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Approved Depots.—Article VIII.

19th April 1917, Page 4
19th April 1917
Page 4
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Page 4, 19th April 1917 — Approved Depots.—Article VIII.
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

The Bristol Depot of a West Country Company which Places Commercial Motors First.

Victoria Street, Bristol, is a noteworthy thoroughfare for a combination of reasons. The Temple Meads passenger and goods stations of the Great Western Railway occupy a large frontage on one side of it, and it is between the entrances to these two railway areas, but opposite to them, that one finds Bristol's "Approved depot." We refer to No.. 141, Victoria. Street, where Harris and Ha,sell, Ltd., has for years past been developing a trade connection which ii testimony alike to determination and fitness to cater successfully for commercial-motor users in the west of England.

Bristol has been in the past none too happily placed in the matter of accommodation for commercialmotor users. All who participated in the R.A.C. trials of 1907 will recall the relegation of the competing vehicles to the cattle market. That Corporation area, as a matter of fact, still remains on record in the C.M.U.A. handbook of approved depots as the best available storage in the city, but Harris and Hama, Ltd., is going the right way to ameliorate a state of affairs which is certainly not satisfactory to every interested party. Going further back into the history of automobilism, we well recall our arrival in Bristol, in Mr. J. A. Holder's 12 h.p. Daintier, in the month of April, 1900, when the best depot in the town was a drifIriall at the top of a hill, up which most of the cars found it highly difficult to climb. We must not, however, dip too far or at too great length into history. Our present concern with Harris and Hasell, Ltd., is to deal with the provision which the company makes to look after users and intending. users of commercial raotors in Bristol and district. We are not at the moment concerned to refer to the company's activities in other parts of the west and south-west of the kingdom, and we must be content, therefore, to mention incidentally that like activities might be chronicled in and around Plymouth, Bournemouth, Newport, Swansea and Cardiff. We are no more concerned, which is also to be noted, primarily at least, with . the company's activities as district agents and representatives of manufacturers of commercial motors and allied supplies, but we may briefly record our appreciation of the pioneer work which Harris and Hascll, Ltd., has done intate interests of Karrier, Palladium, Star and Reo chassis, and above all in regard to WoodMilne Aires. Representation for the Austin 2-3-tanner has recently been added to the foregoing. The company, too, has good results to its credit in sales of Hoyt antifriction metals and Maxima motor oils, amongst other supplies.

It was our pleasure one day last week to be received in Bristol by Mr. C. C. Harris, managing director of the company, a message of regret Concerning his enforeed absence on military duties having been left for us by Mr. W. A. G. Resell. We explained to Mr. Harris our decision not to admit for inclusion in our series of " Approved Depots" a single establishment which it was impossible for us to visit and inspect. We also told him that he must be prepared, if necessary, for us to decide that the depot--or rather depots—that we were to view appeared unsuitable. We were, as is now selfevident, quickly satisfied that the pro,vision, equipment and preparations of Barris and Hasell; Ltd., did justify inclusion.

The company's premises at 141, Victoria Street, were.. originally used as a brewery. They possess the advantage of front and back entrances, thus providing the essential commercial factor of a run-through. Nobody who has not dealt with numbers of commercial vehicles can appreciate the importance of this facility, especially where the construction of a depot is such that sufficient width of passage-way is not available for two vehicles to be manceuvred past one another at all points. Our plan-view of the premises in Victoria Street will render apparent the usefulness, in the present instance under notice, of there being available two points of inL,wess or egress.

The foregoing comments upon the limitations of space under which our friends at Bristol have to laboar., but. which space they utilize with wonderful efficiency and to the utmost, must not be allowed to convey the impression that a sudden inrush of large corn inercial motors might place them at any disadvantage. Such is not the case. The remedy for any such contingent difficulty is found in their neighbouring depot at Bath Parade, which second or " service " depot is little more than 150 yds. from the Temple Street entrance at the back of the Victoria-Street premises, and perhaps some 300 yds. in a direct line along Victoria Street. One may broadly state that the G.W.R. Temple Meads passenger station is midway between the two depots, which statement gives an excellent idea of the central positions which they occupy, and of their proximity to one another. No commercial motor can be too big, even under full load, for the accommodation at 'Bath Parade. There is good yard-space for steam vehicles, whilst the space

for other types is both enclosed and covered.

Reverting to the premises in Victoria Street, we may say that the whole of the building is fireproof in detail, being of coecrete or ferro-concrete with metal windowframes. This type Of construction helps materially to lower the insurance rates which are applicable. The adaptations and alterations to this end have been numerous and thorough. The front entrance offers sufficient headroom to admit a WD. subsidy-type Kamer threetionner ; the sliding doors at the rear, in Temple Street, which give immediate access to the repair shop, are of sufficient height to allow complete vehicles being brought in.

