News and Comment.
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This journal has ark exclusive, genuine and maintained circulation: members of its Editorial staff have practical experience and knowledge of the construction and use of commercial motors.
The inctorcab special of last week has been very favourably received, as have the exclusive lists which we prepared.
Mr. Frederick R. Sims writes to inform us that he has no financial interest in the company which has acquired Loch's garage in Berlin.
The travellers' brougham, by Dennis Brothers, Limited, which we illustrated on page 228 of our last issue, will be used by Messrs. Watts for their representative in the South-Eastern counties.
Good Braking.
Silent and efficient braking is of great importance on all classes of commercial motors, and the material called " Feroda," which is described and illustrated on pages 266 and 267, appears to us to be practically ideal as a brake lining.
A Pleasant Function.
The directors of Commercial Cars, Limited, at the Hotel Russell, on Tues. day of last week, entertained a number of their staff and employees, from the Luton works and the London office, as well as a few selected guests. Mr. H. C. B. Underdown, Chairman of the Directors, presided, and some of the speeches were exceedingly clever. A thoroughly English ring of determination to maintain success for the undertaking dominated the whole proceedings.
Cabs at S out hsea.
Portsmouth and Southsea are being well served by a fleet of Argyll cabs. The four vehicles, which are owned by Argylls Hampshire, Limited, of Southsea, appear to be enjoying good patronage, and we illustrate the vehicles at the foot of this page. They are under the charge of Mr. George H. Cox, the managing director of the company, who expects to have so Argyll cabs altogether, in Bournemouth, Portsmouth, Southampton and Winchester before many months are past, and to do a large trade with them. Small Advertisements.
The business department requests that personal and other announcements, which are intended for our " sundry advertisements " pages, shall be dispatched to reach these offices not later than first post on Monday morning in each week. Publication in the following issue cannot be guaranteed, unless copy is received at the time named, and it will be a 'Convenience if instructions are given earlier.
A Satisfactory View.
We observe that the Main Roads and Bridges Committee of the Lancashire County Council is of opinion that the use of tarred macadam will both lessen the dust nuisance and provide the strengthening required to carry heavy motor traffic. It is also thought that the extended life of the road surface will, in the long run, probably compensate for the extra initial cost. It is gratifying, also, to note that the Committee is looking ahead for so long a period as five years, over which it estimates that the annual expenditure will be close upon ...16,noo. Immediate steps are to be taken to carry into effect the recommendations of the County Surveyor, Mr. W. H. Schofield.
At an extraordinary general meeting of the shareholders of the Brighton and South Coast Motorcab Co., Ltd., it was decided that the company be wound up voluntarily, and that Mr. V. Davis, of 235, High Holborn, be appointed liquidator.
S.M.M.T.
Messrs. Atkey, Burford, Coleman, Gascoine, Instone, Johnson, Lanchester, Letts, Mann, Powell, Siddelcy,_ and Straker have been elected, for the ensuing year, to the Committee of Management of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders.
Elastes in the Provinces.
Hooper and Sons, Limited, of Slater Street, Liverpool, has recently arranged to give space at its commodious premises to the Elastes Company, Limited, and Mr. S. W. Phillpott has been appointed to take charge of this business in the Mersey port and district. Demonstrations of this tire-filling material may be arranged by appointment.
Hired Broughams for Travellers.
The Panhard brougham in the service of Stafford Northcote and Company, Limited, of 28, St. Paul's Churchyard, E.G., is not a purchase by that company, but a hire from Thomas Tilling, Limited, of Peckham. A considerable number of Dennis, Panhard,. and other vehicles have now been put in service for clients by Tilling's, and are found to give great satisfaction to various commercial firms. An average mileage of about 6,000 per annum is required, and the inclusive price for this is 4385, that sum covering driver, livery, petrol and oils, garage accommodation and all accidents. From our own knowledge of the efficient manner in which Tilling's carry out hiring commissions, we can confidently recommend business houses to give them a turn. Most of the existing contracts. are on the basis of a three years' agreement, but other terms can be arranged to suit customers.
