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News and Comment.

28th March 1907, Page 13
28th March 1907
Page 13
Page 14
Page 13, 28th March 1907 — News and Comment.
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

This Journal has the largest and most valuable circulation among business men: its sale is not forced in useless quarters.

Mr. C. D. Rose, Member of Parliament for the Newmarket division of Cambridgeshire, has been elected Chairman of the Royal Automobile Club and of the Motor Union in succession to the Hon. Arthur Stanley, M. P.

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders has confirmed its original vote of L400 towards the expenses of he van, lorry, and tractor trials which are expected to take place in the fall of this year under the auspices of the Royal Automobile Club.

The 12h.p. Wolseley-Siddeley motor landaulet, which was recently exhibited at Olympia, has been purchased by Mr. J. M. filacLulich, the Managing Director of the _Sirdar Rubber Company, Limited, for use as a business brougham in London and elsewhere.

A scheme for the establishment of a commercial vehicle department has been approved by the Committee of the Scottish Automobile Club, with the special object of encouraging the development and popularising the use of commercial motors. The objects include the organisation of trials, tests and competitions in respect of commercial motor vehicles or parts, and is comprised of persons, firms or corporations interested in the manufacture, sale or use of commercial motors.

The annual general meeting of the Motor Van, Wagon and Omnibus Users' Association took place on Tuesday last. The report for the year dealt with the following points : the present position of goods and public-service vehicles; the report of the Royal Commission on the Motorcar Acts ; the report of the Select Committee on Cabs and Omnibuses ; the registration of motor vehicles by the War Office ; "THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR" prize scheme for good driving ; the proposed van, lorry and tractor trials ; legal information and advice given to members ; lights on heavy vehicles; extraordinary traffic and the condition of bridges ; the side-slip prevention competition; the schemes for the probationary inspection of members' vehicles, and for the periodical inspection of members' vehicles in service ; the question of roadside water supplies in the Metropolis ; the National Dustless Roads Committee ; and various other important matters of interest. It was

resolved to alter the name of the Association to The Commercial Motor Users' Association.

The 4oh.p. Siddeley car, which is undergoing a long-distance test at the hands of the Royal Automobile Club, has now completed upwards of 5,500 miles of its journeys, and is going well. The point about this car which is of interest to the readers of " THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR " 1S that it is fitted with Elastes-filled inner tubes.

The British Manufacturers' Section of the Soeiety of Motor Manufacturers and Traders appears to be making good headway. A large number of initial matters have been disposed of, and the following have been appointed members of the first committee, with power to add to their numbers :—H. Austin, G. A. Bulls, T. Clarkson, S. F. Edge, E. Gascoig-ne, E. M. C. Instone, C. Johnston, E. Lisle, J. S. Napier, E. Powell, P. Richardson, and W. G. 'Williams. Sir W. E. M. Tomlinson, Bart., 1-ia been re-elected president of the Mansior House Association on Railway and Canal Traffic, whose offices are 41 and 42, Parliament Street, S.W.

An interesting paper by Earl Rus. sell, on the subject of " The scientifit regulation of traffic," was read at ill( Royal Automobile Club on Thursda3 last. We are unable to deal with be contents in this issue, owing to lack o: space, which we must regret, but wt hope to be able to refer to the paper a. some length next week.

Manchester cab owners are protest. ing against the introduction of motor. cabs, and have advanced variou: hackneyed arguments as to the dis placement of " 1,5oo hands, most o whom are married men." Them efforts to obstruct the introduction o motorcabs should not carry mud weight with hard-headed Mancheste: men.

'The first annual report of the direc tors of the City and Suburban Motor cab Company, Limited, discloses profit of £1,268 95. 2d. The stock o motorcabs, plant, machinery, etc., i: valued in the balance-sheet, we find, a a less value than that at which it wil he taken over by the United Motorcal Company, Limited, so no criticism o that valuation can hold good. Thi period covered by the accounts is fo: the year ending 1st December last, an it is pointed out that the company': cabs were only delivered at interval: from April to October of last year. I 5 per cent. dividend on the issued shar4 capital of the company, which amount: to only £24,812, was apprOved at thy meeting of the shareholders held or Tuesday last, when it was announce( that an extraordinary general meetir4 will be summoned, as soon as conve

nient, for the purpose of appointing a liquidator, in order to carry out the necessary steps in connection with the transference of the company's business to the United Motorcab Company, Limited, after which the cash assets will, in due course, be distributed. Mr. W. M. Hodges has made a good showing for his first year, and we anticipate better results from the larger company.

