News and Comment.
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This journal fosters, represents, and chronicles commercial motoring in all its branches: our regular weekly circulation exceeds 8,000 copies, exclusive of any extra mailings of special issues.
The first published report of the R.oyal Show will be found on pages pa to 424.
Fire-brigade Requirements.
Our sundry advertisement page conains official notices of invitations for .enders in respect of fire-brigade motors or the London County Council and he County Borough of Southampton. Petrol and steam vehicles are both in request.
What's in a Name?
A considerable increase in its memDership has been experienced by the Commercial Motor Users' Association since that body adopted its present terse and expressive title. The progress and activity of the C.M.U.A. denotes the real healthiness of its programme, and the value of the services which are rendered to its members in several important directions.
New Systems.
This week's description of a new motorcab chassis (pages 409 and 410) is the third exclusive account of new vehicles which this journal has given in successive issues : the All-British Car Company's omnibus chassis, and the Standard Steam Lorry and Omnibus Company's steam wagon were the other two illustrated reports.
In Manxland.
The Royal Institute of Public Health will hold its annual congress, from Saturday next, the 29th June, to the Following Friday. Douglas, Isle of Man, has been selected, and Lord Raglan, who will act as president of the congress, is to give the inaugural address. Dr. H. S. Hele-Shaw, F.R.S., is president of the section devoted to engineering and architecture, and one of the papers before this section, entitled " Street Cleansing in relation to the Growth of Motor Traffic," will be read by the Editor of "THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR."
R.A.C. Trials.
There are seven more entries since last week, and we have every reason to
believe that motor-wagon and tractor builders will soon begin to swell the entry list. The Wolseley Tool and Motor Car Co., Ltd., has entered a 3o-cwt. Siddeley commercial vehicle in class C, and two 6o-cwt. Siddeley commercial vehicles in class F.; Sidney Straker and Squire, Ltd., has entered a 2o-cwt. Straker-Squire van in class B, a 6o-cwt. Straker-Squire van in class E, and a 5-ton Straker-Squire locomotive-type steam wagon in class F. Intending entrants are referred to the full text of the regulations in our issue of the and May last, and are reminded of two matters : (a) that the vehicles will be started each day in the order of the entries; and (b) that in little more than two weeks from date, or, to be precise, after noon on the t3th July, the entry fee per vehicle will hie increased by .4'5,
We observed an Allchin wagon at Sheffield, during last week, with a full load, from the Rotherham Brewery Company. Sheffield is a hilly town, and it was taking the gradients well.
Rapid Work. The I4h.p. Lindsay light parcel van, of which we give an illustration herewith, is being used for newspaper
delivery. On a recent Sunday, it made calls at no less than 186 newsagents' shops, during the course of an outand-home trip from Arundel Street, Strand. Successive points on the itinerary included the Mansion House, Aldgate, Commercial Road, East India Dock Road, Canning Town, Victoria Dock Road, Barking Road, West Ham, East Ham, Upton Park, Ilford, Cambridge Heath, Stratford, Bow, Bow Road, Mile End Road, Whitechapel, Commercial Street, and Bethnal Green, together with numerous turnings down side streets. The net running time was only 4i hours.
One of our staff recently had the pleasure of meeting Mr. F. Brown, of David Brown and Sons, Ltd., of Huddersfield. We are pleased to hear that a continued healthy business tone is prevailing at the Brown works, where over 400 men are engaged in the manufacture of gears, live axles, gear boxes, and general gears for motor vehicles.
Mr. Howard Wilson, of the Simms Manufacturing Company, Limited, has been elected a member of the Institution of Automobile Engineers. This society's programme of papers for next season already. includes contributions which have been promised by Dr. H. S. Hele-Shaw, F.R.S., Mr. J. S. Critchley M.I.Mech.E., and Mr. Dugald Clerk, M.Inst.C.E., F.C.S.
The "Chamber-of Commerce Journal '' points out that there were only three English exhibitors of motor vehicles at the recent automobile exhibition in Stockholm. Having regard to the regulations which are in force in Sweden (see this journal for the 3rd January last, page 390), we do not wonder that makers of utility vehicles stayed away from this show.
A Four-year-old.
A 5-ton Leyland wagon, which was supplied to Messrs. George Reed and Son, millers and corn merchants, Yarm, in June, 1903, continues to give excellent results. It often takes 4 tons on its own platform, and a big trailer load, and its owners have found that it replaces seven horses. Only a few weeks ago, the owners wrote to the makers—" The wagon never ran better than it is doing now."
