Neutral Notes.
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It behoves British users, at the present time, when they are being offered American chassis in such numbers substitutes for many home products which cannot be supplied, to keep themselves better informed than usual actual commercial-vehicle activities in the United States.
Four-wheel Drive.
Plant is being laid down to manufacture a new type of American four-wheel-drive chassis. It is proposed to adopt the principle involved both for use on passengercarrying and on goods-conveying vehicles.
Trailers for Jitneys.
A new concern in Erie is Making trailers to be attached to atitomobiles for carrying luggage:. Of-particular interest, hoWever, is the fact that one special type' Of trailer in being designed for attachment to jitneys, so as to render it possible to carry, during rush hour, more than the normal. number of passengers.
Sterling nee Sternberg. , The Sternberg Motor Track Co. originally incorporated as the Sternberg Manufacturing Co., Milwaukee, Wisconsin, ' has' now changed its title, the new style being-Sterling Motor Truck. Co. Ostensibly the change is made to conform with the adoption of the name "Sterling" as the trade mark on its motor trucks.
It is stated that this change of name does not mean that the Sternberg Brothers are no longer inter-, ested in the concern, but is merely, concession to ,AllieA prejudice against Teutonic-sounding names.'
• . The Gramm Output. .
The • Gramm-Bernstein Co.,
whose output up to last year was twenty-five trucks per month, is now stated to be producing and shipping four times that number. A considerable proportion of-these is being despatched to Engl. and and France,. where the vehicle is known as the "Garner." Arrangements are now being made for a further increase in output, which, it is clainied; will bring the total up to 156,per month.
The Locomobile Co.
The Locomobile concern has found it necessary to increase the capacity of its plant to cope with the war orders which it is receiv
big, last one wai for five hundred of the new worm,driven type and was from Great Britain and Russia.-This is in addition to orders of considerable proportions from' France. Forty of the trucks for Russia have to be fitted up as soup kitchens. . Officers from each of the three. countrieS nained, are continually. 'in :attendance it the factory inspecting and checking the goods, -before they are finallY passed for shipment. Described in Last Issue.
Contracts have been closed between the International Motor Co. of New York and Milnes-DaimlerMercedes, Ltd., of London, for the former to complete a number of Mack worm-driven vehicles for distribution in Great Britain by the latter concern. The agreement is stated to extend over a period of two years.
A Troublesome Accessory.
American accessory makers are nothing if not ingenious. The latest invention has for its object the prevention of the theft of a car.
It isMade in the form of a cover plate on which the words "Stolen Car" are printed in prominent characters, it is so placed as to obliterate the licence number. It is arranged to be quickly placed in position and as rapidly detached. It is fastened securely when in place by means of a lock and bolt. Without having had any experience of the use of this accessory, our own first query is : What is going to happen to the user who, after having been away from his car for 2,0'mintes or so and having left it with this plate in position, returns to find the car in the hands 'n.f the
• police and who is asked to prove ownership or, worse still, to that absent-minded person who drives off without first removing the plate?
Fenders in New York. .
The principal bus company in New York has recently adopted a wooden safety fender which is an exact copy of that used on the Btype buses m London. An interesting feature about the installation was that it _was arranged to .fit everyone of 150. vehicles with fen-. clefs •:during one night: including' the drilling ef the frames. This was successfully adcortPlished by 25 workmen. Co-operative Commercial Users.
What is called a "Community Truck" scheme is being tried in various localities with satisfactory results, a number of tradesmen, or market gardeners and small farmers combining to purchase a, truck. It may be employed for hauling grain, moving household goods, transferring baled hay, etc. In the summer week-ends -it might even be employed as a passenger-vehicle conveying picnic crowds and so on for a nominal fee, showing a small profit on the capital outlay.
Truck Exports on the Up Grade.
It is evident that the record of trucks 'exported in April of this year has not settled the limit. The muriVer exported. during May was 2426 as-compared-with 2267 in April, the comparative values being £15371;650 as 'against £1,091,766. Thisbrings the total of trucks exported for the 11 months ending the 31st May, up to 11,096, valued at £6,367,050. The corresponding figures for the period of 11 months' ended -May, 1914, were 694 trucks, valued at 222,115.
"Service."
The accompanying advice, which is _ from . a recent Issue of " The Onnlariercialirehiele " of . America, states in very .plain' terms. what ought to be meant . by. the term " service." Anehtthis particularly Yankee institution, the following cryptic statement, made atarecent meeting of service managers, is interesting : "The car bUyer' is usually a better salesman than the car salesman, else he weuld not have the money to buy a, car.Thus he sells the car salesman for whatever he wants in the way of free service."
Standard service policy is needed by manufacturer, dealerand owner to insure fairness and impartiality. , Service consists of. :providing, an adequate stock of, parts, mairing repairs quickly and cheaply and assisting the owner to give his vehicle proper care and atten tion. .
Free service an evil used by dealers in cut-throat competition . and exacted by owners who hold out the bait of repeat orders.
The time to settle the Service question with the owner is when the sale is made.
Service if rendered efficiently need not be gratis.
Service policies for trucks. 'Would ' differ from' those for passenger cars.