News and Comment.
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This journal enjoys a valuable and exclusive circulation ; its sale is not forced in useless quarters.
During October, 57 heavy motorcars were registered in the County of London, bringing the total up to t, no, as against 12,456 pleasure motorcars, and 6,448 motorcycles.
The Argyll ambulance, which is at work in Glasgow, recently carried a patient, from Dumfries, a distance of over 6o miles, in three hours, and, thereby, saved his life.
The Motor Union directs attention to the fact that only 22 people were killed by motor vehicles, including motor omnibuses, during last year in the Metropolis, compared with ito who came by their death through accidents due to horse-drawn carts, vans, and buses.
Mr. D. H. Simpson, of Manchester, who contributes an article on " Flash Boilers " to this issue (pages 295 and 296), has had as much practical experience with this type of steam generator as any other investigator. his experiments and practice date back to 1896.
Joseph Owen and Sons, Limited, of Liverpool and London, advises us that, owing to the fact that thick ash planks cannot be obtained, it has recently completed a special desiccating process, for heavy vehicle felloes, and that it possesses a very large stock of such felloes.
The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders announces that it intends to keep up the standard and style of the March exhibition, in every respect, as high as that of the November show. We trust that the ventilation will be improved, because we fear to think what percentage of carbonic acid gas must have been present, at times, during the last show.
The Mann wagon illustrated herewith is of the company's standard 2-ton type, and it has been fitted with sea's placed crossways in order to enable its proprietors to carry colliers from Doncaster to a pit which is now being sunk several miles from that town. It will be observed that a second set of springs has been introduced between the frame and the platform, and these are to supplement the effect of the ordinary springs carrying the frame itself. Although several Mann wagons are used for passenger conveyance in India, we believe this is the first instance of one's application for that purpose in this country.
The Dennis worm gear has now been supplied as part of over zoo wannerCial vehicles, with the company's guarantee for two years. We are pleased to learn, from the makers, that this guarantee has not cost them anything for replacements to date.
French's Garage and Motor Works, Limited, has been registered, with an authorised. capital of -E,6,(x)o, in ,;'t shares, to acquire the business of Mr. W. Fiexman French and others, at 314, High Road, Balham, as the SouthWestern Motor Company. There wM be no initial public is,ue.
._. The Motor Union Insurance Company, Limited, advises us that its capital has been largely over-subscribed, and that the directors went to allotmen: cm Monday, the 19th ultimo. It is satisfactory to learn that a large number of applications for small allotments, from all parts of the country, were received, and it now remains to be seen whether this company is capable of dealing with its prospectus announcements. To the disappointment of many of its supporters, the British Empire Motor Trades Alliance has had to postpone its annual dinner, which had been announced to take place on Monday last.
We regret that the word " noL " was accidentally dropped in one part of our reference to the Fuller magneto, on page 275 of last week's issue. The Fuller magnets are not drilled for fixing in position, and it will be obvious that the avoidance of this treatment in the eoursc of manufacture must add to their permanency.
The Car and General Insurance Corporation, Limited, has issued a very neat pocket book for the year 1907, copies of which may be obtained on application to the general manager, Mr. Frederick Thoresby, r, Queen Victoria Street, E.C., or to any of the cornpany's 28 branch offices. Many useful notes for motorists are embodied in this zoo-page book.
The annual report of the Royal Agricultural Society of England, which is to be presented to the members on Wednesday next, the 12th instant, at the Hotel Russell, states that there was a profit of about £2,000 on the Derby Show, and that the Park Royal property has been disposed of for the sum of 4.28,soo. The Society's 68th Annual Show will be held at Lincoln, from the zsth to 29th of June, 1907, inclusive. The total membership of the Society is now, close upon zo,000, and its prospects are brighter than at any time during the last ten years. Mr. T. L. Aveling of Aveling and Porter, Limited, ably represents the Implement Section on the Committee.
Willesden Urban District Council appointed a sub-committee in June last to obtain information as to the reliability of mechanically-propelled appliances for use in lieu of horses, now used for traction purposes in fire bri gade work. This sub-committee visited Liverpool and Tottenham and, also, the works of Messrs. Merryweather, at Greenwich, and reported to the Fire Brigade Committee the results of their inspections and tests of the steam and petrol fire engines at these places. At the meeting, on Tuesday, of the U.D.C„ the Fire Brigade Committee submitted a communication stating that, upon the report of the sub-committee and their own observation and enquiries, they recommended that the engineer be instructed to prepare amended sketches of the proposed new station in Harlesden Road, abandoning all stabling accommodation. The recommendation was adopted.
