News and Comment.
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The authority, circulation and influence of this journal rest upon facts.
The R.A.S.E. trials, which are in progress at By-grave, near Baldock, as we go to press, are mentioned on pages 464 and 465.
" You don't have to wait" is the keynote of an article (page 464) in which the case for agricultural motors is again made good.
The Scottish A.C., which body, under the able secretarial guidance of Mr. Robert J. Smith, has appreciated the value of steps to encourage drivers, notifies certain awards (page 466) which cannot fail to interest our many readers north of the Tweed.
A Manchester Agency.
A gentleman in Manchester, whose trade connections should enable him to do a satisfactory business, who has had not-inconsiderable experience as a motor engineer, and who is personally known to the staff of this journal, is open to take up the local agency for any good class of light commercial motor, by which we understand loads ranging from 10 cwt. to 30 cwt.
Mechanical Transport for Boy Scouts.
On Saturday last., the Richmond troop of Boy Scouts went under canvas for a week's training at Fleet (Rants). The whole of its camping equipment, and a number of the boys themselves, were transported, from the troop's headquarters on the Upper B ichmond Road to the scene of current operations, by an Albion twotonner. The van was kindly lent for the purpose by the Albion Motor Car Co., Ltd., of 21-22, Upper Rathbone Place, W. Loading operations commenced, at Richmond, at 8.30 a.m., and, after a call at Fleet Station for a marquee which had been forwarded by train from the makers, the camp was reached, and everything unloaded by 12.15 p.m. The van proved its capacity under several bad sets of conditions, and its steady travelling powers on sandy and marshy lanes, both in forward and reverse gears, were admirable. We reproduce three photographs at the foot of this page.
The Westminster Report.
Further to our exclusive references in the last two issues of this journal, we to-day give a brief summary (page 474) of the discussion on this muchprepared report. We are told that Mr. Gatti made one of the hest speeches in favour of motors. The prohorse minority was very downcast.
More Trials in France.
French makers plod along with trials, but interest in them may be said—apart from military supervision and considerations—to be very limited. Following our precedent of last year, we shall present to our readers a summary of the incidents and results. The day is past for detailed day-to-day reports of such tests, which merely encroach upon space that we can use to better account.
Oil and Rubber.
Our contemporary, " The Investors' Guardian and Joint-stock Companies' Review," in its issue of the 6th inst., has a lot to say about the oil and rubber boom. It points out that many rubber companies are of relatively-small capitalization, although the aggregate of authorized capital for the half-year ended 30th June last was no lass than £36,628,000. Oil enterprises total, in the same period, £24,880,000. The aggregate capital of rubber companies is nine times that in the first half of 1909, and of oil companies eight times the 1909 amount. The total capital of all new companies was £131,323,000. Argylls at Newcastle.
The Newcastle-on-Tyne Argyll depot is partly on the site of the worldfamous factory where Stephenson built his earliest locomotives. Mr. John MacPherson, the proprietor, who is the Argyll agent, has all modern facilities at his command. Vans, lorries, taxicabs, fire-engines, etc., etc., all of Argyll manufacture, can be purchased through him, and he can arrange for any reasonable demonstrations.
Big Tire Orders.
The Peter Union Tyre Co., of 190192, Great Portland Street, W., received, on the last day of last month, two big orders for solid tires—one from the Westminster City Council, and the other from the London County Council, amounting to more than £1,000 in value. This figure, of course, is comparatively insignificant in relation to the same company's sales to London motorbus companies, but it represents business in new directions which the Peter Union Tyre Co thinks will be of interest to some readers of this journal.
Work by Mann Wagons in the Isle of Man.
Lt.-Col. Joseph D. Chambers, commanding the West Riding Divisional T. and S. Column, in a letter to Mr. Jas. H. Mann, of Leeds, from The Camp, Peel, L of M., on the 25th July, with regard to the work performed by four five-ton steam wagons, wrote:— " Dear Mr. Mann, I thought you would be interested in knowing how things have gone with the steam wagons. They have been invaluable, and quite saved the situation. Everybody is praising them and saying how impossible it would have been to carry
on without them hope you will be able to come over to the Island during the encampment, and if so will be delighted to see you here." We, too, hope that Mr. Mann was able to go. In any event, his wagons have added to their alreadysplendid reputation for standing up to hard work—see, also, next page. New Registration.
