Opinions from Others.
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The Editor invites correspondence on all subjects connected with the use of commercial motors. Letters should be on one side of the paper only and type-written by preference. The right of abbreviation is reserved, and no responsibility
for the views expressed is accepted. In the case of experiences, names of towns or localities may be withheld.
" Flats " on Front Tires.
The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL Minim [1,191] Sir,—Many of your readers who are users of solid-rubber tires will have been troubled with the front tires wearing into " flats," which set up a terrible vibration in the front part of the car. The writer has experienced this trouble with all makes of tires, and would be glad if anyone could throw a light on the cause. Everyone, 80 far, has attributed it to the rubber, and to hard and soft places, either arising from faulty vulcanization or from faulty mixture. On consideration, this cannot be the only cause, because such " flats " never seem to arise on the back or driving wheels. I have thought that possibly it might have something to do with the turning of the wheel on the road, when moved by the steering wheel, but the amount of wear arising from this cause on each occasion must be very slight, and the " theory of probability" would prove that such wear would occur in all places equally in turn.
I should be glad to hear the views of other correspondents on the subject—Yours faithfully, TRAVELLER.
The R.A.S.E. Trial.
The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL Morons.
[1,192] Sir,—We notice in your report of the proceedings on the Wednesday of the trials, you state that the driver of the Ivel did not seem to be happy with his machine's behaviour. We do not know why your representative has made this statement, as both the Ivel machines did their work throughout the trial without the slightest hitch ; we mean by this, they went right through the trials without experiencing any mechanical troubles; in fact, the Ivel tractors were the only machines fitted with internal-combustion engines which completed the trials without having mechanical breakdowns.
As the statement above somewhat reflects on the work done by the Ivel motor during the trials, we trust in fairness to ourselves, that you will insert this letter in your next issue.—Yours faithfully,
For IvEL AGRICULTURAL MOTORS, LTD., London. A. HOFFMANN, Manager.
(Mr. Hoffmann was not present at the time to which we referred. we agree that the Ivel suffered no mechanical breakdown, but for a time its engine ran in a rather-erratic manner. En. J
The Earnings of Taxi-drivers.
The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
[1,193] Sir,—Both in your paper and in several leading dailies, there have been, for some time past, articles on the earnings of motorcab drivers, and the amounts of which they rob their employers. All the correspondence that I have seen deals with the misappropriation of " extras," but I submit to you that this is but the smallest part of drivers' defalcations. The members of the public, in a great many cases, assist drivers to rob their employers, in order that they too may save their own pockets a trifle. It is possible for a driver to pocket quite a considerable amount almost daily, without fear of detection, so long as he knows the passenger with whom he is dealing. A cab-driver becomes, as a rule, a pretty-shrewd judge of a prospective fare. One method of working is as follows, and I know that it is continually practised. We will, for an example, say that there is to be a race meeting within 20 miles of London. A party of raeegoers stops a taxi, and a bargain is made with the driver to take them there, and to wait and bring them back for the sum of 2.5s., this being less than the legal fare for the distance alone, by Is. 8d. The method of procedure is then as follows. Eight miles
are driven with the flag• in the recording position. The flag is then put up for a distance of three miles, is lowered again for four miles, is raised again for three and then lowered for the remaining two—thus showing on the totalizer three jobs, amounting to 9s. 4d., and six dead miles. On arrival at the destination, the flag is put up, and the cab is put into an inconspicuous position. On the return journey, the same method of working takes place, thus securing the following results: six jobs; total cash, 18s. 8d.; dead miles 12; amount of which the driver robs his employer 6s. 4d.; and this, with the remains of his 25 per cent proportion of the takings after paying for two gallons of petrol at 741., and for other deductions, is. Scl., leaves the driver with a net sum of 8s. Id., exclusive of tips, even if he does no more work that day. On his return to garage, his mileage is not questioned, as the " pence per mile" work out at over .514., which is not really bad, considering the number of small jobs shown on the totalizer.
The breaking of seals and the shifting of star wheels, etc., may go on for a short time, but, as a very careful watch is kept, the excuses of " seal dropped off," etc., are not long admitted and the driver gets discharged.
Then there are two or three ways of faking a taximeter on short eightpenny jobs. These are accompanied by little risks of detection, as they are generally done in the dark. 1 do not propose to explain these methods here, as it is only aiding and abetting drivers in their robbing, but perhaps a word of warning will not be amiss to those men who have taken advantage of their employers in the foregoing ways. There are at present men, whom drivers themselves would never for one moment suspect, who go about endeavouring to bargain to undertake journeys at rates below the legal fare. The journey is undertaken, and the methods are noted by the passenger. Nothing is said at the time, but proceedings are being taken against offenders for defalcation and falsification of their accounts. Men are also stationed, and on cycles, on country roads to detect drivers with their taximeter flags in the wrong position. As you know, I am intimately connected with the motorcab business, and you will realize that you can rely on the foregoing statements. I enclose my card.—Yours faith fully, "PERAMBULATOR."
A Large Export Order.
The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
[1,194] Sir,—Our attention has been called to the publication in your issue of the 28th of July, of the copy of a letter purporting to have been written by Mr. W. H. Cole, and received by Messrs. Sturrney Motors, Ltd., in reference to the contract recently placed on behalf of the Companha Anglo Brazil de Auto Transportes, Rio de Janeiro. As this letter is misleading, and casts unfair reflection on the manufacturers of commercial vehicles generally, and on ourselves in particular, we feel it our duty to forward to you a copy of another letter from the same pen since received by us, and would ask you in common fairness to give it the same publicity as the one in question, since it sets forth in concise terms the actual facts which led up to the conclusion of the business referred to.
Our personal interest in the matter is rather a strong one, as the estimate in the original company's prospectus was based on figures obtained from the running of vehicles supplied by us to Mr. Cole's experimental company in Rio, and the order for the lorries and chars-k-banes was actually placed with us by the original English promoting syndicate as far back as November last, on the strong recommendation of Mr. Cole himself, backed by that of Sir Douglas Fox and Partners, who are the consulting engineers of the
syndicate. The scheme fell through, owing to the inability of the syndicate to provide the necessary finance, whereupon Mr. Cole proceeded to Paris to endeavour to carry the deal through there with French capital, and French vehicles.—Yours faithfully,
SIDNEY STRAEER AND SQUIRE, LTD., • L. R. L. SQUIRE, Director.
Nelson Square, Blackfriars, S.E. [Cory.] '10, Rua da Alfandaga,
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil,
10th July, 1910. " Messrs. Sidney Straker and Squire, Nelson Square, Blackfriars, London, England.
" Gentlemen,—I have your letter of the 11th of June forwarded from England. I was obliged to 'turn down' the French propositions as impossible, and there was nothing left. for me to do but accept certain proposals made by Mr. Sturmey and friends which, as you probably know now, have materialized in my being able to enter the wedge and get on the job, where I now am. "I had spent over a year and a lot more money than I could afford to, in following the promises and platitudes of the City Financier,' and I think you must acknowledge that I am not a quitter.' I have finally accepted the only possible chance to get started on one of the best transportation propositions I have ever seen. I do not say that all of the terms and conditions I have had to submit to are entirely to my satisfaction, but at least they were real, and not all 'in the air.' .rhe giving of the business up as the only other alternative would have been an extremely hard blow to me, and I was determined to avoid it if I could.
" You know I tried every means in my power to accomplish this business and use your cars, and I am as sorry today as before that I could not do so, much to the detriment of my prospects in several cases, and I think you should have given me credit for having remained loyal to your interests until I absolutely had to close with others or fail completely.—Yours, etc., (Signed) W. H. COLE."