News and Comment.
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This journal is extensively read by the heads of many wealthy commercial houses.
Rollers, Rollers Everywhere.
Peterborough is becoming a roller centre. How they do things at the Barford-and-Perkins' works forms the subject-matter of an illustrated article on pages 551 to 554 of this issue and of a few "One Hears."
"Out and Home."
" The Extractor" writes to us from some obscure place amongst the Yorkshire moors, where he is spending a motoring holiday. We gather that, in spite of continual rain, he is greatly enjoying his native air and that he will resume his "Out and Home" contributions in the issue of the 2,9th inst.
£120 Over Three Years,
The War-Office specification, which we published in advance 34 months ago, is now issued officially. There have been a few additions in the interval, contrary to the reply given in the House of Commons by the Secretary for War, on the 18th May last, in answer to a question by Mr. Joynson-Hicks.
Topical Subjects.
Our leading articles this week deal with the following topical subjects: (1) "The subvention terms of the British War Office ; " (2) "Trade expansion now largely due to the demand for motorvans ; " (3) "The quest of the foolproof ; " (4) "More trials for splashguards ; " and (5) "Is Westminster Bridge safe ? "
Willcox Expansion.
Owing to the continued expansion of its business, W. H. Willcox and Co., Ltd., has been obliged to acquire increased accommodation. A new building has been taken, adjoining the company's main warehouses at 32, 34 and 36, Southwark Street, S.E. No. 38 will be occupied on and after the 27th inst., and that will be the company's registered address in future. New R eg strationa. Dispatch Motor Co., Ltd., by Messrs. Lawrence Jones and Co., 9, St. Mary Axe, with an authorized capital of 22000, to adopt an agreement with the Slogger Automatic Feeder Co., Ltd., and the Dispatch Carrier Co., Ltd.
Whitehaven Motor Service, Ltd., with an authorized capital of £1500 in .21 shares, and with its office at 33, King Street, leilhitehaven, to carry on the business of proprietors of naotorcabs, etc.
Ransom° Motor Co., Ltd., with an authorized capital of 25000 in 21 shares, by Darnell and Price, Northampton, to carry on the business of motorcab, ear and vehicle proprietors, etc. First directors: J. T. Ransom° and T. H. K. Dashwood. An additional reference to the Girling parcelcar will be found on page 557.
L.G.O.C. Works.
The L.G.O.C. wants an experienced works manager for the main works at Walthamstow. Written applications are to be addressed to Mr. W. J. Iden, and envelopes marked Works Manager."
Disengaged.
At the present time we have before us the names of three men, all of whom we can recommend, who are fully qualified to act respectively as: salesman ; foreman or manager of small works ; and confidential secretary and conesnondent.
Phanomobile Sales.
The Hertfordshire agents of Phanomobiles, Ltd., of 328, Upper Street, N., Messrs. A. K. Boyd and Co., of Watford, recently ordered Phanomobile delivery vans as follows: one for a load of 8 cwt., for delivery to Andre and Sleigh, Ltd., of Bushey ; one for a load of 15 cwt., for delivery to Messrs. Trewin and Co., drapers, of Watford. In our last issue, we inadvertently gave the address of Christopher Dodson, Ltd., the builder of the handsome coachwork on the " Johnny Walker " Commer Car, as Horseferry Road. The postal address of the more commodious premises in the vicinity to which the company removed last year is 81, Page Street, Westminster.
Number Plates in New York.
In the capital of New York State commercial vehicles are to be supplied with different-colour number plates from those which are issued to pleasure cars. The word " commercial" will appear on these plates. This is intended to prevent owners purchasing a number plate and licence registering a motorvan, and then using the plate for a pleasure car, thus saving from $5 to $25.
County Boroughs and the Road Board.
The Road Board is showing but little inclination to reconsider its attitude with regard to grants to county boroughs. No money, so far, has been voted for improvements in such areas. The Board's policy is to give attention to rural areas first, in order to save roads from destruction. It is considered. quite properly, that municipal authorities are under an obligation to maintain strong roads, to suit the normal traffic of the district, although the Board will help in respect of road widenings in such areas. Also, one must not forget the L'875,000 scheme for a new western highway to and from London. That is essentially a borough scheme. The Board has set itself against a policy of simultaneous doles to a number of borough councils for the separate promotion of small schemes.
