Answers to Queries.
Page 18
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A Cheaper Welsh Coal.
[2025] '' BERES." writes I notice in your issue of THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR of the 29th August, that 'One Hears' reads : 'That Ferndale coal is quite as good as Nixon's Navigation.'
Will you be so good as to give me a little more information re this coal, and tell me where it is to be purchased ? Can you also tell me about what price per ton it is ?"
ANSWER.-12'erndale coal is handled by Messrs. G. Iii-nchcliffe and Co., of 125, Pancras Road, London, N.W. We do not know the exact price, but we know that it is lower than Nixon's Navigation. Our authority for the paragraph which you quote was the good opinion of Yorke, Stoneham and Jones, Ltd., the motor contractors, of Deptford.
A Question of Definition.
[2026] " SHOPREEPER " writ-es:—" How would you define the following :—(1) a motorcycle ; (2) a parcelcar ; (3) a. motorvan? "
ANSWER.—(1) A motorcycle must have not more than three wheels, and must weigh not more than 3 cwt.; (2) a parcelcar may have either three or four wheels, and usually does not exceed an unladen weight of 7 cwt., below which unladen weight no reverse gear is required by law to be fitted ; (3) a motorvan usually exceeds 7 cwt. in weight unladen, is fitted with areverse gear, has four wheels, and is of more-substantial construction and greater power than a parcelcar.
There is, of course, no exact definition either of a parcelcar or a motoman, and the two classes overlap frequently.
What Shall They Charge?
[2027] "OWNERS FOR OWN USE" write :—" Would you kindly oblige us by advising what is the correct charge to make, per ton, for delivering goods, from Ealing to Wallington in Surrey. We have a commercial vehicle, but so far have only used it for our own carting, but we obliged a customer with the use of our van, and of course do not wish to overcharge ?"
AissvrEa.—Your inquiry is in very general terms, and it is therefore a difficult matter to answer it. You do not state the weight of goods you have carried, or the capacity of your vehicle. Assuming that your van is of a capacity of one ton or less, you should work out your charge on the basis of 7d. per mile run, counting mileage both ways. That will leave you a fair margin of profit. If the vehicle is of two tons capacity, make the charge 10d. per mile ; if it be three tons, is. Id, per mile ; and if above three tons, Is. 4d. per mile. Divide out, to get charge per ton.
Opening for a Promotion and
Proposals for Handling it.
[20281 " TOWNSMAN" writes :—" Having received your valuable assistance on past occasions, I again ask you for your kindly help. What I have in hand now is the formation of a motor concern for my county.
to be known as The Co-operative Society of Commercial Motors.
"In this part of the country, there is a population of over 40,000 people, and the industries are coal, brick, iron, lead, etc., with a very rich farming district. Now, my object is to raise about £10,000 or £12,000 to work under the above-mentioned name, and to run both passenger and goods vehicles. As you are without a doubt aware, railway motors rut' in this district, and that is the only thing the people here are afraid of ; they think, if they should form up a company, the railway company would run against them, I think there is an Act of Parliament which restricts railway companies to running motorbuses, and I carry the idea in my mind that such an Act, if there be one, reads something in the following manner: That railway companies can only run motorbuses in the first place when they have a railway station at each end of the route, and, having a station at each end, that they are only allowed to carry passengers who are going to use their trains, and that they are not allowed to pick up and set down
ordinary passengers, as the Railway do over here at present. They also issue motorbus market tickets.
" I might here say that the people here are death on the railway, and I can assure you that, if there is such an Act regulating railway companies with motorbuses, then I have got the engine for the new motor concern, and with a fair wind will set sail in the early spring of next year, and I shall be most pleased if you could let me know whether there is such an Act in force or not.
"My intentions are to get as many £1 shares in as possible, also 10s. and 5s. shares, and perhaps 2s. 6d. shares. My chief object is to try and get everyone interested, so that, by travelling by the proposed cars, they will be paying into their own concern, and therefore will patronize no other cars. " To enable the people to understand the proposed scheme rightly, I thought of holding public meetings at different towns and villages which are to be worked by the scheme, and I should be pleased to know whether it would be possible to -have a representative of yours over with lantern slides, and also for him to read out some working figures, and notes of some such motor concerns, and what would be your charge—say, to have him over for a week?
"Do you think the Milnes-Daimler Hiring Department would hire, say, two or three cars to run from now until the company was worked up, as, by doing this, they would have a very good chance to supply the new cars, or do you think any other good makers would? They would be able to take about £24 per week at the least for a total mileage of about 300 each car. There is a splendid opening here for motor mails also."
ANSWER—YOU will find it very difficult to get help to promote a company from any manufacturer merely on the prospect of business. We shall Proceed to make inquiries about the restriction of powers which are vested in railway companies. We think that they have general powers in any district, unless they are opposed by the local council. Probably you are recalling the case of the Mersey Railway, but their original powers were of a specific and very narrow character, and certainly not comparable to the powers that are undoubtedly possessed by the G.W.Ry. and other great lines,
It is out of the question that we should arrange for any member of our staff to go down to give lectures, etc., as we are otherwise occupied with our own work, but we can make a suggestion that may be of service to you.
Your best course is to draw up the scheme of working in detail, showing the rounds which you would serve consistently, and totalling up the miles per week that would be run. On the other side, you should make a proper estimate, as near as you can, of revenue. When you have got the data together in respect of these matters, you ought to have the oninion on the spot of an expert such as Mr. Geo. W. Watson, M.I.Mech.E., M.I.A.E. Alternatively, if you got the whole of the data together and came to see us in London, we could help further.