Neutral Notes.
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British users, at the present time, when they are being offered American chassis of all kinds in such numbers, will do well to keep themselves informed of actual commercial-vehicle activities in the United States, as well as in other neutral countries.
Truck Tax in Boston.
It is expected that when the Massachusetts Legislature meets next January, a comparatively heavy tax will be imposed on all commercial vehicles ; so much as a dollar per horse power has been suggested. At present the tax is rated according to tonnage.
The Baldwin Locomotive Works Builds Trucks.
Three hundred trucks of a special type are being built by the above company for Russia. We understand that 50 of these are already finished ; they are arranged to run On steel-rimmed wheels, fitted with spuds. They are designed for use as tractors, and the company is also building a special type of small trailer which is to be used with the machines.
American Exports to Great Britain.
The foreign business is outstripping all the expectations of a few months ago. Concerns who already have good representatives, especially in England, are doing their utmast to keep up with the deliveries required. Many well-known London dealers have conic over to make the best connections they can. One of the most prominent of Detroit makers, who up to now has had no English sale, has just closed with an .offer for representation in that country. The Scripps-Booth Co. last week received another cable for five hundred more cars. This is in addition to some four hundred already shipped to the same agent.
Washington Post Office and Deliveries by Truck.
From recent experiences with trucks for delivery of postal matter, the Washington Postmaster-General is able to state that where the appropriation for rural delivery during 1913 was 47 million dollars (29,800,(XX), he proposes to provide modernized and very much larger service during the fiscal year 1917 for only two million dollars (DI17,000) more than the cost of the old service four years ago. This is possible on account of economies resulting from the introduction of the automobile in this field of transportation. Many applications have been received for positions as carriers for these deliveries. In some cases as many as 40 men have offered for one position in which the work required service of a ear for 50 to 60 miles a day, six days a, week, the pay offered being 1500 to 1800 dollars a year (E312 10s. to 2375).
American Longuemare Carbu retter.
Arrangements have now been made to manufacture the Longuemare. carburetter in Syracuse, New York. In general, Of course, this American model follows • the Lo.ngitemare practice as customary in Europe, but there are some slight changes necessary in order to suit American climatic conditions, and some minor improvements in operation, and also to facilitate fitting and assembling, are being made at the same time. .
• Merits and Demerits.
According to an article which recently appeared in " The American City," the following cheek system of merits and demerits is adopted at Oakland, California :--(1) running in car tracks, and thereby injuring tires ; (2) speeding ; (3) taking ear over rough, unimproved roads and into Tough fields, Where a little forethought or walking would avoid abuse of machine : (4) wrecks; where driver is at fault ; (5) overloading a car, i.e., allowing more than two men in a roadster, or hauling lumber, materials, etc. ; (6) leaving ma
chine standing with motor running; (7) smashing fender or bending bows of top ; (8) unusually large nrimber of punctures; (9) calling a garage man out to repair car wben nothing is wrong with it, or wh6n slight examination by the driver would reveal the cause of trouble and the way to fix it ; (10) mileage of tires (standard, 4500 miles); (11) infraction. of rules of garage; (12) mileage per gallon of gasolene.
These headings may be of more than passing interest in England.
American Export Trade.
American manufacturers as a whole are not resting on their oars as regards export trade. The present briskness in this respect as regards European countries has given a fillip to efforts to introduce American manufactures into other countries. Several of the big firms are. preparing to send representatives to the other continents. The Dodge, Hudson, and Hupp companies, for example, are sending agents to South America, Australia, New Zealand, and so on.
Self-lubricating Bearings.
A new material named Amalgamite is now to be placed on the market by the .Dann Spring Insert Co. of Chicago, for which some remarkable properties are claimed. 11: is stated that bearings made of this material will run satisfactorily without oil. It is further claimed that the material is indestructible, being unaffected by -temperature conditions and shocks. Scoring of cylinders is impossible, because the piston rings can be made permanent lubricators, at the same time being unbreakable.
A New Electric Battery.
Mr. Edison is exhibiting a new storage battery on which he has been at work for the last three years. It is being displayed and demonstrated in a new 750 lb. truck. In Mr. Edison's opinion, this type, and size vehicle is going to be very popular and will replace the horse-drawn delivery wagon and the small machine. He thinks that the cost of upkeep, including current and storage, will equal only half the cost of feeding and stabling a horse, and the cost of tires again would not be the equivalent of shoeing the horse.
These new claims have to lie added to many older ones. It must be admitted that the newer types of Edison: battery now. a pear. to be holding up better thin the earlier ones.