Opinions front Others.
Page 16
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Too Few Hackney-carriages in the Metropolis.
The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
11,026] Sir,—I am afraid your references to the shortage of hackney-carriages will not be appreciated by those who are trying to influence Scotland Yard to limit the total to 5,000. I agree with you that the public is often inconvenienced on wet nights, but will the increase to, say, 7,000 or 8,000 motorcabs overcome the difficulties upon which you commented in the issue for the 2nd September? It is at least open to question whether a motorcab driver could live if he had to wait about between 8.45 p.m. and 11 p.m. for the reward (! ) of a fare for even 60 long a trip as four miles, which is above the average. That aftertheatre run may be right away from his garage, and he may get nothing back. Further, people who don't want to get wet often desire to be driven merely to a. tube! These difficulties, of course, are not new to cabbies, who understand the law of averages.
My objection to any limitation is that it would create a dangerous precedent, and give something approaching a two-thirds monopoly to a single company. Action of that kind by any public official in London is unknown, and it should certainly be left to the competing interests to work out their own futures without anything of that nature. If two-thirds—or any other considerable fraction--of London motoreab licences ever become the property of a group of financiers, it strikes me that the cab-user will suffer in the end.—Yours faithfully, II. J. Wimexts.
1,000 Taxis Idle.
The Editor, THE Comm-semi, MOTOR.
[1,027] Sir,—My attention has been drawn to an article which appeared in "The Evening News" of last Monday entitled " 1,000 Taxis Idle." The writer states that, to his knowledge, "rows of cabs, fully equipped and ready to be placed on the streets, are standing idle in the garages." In an interview with someone who is described as being connected with "one of the biggest firms," this gentleman states that " the explanation seems to be that we have come to the end of the raw material . . . the only applicants we get are middle-aged and they are not the best men for the work. . . We have found that ex-Army men make ideal drivers ; if only the regimental authorities would co-operate with us, I believe it would be of immense benefit to all concerned."
Now, while admitting that the supply of suitable men, at the present time, is none too generous, in the case of my own company, I am able to assure you that I have found no difficulty in securing sufficient raw material. I certainly do not favour the employment of men who have been trained in the yards of the biggest companies. My raw material is mostly drawn from the cab ranks and from the army of young drivers of horse vans in and around the Metropolis. There is an inexhaustible supply of such " material " in my opinion. It is, however, advisable to seek out suitable men of this class in likely directions, and not to sit dawn and wait for would-be drivers to roll up to the training department when they think they will. A well-organized training school of suitable dimensions, in charge of a carefully-chosen instructor or two, should solve all the difficulties of the" biggest firm " referred to above. I consider that, if they have " rows of cabs " idle, it is the result of poor organization—or, the cabs may be "unfit."
So far as the suggestion that ex-Army men make the best drivers is concerned, I will readily agree that the discipline to which they have been accustomed is a valuable characteristic, but it is only here and there that the ex-Army man has sufficient "knowledge of London" to enable him to pass the Scotland Yard examination in this direction. The inability to secure men with an intimate knowledge of all parts of London is really the only serious drawback, if there be one, to the securing of an adequate 'supply of suitable men, and this is a point which is not
mentioned in your contemporary's article. In my opinion, a man cannot be taught such knowledge in a short while or at a school; he must have had extensive local experience on the road. That there are plenty of men with such knowledge, I have no reason to doubt. I can always get plenty, but I do so with some pretence of method and care ; it pays in the end.—Yours faithfully, London. "Tan OWNER."
Users*.Experiences.
The Editor, THE COMmEncTAL Moron.
[1,0283,—During the past week, I have received further proof that motor transport is occupying the serious attention of big commercial houses: I was called in to consult with a traffic manager who has to arrange for the transportation of thousands of tons per month. I Was surprised to find that I was talking to one whose confidence in motor transport was nearly equal to my own as regards reliability, and in advance as regards economy.
Within the past few weeks, I have had the opportunity of testing a steam lorry fitted with rubber tires, which vehicle has been specially designed as a steam-wagon maker's reply to the challenge which petrol-lorry makers have recently thrown out to him in the five-ton machines they are placing on the market. The machine is designed practically on the lines I advocated in my letter of the 25th March and it more than bore out the optimistic forecast in which I then indulged. Mr. " Observer's" letter (No. 1,017) was specially interesting to me, as the owner of an old machine, and the subject is too serious to be dismissed with the sneer thrown out by Mr. D. Roberts that such a scheme as Mr. " Observer " suggests is merely an opportunity for manufacturers to foist unreliable goods on an unsuspecting public. The suggestion was addressed in the first place to carriers, not the general public, and I imagine Mr. " Observer " was aware that we as carriers are exceptionally placed in having to supply the latest type of machine to those for whom we carry if we intend to retain our customers. Moreover, our work is of an exceptionallydifficult nature, and we are obliged to discard machines for regular service which could still be used to advantage on lighter work such as Mr. " Observer" suggests. At present, the only market in which we can dispose of such machines is in the second-hand machinery market, which is controlled by men who are not in touch with the motorlorry movement, and who therefore require to purchase at absurdly-low prices, as being a transaction outside their ordinary line of business. I think it would be well if manufacturers took up the subject and opened departments to their establishments for dealing entirely with second-hand machines of their own make. The reply they give at present, that their business is to sell new machines and not old ones, is simply begging the question and hampering their business and ours as well.
I am trying a drastic method of dealing with a straighttube vertical boiler I have. The tubes are always giving way at the bottom ends, owing, I presume, to the action of a flat crown-plate, so I am having the tube ends welded solid with the crown-plate, as a last expedient, before putting in a curved plate.
I am very much interested in THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR Drivers' Insurance Policy, which is a further proof of how keenly your paper watches the requirements of its readers. As an employer, I do not seem, however, to be able to take advantage of it in its present form, and I shall he interested to know whether it can be adapted for the use of such as myself.
Our log sheet for the week is as follows: earnings, £72; mileage, 980; tonnage, ISO; percentage of work done, 95; coke used, 8 tons ; oil (gear), 10 gallons; oil (cylinder), 41 gallons.—Yours faithfully,
MOTOR-WAGON CARRIER.
[If our correspondent will submit any suggestions as to modification of She policy, or the terms, we shall be happy to consider them.-5o.]