News and Comment.
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This journal chronicles, fosters, and represents commercial motoring in all its branches; it has a genuine circulation and genuine advertisement support ; members of its Editorial stall possess practical experience and knowledge of the constructicn and use of commercial motors.
Next week— the " Tractor Special."
This will be sent out widely. It will reach likely users in South Africa, Australasia, South America, Egypt, Persia, China, and various other countries.
Readers of this journal are invited to send out one or more copies to friends abroad, and we !4hall ourselves be happy CO bear the expense if names and addresses are supplied to the Business Department.
The contents will embrace both standard and special types of tractors, for service on roads and where roads do not exist. Particulars of motors for agricultural purposes will be ineluded, and there will be an illustrated supplement with a complete report upon the War Department's Trials.
Steel-shod lorries and tractors have been greatly delayed during the recent snow; as S0011 as it is proved that one of the several devices for running on snow is thoroughly satisfactory under all conditions, the manufacturers should reap a rich harvest in sales, whilst the call for new vehicles should be greatly increased.
Satisfactory Year for Halleys.
It is very satisfactory to note that, despite the none-too-prosperous season of tgo8, the well-known Glasgow company, Halley's Industrial Motors, Limited, is to present to its shareholders a very creditable balancesheet. This concern ended its last working year with a loss, but a net profit of k3,272 05. 7d. for 1908 enables 4:2421 i3s. 2d. to he placed against the debit brought forward from the previous year, after writing off ,4:85o 7s. 5d. for depreciation. The works at Yoker are fully employed at the present time, and future prospects are good. Messrs. Arthur Meehan and Norman P. MacLeod retire from the board, but being eligible offer themselves for re-election.
C.M.U.A.
Members of the Commercial Motor Users' Association are particularly arked to note that !he annual general nieeting will be held on Thursday, the i8th instant, at t, Albemarle Street, W., at four o'clock in the afternoon.
A "Commer Car" Concert.
At Luton, last week, a concert was given by the members of the staff of Commercial Cars, Limited, and of the employees at the company's Luton works, in aid of the Sick and Benevolent Fund, with satisfactory results.
Australian Horses Give Way.
The A usi ralian Commonwealth Postal Authorities have declined to take action in the matter of a breeding farm for horses, on the ground that there is a tendency to give up horses in favour of motors for mail services.
London Borough Councils.
Oa Tuesday last, at Lewisham, fifteen reactionary borough councils met to confer on the subject of motor traffic. It is proposed to promote a fill in Parliament to deal with alleged nuisances, whilst Poplar suggests that rubber tires should become compulsory, and that ' there should be a speed limit of six miles an hour on macadam roads, and ten miles an hour on paved roads." No particular results are anticipated by the Executive Committee of the C.M.U.A.— or by the more important councils which declined to be represented.
A prominent manufacturing cornpany (Supplement, page IV) is seeking a competent and energetic salesman. One with experience is assured of good returns.
Our report of the War Department's competition is continued in this issue (pages 13 to t5), and a description of the one steam tractor in the trials, the Stewart, will be found on. pages 4 and 5.
Motor Fireengine for Dublin.
The Corporation of the City of Dublin is prepared to receive tenders for the construction and delivery of one motor tire-engine, with pump and accessories. Specification and conditions of contract may be obtained, on payment of 55., which will not be returned, from the Secretary, Mr. Charles Power, Waterworks C0111'ilium, City Hall, Dublin.
Army Drivers and Mechanics Wanted.
Drivers and skilled artificers arc needed in the Mechanical Transport Section of the Army Service Corps (see pages 2 and 3), and we have satisfied ourselves, after careful enquiry ore the spot, that any engineers—particularly fitters and turners—may look for rapid promotion, having regard to imminent developments in this branch of the service. Any recruit, of course, will have to face three months of military training, but he will thereafter practically be engaged on ordinary engineering duties, with few if any disabilities and with many advantages. Preliminary enquiries may be addressed to the recruiting sergeant in any district, or written application may be made to the 0.C., M.T. Section, A.S.C., Aldershot. The old Parisian Carrying. Company, of Lejeau, has been registered at Somerset House, with an authorised capital of 4200,000. The directors include Mr. H. R. Paterson, Sir James Sivewright, Mr. R. S. Tilling, and Field-Marshal Sir Evelyn Wood.
Motor Mailsh
The Margate to London motor-mail coach was snowed up, near Birchington, for several hours during the recent snowstorm, but we have good reports, as was the case during the heavy snowfall at the end of last year, of the successful manner in which practically the whole of the motor-mail services of the country kept rime.
High-speed Wagons.
The demand for two-ton steam wagons, which are allowed a speed of eight miles per hour, shows encouraging activity, and we illustrate herewith a Mann wagon of this type. It belongs to Messrs. G. Ridgway and Sons, Millers, of Newcastle Road, Stoke-on-Trent, and is shown leaving the mill with a load of flour. Such a wagon is comfortably able to maintain an average of 50 miles of running per day, and to work, inclusive of all charges and depreciation, at less than 6d. per mile.
An Albion Ambulance.
An article appeared in this journal, cat the 26th November last, dealing with the advantages of motor ambulances. That article was from the pen of Dr. Matthew J. Oliver, of the Newstead Hospital, of the Roxburghshire County Council, and we are glad to know that he has now given evidence of his belief in such vehicles, because we see that the hospital has taken delivery of a t6h.p., two-cylinder Albion ambulance, the interior of which is practically fitted in accordance with Dr. Oliver's views.
Order follows Hiring.
We announced, in our issue of the 18th ultimo, that a firm of removal contractors, at Bromley. Kent, had decided, after hiring a Foden wagon from contractors, to purchase one of the same make. We illustrate the new machine, which is painted red, and are pleased to be able to record that it has made some splendid trips to date, one being as much as So miles in the working day with a full load. Its owners. Messrs. Dunn and Sons, regard it as
a real " business bringer," and it is used both for town and country removals. We understand that it does the work of about seven horses.
Motor Fire-engine for Acton.
A sub-committee of the Highways Committee of Acton Urban District Council is, in company with Capt. C. T. Poore of the Fire Brigade, to visit London stations where horse and motor engines are kept, with the object of ascertaining which kind should be last fitted for Acton.
"K.T." Tires on Snow.
We reproduce a photograph, in this issue, of a Thornycroft steam wagon which belongs to Messrs. D. W. Goodwin and Company, Millers, of Kidderminster. It will be noticed that this wagon is provided with " K.T. " tires on the rear wheels. These wheels are kept for use in bad weather only. The weight on the back axle of the wagon is six tons, and the total gross weight of the vehicle is between eight and nine tons. The owners express themselves as being very satis fled with these tires, and with the work they enable the wagon to do in snowy weather. Recently, a full load was taken from Kidderminster to Malvern and back (52 miles) in 121 hours, over six inches of snow.
Large-scale Carrying.
We observe that the " Western Daily Press " (Bristol) of the 5th instant quotes largely from our recent article on " Motors and the Ship Canal." Its review concludes. " and so the facts in favour of the immediate future development, on farreaching lines, of motor-wagon distribution of goods over the greatest industrial community of England, from Manchester as a cenrre, are marshalled." Our leading article of the same week (25th ultimo), we may point out dealt with the possibilities of the large-scale organisation of road carrying by motor generally.