News and Comment.
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This journal has the largest and best circulation, i.e., the total of subscribers orders and actual purchases from newsagents by readers : it is sold—not given away.
The London and Glasgow parades are fully reported on pages 82 to 85.
The official organ of the Society of Road Traction Engineers is now the Royal Automobile Club Journal.
The L. and N.W.R. Company's Foden wagon has recently been transferred from Holywell to Manchester.
The Rochdale Town Council, on the 1st instant, resolved to borrow 4,-t,000 for the purpose of making the purchase of a new motor fire-engine.
Two motor petrol vehicles—one a further Dennis, and one a first Leyland —are recommended for early ordering by the Metropolitan Asylums Board.
The Fire Brigade Sub-Committee of the Kingston Town Council has resolved that it is desirable' that motor appliances should be obtained for their No; I station, We are informed that the Thames Iron Works, Shipbuilding and Engineering Company, Limited, of Greenwich, will shortly relinquish the manufacture of motor vehicles.
A week to-clayour special issue on
Motor Hiring." It will show how money may be made by people who bincommercial motors to do hiring and contracting work.
The secretary to the sales committee of the Anglo-American Oil Company, Limited, writes to point out that, qua fuel economy, the 2nd, 3rd, 51h, 6th, 7th and 8th cars in the recent race for the Tourist Trophy used Pratt's spirit.
The all-important matter of a separate form of bond for makers or other exhibitors of commercial vehicles is now well on its way to a settlement. We trust that North-country manufacturers will not let Manchester be inadvertently barred. They know the value of an exhibition there, Woolwich Prefers Motors.
Mr. J. Rush Dixon, engineer and surveyor to the Woolwich Borough Council, is advocating early provision for motor transport, and the immediate purchase of a tractor as a beginning. This first machine, if bought, will haul material and stores from the railway sidings at Eltham, and from barges or yes,::-Is at the Woolwich wharves. The Council strongly favours motors Coppersmiths' Repairs.
It is seldom too late to mend damaged radiators, " bashed " lamps, or other sheet-metal fittings. A hospital for such parts and details is badly needed, and London owners will find one in the works of Messrs. J. H. Randall and Company, of Green Street Works, Paddington Green, W., who are makers and repairers of all descriptions of tin, iron, zinc-plate and brass components for commercial motors. Our article (pages 95 and 96) will show that Messrs. Randall are really specialists.
Metropolitan Police and Street Ambulances, Southwark Borough Council has had under consideration an offer from Mr. T. D. Temple West, of the Imperial Hotel, Russell Square, WC., to establish an ambulance wagon with its accessories and to provide for maintenance and upkeep for a period of twelve months. The sum, however, at the disposal of the General Purposes Committee, for the establishment and upkeep of the ambulance and the adaptation of a building for the purpose, was not
to exceed i,soo. The Local Government Board auditor advised that the Council had no power to expend money on the maintenance of an ambulance, but it was suggested that the Metropolitan Police, who are charged with the duty of providing street ambulances, should be asked to maintain it. A deputation from the Committee has inspected the electrically-driven motor of the City Corporation, and the General Purposes Committee has now resolved that the Commissioner of Police be requested to receive a deputation from
Southwark Council, with a view to the taking over of the ambulance offered, and its maintenance, by the police.
Lotis Vans in Dublin.
The Ampere Electrical and Motor Engineering Company, of 6, Fleet Street, Dublin, which occupies a leading position in the engineering trade, being on the War Office and other Governmental lists, has taken up the Lotis agency, and has sold the first 1218h.p. van of this make to the Dublin Bread Company, for whom, we are informed by Sturmey Motors, Limited, of Coventry, a fleet is in hand.
S.E. Railway Bridge Warnings.
