News and Comment.
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This Journal has the largest and most valuable circulation: it is the only journal which deals exclusively with commercial motors.
Our Olympia Show report has attracted universal attention and commendation. • The first part of the report, which appeared on the opening day of the show, was in great demand, and was sold out at 8.30 p.m. on Saturday, the 9th instant. We had no old numbers of this or any previous issues to give away.
The complete show report, which, so far as any copies sold at Olympia were concerned, had a reprint of the first section added, was on sale at i i o'clock on Monday morning, the rith instant. Modesty forbids that we should quote more than one of the high encomiums that have been passed upon the complete report. They were, naturally, a source of much gratification to us, as was the fact that our complete report was out so early, the result of three days' hard work at the show, together with our special arrangements for working and printing over the weekend, enabling us to come out four days before our usual time.
The one exception which we will make in regard to the quoting of complimentary references to our complete report is In favour of Mr. II. G. Burford, the managing director of MimesDaimler, Limited, who, in the course of a letter which was addressed to us on Monday last, writes as follows :— " I should like to congratulate you on your splendid show number. It was quite unique, and a new departure from the ordinary journalism. One could not fail to be struck with the fact that the whole business and production had been produced by men who were thoroughly in touch with the commercialmotor business." A paragraph on page 65 states the basis of this result.
Mr. J. S. Pickering, Borough Surveyor of Cheltenham, is inviting tenders for a petrol or steam road roller, and particulars of his requirements will he found on our sundry advertisements page.
We understand from our Paris correspondent that a scheme is afoot to open up premises all over Europe for the sale of Argyll cars. The project does not embrace the construction of vehicles, the proposal being to establish Continental branches for the sale and loan of touring automobiles and commercial cars. A company has been registered to carry out this scheme, and the capital will shortly be subscribed. One of the directors was recently in Paris looking out for premises.
Show" Sunday was marked by pleasant expedition undertaken by number of exhibitors to Ripley. TI various vehicles engaged met in ti morning on the Thames Embankmen and led by a Fiat bus the cortege pr ceeded to Ditton, where a short st< was made before continuing to the de tination of the party, the Talbot Hot( Ripley. On arrival there an excelle luncheon was served, the chair beir taken by Mr. Julian Mallard. Some gentleinen were present, and a dozi drivers, etc., were accommodated in z adjoining room. The toast of the PreE coupled with the names of Mr. J. Jackson (" THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR and Mr. Edward Kenealy (" Motorir Illustrated "), was proposed by N John Watts, of the Fiat Co., and su able response was made. Other sir( speeches followed from Messrs. Fren (Ryknield Motor Co.), Hart (Hart a Durtnall), Bernard Hopps (B.T. Co.), and Bonsor (Darracq-Serpolle The vehicles which did the run to R Icy and back included : an Argyll va a Berna lorry ; a'Dennis van; a B.T. petrol-electric bus; a Darracq-Serpol steam omnibus; a Rykni 1,1 4oh.p. torbus ; an Adams roh.p. delivery vii a van built by Commercial Cars, Lir ted ; an Argyll motorcab; a Fiat bt and a Maudslay bus. The day's outi was most enjoyable, and the thanks those participating was conveyed Mr. Leo Harris (John Marston, Lir ted), the organiser. Amongst the genI men present we noticed Messrs. Li Smith (Wolseley Company), C. Day (Foden's, Ltd.), Cyril Watson (F Motors), Prizer (Vacuum Oil Co.), Si Penny (Argyll Motors), and Fra Brown (Davis Brown and Sons). are enabled to reproduce a photogra of the party below.
The "Show" views of leading members of the motor industry have been communicated to us, and some of these are on pages 72 and 73 of this issue. A large number of additional communications are unavoidably held over until next week.
The rnotorcab illustrated at the foot of page 39 of our last issue was supplied by the Adams Manufacturing Company, Limited, and was photographed outside that company's Bedford works. It was inadvertently described as a " Unic "cab when sending our second Show Number to press.
Thomas Wolfe and Son (1907), Limited, with an authorised capital of £150,000 in shares, has issued a prospectus offering 53,500 of these, at par, for public subscription. The vendor company holds the appointment to supply jobbing carriages to a large number of London hotels, and the directors now intend to purchase a number of motor vehicles. The registered office of the company is at ta, Woburn Square, W.C., and the Secretary is Mr. A. R. Mann.
The "Daily Express" of Tuesday last, in the course of an article entitled the " City of dreadful noise," made the following serious mis-statement about motor wagons :—" . but the worst offenders are undoubtedly clumsy steam lorries with their iron-shod wheels. Sometimes these clattering vehicles haul three or four groaning wagons behind them, and the noise they make is not only deafening, but unnerving to a degree." When will the general Press learn to discriminate between traction engines and heavy motorcars? Mr. Ernest H_ Arnott has joined the staff of the New Arrol-Johnston Car Company, Limited, and will be employed in connection with the sales department.
Mr. A. F. King-4 the manager of the Lancaster Motor t../arage, ia, Lancaster Gate, London, W., advises us that his company has just secured an order for 400 Mass motorcabs for St. Petersburg.
The new Order of the Home Secretary, dated the isth instant, specifies 8d. for the first mile, and 2d, for every succeeding quarter of a mile, or 4s. an hour by time, as the new schedule of fares for taximeter motorcabs.
The Lacre Motorcar Company's unique advertising plan of carrying round a horse in one of its motorvans continues to serve a useful purpose, and to attract much notice in various parts of the Metropolis whenever the vehicle appears.
One of the latest brewery orders for a motor wagon has been obtained by Mann's Patent Steam Cart and Wagon Company, Limited, from Holt Brothers, Limited, of Burnham Brewery, Somerset, which company has had one of the same make of wagon in use for some five years.
The first order at Olympia was taken, as reported on page 6 of our last issue, by the New Arrol-Johnston Car Company, Limited, but it was booked in the forenoon of the opening day, and not on the itth instant. Mann's Patent Steam Cart and Wagon Company, Limited, of Leeds, also booked an order on the first day of the show, this being for one of its 2-ton steam wagons, whilst the Sirdar Rubber Company, Limited, opened the ball with orders for 1,240 van and omnibus tires. Developments of motorcab traffic ir Manchester are, subject to the approval of the City Council's Hackney Carriage Committee, likely to mak( great strides during the next few months.
Sir Boverton Redwood, D.Sc., and Mr. T. C. Aveling, B.Sc., M.Inst.C.E. are among the supporters of commer• cial motoring whose names are include( in the list of successful candidates foi election to the Committee of the Roya: Automobile Club.
Kensington Borough Council has re. solved to convert its weighbridge tt one of a larger capacity, in order that motor wagons may be weighed, am the estimated cost of the conversion h The Council has also resolved to take counsel's opinion as to the institution of Proceedings against owners of noisy motor vehicles.
Continental Motorcabs, Limited, h the name of a company recently regis. tered at Somerset House. The authorised capital is 4:400,000 in 390,00c preferred ordinary shares Of Li each, and zoo deferred shares of Is. each. The registered office is at 5, Copthal. Buildings, E.C., and the object of tile company is to manufacture and trade in motorcabs and other vehicles, and to undertake the work of jobmasters.
Captain Hamilton, chief of the London County Council Fire Brigade, is of opinion that steam motors will probably be generally adopted for fire brigade work, and that the petrol motor will be for ever banned, because of the liability of petroleum spirit to ignite, even at a considerable distance from a fire. We venture to think, however, that the petrol motor can be made perfectly safe for use even under the abnormal conditions of a conflagration.