OPINIONS and QUERIES Impetus Given by Our Special Issue. Unhealthy Sales Competition in M unicipal Circles. Carrying Goods and
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Passengers. Comment on Police court Proceedings. Are Prospects Really Brig/it? The Price-cutting Bugbear in Nyasaland, South Africa.
Encouraged by our Outlook Number.
The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
[3286] Sir,—I was very interested to read your special Outlook Number, and I must compliment you on this. It is certainly one of the best issues of your esteemed journal that I have 'ever seen, and it should give a much needed impetus to all of us connected with the business.
V. 0. SKINNER, Joint Managing Director, London, N.7. Gilford Motor Co., Ltd.
Unhealthy Sales Competition. The Case of the Fire-er.line.
The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
[3287] Sir,—I have read with particular interest your leading article, in your issue dated December 2nd, as regards unhealthy sales competition, and if you will allow me to do so, I would like to add a. few words from the point of selling fire-engines to municipalities.
In the fire-engine business it has become a practice for municipalities to ask for demonstrations of motor fire-engines and even trailer pumps. From the point of view of the chief officer of the fire brigade, or the head of the fire department, such a demonstration is in most cases entirely superfluous. Re has laid clown his specification, received the offers from reputable British firms of models which are standard and used by other fire brigades, and he will be able to make his selection. in accordance with the particulars submitted, considering price and local conditions.
Should any of the motor fire-engines decided upon not fulfil its requirements on delivery, which is a most unlikely occurrence, seeing that a number of them is working under service conditions, purchasers would naturally have the usual remedies.
The demonstration is arranged practically exclusively for the entertainment of the town and of those members of the committee or council who are not acquainted with ordinary motor fire-engine practice.
Although it is quite understood that only one of the competitors can get the order, any number of motor fire-engines from two to six is expected to give a demonstration.
In accordance with the remoteness of the place front the factory of the makers, a demonstration may be calculated to cost each maker about £25, as an average, on a moderate reckoning, plus depreciation of the demonstrating machine. On every demonstration where four engines are present there is in consequence a dead loss of £100. This cost must ultimately be 'born by the purchasers of fire-engines, and increases very apppreciably the cost of motor fire equipment in this country. The less the individual value of the motor fire-engine or trailer .pump the higher in proportion is the dead loss owing to these demonstrations.
I am not speaking of eXceptional 0.cases where demonstrations are asked for, although the experts in the town know exactly what they want beforehand, and know exactly with whom they wish to place their order, in which case the waste of money is particularly flagrant, nor cases which have happened occasionally when these demonstrations were arranged before the corporation had made any provision for buying a fireengine and found afterwards that there were no means available to buy one.
I submit that the local authority that wants to know how any particular fire-engine works can apply to towns which have such fire-engines in use, send a deputation to the nearest, or even send a deputation to the works of the maker.
In addition it may be said that particularly competitive demonstrations of various motor fire-engines at the same time are not conducive to forming a true opinion of the average reliable performance of an engine under service conditions.
I submit that these demonstrations are not only wasteful but of very little use, and that in the interest of the industry and of the general economy of the country they should be restricted, anyhow to the very few cases where entirely novel machines are being demanded. FIRE ENGINEER. London.
Serving a Multiplicity of Needs.
The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
[3288] Sir,—As a reader of your excellent and useful journal, I have noted with interest your replies to various correspondents upon how the new Traffic Act affects them in their work, but have not come across one which makes my own position clear, so I am taking the opportunity of placing it before you.
I run a 25-cwt, van, my chief work being parcels collection and delivery as local agent for a London firm of carriers, furniture removals and work of a like nature as a fill-up.
Twice a week I act as a country carrier, collecting and delivering goods and occasional passengers (the passenger carrying would not make much difference if it was dropped out) and every school-day I convey school children to and from a country area.
This latter is not hire at separate fares but is under contract with the educational authorities at so much per journey, payable monthly and fixed irrespective of the actual numbers carried.
Can you detail to me how and in what way I am affected, also how, when and where the various certificates of fitness, road service licence, etc., which may be necessary are obtainable?
• Legislation forsooth! We may be able to drive, but it looks very much as if we are about to be driven, and unfortunately the distinction is uncertain.
Somerset. OWNER-DRIVER.
[A. certificate of fitness and a public-service-vehicle licence
• Will be needed for the vehicle if it be used to carry passengers for hire.
If passengers are carried for hire at separate fares a road-service licence will also be required, as in that case the vehicle will be a stage carriage or an express carriage, the definition of which is set out on page 245, The Commercial Motor of October 7th, 1930.
If the only passengers are school children who are carried, as stated, the vehicle will be a contract carriage and a road-service licence will not be required.
The County of Somerset is within the 'Western Traffic Area, but no definite announcement has been made as to where the offices of the Traffic Commissioners will be situated. Information as to how td apply for the necessary licences will no doubt be given in the local papers at a later date.—En.] London Magistrates Biased Against Motor Vehicles.
