A Brewers' Chemist' s Thornycroft.
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Elsewhere in this issue will be found the experiences of two users of commercial motors in the brewing industry, as related to members of our staff. The capital invested in the brewing industry remains still at a sum amounting to very many millions, and great attention is being paid by manta fa,cturers to this promising opening. Not the least important of the industries allied to the brewing business is that of the wholesale manufacturing chemist, whose business it is to provide the brewer with sugars and other products which some modern brewing needs. While devoting space this week to the experience in motor transport of prominent brewers, we decided to interview, for the benefit of our readers, &leading brewers' chemist, who, some short time ago, decided to experiment with commercial motor vehicles.
Accordingly, then, a member of the editorial staff paid a visit to A. Boake, Roberts and Co. Ltd., Carpenter's Road, Stratford, E., a famous company of old-established reputation. Facilities were placed at our disposal for the securing of the requisite photographs and particulars, and an official of the company obliged our editorial representative with an account of the company's experience since taking over its motor vehicle.
The machine employed by A. Boake, Roberts and Co. Ltd., in its transport service, is a two-ton Thornycroft; it was purchased in January of this year. Its work consists of transporting brewers' and similar supplies in casks and hogsheads, and distances as far from London as Guildford and Luton are covered with ease in the day. We were given an opportunity to. inspect the books in which the van's daily performances are noted, and were interested to see that, since the machine started running, the weekly log has averaged between 200 and 250 miles. Between the 18th and 25th July, 43 tons of material were carried, and a distance of 224 miles was covered.
Replying to a question the Boake-Roberts official said :—" We have hardly had time to estimate exactly what saving or loss the vehicle has made for us. I think there is little danger though of a loss being incurred. Many of our customers appreciate the quick delivery we are able to give them, and, to a large extent we have overcome the inconvenience caused by having our goods held up at stations and goods yard which was a common occurrence when they were sent by rail. "1ff I might suggest it, my advice to prospective users of com
mercial motor vehicles is, that they should put into their service at the beginning, vehicles of a little greater capacity than their average load calls for. The directors ot Boake, Roberts and Co., Ltd., are all enthusiastic motorists, and take a personal interest in the performance of our Thornycroft.
" Some of our products are heavier than their bulk would indicate, and we find it possible somewhat to overload the vehicle. We are fatly aware that this is not conducive to economical running or to long life, and in the event of our increasing the number of our vehicles we should unfioubtedly purchase heavier vans, for we are sure that this tends to economy. In my opinion, and I think in that of the directors, the departure will be quite justified by the results."