Richards and Belder, Ltd., with an authorized capital of £5,000 in Ll shares and with its office at Victoria Motor Works, Cannon Street, Hanley, to carry on the business of automobile dealers and repairers as formerly carried on by G. Richards and J. G. Belder at Victoria Motor Works, Shelton, Stoke-on-Trent, and No. 3 Garage, Wyegate Street, Blackpool, as Richards and Belder. First directors : G. Richards, 3, G. Belder and S. Buckworth-Flern-Soame (all permanent).
"Commer Cars" in the U.S.A.
The first " Commer-Car " vehicle in the U.S.A., which was shipped some 10 weeks ago, has been christened the " Morrie; " we illustrate it, on the occasion of the Oldsmobile reunion, at the head of 400 Oldsmobile vehicles, in a parade at New York.
By way of a little send-off function to Mr. Julian A. Raiford, who is about to take up his residence in the United States, where he will be identified with the development of trade in " Commer-Car " models, the Editor of TRH COMMERCIAL MOTOR gave dinner party at the Royal Automobile Club, last night (Wednesday). The guests included Mr. H. C. B. Underdown, chairman, the Hon. Wilfred Egerton and Mr. A. S. Montefiore (directors of Commercial Cars, Ltd.), Mr. E. Manville (President of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders), Mr. Fritz Poppe (Polack Tyre and Rubber Co., Ltd.), Mr. J. Melling (William Jessop and Sons, Ltd.), Mr. Lawrence Jones, Capt. R,. K. Bagnall-Wild (Milnes-Daimler, Ltd.), Mr. Percy F. Simner, Mr. F. D. Elkin, Mr. Adolphe Halford, Mr. Percy It. Hill (Messrs. Rowland Hill and Co., Coventry), Mr. Percy Liversidge (J. Liversidge and Son, Ltd.), Mr. F. W. Rowley (Messrs. Underdown and Crichton), Mr. H. Gordon Sharp, Mr. L. Rawlence, Mr. G. Rosenbuch, Mr. Oscar S. Thompson, Captain A. S. Hume, and the London representatives of the leading New York daily newspapers.
Official Motorcars (Ireland).
In the House of Commons on July 2Stli, Mr. Lardner asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland if he would state what officials in the public services in Ireland are supplied with motorcars by their respective Departments; if he would state if these officials were paid travelling expenses before the introduction of motorcars; if so, whether he had any information at his disposal to show whether the provision of motorcars has effected a saving on the amount formerly paid for travelling expenses; and would he state whether these officials are allowed to use the motorcars supplied to them by the Department for private purposes?
Mr. Redmond Barry : Motorcars have been supplied for the official use of the superior officers of the Royal Irish Constabulary nod of the Congested Districts Board. The Estates Commissioners and the Resident Commissioner of National Education also have authority to hire motorcars when necessary. All these officials were formerly paid travelling expenses, and the use of motorcars has tended to economy and efficiency. The Department of Agriculture has purchased a motorcar, the upkeep of which is
defrayed from the Department's Endowment Fund. There is no reason to believe thatofficials are allowed to use the cars for private purposes.
Mr. Lardner : Will the hon. and learned gentleman supply me with a statement showing the comparative cost before and since the adoption of motorcars?
Mr. Moore : is the Department liable for accidents to these cars? We have had one case already.
No answer was given.
"Respectable Removals."
Foden lorries and pantechnicons have stirred up matters in South London. By way of rivalry, one Lewisham firm is advertising that it can provide " Respectable Removals " with " Prize Horses and Clean Pantechnicons." This may be smart ; it is certainly not so smart as the point-topoint speed of the Foden vehicles which are responsible for this envious outburst. Why not try the solution which is so often advertised—buy a Foden? We note, incidentally, that a Wagon of this make, during the recent floods at Portsmouth, was quite the most-effective carrier in the district.