Opinions from Others.
Page 16
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The Editor invites correspondence on all subjects connected with the use of commer.:ial 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 views expressed is accepted. In the case of exberiences, names of towns or localities may be withheld.
The Word "Berna.'
The Editor THE COMMERCIAL Mown, [1289] Sir,—As some reference was made in your issue of the 11th inst, to proceedings—with regard to the use of the word " Berna "—biought against our olients, John Yarwood and Co., Ltd., in the Chancery Division, by British Berna Motor Lorries, Ltd., in connection with which a motion for injunction was then pending, we are requested by our clients to inform you that such motion Was not proceeded with by the plaintiffs, but an arrangement was come to between counsel on both sides that the injunction should stand over until the trial of the action, which is to take place early in next yea.r.—Yours faith fully, BLYTH, DUTTON, HARTLEY AND BLYTH. Gresham House, E.C.
Electric Vehicles Salesmanship Methods.
The Editor THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
[1290] Sir,—I am much obliged for your note at the the bottom of my letter in your issue of the 18th inst. It is a timely warning, and perhaps my remarks might have been misconstrued. I agree with you that there is not the least necessity for any such position with regard to motor vehicles as there is, for instance, in the ca-se of' electricity supply v. gas supply. The motor companies and users can perfectly easily adapt themselves to whatever turns out to be the best method of driving----petrol, steam or electric, without any harm to anybody except, per haps, the petrol interests. I do not believe the motor users have any particular love for the gentlemen controlling these, vide the rise in price of the commodity. The charges for electric energy are every year on the decrease ; this is about the only service available to the public which is continually decreasing in price. All ele,etrical men will, of course, advocate electricalbattery vehicles, both in season and out of season.— Yo urs faithfully, A. Ifuon SEABROOK,
General Manager, The Borough of Ilarylebone Electric Supply. 19th December, 1913.
The Electric-Vehicle's Chance; Id. per Unit.
The Ilditor THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
[1291] Sir,—With reference to your interesting "Leader" on this important subject, I shall be glad if you will kindly give me an opportunity of pointing out in your columns that the borough of West Hain has already made provision for charging electric vehicles at the showrooms at 84, Romford Road, Stratford, E., and has in use a provisional tariff enabling users to obtain direct current, at suitable voltage, at a price which approximates closely to id. per unit.. The tariff actually consists of a small fixed charge per vehicle, plus three-farthings per unit of D.C. input.
Where user.s of the vehicles arrange to charge upon their own premises, our standard prices for alternating-current supply obtain. These are in most cases below Id. per unit, the actual price depending upon the magnitude and load factor of the supply In considering the relative costs of vehicles propelled by electricity and other means, it is desirable to bear in mind that in the case of "the electric" the cost of energy ainounte to but a small proportion of the total cost. of running where normal mileage is obtained --possibly from lo to 30 per cent, only— where energy is supplied at Id. per unit; consequently, although it is important that a. low rate for 01.6
energy should be obtained, it has not perhaps so great an influence on the total cost of running as would at first sight appear.
Your observations with regard to the simplicity of driving "the electric" are very important, particularly with regard to the professional users who are not prepared to undertake the driving of a petrol car, and yet would be deterred from purchasing on account of the expense of keeping a chauffeur. I should like to point out, however, that, in the case of vans or lorries used for trade, the advantages of cleanliness and simplicity are still important, as they give the driver much more liberty of action, and enable him to keep himself in a condition for delivering goods and attending to customers' requirements, for which purpose at present a seeond man is very often desirable.
A considerable amount of publicity work has been done by this department, during the past year, with regard to electric vehicles, and, considering all the circumstances of the business, the results have been distinctly encouraging, there being a total of six electrically-propelled vehicles of various classes operating in the district and charging from the mains of the Corporation supply. At the present time, numbers of firm inquiries are being dealt with, and there appears to be every reason to suppose that good business will follow in the near future.
I should like to testify my appreciation of the attitude adopted by your journal with regard to electric vehicles. It appears to me that nothing but good can come from the close association of the makers of steam. and _petrol vehicles with this comparatively-new method of transport; their long experience on the problems of chassis building, and the general management of mechanical transport under British conditions, must be helpful to the industry, which is, to all intents and purposes, new in this country, and which—in the writer's opinion-cannot be developed to any great extent merely by the importation of vehicles from other countries where road regulations and conditions of running are quite different, and where the influences controlling competition between electricity and other forms of road transport are peculiar.—Yours faithfully,
J. W. BEAUCHAMP,
Engineer and Manager, West Ham Corporation Electric Supply, 19th December, 1913.
[Petrol-driven vehicles generally, and some steamers, to not 17CCIILIVC any second man for the reasons advanced.—Eo.]