News and Comment.
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This journal has an exclusive and genuine circulation; members of its Editorial Staff have practical knowledge and experience in the construction and use of commercial motors.
The Development and Road Improvement Funds Act, 1909, receives attention on the first three pages of ie issue.
Captain R. K. Bagnall-Wild has been elected to the Commercial Vehicle Committee of the S.M.M.T., as representing Milnes-Daindee, Ltd. It has been decided, by this committee, to act jointly with the Commercial Motor Users' Association in regard to matters concerning docks and bridges.
Yuletide.
A merry Christmas to our readers at home; may none of them find out that they have grown too old to enjoy its brightness. This greeting to our Colonial and foreign readers Was ex-• pressed a month ago—two weeks before the publication of our " Overseas Number," which can only be regarded as a New Year's message. it is now on the way out.
The Midland Railway's New Chief Mechanical Engineer.
Mr. Henry Fowler, whose name will be known to many readers of this journal as an ardent worker in the cause of commercial motoring, and who was principal honorary observer at the Liverpool Trials of 1898, 1899 and 1901, has been appointed, by the directors of the Midland Railway Co., .to the important post of chief meelianical engineer. Mr. Fowler, who graduated through the Horwich shops Of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway, joined the Midland Co. as gas engineer, some seven years ago, and his progress to the " top of the tree " is the outcome of close application, sterling mechanical ability, and a happy combination of scientific knowledge withal. Mr. Fowler writes exelusively, on commercial-motor subjects, fer tliez journal. Prizes for Careful Drivers.
Next year's meet, and parade of vehicles and tractors, which is annually organized by the Commercial Nlotor Users Association, will probably take place in the month of May. A late donation to the 1909 expenses, by Fodens Ltd., of Sandbarch, has to he acknowledged, that well-known oeirpany having sent £5.
New Registrations.
C. W. Beldam Tyre Syndicate, Ltd., with an authorized capital of £10,000 in £1 shares, and with its registered office at 23, Queen Victoria Street, E.C.
G. Bruce and Co., Ltd., with an authorized capital of £3,000 in Li shares, and with its office at 32e, Leigh Road, Leigh, Lancs., to carry on the business of motor engineers and garage proprietors.
The Amass Pneumo-Suspension and Solid Tyres, Ltd., with an authorized capital of £103,000 (100,000 in Ll shares and 60,000 in ls, shares), with its office at 9, Gracechurch Street, E.C., to buy, sell, let on hire and deal in machinery. component parts, acees
sories, and fittings for all kinds of motor or other vehicles, also to carry on the business of garage keepers, suppliers of petrol, etc.
Firmax, Ltd., with an authorized eapital of £500 in £1 shares, by Waterlow Brothers and Layton, Ltd., of 24 and 25, Birchin Lane, E.G., to carry on the business of sellers of a powder for closing automatically punctures in the air tubes of tires, etc.
Jones' Newport Garage, Ltd., with an authorized capital of £3,000 in £1 shares, and with its office at 42, ehaftesburv Street, Newport, Mon., to acquire and take over as a going concern the business now carried on ey J. H. Jones, at Newport, and to carry on the business of motor-garage proprietors, etc. The Mitchell Motor Co. (of England), Ltd., with an authorized capital of £15,000 in £1. shares, with its office at 20, Conduit Street, Regent Street, W., to enter into an agreement with S. B. Hereford-Levey and E. Hereford-Lavey„ and to carry on the business of proprietors of motorcabs, inotorvans, etc. Harris and Others. Ltd., with an authorized capital of £2,000 in £10 shares, by Leslie, Williams and Alder, of 9, Laurence Pountney Hill, E.G., to carry on the business of manufacturers, etc., of motor vehicles of every description, also the business of builders and manufacturers of carriage hadiee and other appliances to be attached to the chassis.
More G.P.O. Contracts,
The Postmaster-General has accepted the following fresh tenders for motor-mail services :—Leamington and Warwick Electrical Co.' Ltd., Emscote, Warwick, service between Birmingham and Warwick ; Mr. W. Tyler, Star Garage, Worcester, service between Wolverhampton and Stourport ; Messrs. Blake and Co., Beaumont street, Liverpool, service between Ratline and Behnullet (Co. Mayo); and Messrs. Puttock and Sons, Guildford, service between Godalming and
Leyland Works Busy.
Leyland Motors, Ltd., notifies that, owing to the great demand for its petrol motors, due to their successful operation, and because the whole of the normal output of the works is already booked until the end of June, 1910, it has been found necessary to put on a permanent night-shift. In consequence of this provision for extra output, the company is now in a po.sition to give comparatively-early delivery for a considerable further number of chassis, which range from vehicles suitable for loads of 30 cwt. to six tons. The Anglo-American Oil Co. has been granted a licence by the Lowestoft Town Council to store up to 2;000 barrels of petrol.
