OPINIONS and QUERIES A 1931 Export Field--The Argentine.
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The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
[3298] Sir,—We have read with interest the abovementioned article which appeared on page 601 of your journal dated December 16th.
May we refer to the paragraph in which you state "It may be safely said that no agent can be found who has the resources or the courage to back his expressed faith in British products," etc.
We are in entire disagreement with such a statement and would advise you that for a period of 61' years we have been effectively represented throughout the Argentine by Agar, Cross and Co., Ltd. (a British registered company with headquarters in London and branch offices throughout the Argentine).
Through this agent's efforts we have been successful in placing in commission more than 550 chassis, and in Buenos Aires proper our motorbuses are more in evidence than types supplied by any other British maker.
Furthermore, these efforts are not confined to Buenos Aires proper, as A.E.C. vehicles, marketed under the trade mark Ado, are also sold and serviced through the agent's other branches in Rosario, Mendoza, Bahia Blanca and Tucuman.
Whether or not it be possible to find other agents to render similar service is a question with which we are not concerned, but we contend that the statement you have made is entirely misleading, and not only a reflection on the activities of Agar, Cross and Co., Ltd., but also on our own ability to market our vehicles to the best advantage.
Without unduly labouring the point, we might further add that the expression of such erroneously con eivecl ideas is detrimental to the efforts of firms operating in foreign territory who are striving to assist the manufacturers of this country to obtain trade for them against the severe competition of North America and the Continent. It should be borne in mind that satisfactorily to exploit a line of manufactures-such as our own in a vast country like the Argentine, a very large suni of money has to be expended in establishing an effective organization which, amongst many other things., includes proper servicing depots located in strategic points of that territory, In our opinion, this can best be achieved by working in conjunction with well-established and live representatives who already have the confidence and longacquired personal knowledge of the requirements and temperament of the people of that country.
C. W. REEVE, Managing Director, for the Associated Equipment Co., Ltd.
Southall.
[In calling attention to a paragraph in our article stating that Argentine agents cannot be found who have the resources, etc., to push British products, you have apparently not taken note of the preceding matter, which plainly introduces the problem of the newcomer to the Argentine. The whole article, as its title indicates, has as its object to show that British makers tackling the
market for the first time cannot expect success without being prepared to invest capital, the point being that the large motor-agency houses out there are already engaged with manufacturers who entered the market in the earlier post-war years. We know quite well that some such agency concerns are doing splendid work, and the success of your own marketing arrangements in the Argentine constitutes an excellent example to the trade, but it appears to us to be unlikely that chassis makers entering this field for the first time would be able to take advantage of the services of agents who are already fully engaged in the representation of commercial-vehicle • products of well-known makes.—En.] The Lament of an Oil-engine Specialist.
The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
132991 Sir,—I should like to endorse the remarks of "Maintenance" in a recent issue of your journal. I, too, am a trained automobile engineer, but have specialized for six years on Diesel-engine work.
The results of careful applications are inclined to make one reluctantly assume that influence is almost as essential nowadays in industry as it used to be to obtain a commission in the Army. DIESEL. Broadstairs.
Braking Free-wheel Vehicles.
The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
[3300] Sir,—Having taken a great deal of interest in the free wheel since its inception, I was naturally interested in your editorial remarks, published last week. Few people think clearly on the subject of engine braking; because engine friction helps to hold a vehicle when descending hills, the impression is that it must invariably assist the brakes. This is by DO ,means the case, as you so rightly point out. Any fourwheel braking system will stop a vehicle in a time very much shorter than that which would normally be required by the engine in slowing down. The brakes are therefore called upon to stop the engine as well as the vehicle. By declutching, or by using a free wheel, shorter stopping distances can be obtained (for a given pedal pressure) than when the engine is-coupled to the wheels. This I proved by a series of tests some years ago.
The old-fashioned driver, was always opposed to declutching when braking because he believed that this practice rendered skidding more liable to occur ; many people are opposed to free wheels for -this very reason. It is easy to see that in the days of rearwheel brakes it was better to keep the clutch engaged as the engine to some extent helped to prevent the driver from locking the wheels. With four-wheel brakes in proper adjustment this precaution is no longer necessary ; in any case the engine cannot well affect the front wheels! My own experience on a free-. wheel vehicle goes to show that, given smooth fourwheel braking, fears of skidding are groundless.
There is one road condition under which it seems that engine braking remains the best; i.e., when ice or frozen snow renders the surface excessively slippery. c29
The coefficient of friction is then so small that it is difficult to avoidlocking a wheel, or wheels, no matter how gently the brake pedal is applied. Often a very slippery slope can safely be descended "on the engine," using bottom or middle gear, which would otherwise have proved impracticable. On such rare occasions a free wheel can, of course, be locked in order to Utilize the smooth and mild retarding effect of engine friction. M.P. London, N.W.1.
Costs for the 204onner.
''The' Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
[3301] have noticed with interest the cost figures which you have issued from time to time, but I observe that you have not yet given any for the 20-ton eight-wheeled vehicles which are now becoming popular. As I am particularly interested in this type of machine, I shall much appreciate any information you can give me. W. WATTS,
Enfield. For T. WATTS AND SONS.
