with side windows; next behind, with the roof dropped some 2 feet, a coupe-like body for five persons in all; whilst, right at the back, on a still lower level, comes the mail-box, which, but for the rail round the top, might be taken for a travelling trunk on end. Besides the inside seats, there are tw ) box-seats. Another type of vehicle for this service has two rectangular .bodies, standing on different levels, and fitted with doors opening at side and back respec
tively. Thedriver's hood is of the same pattern as the one illustrated. In each case, we get a standard Laurin and Klement four-cylinder engine developing 32.h.p.; spray carburetter With automatic air-regulation ; high-tension magneto ignition; leather-cone clutch ; and four speeds and a reverse.