News and Comment.
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This journal is extensively read by the heads of iaany wealthy commercial houses.
Another 5-cwt. model is illustrated on page 539.
Our report of the Winnipeg Agrimotor trials of last week is continued and completed on pages 510 and 541.
Mr. W. J. Lewin, late of the Belvedere Engineering Co., Belvedere, Kent, has been appointed general manager of the Yorkshire Commercial Motor Co.
An interim dividend at the rate of 10 per cent, per annum, less income tax, has been declared by the directors of Halley's industrial Motors, Ltd., for the half year ended the 30th June last.
The Tramways Committee of the Walsall Town Council has sanctioned the purchase of a 34 Esp. motor tower wagon, and has given instructions for tenders to be invited. The estimated cost is £600.
The quest of the foolproof might with great advantage be at all times prosecuted with an approach to the thoroughness which is disclosed in the article, from the pen of Mr. Henry McLaren, of Leeds, which is begun on page 530.
Our leading articles this week concern the following topical sub, jects : (1) "Opening up business in motor haulage ; " (2) "Two overseas demands ; " (3) "The influence of the householder upon orders for motorvans ; " (4) "The interim report of the Petrol Committee and (5) "Public travel on Sundays."
The Agricultural Trials at Bourges.
Further particulars are to hand with regard to the Agricultural Exhibition which will be held at Bourges from the 26th September till the 6th October. The entry list at present includes the names of the following manufacturers of agrimotors : Bajac, Cornpagnie Internationale, Denin, Foster, Gilbert, Linard, Landrin, Lefebvre. and Verrnond-Quellenec.
Army Transport.
It is officially announced that it has been decided to extend the supplementary list of officers in the Army Service Corps by the appointment of a limited number of second lieutenants for employment solely on mechanical transport duties. The age of candidates on the date of application for appointment must be between twenty-one and thirty. Retirement will be compulsory at forts-.
The Idris mineral waters are widely distributed by motorvan, and their progressive manufacturer has been an owner for upwards of 12 years. Impressions by interview arc conveyed on pages 534 and 535.
The Sifuel Carburetter.
We have been furnished with further advance particulars of the new Bifuel carburetter, but these add little to the information which was published about the device in our last issue. We shall refrain from further comment until we have been afforded an opportunity to examine and if possible to test the component.
More Splashguard Competitions.
The formation of a " No Mud " association in Paris, and the threat of legal action against the Paris omnibus companies, has caused the Paris Municipal Council to decide to hold a competition for splashguards capable of being fitted to motorbuses. The tests will be carried out on the General Omnibus Co.'s vehicles during the month of October, and will primarily consist of running a bus over a specially-prepared mud track lined with white boards divided into equal sized squares. After this test the successful appliances will be tried out for 100 consecutive hours on the company's buses, then put through a severe test in contact with the edge of the footpath. They must be capable of running for distances of 20 yds. against the kerbstone without suffering any real damage, and be brought into contact with the kerb at an angle of 30 degrees without being carried away. in addition to buying the successful enpliances, the Paris Afunicinality offers a first prize of £80 and a total amount of 240 as rewards for the successful inven tors. In addition to these tests. the Automobile Club of Seine and Oise will repeat its event of last winter by holding a splashguard competition at Versailles on 2nd and 3rd of November. British W.O. Subvention Tests.
Compared with the French W.O.
trials of last month, to which we have made two lengthy references in recent issues, and in which tests no fewer than 60 machines participated, the corresponding tests of the British War Office, which are now in progress, sink into absolute insignificance. This meagre result at home is due, as we explained in a leading article last week, to the extraordinary methods that have been adopted by the department of the War Office which has been entrusted with the arrangements.
Later on, we hope, there will be a better response, but the present failure is largely due to lack of publicity. The opportunity to qualify has not been afforded.
We have asked before, why it is that the War Office has adopted hole-and-corner methods, and has not let all British manufacturers know what it wants. It goes with out saying that there will be no an swer to the question until it is extracted, but we should like to see the point raised, on behalf of the manufacturers who have not had the chance to build, in the House of Commons, after the recess.