[There is no authentic information available as to the coat of operating vehicles of the capacity you name. You will appreciate the reason for this; there are so few of them on the road that nothing has yet been published, or even stated more or less privately. The following are estimated figures Only.
Petrol about 5d. per mile and oil about one-tenth of a penny, tyres, say 2d., maintenance 2d., and depreciation the same. The running cost is, therefore, about 11d., neglecting fractions. The standing charges will be about £12 10s, per week. It is hardly worth while to work this out as a total cost per mile, because the mileage covered will probably be small. If 250 miles per
week be taken as an example then the total cost per mile works out at very nearly example,
Tax on Vehicles Carrying Dynamo Welding Plant.
The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
[43302] Sir,—About a month ago you mentioned in the then current number of The Commercial Motor that it was possible to obtain a reduction of the tax payable on vehicles carrying dynamo welding plant. I have such a plant on my A.E.C. Y.C.-type lorry, the tax on which amounts to 1.14 17s. per quarter. The unladen weight of vehicle is 4 tons 12 cwt., and the weight with plant is 6 tons 18 cwt. 2 quarters. I should esteem it a favour if you could let me have further particulars regarding this reduction. London, S.E.18. WELDING.
[You will find that the paragraph concerning this question of the tax on vehicles equipped with cranes, dynamowelding plants, etc., is No. 5 on page 507 of our issue dated November 25th.
As pointed 'out then, under the Road Traffic Act, the crane, dynamo-welding plant, or other special appliance or apparatus which is a permanent or an essentially permanent fixture, is deemed not to constitute a load, but to form part of the vehicle and, therefore, the unladen weight of the vehicle is considered to be inclusive of the plant. This means that it will be taxed at a heavier rate.—En.]
Persons Carried on a Pantechnicon.
The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
[3303] Sir,—Would you kindly inform me how the new Act will affect the licensing of my lorry. It has been licensed hitherto as "goods and hackney, 14 seats." I might say that I never hire it out for hackney work; my difficulties are :—(1) That in furniture moving it is the common experience with us that owners of the furniture or someone connected with them wish to ride with us to the new premises; (2) we sometimes like to take a member of our own family with us on a nice country run. These two particulars are the reasons why I had it licensed as "goods and hackney."
c30 I have my certificate of insurance and it has this limitation inserted:—" Use for hire or reward except in connection with the policy-holder's business as a furniture remover." Now, under the new Act, if I carry any person other than employees with me am I liable? Any information you can give me to enable me to carry on as usual and yet be clear with the police will be much appreciated. J. PAYNE, Brighton. For 3. PAYNE AND SON.
[(1) As regards licensing it appears that to avoid any question being raised, the lorry should be licensed as " goods and private," in view of the fact that it is not let'out for hire. We assume that when owners of furniture are conveyed no charge is made for their personal conveyance (2) As regards insurance, it is not necessary under the Act to insure against liability in respect of the death of/or injury to any person who is carried on the vehicle, except in the case of a vehicle in which passengers are carried for hire or reward or by reason of/or in pursuance of a contract of insurance.
Mr. Payne can, therefore, carry any person under the Act, other than employees, so long as this person is not carried for hire or reward.—En.]
The` Requirements of Third-party Insurance.
The Loditor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
[33041 Sir,—I should esteem your opinion on the following point in connection with the Road Traffic Act, 1930. Section 36, subsection B, states that a policy of insurance must "insure such person, persons or classes of persons, as may be specified in the policy in respect of any liability which may be incurred by him, or them, in respect of the death of, or bodily injury to, any persons caused by or arising out of the use crf the vehicle on a road." This would imply that the liability extends only to physical injury or death of a person, and does not provide against damage to the property of third parties. I shall be glad to have your advice, as it appears to be a fairly common assumption that this part of the Road Traffic Act necessarily applies to all contingencies of third-party liability. D. E. W. BUNCE. London, N.22.
[With reference to, your inquiry, we consider that the thirdparty insurance which has to be in force under the Road Traffic Act applies only to the person. Throughout the section, reference is made to the liability being in respect of death or of bodily injury to any person, no mention whatever being made of damage to property of third parties—ED.] That Daily Order for Lorry Drivers.
The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
[3305] Sir,—I shall be extremely obliged if you will be good enough to give me some idea as to what you consider to be the best layout for a lorry driver's daily order. My idea in consulting you is to do away with carbon copies and counterfoils, if possible. The enclosed copy of our order—which I have used for a good many years—does not seem to me to be as efficient as it might be. It entails a carbon copy, and, when pasted in the book, makes quite an unwieldy volume. G. W. GASKIN, Proprietor,
THE REGENT TRANSPORT CO.
[We regret that we cannot suggest any important improvement to the form of driver's report sheet which you sent us, and the difficulty of having to paste carbon copies in a book can only be surmounted by making use of loose-leaf books of some kind.
If you were to get into touch with Lamson Paragon Supply Co., Ltd., we have no doubt they would be able to put some useful ideas before you. The concern in question specializes in work of this nature and is well known.—S.T.R.]