The prominent new warning boards anent heavy motor traffic over bridges on the &E. and C.R. system, to which we referred on the i7th ultimo (page 30 ante), have been erected, we notice, on the direct Dover road, at Footscray, and also Gravesend, upon the bridges which cross the S.E. main line at both places. As there is much heavy motor and tractor service on the road, it will be interesting to hear of enforcement.
A Further Westminster Order.
The Highways Committee of the City of Westminster Council has resolved ti, purchase from John I. Thorn croft and Company, Limited, a 3oh.p. petrol motor wagon, with interchangeable bodie For dust collection and street watering, and with the requisite accessories (all of which the Council has had on trial), for the sum of £585, subject to tin company's supplying a set of four rubber tires of a quality and make to bE approved by the Council.
In a report to the Council, the High. Ways Committee explains that dunq the trial the work done by the mato] wagon at night in preparing for stree flushing has equalled that of thret horses and vans of a 360-gallon capacity each, and that the work done in dust collection in the morning has equallec that of three horses and vans of a three
cubic yard capacity each. When i• was used for a fortnight exclusively fol street watering, in Mayfair, it displace( five horses and vans, During the clever weeks the wagon has been used for tin Council's work it has not had a break. down of any kind, and it works with out noise. The Assistant City Engl. neer, Mr_ Arthur Ventriss, estimate! that, working ten hours a day, tht wagon consumes 36 gallons of petro and 1-1gallon of oil a week, at a cost 01 only 34s.
The amount provided in this year': estimates for new motor wagons iu 42,600, of which ,-1,995 has alread■ been expended on three steam rnoto: wagons_ When the Council reeentl invited tenders for motor wagons, th, price quoted by Thornvcroft's for thl wagon in question was ",-720, but, hay ing regard to the hire, the compam has reduced the price to
A general meeting of the Taximeter Patents, Limited, is to be held at 17, Waterloo Place, London, S.W., on the 13th November, for the purpose of having an account laid before the company by the liquidator (Mr. Cyril Rose), showing, the manner in which the winding-up has been conducted.
Itala Vehicles at Piacenza.
Itala Automobiles, Limited, of 89, Wigmore Street, W., writes to inform us that, according to the terms of a letter from the Itala works, the company won first place in Class II with its van (Official No. 3), and was awarded a gold medal for its omnibus (Official No. 2). In the absence of any further advices from the Executive .Cominittee, we publish the foregoing as requested, and we regret any error that may have been made in the communication of results to us, which results were published as notified by a responsible official of the trials.
Subsidised Traffic Companies.
see, writes our correspondent in Berlin, that Messrs. Buessing have created a motor traffic company for the transport of goods in country districts where field railways, with their costly permanent ways and what not, are desired, but would not pay owing to the insufficiency of transported merchandise. As might be supposed, the company will work its vehicles in connection with the German War Office's subvention scheme. Such districts as the above abound in Germany, as, indeed, in most countries, and present an extensive field for enterprises of the kind. It is felt, in some quarters, that a central body should be entrusted with the duty of adjusting supply to demand, and of seeing that the working company, when once started with a fair prospect of financial success, shall be managed by men who understand their business. Such a body, if kept free from bureaucratic pedantry and undertaking its given duties in an earnest -commercial spirit, could unquestionably render the cause of industrial motorism lino service. Up to the present, some too industrial vehicles are working tinder subvention, and, at this rate of development, the year 1913 will see the German War Office in quasi-possession of coo first-class lorries. Woven-glass Accumulators.
The Woven Glass Accumulator Company, of Dreadnought Works, Phillips Street, Aston Manor, is now carrying a large stock of cells of its various types, and can give prompt attention to all orders, whether for complete accumulators or parts for repairs and renewals: Wigan Fire-Brigade Enquiries.