A representative of this journal had arranged to follow the three participating vehicles—two Ley lands and one Thornycroft—last week. After three uninteresting ambles, one to Southampton and two to Andover and back, had taken place, he reported that it was not. worth continuing to make a show of interest where none was. We do not say that the tests are of no interest to the War Office, re garded solely as qualifying tests for types which are reckoned to be
suitable for War-Office requirements, but we do emphatically say that they are of no general value to the commercial-motoring public at large. We therefore shall have notiling more to say about them, RS tests.
The Hallford si-tonner was not submitted for test, contrary to expectation. The Thornycroft termer, on the other hand, is participating, and we must congratulate the Basingstoke works on the " push " which enabled them to send it forward in time. The Leyland machines, which have been ready for something like six weeks, are a 41-tonner and a so-called 30-ewt. wagon. The latter appears to us to be capable of faking a three-ton load with ease. The new address of Mr. Ernest, T. White, who is the sole agent for the automobile and internal-combustion-engine work of Messrs. Henry Watson and Sons, of Newcastle-onTyne, is 28, Victoria Street, S.W.
Ambulance Bodies.
The tender of William and Thomas Robson, Ltd., for ambulance bodies for the Brentford Guardians, was at .E.95 10s. each, and not at k!59 10s. each. We regret the printer's error in our issue of a fortnight ago.
Military Trials in Russia. Invitations to Compete.
At this time of the year the air seems to be full of the accounts of
preparations and accomplishments in connection with military trials for the various Great Powers. The latest government to announce its intentions in this respect is that of the Czar. Trials are to be held between St. Petersburg and Vladimir, over a distance of 2000 kilom. From 100 to 145 kilom. will be covered each day. The tests will take place during the month of October, commencing on a date yet to be decided. Immediately after the conclusion of the trials, it is stated that 50 machines will he ordered in accordance with the performances which are put up. LieuL-Col. Sekreteff, of the Russian army, has been in France during the recent heavy-vehicle trials which have been conducted by the French War Office. Last year certain trials were held in Russia, but the authorities were disappointed with the support received from manufacturers. They are making special efforts to induce French makers to participate in October next. Invitations are, however, being issued to manufacturers in Germany, England, America and France. Lieut.Col. Sekreteff has stated, to a representative of our contemporary " Le Poids Lourd," that. any vehicle will he accepted, regardless of its capacity, in spite of the fact I hat the rules ask for machines of the 30-cwt. and threeton classes. Only one machine of each type need be submitted. When a machine is entered its price must be stated, and, in addition, allowance must be made for 300 roubles towards the cost of fuel, 300 roubles towards the cost of transport in Russia and 200 roubles for import duty. It is anticipated that in 1913, as a result of the experience which is looked for from the machines which will be bought at the end of the 1912 trials, 500 further machines will be purchased by the Russian Government.. It is interesting to note that already it is probable that the French industry will be represented by Saurer, Ben jet. Delaha.ye, Renault, Lattl,
Aries, Motobloe and La Buire. Several English manufacturers, we hear, are likely to compete.
We know of a first-class practical man, a fully-trained engineer, who will shortly be disengaged. We can thoroughly recommend him from personal knowledge as a useful man to anyone who is on the look-out for someone to take working charge of a depot„ or machine, or repair shops. Write, " Wisteria," care of Editor.
Letchworth Output.
Tiltdemand for Laere vehicles, from the model Letchworth factory of the Laere Motor Car Co., Ltd., continues unabated. A part of a week's output is illustrated herewith. The photograph shows the following chassis : two of IS h.p. for 20-cwt. loads ; one IS h.p. 12-seater ; four 30 h.p. two-I onners; and one 38 h.p. three-tonner.
Fire-Brigade Topics. •
Southampton Town Council intends to spend £300 on a motordriven escape-van.
We reproduce below a photograph of a Dennis fire motor belonging to Copenhagen. We wrote of this last week.
Salisbury Town Council has received notice from the L.G.B. of sanction to its loan, amounting to £950, for the purchase of a motor fire engine.
An international conference and exhibition, to embrace every class of fire-prevention and fire-fighting equipment., will be held in New York, at Madison Square Gardens, from the 2nd to 12th October next. Full information may be obtained from Mr. A. D. V. Storey, 1269, Broadway, New York City.