News and Comment.
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This journal fosters, represents, and chronicles commercial motoring in all its branches : our normal weekly circulation exceeds 8,000 copies, exclusive of any extra mailings of special issues.
R.A.C. Trials.
Pages 39 to 48 contain the second instalment of our Trials' report, together with such official records as were available on Tuesday night.
Queer Titles.
The R.A.C. is being re-christened several times daily. One of the latest efforts, from the " Derby Advertiser," reads—" These are the trials organised by the Royal Automobile Club of Commercial Motor Vehicles." Punctuation, or lack of it, may provide the explanation here.
Lectures.
The address, by the Editor of "THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR," to the Bristol Incorporated Chamber of Commerce and Shipping is printed on pages 53 to 55. A similar address was delivered on Tuesday afternoon last, before the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce.
Our 48-page Booklet.
Many fresh congratulations have reached us upon the early publication and 'useful contents of the 48-page, illustrated booklet (with inset) of which we published 20,000 copies on the 7th instant. Not a few of those who have expressed their appreciations add that they have learnt enough to lead them to take a closer interest in the utility vehicle, and we are glad to see confirmation of our belief that the value of the booklet would not cease with the trials, It is eminently desirable to retain the interest of new people, and the primary object of this early report, as well as of the •=nethod of advance distribution which we adopted, is to attract fresh readers both for the period of the tests and thereafter. Its scheme of compilation is for the convenience of the prospective user in the towns en route, and not merely for distribution amongst the limited circle of members of the trade, observers, and drivers, who are with the vehicles, A Smoking Concert.
The Editor has arranged to give a "COMMERCIAL MOTOR" Smoking Concert before the end of the great demonstration run which is now in progress. A large amount of talent is available. amongst those who are following the trials in various tapacities, and such a function will, we ate sure, be welcomed by the large number of people, estimated at 220, whO are on tour. Particulars of time, place and programme will be given at an early date.
Headquarters to Exhibitions.
The Milnes-Daimler omnibus, which is being used as our auxiliary, travelling office, is also at the disposal of holders of our complimentary tickets who may desire to travel between the hotel at which the Club's headquarters are established and the local exhibition. It
is scheduled to leave the hotels at ts three, four, and five o'clock, and leave the exhibitions at the half-ho from 2.30 p.m. to 5.30 p.m.
Parisian Motorcab Tariffs.
The " Auto" is calling a meeting representatives of motorcab cot-Ivan drivers, and the public interested, IA a view to aiding in the unification motorcab tariffs in Paris. At the sa time, the Prefect of Police has the sa question under consideration, and, newspaper and other influences are uniform charges, it is hoped to bring the exploiting concerns into line establish a fixed and general scale.
A Financial Statement.
At the meeting of the Metropoli Asylums Board, on Saturday last; letter was received from the IA Government Board asking for a ix plete statement of the expenditure motor transport, and of the extent which that form of conveyance 1 been adopted; also, a compara. statement of the results, financial ; administrative, of motor haulage ; horse traction. The communicat was referred to the Finance Commit French Postal Vans.
Postal vans in Paris and other la towns in France are now chiefly s propelled, whilst in some of the stna centres also the motor vehicle is s. planting the horse van. The latest velopment in this transformation cot from the South of France, the Admi tration des Postes et Telegraphes flouncing that it is open to receive I ders for motorvans to operate betw Draguignan (Var) and Castell (Basses-Alpes).
A Special Use.
The accompanying illustration is 20h.p. Halley van, but it will be ru that the body is of a special type. 1 vehicle has been built to the order Nobel's Explosives Company, Limi of Glasgow and London, and it wit used in London with a 4ocwt. load. ( of the unique features in this vehicl the fireproof screen, which divides body from the driver's seat, and is tinued underneath the body to the extremity of the chassis; the extere of this screen will be noticed behind exhaust-box. The chassis is of the c pany's latest type, fitted with sr rubber tires to all wheels, and is I structed to the same designs as the which is now taking part in Clas of the R.A.C. trials. Our real should note that the company's s manager, Mr. Sharp, is following trials in a 2ocwt. demonstration van object being to meet agents in the 7 lands, Lancashire and Yorkshire, a view to the settlement of terms local agencies. Hoyland Urban District Council innds to purchase a steam wagon, and e estimated cost, with shed, is -,C7oo.