The L.C.C. and the N.S.C.
At Westminster County Court on the 7th inst., his Honour Judge Woodfall heard an action by the L.C.C. against the National Society of Chauffeurs to recover the sum of 22 Is., balance due in respect of the fee for a licence necessary under the General Purposes Act to carry on an employment agency.
It appears that the original demand was for 22 2s., but the Society forwarded is. for registration. This is the fee required from philanthropic societies carrying on employment agencies.
For the defence it was argued that 22 2s. is required as a safeguard against bogus agencies and was intended to apply to concerns which charge a fee either to the employer who is reouiring a servant or to the apPlicant for a situation Judge Woodfall upheld this view, and gave judgment for the defend ants. The Shows uf the Royal Agricultural Society of England for the next four years, are fixed to take place at Bristol, Shrewsbury, Nottingham and Manchester, respectively.
From N.S.W.
We are indebted to a, subscriber in Redfern, Sydney, New South Wales, for the accompanying illustration of a Lacre two-tonner. In the centre is a wall-known cyclist, Mr. Francis Birtles, just after his completion of a, long cross-country ride. Our correspondent met him about 10 miles from the end of the trip, and escorted him home. He writes: The chassis is a Lacre twotonner, one of a fleet I am running, and which are doing good service. The poster was of canvas—not too heavy a load, but rather an awkward one when the wind blew. I intend shortly to send you a photograph of our Lacre fleet."
For Kensington.
We learn that French's Garage and Motor Works, Ltd., of 314, Balham High Road, S.W., has delivered a new 22 h.p. "M.G. Braintree-type" Commer-Car chassis to Messrs. Story and Co., the wellknown house furnishers.
We are advised that Mr. James A. Doran, lately one of the managing directors of the Midland Counties Motor Garage Co., Ltd., is about to start in business for himself.
Mr. S. P. Dillon-Smith, the secretary of the North and East Lancashire Commercial Motor -Users Association, has. received an appointment, at the hands of the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury, as a district auditor under the National Insurance Act.
After Doncaster.
Another instance has recently come under our notice, of the working in service of one of the motorvans which were on exhibition at the Doncaster Royal Show, and this concerns the Pagefield lorry owned by Mr. W. Reynolds, carrier, of Long Eaton.
This machine is occupied in carrying to and from Nottingham, amongst other work, whilst Mr. Reynolds also undertakes a variety of special orders for cartage removal and general hire.
The Large and the Small of Them.
We illustrate on p. 558 the largest type of Straker-Squire petrol motor for Colonial service. This model, which is well able to carry a net load of four tons, has special steel wheels on the back axle, and an unusually big clearance ; it is propelled by a 37 h.p., four-eylindered engine. Alongside will be seen an example of the company's smallest type—a 15 h.p. runabout car.
Herebelow, we publish, to show the diversity of Straker-Squire productions, a. fleet of steam wagons which the company has supplied to the Perrier Water Co., and which machines have been running to the entire satisfaction of their owners for some two years.
Fire-Brigade Matters.
Croydon Should Buy Another.
Now that Croydon has taken delivery of its new Dennis fire-engines the district of South Norwood, which is one of the most important parts of the borough, is complaining bitterly that, although when the orders were first placed, ratepayers were told that one of the machines would be stationed in the district, yet this promise has now been disowned by the Council. There should be less excuse for the hiring of fire-engine horses in a district which has few fires than at a station where the animals would at
ieast earn their keep. Croydon should go the whole hog, and supersede all its horsed apparatus. The outlying districts have as much right to adequate fire-protection as has the central portion.
Middleton (Lancs.) Town Council has appointed a sub-committee to go into the question of the cost of motor fire-engines, as compared with the cost of horsed engines.
Birmingham has lodged an application to spend additional money on a fire-station, and Great Yarmouth has lodged an application for the same purpose, with the Local Government. Board.