Van for Sale.
An advertisement appeared in our issue of the 9th inst., in regard to the sale of a van, and replies were to be addressed to box No. 347 at this office. The advertisement-clerk, in booking this order, which came in over the counter, inadvertently failed to take the address of the party offering the van. Several replies await him.
Depreciation in Relation to Income Tax.
The matter of the rate of depreciation per annum, which should be allowed by surveyors of taxes, has been occupying the attention of the Sudety of Motor Manufacturers and Traders since the middle of October, at which date it was brought to the netice of that Society's Secretary by the Editor of this journal. We should say that a. fair rate for this purpose ould be 15 per cent. per annum, or, alternatively, on the mean basis of a life of 120,000 miles for the vehicle.
Fire-brigade Matters.
Southport Town Council has decided to order a self-propelled first-aid chemical engine.
A motor-driven turntable fireescape, and a petrol-driven fire-engine are to be purchased by the Lincoln Town Council, at a total cost in excess of 22,000.
Further in regard to intentions at Ila,rrogate, the Town Council has appointed a special sub-committee to consider terms for the attendance of the Fire Brigade outside the borough, and the necessity, in that connection, to purchase a motor fire engine.
In addition to the purchase of a new petrol engine, to which we referred last week, the L.C.C. Fire Brigade will, during the Christmas recess, arrange for the effecting of certain alterations to the body-work of the escape-van, in order to render it interchangeable with other vans.
The Council is offering for sale a. horsed steam fire-engine, which is now kept at the Waterloo-Road fire station, preparatory to the installing of a motor fire-engine there.
At the last meeting of the Chislehurst Urban District Council, it was agreed that the fire appliances were inadequate to deal with a large conflagration such as occurred recently at a local mansion, when great damage was done. It was recommended that a steam or petrol motor fire-engine be purchased, and that the Fire Brigade Committee go into the matter and report thereon. During the discussion, it was suggested that a new and larger station be built, but a member pointed out that a motor fire-engine would not want more space or better housing.
Messrs. Lloyd and Plaister, of Wood Green, who, it will be remembered, recently delivered a very smart first-aid escape-cart to the West Ham Fire Brigade, have received an order for a similar machine for the Cambridge Brigade. Work is already proceeding briskly on the new machine, at the Wood Green works, where its progress will be inspected by an independent engineer who was also instructed by the Cambridge authorities to report upon the West Tram motor equipment. We understand that this latter machine is giving every satisfaction.
Better Roads.
The Lancashire County Council is proceeding with its scheme of roadstrengthening, and various large sums
were voted, at the November meeting of the Council, for the purpose of laying down granite setts in place of local grit setts, or of converting macadamized roads to paved roads. In many cases, the votes were for considerable sums per annum, and for periods of three to twenty years.
Shoolbred's Results.
The interesting and conclusive figures of costs, which were included in Mr. Leycester Barwell's last letter to us (published in our " Overseas " issue), have led to a suggestion by one of our readers that, since these average yearly maintenance figures show so substantial an improvement for each succeeding year, it might be instructive to display the results in the form of a chart. It will be remembered that: the average total cost of each van for the first year's running, of 35 vans, was £63 14s.. Od. ; the average cost, for the second year's work, ' of 28 'vans, was i:96 9s. id.; the average, for the third year, of nine vans, Was £87 12s. 4d.; and that, for the fourth year, of two vans, it was £74 68. 2d. We are of opinion that these figures speak for themselves : it is clear that the maintenance costs fall, in these instances, as the years of service increase. It would, however, be more useful to wait until more vans have completed four years of service, before' we plot the results graphically.
Parcel-carriers.
Adverting to the paragraph on page 296 (ante), we understand that McNamara and Co., Ltd., purchased their " Auto-Carriers " direct from the makers of those machines, and immediately prior to the taking-over of the sole concession by F. B. Goodchild and Co., Ltd. IVIr. A. V. Willmott, the secretary of this well-known mail-contracting and general-cartage company, further asks us to point otri that the estimate of working cost which we impersonally gave with regard to this parcel-carrier does not refer to his company. He disagrees that the working cost is as low as 2d. per mile.
Australian G.P.O.