Swansea's Ambulance. Captain J. Colquhoun, Chief Conable of Swansea, informs us that the rider of Wilson and Stockall, Limited, Bury, Lancashire, has been accepted r the building of the body for the otor ambulance which has recently en purchased by the County Borough Swansea. The chassis is one of the mhard and Levassor make.
German Trials.
It looks as though the commercial otor trials of the Imperial German .ub would be nearly as well supported those of the R.A.C., for there were ly 13 less entries when the list closed, ordinary entry fee, on the 1st inant. No British manufacturers have tered up to the date of our last adbut both Italy and Switzerland .11 be represented.
How Long?
The projected flotation of the Rover otor Cab Company appears to hang e, and we do not know why notices ire allowed to be sent to the Press. are than two months ago, when, as ents have proved, they were so obvisly premature. It looks as though a members of the syndicate who have arge of this matter do not know their in minds, and they are certainly isening their ,chances of success by air method of handling the contemited promotion. The Rover chassis an excellent one for cab purposes, and a intended company has the advanTe of competent engineering advice. ie syndicate will require to carry out scheme without further delay, or to 7,e collapse, and its prospects have
rtainly not been improved by the ivate circulation of a prospectus ering 293,100 shares of is. each, of a :al authorised capital of £ao,000 in D,000 such shares, for subscription. the intended larger promotion cannot brought to a head at once, it might well be abandoned sine die.
Mr. Sidney W. Lewis, whose photograph we reproduce herewith, is now in charge of the heavy vehicle and export department of Fiat Motors, Limited. Mr. Lewis was for t6 years connected with John Birch and Company, Limited, engineering merchants, of London, and was latterly in charge of
that company's expoi-t motor department. He is a much-travelled man, and has gained experience in many lands, all of which should prove invaluable to him in his present capacity The Fiat Company has already established extensive connections for its commercial vehicles in different parts of the Eas-tern and Western Hemispheres.
After Seven Years.
It is now seven years since the Albion Motor Car Company, Limited, of Glasgow, gave a considerable portion of its attention to the possibilities of motor vehicles for cOnarnercial purposes, and it well deserves the prominent position which is now occupies in the production of all classes of motorvans, chars-a-ba.ncs, etc., as this place amongst the leaders has been achieved by the sterling qualities of the vehicles it has placed on the market. The special features of the Albion engine are its reliability and simplicity of design, and its almost automatic action throughout, thus reducing to a minimum any possi
bility of mishap through carelessness or ignorance on the part of a driver. The War Office, and the Governments of India, New Zealand, and the Straits Settlements have placed orders for a considerable number of vehicles with this company. The sole concessionnaire far Albion vehicles in England and Wales is the Lacre Motorcar Co., Ltd.
Next Year's French Trials.
At its last sitting, the trials committee of the Automobile Club de France, presided over by the Marquis ‘..a Dion, decided to hold next year's trials for commercial vehicles towards the close of April, The method of procedure, it seems, will be pretty much the same as that of the recent trials, and the total distance of the daily itineraries will amount to about 4,000 kilometres. It will, of course, be some time yet before the details of the tests will be published, and it will be a matter of months before it becomes known whether the committee will depart in any important respect from the conditions for the 1907 trials. In June last, at a public dinner, the Marquis de Dion expressed the hope that it would be practicable to arrange a series of trials during the winter, so as to demonstrate the efficiency of French motor vehicles in all seasons, but since the official communiva concerning the meeting mentioned above makes no reference to this suggestion, it must be assumed that it was not discussed and that the idea has dropped.
The trials committee is looking out for a stretch of road which might be adopted as a permanent circuit for the A.C.F.'s different competitions. In no reSpect would this circuit resemble the Brooklands track, or the Kaiser's proposed autodrome, the notion being to obtain a suitable highway running through a hilly district. Forty kilometres must be the minimum length of this circuit. The cenunittee is now open to receive propositions from regions where the local authorities have a suitable road to offer, and are enterprising enough to avail themselves of the commercial benefits which other Continental automobile centres have derived from the motor industry.