News and Comment.
Page 8
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This journal is extensively read by the beads of many wealthy commercial houses.
We regret to record the death last week of Brig.-Gen. G. C. Paul, CB., C.M.G. , M.V.O., late Director of Army Transport.
Mr. A. C. Kahler is now thoroughly established at 1981, Broadway, New York City, as one of the managing directors of the Colamb Tyres Import Co., Incorporated. Prowodnik solid and pneumatic tires, etc., are handled.
We are glad to observe evidences of further progress on the part of the London and Provincial Motor Carriers, Ltd., of which company Mr. Douglas H. Langhorne is the managing director. Considerable extensions of its parcel-delivery service are in hand.
Southwark Borough Council is hiring a mechanical gulley-emptier from Sidney Straker and Squire, Ltd., with a view to purchase. The Borough Engineer estimates that there will be a saving of at least :219 a week compared with horses.
The North-Eastern district surveyor, General Post Office, Leeds, is open to receive tenders for the conveyance of mails between Lincoln and Billinghay on weekdays, and Lincoln and Sleaford on Sundays. The maximum load will be six cwt. of mails. No date is yet fixed for the commencement.
The Paris Show.
The South-Eastern and Chatham Railwa,y Co. notifies the issue of cheap return tickets in connection with the forthcoming Paris Show. These will also be available by the new 4.30 p.m, service from Charing Cross (due Paris 11.25 p.m.). They will be issued on any Friday or Saturday, from the 17th to the 25th inst. inclusive. The return fares are : first class, 58s. 4d. ; second class, 37s. 6d. ; third class, 30s. All tickets are available for return any day within 15 days from the date of issue by specified trains.
Plapiers in Northampton.
Frank Newton, Ltd., of St. Giles Garage, Northampton, which company has done a considerable amount of pioneer work on the commercial side of the industry, has, following the return of its 30-cwt. Napier demonstration an from the Grand Manceuvres, been using the same vehicle, on a seven days' march " through the county of Northampton, in the service of the Northamptonshire Regiment. Runs of fully 100 miles a day come well within the scope of such a machine, as performances during the Manceuvres again proved.
To Yorkshire Owners.
Kexby Bridge is under repair, and no vehicle weighing four tons or more is allowed to use it. All heavy traffic is sent by Elvington.
Berna Motors.
We had the opportunity, last week, to peruse the letter of appointment received by Mr. John Ya,rwood, in respect of the Berna agency. The character of this letter, which is dated Olten, the 2nd inst., is as follows : "In accordance with the agreement now existing between us, you are hereby appointed sole concessionnaires for the sale of chassis and spare parts of our manufacture throughout Great Britain and the Colonies. You are also authorized to appoint agents and representatives as may be necessary in the above-mentioned territory." The letter is addressed to John Yarwood and Co., Ltd., Bramber Road, Fulham.
Headlight Glare.
The new " Anti-Glare " device, to which a " One Hears" paragraph of last week referred, concerns an invention of Mr. Henry Sturrney of Coventry. Mr. Sturtney provides a transparent screen, which will intercept and cut out the dazzling ultra-violet rays, and he fits the screen as the peak of the driver's cap, in a, special manner. When a dazzling headlight is approaching, the driver, by a single movement of the hand, pulls the peak down over his eyes, and the optical effect of the screen is such as to render him indifferent to the usual influence of undimmed acetylene or other lights. The caps will shortly be placed on the market. by Branaco, Ltd., of Coventry. In addition, the company will make suitable screens for attachment to that portion of the windshield which will accommodate the screen suitably.
C.M.U.A. Lectures.
Drivers of steam wagons may still register for the series of four lectures at the R.A.C. Mr. G. W. Watson, M.I.Mech.E., will deliver these lectures, and the registration fee is only is. The first lecture in this section will be given on Wednesday next, the 22nd inst. Applications should be addressed to the Secretary of the 0.31.17.A., SO, Pall Mall, S.W.
McNamara and Co., Ltd.
As is indicated elsewhere (page 143), we have carefully studied the report of the directors of McNamara, and Co., Ltd., dated the 1st inst. We agree that a "disastrous change has come over the fortunes of the company, since the commencement of the new Post Office contract for the London mail service." The onerous conditions of the contract in question were hard to realize in advance, by either party, and the rate-cutting which occurred has brought about this inevitable sequel. The directors in part blame the price of petrol, and in part the refusal of the Postmaster-General to revise the rates.
We read, in one part of the report : "The best runs have been taken from the horse work to the motor section, but even with this advantage to the motor section, the fitting in of the runs means that the paying mileage only averages 21 miles per hour, which in itself makes it quite impossible to compare the running of this mail service with ordinary motor running as usually understood."
Again, examples are given to show the effect of detentions without payment, -a glaring example being the view of the Post Office that. " it was possible for an expensive motorcar to be kept for 25 minutes at a Post Office, and then be despatched on a journey occupying two minutes, and kept for another 25 minutes, with the result that for the whole period of 52 minutes the company received a remuneration of 4.,;(1."
We observe that in the new contract, made by the Receiver with the Postmaster-General, the company is bound by the Department until June, 1917, but that the Department has the option, in December next, to terminate, the contract at the 30th June, 1914, "on payment of a penalty." It appears that. the loss for the year ended the 30th June last was no less than 4-95 000.