Answers to Queries.
Page 19
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Direct Road from Scotland to the South of England.
[264e] (Portsmouth).—We are afraid we cannot give you the most direct road between Glasgow and Portsmouth in a, letter. You should write to the Commercial Motor Users 'Association, of which we presume you are members, which has a department that specially deals with such inquiries.
Smooth Roads and Accidents.
12649] (Chatham).—In reply to your query, provided that the..m-achines in question ave. constructed in all respects in accordance with the Motor Car Acts and Regulations, you should have the same case to present against the --Corporation as that upon which owners rely in the case of badly-cambered roads which, in a state of -grease, have given rise to skidding. Are you members of the Commercial Motor Users Association ? If so, we have no doubt that the Association will be interested to investigate this case, with a view to your securing the best legal advice upon the precedents that are avail-able.
Identification of the Chassis Delivered.
[2650] ( Swin d on). —The manufacture is quite
good, but it is essential that you should, by means of a complete specification, or preferably by an independent examination, identify the model that they will supply to you. We have come across instances, not peculiar to one maker, in which, through some misappeehension, an expel; opinion has been given on a particular chassis or particular type of chassis, and in the end the customer has not got the particular chassis or type of chassis on which the expert has reported. We are agreeable to inspect and report
on a chassis for you, and to identify the chassis, for a payment of three guineas inclusive, but we shall be happy to give you an opinion on the specification, before you place the order, free of charge.
Running Costs, etc., for a 35-seater Char-a-bancs.
[2651] (Wigan).—The answers to the questions which you have put to us are as follow :— (1) A new machine of reputed make, provided it has to run on good roads and he a country which is not exceptionally hilly, with a mileage of 350 a week, should not cost you much in -excess of 85d. per carmile. It is difficult to give you a figure much closer than this, as, of course, certain costs vary with the locality, but this figure is intended to include all such charges asdepreciation, interest on capital, insurance, garage, lighting, rents, rates and taxes, wages, maintenance and sundries.
(2) Yes, it is possible to insure the ehar-iebancs and passengers against the possibility of aecielents. You will get full particulars from the Car and General Insurance Corporation, Ltd., or other company which writes such risks.
(3) The actual mileage depends upon the type of chassis you select, the nature of the service, whether there aremany etoppings and startings, and if the operation is to be in Hat Or hilly country. We knew of instances where machines of this Class are doing 10 miles to the gallon, but you should be satisfied with eight.
(4) We know of no such book on the subjeet you mention, but are happy to answer any ordinary questions from this office upon which you may want information.
(5) You can probably leen purchase petrol in 100gallon drums. We cannot tell you what is the best price at which you can secure it in your district, but here in London, for quantities, commercial users are able to get it at ls. 2Id. or is. 3d. net, that is with 114. of the 3d. tax rebated.
Pleasure-car Body on a Business Vehicle.
[2652] (Maybole).—If you can definitely prove to the Inland Revenue authorities that your car is exclusively used for business, and never for passengers, you will not have to pay the lep. tax. The actual shape of the body only matters in so far as you may have difficulty in making this point with regard tc what is apparently a pleasure-canbody. You will require to have your proper name and address painted on the side.
Fire-engine Trailers.
[26531 (Smethwick).—We regret that any issues which have contained references to the method of embodying motor fire apparatus mentioned in your letter have long been out of print. An interesting article on the subject of motor haulage of old horsedrawn plant appeared in our issue for the 20th June, 1913, to which you might be able to get access in some file of copies or in a. library. In that article reference was made to the methods which had been adopted to this end at Dublin and Reclean
Converting Old Pleasure-car Types.
1_26541 (Letehworth).—As a general practice we advise against the fitting of solid tires on converted touring-car models which are intended, for commercial work. You do not say what type the old Wolseley is. We are familiar with all the types back to the company's earliest days, and would be able to help you more definitely if you would state whether it is one of the old horizontal models and chain-driven or one of the more recent vertical-engined types with live back axle. In any case, the axles, springs, brakes and other chassis details are certain to suffer relatively by the fitting of solid tires if they were designed in the first place for a chassis running on pneumatics, and especially if there has been no gearing down.