News and Comment.
Page 10
Page 11
Page 12
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
This journal fosters, represents, and chronicles commercial motoring in all its branches ; it has the largest and best circulation throughout the United Kingdom, the Colonies, India, and foreign countries generally. No part of our exclusive and valuable circulation is due to the forcing of sales in useless quarters.
Monday next, at the Hotel Cecil, Mr. Howard Humphreys' paper on " The Commercial Use of Highways."
The index mark of " H.B." has been assigned to the new county borough of Merthyr Tydvil. Registrations will date from the 1st of April next.
New Rates of Pay.
On the eve of the coining into force of the Home Secretary's Order, drivers of horse-drawn cabs in London agreed with the proprietors to take 4d. in the shilling on all amounts registered by the taximeter. It is now estimated that a minimum of t,soo horse-drawn hansoms fitted with taximeters will be plying for hire before the end of March.
Motorcabs Booming.
The prospectus of the Metropolitan and Provincial Cab Company, Limited, with an authorised capital of 4.500,000, is ready for issue. Porthos and Mass cabs will be purchased, and the board will include Messrs. M asser-Horni man and Colin Defries. We have also to congratulate the Daimler Motor Company (1904), Limited, of Coventry, upon its having secured an order for 500 Coventry-built cabs. We understand that this large deal was only arranged on Monday last.
Damage to Weak Roads.
At the Bath County Court, before his Honour Judge Gwynne-James, on the 3 r st ultimo, judgment was given against the Midland Railway Company, in an action brought at the instance of the Somerset County Council, for the sum of .4;90 in respect of damage to certain roads in the neighbourhood of Bath. A much larger sum had been claimed, and the action was originally deferred owing to the view of his Honour that it was outside his jurisdiction to hear the case. This decision, however, on submission to the High Court for review, was over-ruled.
Argylls in Belfast.
We illustrate on page 499 a two-ton, Argyll lorry which has been doing heavy transport work for J. B. Ferguson, Limited, of Belfast. This lorry has been used in connection with the erection of new premises for this automobile-engineering company in Chichester Street, Belfast, where the company intends to run a commercial vehicle department, with a manager and staff of its own. It is felt that Belfast, with its nitanerous mills, factories, and large public works, must adopt the new system of transit very widely and J. B. Ferguson, Limited, is confident that considerable trade will be done by it at the new motor depot, which will be a very large establishment N'hen finished.
Motor Wagons Preferred.
St. Thomas (Cornwall) Rural District Council advocates the employment of motor wagons, in preference to either horses or traction engines, for the conveyance of stone in road making and repairing. A total loaded weight of ro tons is regarded as an acceptable limit.
A New Agency.
Wm. and Thos. Robson, Ltd., of Go, Farringdon Road, E.C,' has taken up the London agency of Wallis and Steevens, Ltd., whose tractors and wagons have frequently been illustrated in our pages. This combination of effort should result in an increase of sales.
War Office Ambulances.
The illustration at the foot of this page shows three x8h.p., Wolseley-Siddeley, commercial-vehicle, 3o-cwt. chassis, which have been fitted with ambulance bodies for the War Office. This chassis was fully described in our Olympia Show issue of last year (t4th March, x9o7); the novelties are included in the body. This body is fitted with two hinged, falling seats, which will hold six sitting-up patients each, another single seat being provided at the top of the bus for the nurse. The two stretchers, which are collapsible, can go under these seats when not in use, and everything inside is so fitted that it can be taken out with great ease for disinfection. This principle has been carried to the extent that even the windows can be removed bodily and at once. The inside is of highly-varnished natural wood, which can be washed with a minimum of exertion, and a maximum result in cleanliness. Solid tires have been fitted, the risk of stoppage with pneumatics being too great in ambulance work, where speed is a necessity, and lives are often at stake. The outside is painted in dark War Office khaki, with the usual red cross.
A one-ton Arrol-Johnston van, to the order of Messrs. Tozer, Kehnsley and Fisher, of 84, Eenchurch Street, E.C., is about to be shipped to Australia, Broughams on Hire.
Houses whose principals or travellers want smart motor broughams on hire should communicate with 'rho's. TillLtd„.Winchester HoUse; Peckham, S.E. Reliable service is assared.
. At Glasgow..
A 2oh.p. Halley tower wngw. has been running, for some considerable time, in the service of the Glasgow Corporation Tramways 'Department, and we underStand that the officials are well satisfied with its performance.
Not Vehicle Manufacturers.
The directors of Winans and Robinson, Limited, of Rugby, desireit to be made known that the company has not departed from its practice of supplying parts of motor vehicles, as castings only, or machined for the purpose of assembly, as the case may be. The rumour that it is making any complete car is without foundation, and the company regards such a statement as calculated to affect its interests disadvantageously.
A Libel Case.