London's Taximeter Cabs.

Thursday last, the 2Ist instant, was the occasion of the private view of the garage of the General Motorcab Company, Limited, at Kennington, hard by the Oval Station on the City and South London Railway. This admirably-de signed garage was visited on that occasion by a number of representatives of the Press, who had an opportunity of inspecting the details of the arrangements made for the reception of the dabs of the company. The main garage comprises two floors, divided up into sections, each capable of housing sonic 4o Renault cabs, the total capacity of the buildings at present erected being ample for close upon 1,000 vehicles. The lower floor, which is somewhat below the level of the street and the entrance yard, is easily approached down a gentle gradient, whilst the upper floor is reached by a short incline. The cabs, which have been so successful in Paris, are practically of the same design as used there, with the exception that the front of the frame has been narrowed, in order to permit of a greater steering lock, to meet the conditions of Scotland Yard requirements for London. The men, of whom there are some 150 at present prepared to go on the ranks, looked extremely smart in their -blue frieze coats and caps, and the neat turnout offers every promise of a splendid vogue in the Metropolis. The taximeter which is being fitted is on the system Richard Popp, and we noticed that a Stepney spare wheel is to be carried on each cab. Several well. planned departments for body and chassis repairing, paint shops and tirerepairing 1.1ops have been installed,

and, although a considerable amount of plant remained to be added on the occasion of our visit, the whole organisation seemed to be one which should be able to cover all the exigencies of running such a service of cabs as is proposed by this company. Cold luncheon was served, and was marked by the absence of any speeches, those being reserved for the first annual dinner given to the men, which took place upon the following evening, when a distinct affirmative was given by them to the question, would they take their cabs out or no. Each guest on the former occasion had a cab put at his disposal for such time as was necessary to convey him to his destination, a departure in keepirsg with the company's broad and thorough lines of organisation. The cabs, some 70 of which started work last Saturday morning, have been kept extremely busy during the last few days. On Sunday three of them were hired to run to Brighton, and another to make a trip to Eastbourne. On Monday morning one was ordered early to go to Aldershot, and several of the men were out all Saturday and Sunday nig*ht. Over. 200 orders were booked by telephone by Monday morning, most of these being from people living out In the suburbs, who desired cabs to pick them up and bring them to town, and this large pressure of business resulted in an entire absence of any of the taximeter cabs from the ranks on Monday, the supply available failing to meet direct orders.

A large number of lathes, we understand, were sold by Drummond

Brothers, at Olympia. This firm, in order to put on exhibition an example of their 6-inch lathe, kept their factory going throughout the Friday night pre ceding the show and succeeded in performing the feat of building the entire tool in a single night. This performance is characteristic of the energetic management.

The" D.P." motorcab is the latest to be put on the market, and the chassis appears to be particularly well adapted for use in the London streets, owing to the simplicity of the design, and the ease of control which )s provided. It has a twin-cylinder, opposed, horizontal engine, and gears of the epicyclic type, with a single chain drive to the live back axle. The valves are entirely enclosed, after the marine pattern, and the engine is a most flexible one. The cab, which is manufactured by DaWfield, Phillips, Limited, of 274A, Uxbridge Road, West Ealing, is capable of being turned in a re-foot road on either lock, so that it comes well within the Scotland Yard limits. It will be on view at CordingIey's show.

The exhibitors of commercial motors at Cordingley's Show include the following :—Alley and Maclellen, Ltd. ; C. Burrell and Sons, Ltd.; Messrs. Durham, Churchill and Co. ; Fodens, Ltd.; W. Foster and Co., Ltd.; Hay Motor Co., Ltd. ; Halley's Industrial Motors, Ltd. ; Mann's Patent Steam Cart and Wagon Co., Ltd.; Mercial Bus and Lorry Co. (J. Goode); F. Morriss; Moss and Woodd (Orion vehicles); Paragon Motor Works; Robey and Co., Ltd. ; St. Pancras Iron Works Co., Ltd.; Savage Brothers; Scheele Electric Carriage Co.; Scottish Motor and Engineering Co., Ltd.; Simplex Shock Aly..orber Co., Ltd.; Taskers, Ltd. ; Wallis and Steevens, Ltd.; H. B. Van Daalen ; and the Yorkshire Pa tent Steam Wagon Company. The lists of exhibitors of accessories, components, stores, and tools are, unfortunately, crowded out of this issue.


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