The Federal Post Office has purchased two Albion 15 cwt. van chassis, and these have been fitted with boxvan bodies of the usual Post-Office type; these bodies have been made in Melbourne. The vans are being used, at night, for clearing pillar boxes, "by which means the Postmaster-General hopes that much time will be saved ! " It really seems as if the Federal authorities in Australia desire to assist in the failure of commercial motors. One might have thought it would have been more satisfactory to employ the motors for the carrying of the mails from branch offices to the centre, and vice versa. The Albions will certainly demonstrate the fact that motorvans are capable of doing the work, but it is to be hoped that the authorities will, ultimately, put them to better use— in the many directions in which they can be profitably emplo7ed. The partnership between Mr. William Kayley and Mr. Thomas Spence Sharp, carrying on business as motorwagon and general carriers at Minehull Street, Manchester, tinder the name of the Ancoats Motor Carrying Co., has been dissolved. All debts due to and owing by the late firm will be received and paid by Mr. Kayley.
Renard-Train Progress.
Good reports continue to reach us about the prospects of the Renard Road and Rail Transport Corporation, Ltd., whose system has not failed to meet the requirements of purchasers in various parts of the world. The latest company to be formed is that called the Thazi-Taunggyi Transport Co., Ltd., with a capital of 80,000 shares of 10 rupees each. We observe that the Board includes Mr. Kenneth H. Buchanan, who was at one time general manager of the London Power Omnibus Co., Ltd. The early shipment of several trains to Ceylon is expected, although it is not yet settled whether these will be bought by the Legislative Council of that island, or by a private company.
An Old Petrol Lorry's Record.
We illustrate on this page an antique but interesting example of the early 16 h.p. two-cylinder three-ton Orion motor wagon. This vehicle is one of a pair supplied to Messrs. F. B. Cameron and Co., coal merchants, of Woolwich, as far back as September, 1904. The two vehicles are reported to have since covered a total distance of 141,170 miles, or 70,585 miles each car, the annual average per vehicle being 14,117 miles. The average yearly coat for working these two vehicles for 205 days each year, from September 1904 to September 1909, is stated to be E.478 per car, or 8.142d. per vehicle-mile. This amount includes the following items :—Interest on first cost ; depreciation ; insurance;
management; wages of driver and mate ; petrol ; oil ; repairs (including renewal of metal tires); and sundries. The two machines are said to carry and deliver 20 tons per day, and have worked in this manner since the inception of the service. This would mean that during five years, of 2,35 working days each, 59,000 tons of coal have been carried by the two wagons.
Letchworth Development, The annual report and accounts of the First Garden City, Ltd., whose estate is at Letchworth, and whose registered office is at 20, Holborn, E.C., was submitted to the shareholders on the 16th inst. The population of this promising estate now exceeds 6,500 persons, whilst close upon 1,300 buildings have been erected upon it. The ground rents created are well in excess of £4,000 per annum, and the gross revenue in excess of
16,000 per annum. The estate, in fact, is practically upon a self-supporting basis, and the report naturally gives prominence to the fact that the Lacre Motor Car Co., Ltd., has
erected its new factory at Letchworth. The issued capital is £172,041, and the loan and debenture debt £161,696. We should say, having regard to developments in hand, that the next report, or the next but one, will put the company in a position to start paying back some of its borrowings out of revenue.
Cold-weather Tabloids.
Apropos the dash by Sir Ernest Shackleton to the South Pole, Messrs. Burroughs, Wellcome and Co. draw attention to the fact that his commissariat included a small cowhide ease containing tabloid medicines. Engineers and managers, and even drivers themselves, might very well keep in mind this handy method of taking the means of sustenance round with them, during cold weather, when they are upon special or long jobs which render imperative the puttingin of protracted shifts.
Dennis Vehicles for Lever Bros.
Some time ago we announced that Lever Bros., Ltd., of Port Sunlight, had placed an order with Dennis Bros., Ltd., of Guildford, for five vans. The order was for three four-tonners and two having a capacity of two tons only. The four-ton vans have shorter wheelbases than the standard type of Dennis vehicle of the same load capacity. The four-ton vans have 40 h.p. fourcylinder engines and Hele-Shaw clutches. The bodies have been built to a special design and are fitted with Levers' attractive advertising plates on the side and the Royal Coat of Arms on the rear panels. The two-ton vans are of standard Dennis design, with 28 h.p. four-cylinder engines, and leather-cone clutch. They are finished in the same style as the larger vehicles. 'When all the machines mentioned are delivered, Lever Bros., Ltd., will have at work six of the Dennis make, 11 " Cornmer Car " fivetanners, and, in addition, a large number of Star and Alicia-vs vans. We reproduce, on page 346, a• photograph of four of the Dennis vans owned by the Port Sunlight company.