The adjoining Eoden wagon, which is a recent delivery from the Elworth Works, Sandbach, has been purchased by Messrs. A. Middlemas and Sen, of Kelso, N.B., an old-established firm of aerated water manufacturers, ale and porter merchants, and cork importers, who have branches at Calashices and Duns, for the conveyance of various aerated waters and battled beers. The wagon will replace both horse and rail transport, with loads varying from 5ocwt, to five tons, and over distances averaging 35 miles per day, on live days per week. The machine, which has already been at work for closc upon a month, is giving the greatest satisfaction.
An action was concluded, by settlement between the parties, in the King's Bench Division of the High Court, before Mr. Justize Jell and a common jury, On the 23rd ultimo, in which a Mr. Edward Fairfax Studd, a gentleman farmer, of Oxtote near Exeter, sued the Ivel Agricultural Motors, Limited, for the return of .1:3o8 in respect of one of the compLny's agricultural motors, about which he alleged there had been a breach of warranty. It was proved in evidence that the motor failed to take gradients of i in 6.8 and x in 7.9 on the plaintiff's farm, but the defendant company alleged gross negligenee in the management of the machine, and pointed out that the gradients in question were beyond the usual expectation. A settlement was eventually agreed, at his Lordship's suggestion, the Ivel Company agreeing to take back the motor, and to pay the plaintiff too towards his costs. As it was found impossible, by the Court, to s.ettle the question of the exact terms of the vendor's statements in regard to this machine, it is, of course, impossible for us to do more than to make this comment. Gradients of the severity quoted are, obvioutly, beyond the capacity of such a machine, if it is toc 1
o any work beyond its own propulsion.
1Vynum and Sons, Limited, the wellknown printers and publishers, of Bream's Buildings, Fetter Lane, E.C., has issued its new catalogue of Christ. rnas presents, the contents of which should prove of interest to commercial men who may be desirous of sending their customers suitable complimentary presents a few weeks hence.
The standard 5-ton St. Pancras wagon, illustrated on this page, has been supplied by the steam-wagon department of the St. Pancras Iron Work Company, Limited, of 17T, St. Pancras Road, London, N.W., to John Walsh, Limited, of Sheffield. This machine has proved its ability to deal with heavy loads in that hilly city, and its
Iler■• are highly pleased with its performance. We learn, also, that the St. Pancras Company has recently been favoured wilt a repeat order from the East Lancashire and Oldham Carrying Company, Limited. W. Tuphohne and Sons, Limited, of Bridge Street, Sheffield, which company makes Tupholme's motor spirit safe, has, recently, supplied examples of this useful adjunct to the garages ox numerous business firms, which employ molorvans or wagons for delivery work, to the Sheffield Corporation, Cammell, Laird, and Company, and Messrs. E. Lazenby and Sons. The device is a practical one, and should lind considerable favour amongst users of petrol vehicles.
Motorcab developments in London will be fully as noticeable, during the year 1907, as have been those of ITIOlOc omnibuses during the year 1906. The ieneral Motorcab Company, Limited, whose registered office is at 32, 0.id JO Wry, E.C., has resolved to increase its capital to ,4;500,000, in order to operate a still larger number of Renault and Charron vehicles. It was reported. at this company's recent meeting, that the receipts of the City and Suburban Motorcab Company have exceeded the estimate of 355. gross takings per day per cab, and that without the use of the taximeter, which, according to experience in Berlin and Paris, results in a larger revenue for the company, as well as a steadier wage for the driver. The company has in hand a large new garage at Brixton, where accommodation is to be provided for the housing of over 700 vehicles.
The statement, made by the widelycirculated Berlin " Lokal-Anzeiger," that the Corporation of that city had decided to try steam-driven snowploughs this winter, has no foundation in fact. Three snow-ploughs will, certainly, make their appearance, but the motive power is to be derived from a commonplace equine source. Beyond the motor road-sprinkler, which has been in building nearly a year, and will begin operations next spring, the Berlin Corporation possesses no selfpropelled vehicle for street-cleansing purposes. The head of the Street-cleansing Department is an enlightened engineer, always ready to consider and recommend improved methods and instruments, but, so far as can be judged, the Corporation does not display any great hurry, as some London boroughs do, to spend the ratepayers' money. Anyhow, if any British maker has a snow-plough drawn or driven by other than animal form, let him submit his machine to the Direktion der Strassenreinigung, Berlin.