Opinions from Others.
Page 16
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The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
[1445] am a driver of a Foden steam wagon
and a very interested reader of THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR. There is one point I would mention with regard to the article Funnel Fussiness," which appeared in your issue of the 15th ult.
So far back as 1912, I was waiting for a load in High Holborn, when I was accosted by a City policeman, who was just having a chat about the weather, ete., when from directly the opposite side of the toad there came a police sergeant, to the surprise of the polic.(,:nan. Nothing was said then, but about a month later the same policeman came up to me and, after talking a short While remarked to me, "How in the world can you see where you are going. I cannot understand, as it is impossible to see anyone or anything any distance on your off side." He went on to remark that someone would get into trouble sooner or later over not having a full view of the traffic on this type of wagon. " A.W.W." will see then that it did not take the City police 14 years to find out that the funnel and the engine were obstructing the driver's view. But I admit that it has taken them that time to bring so definite a charge.—Yours faithfully,
Lewes. PERCY G.
Are Self-starters Desirable for Vans?
The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
[1446] Sir,—I should like to hear, if it is possible, from other users of commercial vehicles their opinion as to the advisability of employing self-starters for
such machines ? I do not suppose the question of providing such accessories for the larger petrolL driven models needs discussion, as vehicles of greater capacity are seldom employed on work calling for a considerable number of stops. It is rather with reference to the delivery van that this question will certainly increase in importance, and in particular at the present time, when American light-van and pleasure-car chassis are likely to be used to an increasing extent for such service. I myself have been using an Overland, an American touring-car chassis which has achieved considerable popularity, you will admit, in this country. This is fitted with a van body and is employed for delivery work, calling for large numbers of stops. My experience, however, has been with the self-starter, which is part and parcel Of this chassis, that the several drivers who have had this machine to handle have invariably raced the engine when starting up with the starter, and this facility has been so much abused that it has negatived the original idea I had that it would pay me to stop the engine during such time as these numberless deliveries were being made. So far I am of the opinion that the additional expense and added coin13lication involved in the fitting of a self-starter to a delivery-van chassis would not appear to afford any advantages, and, as in my case, not even additional economy. Perhaps you can get some other views on this subject, in which I and many other users, I can assure you, are particularly interested.—Yours faith fully, ' BARKER AN BAILEY.
[That the additional expense and complication of a self .starter are not considered necessary by users is evidenced by the absence of Mil a fitting on practically all established commercial models.—Eo.]