In the King's Bench Division, before Mr. Justice Lawrance and a special jury, on Tuesday and Wednesday of last week, the action of Temple Press, Limited (proprietor of " The Motor ") against the Cycle Trade Pub_ fishing Company, Limited (proprietor of the " Motor Trader "), was heard. A report of this case is given in the current number of our sister journal " The Motor." The plaintiff company, which was represented by Mr. Rufus Isaacs, E.G., M.P., complained of a libel which had appeared in the defendant company's paper, in the course of an article which made certain harmful statements in regard to alleged bogus replies to advertisements and other matters. After a long hearing, judgment was entered for the plaintiff company, damages being assessed at £300. Mr. Gore-Browne, K.C.„ was counsel for the defendant company. Road Wheels.
The Atlas Engineering Company, of Levenshulme, Manchester, has supplied a number of its composite wheels to the Vanguard Motorbus Co., Ltd.,
the Bristol Tramways and Carriage Co„ Ltd., the 17-col§eley Tool and Motor Car Co., Ltd., the Daimler Motor Co. (1904), Ltd., and the Great Central Railway Comparty. The London business is in the hands of the Motor Supply Co., Ltd., of 111;Piccadilly, W.
. A .Bohemian Concert.
Saturday evening •last was. the °cca. sion of a Bohemian concert which wa: held in the dining hall of the Crayforc works of the Wolseley Tool and Motoi Car Company, Limited. The guests who were present at the invitation o the staff and foremen of the Crayforc Works, included.: a number of loca ladies and gentlemen; Mr. J. S. Con radi, the manager of the Frith Work: of Vickers, Sons and Maxim, Ltd.; Mr J. Ramsey, the Erith Works manager and members of the staff ; the foremer of J. and E. Hall, Ltd., and of Callen dars, Ltd:, of Belvedere. Mr. S. Silver man., the manager, and Mr. M. R Lawrence, the works manager, and thi staff and foremen of Crayford Work were also present, as well as severa members of the York Street staff, wh4 ran down from London for the even ing.
A member of the staff of this jour. nal accompanied Mr. Wilfred P Wood, of the commercial vehicle sale department of the Wolseley Company.
Motorcab Company's Failure Ascribed to Taxicabs.
At the meeting of the creditors o the Carlton Garage, Ltd., held at th, Carey Street offices of the Board o Trade recently, the managing direc tor (Mr. Billing) ascribed the failure o the company to the advent of taxi cabs. In the four months prior to th flotation of the company in May, iqo a profit of Lo was made by lettim. out motorcabs and cars for hire by tit day or week. The cabs and cars which the Official Receiver stated wer six or eight in number, were valued a that time at £2,230. The compan. had traded at a loss since the corn mencement, and the deficiency Was pu down at £3,000. Unsecured creditors claims amounted to .4;918 and th assets included : stock and fixtures no' valued at £so, lease and goodwil 1:;175, debt due from. Mr. Billing (wh. sold the concern to the company) ,6257 and book debts I.:42, estimated t. produce /Jr 5s: The totalassets, iv eluding unpaid calls, Were LI,36f only sufficient to pay preferential ere& tors and debenture holders.
William Hancock, Ltd., The Brewery, Cardiff, whose business is one cf the largest in South Wales, is making increasing use of motor delivery and transport. We illustrate this company's five-ton Ryknield lorry herewith.
Creditors of the Leyland Motor Transit Company, Ltd. (in liquidation), are required to send particulars of their claims to Robert Edwin Smalley, chartered accountant, of 9, Chapel Street, Preston, the liquidator, by the 12th instant.
A Motor Steam Fire Engine.
The latest motor steam fire engine to be constructed by Messrs. Merryweather and Sons, of Greenwich, is for the Shanghai Fire Brigade. It is said to be the largest of its kind in the world, and has a pumping capacity of Soo gallons per minute. As in other machines of its type, the boiler is fitted with an oil fuel burner, and the wheels are shod with solid indiarubber tires, those on the rear wheels being of twin section. Before being shipped to its destination it was subjected to severe road tests, and the steep hills leading to Blackheath were negotiated with ease. The vehicle can travel up to 30 miles per hour on the level if necessary, whilst its powerful brakes enable it to be efficiently controlled. Others are on order for early delivery. . The Force of Example.
That plunge which gives the lead is badly wanted in many towns. Chester tradesmen seem to have taken only a short time to follow, because, since our announcement of three weeks ago that Messrs. W. and F. Brown had placed an order for a " Lolls " van, we learn that a leading Italian warehousemen's business in the same city, that of Messrs. George Dutton and Son, of ioo, Eastgate Street, is shortly to be increased by the firm's possession of a i5-cwt. " Lotis " van. We congratulate Sturmey Motors, Ltd., on its having thus made a good start in an important centre, and one where many country houses and good-class residents at a distance will soon regard motor delivery as a necessity.