Correspondence.
Page 52
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Side-slip and Skid Prevention Trials.
The Editor, "THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR."
Sir :I was also a spectator of the trials held by the Automobile Club on the 6th instant, and I agree with your correspondent that the competition was a farce from beginning to end, and I have eviuence to support his complaint that the " floating ring " device, not only admitted by the examiners but passed to the 1,000 miles run test, is being tacitly sanctioned by the police, whilst others of the same class have been ruthlessly eliminated. I know of a device beautifully worked out which stops all " skids " and is automatic, but which was not entered in the " Prevention Trials " under advice, and which is being "cold shouldered" by the " experts " because the " floating ring " will not sink.
I disagree with " J. Yarwood " that a pubic competition is advisable. Anyone who knows the value of his invention will never allow other people to meddle with the trials of its competence. I have seen too many good things spoilt this way. I am open to try and test any good non-skid device on agreed terms with the owner, but I warn them all that, as yet, I have only seen one device that fulfils all the natural conditions necessary to cure the evil, and this comprises the following advantages :
It automatically and instantaneously stops side, front and back slips.
Complies with the L.G.B. and Police regulations. Is simple and inexpensive. Does not necessitate structural alteration.
Applies equally to live or dead axles, front and back.
Will stand all reasonable wear and tear.
Anything that can comply successfully with these conditions is worth trying.—Yours faithfully, March 9th, 1907. " PRACTICAL NOT EXPERT."
Simms-Bosch Magnetos.
The Editor, "THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR."
Sir :—We beg to inform you that we have sold to Mr. Robert Bosch, of Stuttgart, as from the 31st December, 1906, all the orders we have in hand for Simms-Bosch magnetos, together with our Mr. Frederick R. Simms' share of the British patents, standing in the joint names of Messrs. Simms and Bosch, and our trade mark relating to magnetos, also the title of " Simms-Bosch," retaining for ourselves the right (for the United Kingdom, the Colonies and Dependencies) to manufacture, vend, and deal, in exactly similar magnetos made under the same patents, but to be of British manufacture, as well as the sole control of Mr. Simms' British patents relating to magneto ignition. The above step was necessary in the interests of our business, and in order to protect our customers, as the supply of magnetos from Germany would otherwise have ceased, thus preventing us from filling the orders with which our customers have so liberally favoured us. To guard our clients against grave inconvenience, we obtained the assurance of Mr. Robert Bosch that he would make a special effort to execute promptly all orders in arrears and maintain continuity of deliveries. In placing this plain statement before you, we beg to say, also, that we hope, in six months' time, to be able to supply in any quaatity magnetos of British make, which will be placed on the market as " Simms " magnetos, and will be found of equal, if not superior, quality to those we have hitherto supplied—Yours faithfully,
THE SIMMS MANUFACTURING CO., LTD. (Magneto Department), A. H. D. ALTRF.E. Welbeck Works, Kimberley Road, Kilburn, N.W.,
March 9th, 1907.
Free Trade and Tire Orders.
The Editor," THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR."
Sir :-The present question of buying British goods is now corning more prominently before the public than ever, as the question of protection versus so-called free trade has, for the time being, to remain dormant. We notice that foreign manufacturers are now advertising in a most tantalising way the number of hands they employ abroad to supply our markets. One firm gives that number as close on 6,000. That would make a big hole in the unemployed of London and various other centres in England.
Apart from giving those hands employment, there is the question of housing to be considered, and the proportion of rates those hands would, when employed and living in England, contribute towards reducing the percentage of rates in the „4,on all who are now bearing them and overburdened by them. The same reductions would apply to our taxes, so that, for the moment, if Britishers would only study their own interests, they would buy British goods alone, and see that employment is given in this country, and not abroad, to produce our requirements, for, whereas they may save a few pence or shillings on an article of foreign manufacture, they are actually paying away much larger sums in increased rates and taxes because of the vacant houses and the unemployed who crowd the workhouses, etc., where they have to be supported by the workers in this country It is an uphill fight for the British manufacturer at this moment, as he is not allowed to manufacture here to supply Continental countries on account of their prohibitive import duties, so that they sell freely in both markets, theirs and ours, and get the benefit of a larger output, which does not increase their establishment charges, but decreases their cost of production in distributing those fixed establishment charges, such as rent, rates, taxes, salaries, etc., over the larger number of goods required for two or more markets, which they have got but refuse us, thus reducing the cost of their own requirements, and, rightly from their point of view, keep us out of their market by an import duty which we could remove by retaliation. So far we have been content with doing what our grandfathers told us we should do, while everyone admits that things are different now, and. we should treat this new foreign dumping scheme with its only cure—retaliation.
If an English manufacturer now wishes to sell in Germany and England, he is penalised by having to pay a double set of establishment charges, so as to avoid the German import duties, and has to start a factory in Germany, and employ German hands, who spend their wages there, and relieve the rates and taxes there, not here. The company in particular, to which my attention is drawn, and to which I refer, is collecting in ,England thousands of pounds weekly, and sending it to Germany to pay the wages of thousands of German hands, and the rates and taxes of Germany, whereas, here, we only get the advantages of a few pounds a week spent by their small staff of selling clerks, while they advertise and boast of the large number of hands they employ in their mills abroad. to supply our wants which we could supply ourselves. I am the strongest possible free trader in the true sense, if the Continental countries would let us compete freely with their manufacturers, by all means let them compete freely with us ; but, if they won't, why should we not adopt the only remedy? I hope every Britisher will, till our tariff is properly adjusted, think seriously of the capital sunk in cBrr?Isish mills, the unemployed, and the reasons of his in
creasing rates and taxes.—Yours truly, creasing rates and taxes.—Yours truly, J. M. MAcIemicit.
34, Baker Street; W., March 6th,