Mr. Robert Layland, chairman of the Wigan Fire Brigade Committee, is, with three other members of the Committee, to inspect various types of motor lire-engines, xvith a view to the purchase of one. The superintendent of the brigade, Mr. Frederick Belsher, has already inspected the petrol fireengine iiL Liverpool, which has been in use for five Years, and cost 4.t,too. We reported, in our issue of the 3rd ultimo, that preliminary enquiries were being inade by the chief constable of Wigan. We hope that members of this sub-committee will not fail to give consideration to the several makes of upto-date petrol engines which have recently been described and illustrated in our pages. Dennis Orders.
Dennis Brothers, Limited, of Guildford, during last week, received orders for its 30-cwt. vans as follow Two for Messrs. Maw, Son and Company, of Aldersgate Street, E.C. ; two for McNamaras, Limited, of Castle Street, Finsbury, E.C.; and two for Messrs. Coates, of Paisley. New vans of the same model have been delivered to William Whiteley, Limited, of Westbourne Grove, and Kendal, Milne and Company, Limited, of Manchester.
At Campbell's, of Glasgow.
We learn that Messrs. J. and W. Campbell and Company, wholesale warehousemen, of Glasgow, have recently equipped their own garage for the housing and maintenance of the three Albion vans and one traveller's brougham, which constitute to-day's fleet. Marked economy is expected as a result, in comparison with outside storage, whilst the employment of a regular mechanic provides against any lack of adjustment or repair.
Star Vans.
We have received from the Star Engineering Company, of Wolverhampton, a copy of its latest catalogue of commercial motor vehicles, and in this the principal features of Star models are outlined. The two-cylinder, 9b.p., Star delivery van for a 15-cwt. load is a very handy little vehicle, and the chassis, complete with its wheels shod with 32-inch by four-inch pneumatic tires, is offered at £235. Lever Brothers, Limited, of Port Sunlight, recently took delivery of mg vans of this type. The larger machines include a four-cylinder 15h.p. chassis for a 20cwt. load, and a four-cylinder 2oh.p. chassis for a 3o-cwt. load; these are offered at -(275 and L:300, respectively. The stated power of each of the engines of these machines is that which is developed at the normal speed of ',ow revolutions per minute.
The metropolitan motorcabs which are built by the Star Company have either a two-cylinder 9h.p., or a fourcylinder 55h.p., engine, and the final drive to the back wheels may be of the side-chain or the bevel-gear type, according to the requirements of the purchaser, or hi S choice.
It is clear that the types of which we give this brief summary are likely to serve a large and varied range of applications in business circles. "Commer Cars" Booming.
The September .sales of Commercial Cars, Limited; were merely up to the average, but the managing director, Mr. J. A. lIalford, reportsa gratifying
advance during the past ten days. This company's maintenance branch is much appreciated by purchasers, who are thus relieved of an uncertainty in respect of annual charges, whilst the " Commer Car '' people have that confidence in their own material and workmanship to feel satisfied that future years will see the continuance of profits from this department. This
unanufacturing company numbers amongst its customers such wellknown names -Rs Waring, Lipton,
Buchanan, Dewar, Railway, Whiteley's, United Carlo Gatti, Burroughs and IVellcome, the London County Council, and others of equal standing, any one of which names is in itself a practical guarantee. for prospective buyers.
Belfast Tuition.
J. B. Ferguson, Limited, of Belfast, has started a series of lectures and instruction classes in its well-equipped Chichester-Street garage. Both day and evening courses have been arranged, and the scales of fees are reasonable.
More Granite Roads.
The county surveyor of Norfolk has advised the County Council considerable to extend the use of granite in mail construction and repair. Experiments are being made with a tar binding, in place of water, and with a " cement mixture "' binding.
Bullion Cartage Contracts.
In further reference to the special motor-vans, by means of which Thomas Tilling, Limited, is sustaining various services for the transport of bullion between various banking establishments, we now learn that the first contract to receive the benefits of the motor service is that with the London and South Western Bank. We are told that it is now an easy matter for the surplus coin to be collected from all the metropolitan and suburban branches of this concern, and taken to headquarters in one day, without recourse to other and adventitious aids, or to taxicabs,