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By "rhe 4X-tractor"
Poor C. S. Rolls, who met with such a horrifying death during last week, never took up the business vehicle seriously, but, during the bus boom, he brought out the Rolls bus, and some illustrations and descriptions of it were made in these pages. I doubt if much business resulted, because the whole thing was done in a half-hearted way. That was not Rolls's style, however, with his pleasure-car business, nor with his participation in sport. I happened to be the first to congratulate him at Quarter Bridge in the Isle of Man, when he won the Tourist Trophy a few years ago, and, during a short interview with him on that °evasion, his modest demeanour much impresses1 me. whist his sympathy for one or two other competitors, who had had bad luck, struck me as being sincere and unaffected. He richly deserved better luck himself.
One of my modest little ambitions has eventuated. I find myself the subject of one of those diminutive but coruscating pars which are welded together under the title of " One Hears," in another part of this journal. I feel now that I have not lived in vain. A large proportion of our readers, and particularly those whose
" business announcements " are boldly set forth in our pages, will breathe again, when they know that I am not yet on my holiday, and that they are liable to be descended upon at any moment. I must, by the by, get out of using some of these expressions, which did good service before the flying era. "Descended upon " was well enough as a colloquialism, up to this last year or two ; now it is calculated to inspire some -terror. I am afraid that it was not business that interfered with the publication of these notes last week, because they were written in the hours whieh should properly be given up to
relaxation, thereby differing immeasurably from the writings of the other members of the staff. No I had, for an odd reason, unexpectedly to spend the evening before going to press, in an. obscure part of Derbyshire, where the post leaves for London hours before even the rows come home.
As far as I know, that sparkling little new house journal, the " Dennis Taller," is the first issued by a commercial-motor concern, and I have perused the reports of the secretaries of the various house clubs with much eagerness. Hero are reports about the doings of clubs devoted to shooting, swimming, cricket and skating. and then, in a later number, no doubt there will appear accounts of football matches. The editor, in a comprehensive preamble, exhibits a hankering after a brass band—slily mentioning that Foden's have a hand which "wins prizes regularly." I have a dim suspicion that I could put my hand on that editor. I think he could sing "Scots wha hae " and give the words the absolute accent. The journal is complete even to advertisements, local tradespeople rightly recognizing that the employees of Dennis Bros.. Ltd., spend roughly up to £600 a week in Gnildford upon all sorts of commodoties, and all of this money comes from outside sources rightaway from Guildford."
Then there is the dear old " Tittle
Tattle .• column, which reminds me of my club journals of earlier days. What a wealth of innuendo lies beyond the two paragraphs which follow -Fancy what an influence a slotting machine has over the morals. That's twice now." "The men in the Harem ' are the envied of all. It's a case of so near and yet so far, however."
Anyhow, here are all the elements of a production belonging to a live organization. The wonderful success of Dennis Bros., Ltd., shows how men work better together for knowing each other snore.
A letter reaches me from Montreal, Canada, in which a responsible business man, the resident director of a Canadian company, asks if we know any manufacturers of commercial motors who wish to open in Canada, and who would he willing to stock spare parts over there. If this course be not adopted, he fears no business can be dome He goes on to say that a considerable amount of Customs duty can be saved, if a separate Canadian company be formed of nominal shareholders, as the goods are allowed to be invoiced at less than the invoice value to the Canadian customer. Now this should interest some English maker, and I shall be glad to forward any letters.
A gentleman, whom I have known for some time, and who is at present acting as outside representative for a motor concern, would like to change. He is a practical man and young, and he has the genial qualities which go to make the successful -traveller. He has met with much smeress, but, for reasons which he can explain, he desires to move on. My own feeling is that, if I were interested in any commercialvehicle concern, I should secure this man if we could come to terms.
A gold medal has been awarded to Bans Remold, Ltd., at the JapanBritish Exhibition, for its unique exhibit of steel driving chains. Apropos the growth of automobile manufacture in the U.S.A., the British Vice-Consul at Cincinnati points out that five new plants have been established there within the last ten months. There are now more than 2,250 heavy motorcars registered by the London County Council, some 37,000 ordinary motorcars, and more than 12,500 motorcycles.
A Putney Brewer's Leyland Wagon.
The five to six-ton 50 h.p. Leyland type of chassis is performing excellent services. One of them, now in the service of Brandon's Putney Brewery, Ltd., is shown on this page. It is being operated, under a yearly contract for a minimum of 240 miles per week, by MacNamara and Co., Ltd., and is running from Putney to Twickenham, Teddington, Kingston, and other parts of Surrey and Middlesex. The wheels are shod with Connolly band-section tires, and we understand that the machine's per. formance has been such as to convince the management of Brandon's that commercial vehicles have come to stay, and can profitably be employed. This brewery concern has had in use a steam wagon and trailer since April, 1906.