News and Comment—con.
Messrs. Boult, Wade and Tennant, chartered patent agents, of iii and 112, Hatton Garden, E.C., advise us that they have taken into partnership Mr. William H. Ballantyne, B.Sc. (Glasgow), a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Patent Agents, who has been associated with them for many years.
Dennis Orders.
The Dunlop Rubber Company, Limited, has purchased a two-ton Dennis van, and the Barnsley British Cooperative Society has given the same maker a repeat order for a van of that capacity. Another Dennis order is from Mr. H, Bracewell, of The Llaskett, Llandinabo, Herefordshire, this being for a 15-cwt. and a 25-cwt. model. The demand for commercial motors is certainly far from dead.
The Napier Cab: A CombinedwUnit Model.
In our comprehensive Cab Number, which was published last week, we inadvertently included the new Napier cab in the list of models which are designed with the engine, gearbox, and other principal members of the mechanism as separate units. We unfortunately were not furnished with the exact particulars of the machine in question until too late, and take this opportunity of informing our readers that the Napier designers have adopted the combined-unit type of construction; the engine and gearbox are built up on a single casting. An innovation is prornised in taxi-cab construction by the offer of S. F. Edge, Ltd., to fit its cabs with removable wire wheels, thus following the policy that company so strenuously advocates for its wellknown, high-powered, touring cars. Much that is good, both in design and material, may confidently be anticipated in the Napier cab.
Carpet Collection and Delivery.
One of the interviews published in our " Second Great Van Number," on the 23rd May, 1907, was with the Secretary of the Patent Steam Carpet Beating Company, Limited, of 196, York Road, King's Cross, N. This company, with an experience dating back to 1902, has found motors to be superior to horses in the company's town and suburban work, where as many as 6o calls a day take place per vehicle. No stronger advocate of the advertisement value of the motorvan can be found than this company, which has three Milnes-Daimler and four Lacre vehicles in its service, the latter of which we illustrate at the foot of this page. Writing to us, a few days ago, the Secretary, Mr, W. R. Harvey, states : " We are pleased to say all our vans are doing good service, and are of very great use to us."
Bakers' Vans.
We illustrated, last week, one.of the Halley vans owned by the United Co-operative Baking Society, Limited, of 32, McNeil Street, Glasgow. To-day, we illustrate a more recent delivery—a one-ton Albion van for the same purchaser. This Glasgow company has had a two-ton Albion van in use for some time, and its complete fleet will shortly reach seven vehicles, as it has just placed an order for two, 34h.p., three-ton, Halley chassis, bringing the total of that make up to four vehicles. The seventh machine is a steamer. The 34h.p. Halley vehicles are of the same type as the machine supplied to J. and P. Coates, Limited, of Paisley.
At Edinburgh.
Two to-12h.p. Leader cabs opened the ball, in Edinburgh, at the beginning of the year, so far as mechanical hackney-carriages are concerned. One of these is illustrated herewith, and the vehicles are being exploited by Mr. W. K. Muir, of the Edinburgh Garage and Motor Auctions, Limited, 69, Lothian Road. The same company now has some motor hansoms plying fohire.
Co-operation.
The accompanying illustration serves to show how the leading jobmasters at Southend-on-Sea have already joined together to purchase motorcal;s. A syndicate ha S been formed by the livery and bait masters of the town, in order to keep out companies from London, and a fleet of Humber cars is under the charge of 1-1.r. Charles E. Taylor, A.M.I.Mech.E. A convenient garage not yet having been found, the cabs are at present in one of the stables, which presents a curious picture in consequence. It is to be hoped that proper arrangements will shortly be made, so that the whole of the fleet, consisting of five Humbers and one Pa. nhard, may be properly tended.
An Alb7on Cab.