The Editor, THE COPtIMERCIAL MOTOR.
[3289] Sir,—I had occasion recently to attend a busy London police court in connection with a technical offence with one of my vans, and, whilst not presuming to comment upOn the adverse decision recorded against me, I would like to voice my emphatic opinion that the court appeared to be conducted with a definite
bias against motor users in general. • In the three hours during which I was present, many cases were disposed of, and it appeared that whatever the defence or the evidence called, a conviction was entered. I am certain that as a juror I would not have had the slightest hesitation about acquitting in at least one glaring instance, the brief facts of which I will give.
A 30-cwt. lorry of a well-known make was provided with a new engine and silencer and was, within three or four days, stopped by the police, two constables stating that the noise of the exhaust could be heard 250 yards and 300 yards distant respectively, during the passage of other traffic. Witnesses were called by the defendants to prove that the joints of the silencing system were welded as an extra precaution (owing to .a previous conviction) and an engineer from the maker of the vehicle reported inspection immediately following the occurrence, when he found everything to be in order, the silencer being quite standard, well fitted and with the baffle plates in position. This witnessfurther stated that the silencer was exactly the same as was in use by the Metropolitan Police themselves in the vans of similar size supplied to them by this maker.
If the magistrate can believe, as apparently he did, that AO noise emitted by such a silencer could he heard against the roar of the traffic at a distance of 250 yards or 300 yards, I hesitate to think what credence -he will give to police evidence under the difficultprovisions of the new Road Traffic Act.
Colchester.
Trained Men Requiring ,Positions.
, The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
[3290] Sir,—The contributions on "The Future" by leading manufacturers in your issue of December 16th were to me particularly interesting. Their almost universal optimistic outlook, however, Makes one, who for over three months has been attempting to secure employment, wonder whether the wish is father to the thought.
I am young, well educated (A.ALLMech.E.), with a good automobile training, followed by five years with a large bus-operating concern, and I believe I speak for others when I say that we do not ask for super jobs, but just opportunities to prove our ability. After 50 applications, most of them, I am pleased to say, acknowledged, it makes one rather cynical of such remarks as "prospects were never better," etc.
Birmingham. MAINTENANCE.
A Transport Problem from Nyasaland.
The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
[3291] Sir,—I always find "Problems of the Haulier and Carrier" very interesting and when The Commercial Motor arrives this article is the very first thing I turn to and read. In this country there has been very serious price cutting in the haulage business and I begin to wonder if there be any profit at the price .a40 now ruling. It is impossible at present to get more than is. per ton-mile with load, that is one way, and very rarely is there a return load. This price is irrespective of load or distance. Do you think that it is a paying proposition as a part-time job? Both driver and assistants could be provided with other work when not running transport, so there would be no idle time. The lorries used are 2-ton and 4-ton petrol and they could be overloaded slightly if necessary. They are primarily used for my estate work ; I am often asked to do outside transport work, but cannot obtain more than the is. a ton-mile one way. I would like your opinion on this question as it would interest me very much. The following particulars may help :— European driver's wages, all in, £30 per month.
Native assistant, 18s. per month. If with native driver, £3 10s. per month. Native assistant, 18s. per month. Licence for four-tonner £8 per annum. Licence for two-tonner, £5 per annum.
• Insurance, approximately as at home.
Petrol, 3s, a gallon.
Oil, Ss. 6d. a gallon. Tyres : a 36-in. by 8-in, costs, with tube, £26 10s., other sizes being in proportion. A new two-tonner, ready for the road, costs £480 here.
Maintenance is done in my own workshops. With these particulars, could you give me a figure or factor so that I could make use of your. Tables of
Operating Costs? J. TENNENT.
Proprietor, Mangunda Estates. Luchenza, Nyasaland. [I have set out below a series of figures in tabular form which give you, approximately, the running costs and standing charges for your 2-ton and 4-ton lorries. If a 48-hour week be taken as a basis for calculation, then your two-tonner costs you is. Oid. per hour with native driver and 3s. 8d. per hOur with European driver. The running cost, which is additional to the above, is 6.52d. per mile.: • In the same way the cost per hour of the four-tanner is is. 3d., or 3s. 101d. per hour, and the running cost 10.88d. per mile. By using these figures in. the manner indicated in the following example you. can calculate your • net costs of operation for any particular job and from that deduce if it be worth your while to do it for the figure you name. There is one point you should bear in mind which is not apparent on examination of the figures. That is, if your alternatives are (a) to have the lorries and the men standing idle, or (b) to make use of them for outside • haulage, then you can afford to take work on at anything
over the bare running costs, regarding any profit which such work may •show as means for paying your standing charges. I gather from your letter, however, that there is ample occupation for your stall and that the point just mentioned does not therefore arise. The following table of operating costs may help you;—
Standing Charges for 2-ton and 4-ton Lorries in Africa.