Opinions from Others.
Page 16
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Special Engine Disposition for Ambulance Work.
The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
[1068] Sir,—I am anxious to find a chassis in which the engine is not arranged under the bonnet, but either so that the driver sits over or at the side, on the same lines as the Lanchester and the Austin cab. This chassis is required for an ambulance of which I shall build the body, and of course the chassis must be very silent, well sprung and easy running.—Yours faithfully, "WOULD-BE PURCHASER."
{The Arrol-Johnston Co. built motorbus chassis on the lines indicated, and the New Engine Co. builds car chassis similarly. We do not at the moment know of a chassis that exactly fills the requirements of our correspondent, who i,t a well-known and successful agent and garage proprietor, err., unless it be either the Louis or the Karrier.—ED. I
The Disappearance of Polishing Paste.
The Editor, TETE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
11.0e9] Sir,—We wander if any of your readers, owners of taxicabs, can give us a hint how to reduce the cost of metal polish used for cleaning the brasswork on taxicabs'? Do owners of large fleets make up their own polish, or buy in bulk from manufacturers We may add that recently we purchased a drum of metal polish (paste), but found this method of stocking unsatisfactory. We have placed another order for another gross of tins, but we do not want to go on buying small tins, as the cost is excessive.—Yours
faithfully, For W. BATHES BELL AND CO.,
Dundee. W. N. Byte.
Overseas Registrations.
The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
[1070] Sir,—The lament of the British representative for overseas trade, whose name you suppressed in yofir first leading article of last week, concerns but one of the " shocks " for which the stay-at-home Britisher must be prepared in regard to overseas trade. He has certainly asked for them.
A few makers in England have to my knowledge for years been alive to the advantages of personal touch with various Colonies and other purchasing countries abroad, and they have not let themselves fall into a trap of the kind.
It is not an expensive matter to guard against the difficulty which is mentioned in regard to the protection of any name that has been established by years of work in the industry, so the laggard authorization to spend the small amount of money involved may still be given in time.
It is with regard to what I may term " filching" of agents that I think your British producers are asleep. They have laboriously and slowly seen a trade built up for themselves, by others, in Australia. India, South Africa. Canada, South America and elsewhere, yet very few of them are in proper touch with the firms who represent them, or who hold their sole agencies.
As a visitor to your shores, but one who is well acquainted with the methods of competitive nations, allow me to say that the sooner some British principals begin to hustle round amongst their overseas agents the better for them, and for the industry which they represent.—Yours faithfully,
cc AN AMERICAN VISITOR."
The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
1.1071] Sir,—With reference to the Editorial article on " Overseas Registrations" in your issue of the 5th inst., we experienced a similar difficulty two years ago, when selling our motor vehicles in one of the principal South American countries, viz., that owing to an importer there of general machinery having previously registered the same name as that by which our motor vehicles have been known throughout the world for the past number of years, we were forced to adopt another name for this particular country, and thus lose the benefit of our world-wide reputation in that country.
Unfortunately, the authorities in several of the South American countries, apparently do not take a serious view of such matters, with the result that it has become a fairly-lucrative business for some individuals immediately to register any special name which they observe is being extensively advertised in Europe, and, when the article puts in an appearance in the particular country in South America, to lodge interdict, which they take good care will not be withdrawn until a, substantial payment is made. Such practices add considerably to the general worries and difficulties of trading, and it is rather a pity that more pressure is not brought to bear, either by the Britih Foreign Office or the London Chamber of Commerce, to get such countries to take steps to ensure greater justice being done to British firms and their maniifactures.—Yours faithfully,
"Moron MANUFACTURERS."
[ We cordially agree. Whilst some of our older manufacturers have suffered, the circumstances with which we dealt last week can surve as a warning to many others.—End The Driver Difficulty.
The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
[1072] Sir,—I have just had occasion to dismiss two of the drivers in my employ, and am now wonder ing if you could put me in touch with competent and reliable drivers who would appreciate a comfortable and, if I may call it so myself, a well-paid job. It seems to me impossible to get drivers who will make
the journeys which my business calls for in regular time. We are brewers I Day after day the vans are late, and the foreman reports that some little repair or alteration is needed. That this is not due to any fault of the vans I am convinced, for when I, in order to investigate the eases specially, drive the vans myself, I am not delayed 10 minutes. Further, whenever I procure a new driver, he invariably runs the vans to schedule time for a few weeks, until he feels that he will be retained in his job, and' then the falling off begins.
I am working out a system of paying my drivers by results, and the makers of the vans have very kindly placed data at my disposal, with a view to aiding me with this scheme.
It seems to me, however, that each individual business calls for individual treatment as regards the payment of drivers. Perhaps some of your readers who have gone more fully than I have at present into the question would favour me with their views. I enclose my card.—Yours faithfully,
ARTHUR A. T. BTYDE.