Mr. John A. Brodie, M.Inst.C.E., M.I.Mech.E., who was elected presilent of the Incorporated Association of Municipal and County Engineers last week, is a founder member of the Liverpool Self-Propelled Traffic Asso:dation : he has been one of the hardest workers, in the cause of commercial motoring since the date of that association's establishment more than Aeven years ago.
Van Business Purchased.
J. Liversidge and Son, Limited, of 01, Old Kent Road, S.E., has purchased the old-established van and motor body-building business of Mr. William MaIham, of 203, Great Dover Street, S.E. Mr. Malham is retiring On account of ill-health, but his son, who haS 'managed ,..thii—lettsisss446*.tiostv last eight years, will continue to look after it in the intereSts of J. Liversidge and Son, Limited. All work will be carried out at the Liversidge factories,. in Old Street, Old Kent Road and Goswell Road
A Good Record; A • 6-ton standard Sentinel wagon, which was supplied to Robert Deuchar, Limited, the successful brewing company of Sandyford Rood, Newcastleon-Tyne, in April of last year, has given, and continues to give, entire satisfaction to its purchasers. This wagon ,-.•vras put through' a serieS • ofmost severe tests by a member of our technical staff, before delivery was accepted, and we know of few steam wagons which are given harder daily work. The accompanying photograph has been supplied to us by its owners : it shows the vehicle and trailer with a load of 720 dozen of bottled beer and aerated waters, sundry boxes of spirits, etc., of which the aggregate weight is 9 tons 6 cwt., 31 tons being on the trailer. This class of load is frequently delivered by the wagon, which gets " back " loads varying from 4. to 6i tons. A typical week's work consists of 125 miles of running divided between nine journeys, the consumption of coke for this distance being 23 cwt. in respect of loads averaging more than 9 tons on the outward 'trips and more than 5 tons on the homeward trips. The managing director of Robert Deuchar, Limited, in the course of his
letter to us, which covered the photograph, writes : "The wagon has been in continuous work since April, 1906, without giving us a moment's anxiety."
The Edgar Mayall Motor Transport Company has been registered with an authorised capital of ..;3,000, divided into Li shares_, and with its registered office at 203, Manchester Road, Mossley, near Huddersfield.
Why does not the Cardiff Corporation provide the money for a motor ambulance, instead of leaving it to the charity of benevolent people in the city? The local centre of the St. John's Ambulance Association has the matter in hand, and the honorary secretary of the committee is Mr. Herbert Lewis, Cathedral Road, Cardiff.
..0......)1essrs.. Andrew, Allen and, Company, gf freperial`Buildings,
gate, Manchester, have been appointed sole agents and representatives for Commercial Cars, Limited, of Luton, for Manchester and district. Messrs. Allen will be happy to undertake trial and demonstration trips for any intending purchasers within their area.
Cleansing Berlin.
Ever since the beginning of May Berlin's only motor sprinkler, a ponderous N.A.G. vehicle carrying 1,125 gallons of water, has been on duty, yet only in the broad avenues of the -Tierggrten district, as it would be quite out of place in business thoroughfares like the Friedrichstrasse. Something of a less forceful character and much smaller is required for streets with a busy flow of traffic, and the corporation is advised to turn its attention to the matter. The present sprinkler was illustrated in " THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR" at the time of the last Olympia Show (issue of tith March). A pump of 3.5h.p., coupled up with the engine by means of a suitable connection in front of the gearbox, forces out the water under constant pressure. The Berlin Corporation is now using a very neatand handy type of horse-drawn water-cart, holding some 340 gallons ; it 'is fitted behind with a cylindrical brush of rubber, and this can be raised out of action from the driver's seat. A motordriven vehicle somewhat on these fines seems to be the thing that is wanted. Ttel Agricultural Motors, Limited, 45, Great Marlborough Street, W., has for the fourth time received the gold medal of the Essex Agricultural Association. This year's award was gained with a motor of 18-20h.p..
From Egypt.
Satisfactory reports have come to hand front the Governor-General of the Soudan, Sir Reginald Wingate, about the behaviour and prospects of com
mercial motors. Sir Reginald Wingate is of opinion that automobiles are proving of great value in the openingup of communication, and that they will rapidly come into more general use to meet the special necessities of the country. It should be noted that a number of the cars to which reference is made are of the Arrol-Johnston manufacture, and are fitted with disc wheels in order to prevent the sand
from closing round the fellies. Sir Reginald Wingate made a number of experiments in the neighbourhood of Dunbar, in company with Mr. John S. Napier, when he was last home from Egypt, and it was then found that an unduly broad tire caused too great a resistance to motion, and that a comparatively narrow tire, without some form of disc wheel, was equally inadmissible for the reasons indicated.