News and Comment.
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This journal fosters, represents, and chronicles commercial motoring in all its branches: our regular weekly circulation now exceeds 8,000 copies, exclusive of any extra mailings of special issues.
Proceedings of the conference of road nakers and road users, which took dace at the Institution of Civil EngiieerS on Monday and Tuesday last, are eported on pages 365 and 366.
No more entries had been received, ip to Tuesday evening last, for the ,bove trials, since that of J. and E. -Ian, Limited, which we announced ast week, and which brought the total ,f the vehicles up to ten, We trust the lub Committee intends to encourage ntries by forthwith showing some igns of activity in the matter.
Every indication points to a successineet of commercial motors, at teading-, on Monday next, and many upporters of this journal will be inrested in the further particulars which ,e are enabled to give on page 373. 'he entry is representative, and the rogramme for the day's proceedings, ;ill begin officially at it a.m.
The first motor vehicle to be used in lnnection with the boot and shoe -.ode, in Glasgow, has been supplied y the Albion Motor Car Company, imited, to Messrs. Bayne and luckett. The chassis is of the makers' :andard 16h.p. type, geared for a use11 toad of 15 cwt., and the vehicle as enabled its purchasers to dispose of vo vans and two horses.
A Technical Liquidation.
The Maudslay Motor Company go7), Limited, asks us to point out at any Press references to " liquidaon " in connection with the old coinmy, the Maudslay Motor Company, imited, must be recognised as nothing ore than the technical necessity of le transference of the old undertaking , the new one. We have pleasure in ving the desired publicity to this fact.
The Latest Award.
Steam wagons have always possessed -eat interest for New Zealanders, and tite a number of these modern yedes are at work in the neighbourhood Christchurch and other parts of the lands. A gold medal has been yarded by the judges of the exhibits the New Zealand International Exbition, at Christchurch, to the St. incras Ironwork Company, Limited,
171, St. Pancras Road, N.W., for ; standard 5-ton wagon, and an inease of local trade, as the result, will Id to the present busy condition of is company's motor department.
Peek, Frean and Company, Limited, of Drummond Road, S.E., some of whose Dennis vehicles were illustrated in outTENTH "performance " special (published on the 23rd ultimo), advises us that a seventh Dennis motorvan is approaching completion at the Guildford works. Peek, Frean and Company's deliveries now extend as far as Chatham and Southend-on-Sea, and these journeys, in common with a num_ ber of others, were originally done entirely by rail. The extension of the famous biscuit makers' motor delivery is by no means at its limit, and it should form an object4esson to others in the same industry.
Berlin's Motor Fire Engines.
Branddirector Reichel has just made a trial trip to Stettin and back with the steam-driven fire-engine which, with an electric vehicle, was recently acquired by the Berlin Corporation for a series of
experiments. He chose the Stettin road as that best calculated to test the staying qualities of the vehicle, and expressed himself as well satisfied with its behaviour during the 16-hour run. Trials are also being made with the
electric vehicle. The Berlin fire-brigade commander does not intend to commit himself to a re-organisation of the rolling-stock until the experimental vehicles have stood most exacting tests. Guildford Joint Hospital Board has decided to defer consideration of the purchase of a motor ambulance for 12 months.
Mr. A. Ernest Gelder, lately sales manager of the Swinehart Tire and Rubber Company, is now manager of the " K.T." Syndicate, Limited.
Mr. Frank Bullock has been reelected chairman of directors of the Manchester and District Motor and Cycle Trades Association, and has now entered upon his third year of office.
An extraordinary case of survival is that of a 6-ton Thornycroft steam wagon which came through a recent fire at the Hermann-Lachapelle works practically unscathed. A French correspondent has sent us an interesting photograph, but we regret that it will not reproduce satisfactorily.
An exceedingly neat and well-illustrated booklet in regard to "K.T." tires has been issued by the K.T. Syndicate, Limited, of 52, Queen Victoria Street, E.C. These tires are specially constructed to reduce side-slip, and the publication to which we refer collects together a lot of interesting information in regard to their employment on motorbuses and other classes of commercial vehicles. Some of our readers may care to apply for a copy to the above address. This tire combines some of the principal advantages of both the pneumatic and solid types.
Japan Again.
Repeated instances of the remarkable effect that was produced in Japanese commercial circles by our supplement, in the Japanese language, continue to reach us, and not a few of these results must be ascribed to the copious quotations from our text which appeared in the Japanese Press generally. The latest report, per "The Financial Times," is that the Tokyo Motorcar Company has been formed with a capital of ten million yen, a capital which should enable it to purchase and operate something like ',coo motor omnibuses or motor wagons. Henley Bridge has been re-opened to heavy motor traffic, and the alternative route should save many a steam wagon miles of useless running in order to get across the river at Reading.
"New Era" Extinguishers.
A demonstration of the " New Era " fire extinguishers was given to the Education Committee of the Willesden Urban District Council, at Kilburn yesterday (Wednesday), by the Valor Company, Limited.
A 1905 Fcclen.
The 5-ton, Foden wagon, which is illustrated on page 374, has been in service since the 13th November, 1905. The average daily run of the vehicle is about 17 miles, and its owners inform us that it uses about 4cwt. of fuel per day, inclusive of lighting up, and the negotiation of some of the hilliest country in the neighbourhood of Holywell.