The apparent irregularity of the ground-floor space, as compared with the basement (in which a huge stock of Wood-Milne tires and other supplies is constantly available), in fact conveys a suggestion of difficulties which a personal in-, spection does much to remove. Mention of the stock of WoodMilne tires prompts us to state that e, varies between a total of 3000 and 4000 tires, covering both pneumatics and solids. Mr. Harris, we recall, was the managing representative and distributor for Wood-Milne tires, in the Bristol district, from the time of the establishment of this •branch by Wood-Milne, Ltd., many years ago, beginning with the patenled "Steelastic " tire. Apropos the solid-tire work, we should record that a tire press is on order for immediate installation.

The Bowser system of petrol storage, with a capacity. of 1000 gallons, is completely.built into a concrete chamber; it is found in the basement, at the rear of the premises. A heating apparatus is

separately located below the normal basement level, and this amply provides for the heating of all the premises, by means of a system of hot-water pipes. The lighting ghting throughout s by eke t tufty.

There is space in the showroom portion of the premises at Victoria Street for five chassis ; an additional six to ten chassis can at one time be disposed, either for storage or work on them, in the Moreinterior portions., and right up to the doors at Temple Street. The double sliding doors here are close to the overhead travelling pipe• of the Bowser installation, in order to enable drivers conveniently.to replenish the petrol tanks.

The repair shop depends for its power upon a. 10 h.p. gas engine, and includes the usual range of tools to enable good overhauling and maintenance work to be done. There is a convenient pit, and also a special type of portable lifting crane to enable certain jobs to be done without the necessity for recourse to the use of the pit. Apart from the installation for providing artificial light, the building is exceptionally-well lighted, notwithstanding its peculiar constructional features. Direct daylight reaches all parts, except the basement.

The first floor is devoted to office accommodation, the vulcanizing plant, and the charging apparatus for electric batteries. The second, third and fourth floors provide residential accommodation, with a kitchen on the top floor, a lift-connecting the several stages.

The additional facilities at Bath Parade were initially providai as a temporary war-period measure, but their use promises to be permanent. We certainly hope that it will. On the occasion of our visit, we found a considerable section of the covered accommodation there in the regular use of the Shell Marketing Co., Ltd., for the distribution of Shell motor'spirit. The premises were also being equipped to regularize the arrangements for running repairs, store-keeping, etc. The permanent retention of these premises, so far as we can gather, is dependent upon the ability or inability of Harris and Hasell, Ltd., to find more-extensive premises at an early date. Kis the couipany's intention to acquire a site for the erection of new premises, with all essentials to cover the storage and maintenance of large numbers of commercial motors, but we forecast that the central position of the depot at Bath Parade, particularly when considered in relation to its

nearness to 141, Victoria Street, will in the end result in the company's having three linked establishments in Bristol.

The key-note to the success of Harris and Hawn, Ltd., is undoubtedly found in the word "service." Both its existing depots are service depots in the best sense of i the word, n that they are backed by practical men, who know their job, have been through The mill of experience, and have in their employ capable mechanics. The result is a growing volume of repeat business of all kinds—for new vehicles, overhauls, maintenance contracts, and permanent instructions for supplies. The company's conception of service, in which we heartily concur,extends to the ownership of a number of substitution vehicles, in order to keep various owner-customers going while overhauls or repairs are being done in the shops. Accommodation service of this kind is known to be a great magnet to, the non-mechanical owner of a commercial motor. It has another advantage, from the point of view of the proprietor of the depot, in that he is automatically provided with traffic for his own vehicles contemporaneously with his earning money on repair work, while his customers' own vehicles are • entrusted to him for that purpose.

Mr. Harris-shoseed us some of his recent accounts, and one of them; we observed, showed the sum of 254 earned on repairs for a particular customer, the while the substitution vehicle, hired to the same customer by Harris and Hiteell, Ltd., earned no less than 260 on a mileage rate.

We were particularly interested to hear the complete endorsement by this Bristol company of our esti,. mate that any " Approved depot" might • eventually expect to earn 25000 a year on the storage, running and maintenance of 50 average commercial Vehicles, provided the arrangements under which the work was done were such as to enable the depot to take the suppliers' profits on the fuel, tires and other consumable stores. •

Harris and Resell; Ltd., we were interested to find, does a steady haulage business at the present' time; -including a large milk traffic by motor, and generally accepts contracts for The conveyance of all loads between two and four tons. The company appears to give the

same valuable consideration in haulage work as it is locally known to give in respect of repairs—a clean and straight deal every time. On the lighter side, it does a certain amount of work of trade cartage and delivery with Ford and Reo vans. The directors are not in favour of part-exchange business, because so many unsuitable and old converted pleasure cars then fall upon the depot as a troublesome load, the cost of which must be recovered in some way over the deals which are based upon such transactions. This course has been deliberately adopted.

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