. We are interested to know that the Albion Motor Car Company, Limited, of Scotstoun' Glasgow, has sold four landaulet cabs to Wylie and Lochhead, Ltd., of•Glasgow, and that the purchasing company is building the bodies. The seats will be arranged to accommodate four people, with an extra two beside the driver if necessary, whilst the forward portion of the canopy will be surmounted by a luggage rail. It is understood that these machines will be put into service for special hiring work. The chassis is of the standard 16h.p. Albion type, with all the latest 1908 improvements, and pneumatic tires will be employed on the front wheels, with large-section, Ducasble, solid tires on the rear wheels the gear ratios, with engine running at normal r.p.m., will give speeds of 7, 13, and 21 miles an hour. It is expected that the first cab will be ready by the end of May.
Presto Radiators.
The Presto Gear Case and Components Company, Limited, of Wolverhampton, writes to inform us that it now makes honeycomb radiators of seven different lengths of tubes, the sectional dimensions of which vary from 6 to tomm. square. The lengths are as follows :-3, 3i, 4, 4i, 4, and 6
inches. Several illustrations of this
company's radiators will be found on page 215 of our issue of the 23rd ultimo.
Greater Expeditior.
The superintendent of the London Central Meat Markets, in his annual report, remarks that the introduction and economic possibilities of heavy motor traffic for market use will render a change in the present system of weighing loads necessary in the near future. During Christmas, consignments were delivered into the market by railway companies without delaying to pass over a market weighbridge, and it is suggested that this arrangement might be extended throughout the year with advantage to all concerned. There is, of course, some difficulty over the weighing of the larger types of motor vehicles, or their loads.
May Day.
Favoured by a remarkable rise in the temperature, the time-honoured white hats of the horse-omnibus drivers duly made their first appearance, though in diminished numbers, in the London streets, on the 1st of May. Once again, " the old order changeth giving place to the new," and a number of taxi-cab drivers appeared, for the first time this year, in their smart, light, linen coats, on the same day. We shall, possibly, soon learn to know when summer has actually arrived, at any rate in the Metropolis, by this chameleon-like change, which will probably overtake the thousands of taxi-drivers in London on future May Days. Undoubtedly, the value of the tall white hat as a season indicator is on the wane.
Goodwin versus Labouchere.
Our congratulations to Mr. Arthur St. Clair Goodwin, of C. A. Vanderveil and Company, the well-known electrical engineers and motor-ignition specialists, on his recent vindication., in an action against Mr. Henry Labouthere, the proprietor of " Truth," when, after a long hearing by the Lord Chief Justice and a special jury, he was awarded 4'5oo damages and costs in respect of certain statements which appeared in the journal named. Mr. Goodwin was represented by Mr. Eldon Bankes, K.C., Mr. Norman Craig, and Mr. C. L. Chute, who were ins-tructed by Mr. Alfred Withers, of 323, High Holborn, W.C. The origin of the case goes back several years, but details are of no interest to our readers at this juncture.
An Unfortunate Sequel.
At the Manchester Assizes, on the 24th ultimo, Mr. A. E. Dearden, lately secretary of the Lancashire Wagon Company, Limited, surrendered to his bail on indictments which charged him with having made false entries in certain registers of hire-purchase agreements, with omitting to enter in the books the uttering of a bill of exchange for -r1,022, and for falsifications. The hearing of the case came on, before Mr. Justice Coleridge, on the following Friday and Saturday, when the jury returned a verdict of " Guilty," with a rider to the effect that they considered the Chairman and directors of the Bury companies to be greatly to blame for their laxity. A sentence of six months' imprisonment in the second division was passed. A peculiar feature is that Dearden appears to have got no benefit from the irregular entries.
Road Traction Engineers.
A meeting of the Council of the Society of Road Traction Engineers took place on Tuesday evening last. •A number of fresh elections were made, both to membership and to the Council, and it is evident that this society, which is now in association with the Royal Automobile Club, should be able to arrange its customary strong programme of visits and papers. The Secretary, Mr. Charles E. Esse, will be glad to receive, at 112, Piccadilly, W., any communications from gentlemen who desire to have particulars of membership, and he informs us that he is most desirous to enrol engineers to motorcab and steam-vehicle undertakings. We hope those of our readers who are not at present attached to any organised body, and whose occupations give them the necessary qualification, will address Mr. Esse on the subject.