Answers to Queries.
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The Motor Trade Association.
[4022] (Newport, Mon.).—The address of the Motor Trade Association is 155-157, Great Portland Street, London, W.
Can He Buy a Taximeter Outright ?
[4023] (Southampton).—No make of taximeter can be purchased outright. We have satisfied ourselves on this point by recent inquiry.
1901 Liverpool Trials Report.
[4024] (Preston).—The Editor has had pleasure in sending to you by parcel post one of his own copies of the Judges' Report on the Liverpool Trials of 1901. You can retain it on loan for a few weeks.
Rates for Haulage Work.
[4025] (Contractor).—The Commercial Motor Users Association does not itself deal with the maintenance of rates. Its members in any particular district sometimes come together for the purpose, but not at the instance of the Association.
Can He Go to the Russian Motor Transport ?
[4026] (Age 30).—You will have no chance of being taken for the Russian Motor Transport, as you are not over age for the British Army. There is a recruiting office and officer in York, unless it has. recently been closed or transferred • the recruiting officer was Lieut. R. D. Sanders, at ilolgate's Hotel, Micklegate.
The Hele-Shaw Hydraulic Transmission.
[4027] (Engineers).—The issue to which you refer is out of print. Dr. H. S. Hele-Shaw, F.R.S., was responsible for the hydraulic transmission, and we have asked him to deal with your letter direct. A company was formed to exploit his inventions, and that company is called Compayne, Ltd. The address is 64, Victoria Street, Westminster, London, S.W.
Wants a Two-ton Tipping,-wagon Quickly.
[4028] (Gas Works).—Delivery is a difficult matter at the present time ; you might find it of advantage to advertise amongst our classified advertisements for a good second-hand tipping-wagon, to carry a net load of 2 or 2i tons. If you care to try some of the manufacturers, despite the pressure upon them at the present time, you might try any of those whose names you submit.
Battery cum Trolley-pole.
[4029] (Mill).—Proposals for haulage by means of battery-equipped vehicles, which are also fitted to take current by means of an ordinary trolley-pole from the overhead supply of an electric-car service, have so far only been tested in the neighbourhood of Bradford. Mr. C. J. Spencer, general manager of the Bradford Corporation Tramways, has published some observations and details. although the experimental vehicle was only put into use on the 15th May last. During this first month of service, it ran 741 miles, carried 247 tons of material, and earned £73 14s. The estimated first cost of such a vehicle is £8E.0. After making allowances for the experimental charaeter of the first. outfit, Mr. Spencer has expressed the opinion that the inclusive cost, in round. figures, is 10d. ner mile run, on the basis of 240 miles per week. That mileage, of course, is a low one for a petrol-driven vehicle, but the battery combination cannot be expected to have the same flexibility or total range of aetien as a vehicle which is wholly self-contained. The experiment is one which is deserving of further investigation. There is to be noted the disadvantage of haying to carry the dead weight of the battery during the considerable mileage which is run under power independently of
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it. This scheme of working is one which will ix doubt find a definite place in the country's system of internal transport, although not, in our opinion, one which will enable electricity to compete in an special degree with internal-combustion-engined vehicles for long-distance runs. Any considerable expansion of this system by. working during daylight must be subject to delays in consequence of the frequency of service, for passenger-carrying purposes. It must, at night, if it be sought to derive power from a central generating station between,. say, 11.30 p.m. and 5 a.m., be a .marked Inconvenience, in many ways, to the power-station organization.
Can He Haul 100 Tons of Compressed Wool Per Journey ?
[4030] (S. America).—It is hopeless to think of dealing with loads of 100 tons per journey with one engine. In the class of work which you mention— traversing stony and sandy country, with occasional streams 4 ft. deep, you will undoubtedly want a powerful tractor to take behind the engine 15 tons or 20 tons. Possibly, when you refer to 100 tons per journey, you contemplate a division of that load between five or more road trains? We refer you to the undermentioned makers, who have experience in supplying commercial-motor vehicles to South America :— Win. Foster and Co., Ltd., Wellington Works, Lincoln; Marshall and Co., Ltd., Gainsborough ; Commercial Cars, Ltd., Biscot Road, Luton ; John I. Thornycroft and Co., Ltd., Caxton House, Westminster, S.W., and The Daimler Motor Co., Ltd., Coventry. We should not favour " Caterpillar" treads, but it is advisable to shroud the wheels near the rim, or to enclose them entirely with disc covers, to prevent the sand from surrounding the rims, and working over them, thus adding to rolling resistance. You will not be able to do anything like 100 miles per day with such tractors and trailers ; the working speed, point to point, during running, is not likely to exceed 5 m.p.h. at the outside.
Excess-profits Calculations.
[4031] (Trader):—Mr. McKenna did not make the expected concessions in respect of excess-profits calculations.. A committee of manufacturers who waited upon him was unable to persuade him to that extent. The actual concession is set forth in Section 51 of the Finance Act for this year, and you will be able to avail yourselves of it, provided you actually drew out a trade balance-sheet at some interim date. We know, for example, of a company which drew out such a balance-sheet at the 30th June, 1914, although its published balance-sheet was drawn at the 318t December, 1914. Owing to the fact that this balancesheet was in fact really drawn, and submitted to the directors, although not formally audited, this company was not pressed for any return, in the matter of excess profits, for its financial year ended the 31st December, 1919. Section 51 of the Act reads as follows :—" It is hereby declared that, for the purpose of sub-section (2) of section thirty-eight of the principal Act, any period for which the books of a trade or business have been actually made up for any interim or other purpose in such a manner that the profits for that period can be readily ascertained is (without prejudice to the powers of the Commissioners of Inland Revenue under that provision) to be taken as an accounting period, notwithstanding that under the articles of association of the company carrying on the trade or business or under any other regulations affecting the carrying on of the trade ex business the accounts are also required to be made up for some other period, and notwithstanding that such accounts are not issued." We hope that this information concerning the actual position and practice maybe of some assistance to you.