Carborundum.
The Vincit Motor Company, Limited, of 117b, Queen Victoria Street, E.C., has been appointed sole British agents for the Vienna Carborundum Works. Its arrangements for supply also include a new product of the electric furnace, which is called" Electrite" by the makers, and this material possesses certain qualities that differentiate it from carborundum, and render it a more ideal abrasive.
Robson' s Bodies.
Wm. and Thos. Robson, Limited, of 6o, Farringdon Road, F.C., and 18, Park Street, Borough, S.E., has issued a combined set of designs for motorvan and wagon bodies, arranged as a catalogue, to suit all trades. This company has manufactured vehicles for commercial purposes since 1525, and makes every description of commercial-motor bodies, wheels, trailers, etc., for the motor trade, and its reputation for material, workmanship, and finish is well sustained. A copy of the list under notice will be forwarded to anymotor manufacturer or dealer, on application to either of the above addresses, where every facility exists for the production of a first-class article. Electric Cab Results.
The Berliner Elektromobil-AktienGesellschaft, which runs the electric cabs known as the " Bedags," can not only pay no dividend for 1906, but is also obliged to carry forward a slight loss to current account. A prolonged strike helped to produce the deficit, and, in addition to this, a number of vehicles were delivered late. Difficulties also arose in the way of utilising the yard at Halensee, where current is cheaper than at Berlin. Most of the company's cabs, numbering in all some 250, are quartered at Hafensee.
Insurance the Remedy.
The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders has circularised its members, drawing attention to the fact that a false sense of security appears to exist in regard to the effect of certain customary printed statements on motor manufacturers' and agents, letterpaper. It is pointed out that the words " Customers' cars driven by members of our staff entirely at owner's risk," or their equivalent, provide no immunity under many circumstances, and that the proper course is to insure against eventualities which may arise when a motor vehicle is in the custody of a member.
Letchworth Housing Exhibition.
Preparations for the holding of the Urban Housing and Rural Homesteads Exhibition, at Garden City, Letchworth, Herts, which exhibition is to be opened in July by the Marquis of Salisbury, are well advanced. The exhibits will be on a much more comprehensive scale than was the case at the tgo5 exhibition of cheap cottages, and will include numerous collections of manufacturing implements, dairy appliances, builders' materials, temporary build
ings, food stuffs, etc. Cheap return tickets will be issued, from London to Letchworth, at 2S. 6d. each, and further particulars may be obtained from the Secretary of the First Garden City, Limited, Mr. Harold Craske, 326a, High Holborn, W.C. The improving attractions of the Letchworth estate fothe purpose of new factory sites will probably serve to attract ml:..ny new visitors next month.
The French Trials.
(From our Paris Correspondent.)
The French endurance trials for corn mercial cars were concluded on Satur day last, and the consumption tes ensued on Monday. Probably the las section of the itinerary was the trim trying for the vehicles. It lay in th north of France, where the roads o: the whole are execrable ; and miserabl wet weather went a long way toward intensifying the difficulties of the cot testants. Still, as a stroke of corr mercial policy, there was wisdom i sending the cars into a thrivingindui trial portion of the country, for in town like Lille and Amiens the commerch vehicle may be—and is alreadyworked to economical advantage. I may be recalled that the north of Franc was not neglected in the trials of tgc and 1906. In this year's tesi Amiens, Lille, St. Quentin, and Con piegne were the chief centres of tl northern tour. At Lille a whole ch., was set apart for the public exhibitic of the vehicles at the Palais Rameai and some 5,000 people, a large sectic of whom were manufacturers, avail( themselves of the opportunity of seemn the cars, now somewhat the worse fc their 16 days' continuous running. C Sunday last, the itinerary comple:e the vehicles underwent an official 1] spection and were again placed on tl weighbridge at the Parc d'Orsay. the afternoon they were exposed public view.
Next day the trials closed with ti consumption test, the heaviest lorri being despatched on a run of too kil metres and the vans, public servi vehicles, and small cars covering 1. kilometres. Of the 44 cars which h: set out on the itinerary on Whit-Mo day, only 15 remained qualified for tl consumption trial. These were :— Lorries carrying from 500 to 2,0 kilogs :—Aries and Delahaye.
Lorries carrying from 2,000 3,000 kilogs :—Two Darracq-Serpl lets, Turgan, Panhard and Levassc De Dion-Bouton.
Lorries carrying from 3,0 kilogs : — Two Darracq Serpollc and Mors.
Public service vehicles :—Bril and Aries.
Small cars :—Two De Dion-Be tons and Vinot-Deguingand (f complement of category).
These vehicles alone have escap
penalties. The Darracq'Serpol steam wagons have given an excelh account of themselves and justified expectations entertained of them at 1 outset. The public service cars suffered deplorably from the trials, 1 closed Aries omnibus and the 1 Brilli6 standing alone for first-cl. honours.
On Tuesday at the Polygone de V cennes the jury made the computat' in respect of the consumption test, ri the cars then proceeded to the 0' d'Orsay, where they were fin weighed both empty and loaded.
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