Time brings odd shuffling& of the cards, and I. am
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reminded by Mr. A. Hoffmann, the Managing Director of lvel Agricultural Motors, Ltd., and the United Motor Industries, Ltd., that the latter company has been appointed agents, for the United Kingdom and the Colonies, for D.W.F. ball bearings, formerly handled by Ludwig, Loewe and Co., Ltd., and he asks that a notification shall be made that, he is in no way connected with the Chelmsford concern—nor has he ever been associated with it. Hoffmann ball bearings are such household words in the motor trade that I gladly put this on record to prevent any possible misunderstanding. Mr. A. Hoffmann also tells me that the United Motor Industries, Ltd., has been appointed agents, for the same territory, for the Mee magneto, which differs in many ways from other magnetos on the market, It has a bell-shaped magnet, which permits of the machine's being made in a remarkably-compact shape, and the whole instrument is considerably lighter than the ordinary type of magneto.
Various talks with heads of London taxicab companies, and with officials who come in contact with the taxicabby, confirm the impression in my mind that small earnings are mostly the result of laziness. Each cab yard has a proportion of men who can always bring in the money: they are the men who spend the minimum amount of time on the rank, and who, when disengaged, "crawl," and use their heads as to which part of London is likely, at particular hours, to yield fares. Is there a big cricket match on ? Then away to Lord's when play ceases for the day, and, previous to that, he has been in the City near the " House," where he is sure to pick up some stockbroker going to his club in the West End; there is the early departure of the " two houses a night" music halls, with a possible return fare, and then the theatres. If a man will only take notice of London's happenings, and use his head, he will get the fares. We "occasionally" have wet days, and then there is always an increased demand, but at such periods there are more cabs in the yards than at any other t;me. One large owner assured me, from his own knowledge, on a wet night, as we listened to the continued shriek of the cab whistle outside the Muter Club, and ruminated On the scarcity of znotorcabs, that there were at least 2,000 cabs at that moment in the different garages ready to be taken out. On Sundays, wet or fine, there are innumerable fares to be had, but every one will tell you there is consistent paucity of vehicles. One Sunday evening I came up to Paddington in a train full of happy but tired boating people, and it was then wet. Not a solitary taxi at the terminus, but dozens of people wanting them. I was loaded, and together with other separate parties waited twenty minutes in Praed Street before a passing taxi could be secured. Bearing in mind all these things, when I hear, and read, of drivers who " only get for their day's work. Gs. to 8s., of which 4s. to 6s. goes in necessary expenses," I fall back upon that phrase which is associated with the inimitable Harry Tate, but which really emanated from Mr. Sam. Weller—" I don't think."
The question of solid tires for cabs is an absorbing one: many proprietors consider that it is the only way in which great economies can be made. The enclosed letter which I have received from Mr. Skidmore, of the Avon Tyre Co., concerning a trial with Muir's shock-.shifter hubs, is, therefore, very interesting. Mr. Skidmore proceeds:
" On Saturday last Mr. John Muir and Mr. Fooks Bale called at Avon House, 35, Long Acre, with a taxicab, the wheels of which were fitted with shock-shifter hubs and ordinary grip-section solid-rubber tires. The object of their visit was to place an order for one pair of hind wheels to he fitted with solid-rubber tires (one with a plain tread and the other with a non-skid) to comply with ScotlandYard regulations—The Avon India
Rubber Co., Ltd., is making a special tire for this purpose. Nothing would pacify Mr. Muir but that I should take a run in the cab, the route selected being Whitehall, past the House of Commons and the Chelsea Embankment. The cab negotiated the ruts and indentations splendidly.
" Mr. Muir hailed a passing taxicab (the wheels of which were fitted with pneumatic tires) and the return journey, in the hired taxicab, was just as different as chalk is from cheese. We had great difficulty in keeping our seats, the bumping was so violent ; in fact, when we once again took our seats in Mr. Bale's cab (although previously I was sceptical about the device) I could only exclaim that the difference in riding upon shock-shifter hubs and the ordinary pneumatics was in comparison similar to the conditions of an up-to-date first-class railway carriage fitted with spring cushions and the wooden seats of the old thirdclass Metropolitan carriage. If this result can be obtained with only a small grip-section tire, what will be the result with good bold tires? "
At Manchester, recently, I met a friend engaged in motor haulage, and he recounted to me, with a great glow of enthusiasm, details of a recent trial over the roughest roads with a commercial vehicle that was fitted with a new suspension device invented by Mr. James Anger, of the United Electric Car Co., Ltd., of Preston. I gathered that the road shocks were wonderfully minimized. This, I think, will be of considerable interest to many, and, later, perhaps one of us may be afforded an opportunity for a trial of this with a view to the preparation of a report fer our readers.