Parade Notices.
Page 5
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400 Commercial Motors to Take Part: Coronation Dinner to 1,200 Drivers and their Friends. C.M.U.A. Arrangements for Completion of Judging.
The working members of the Parade and the Judges Committees of the Commercial Motor Users Association have been extremely busy during the past fortnight, together with the .ecretary, Mr. F. a. Bristow, and practically everything precedent to the actual meet and parade is finished. Upwards of 100 drivers, who are entered. for the championship prizes, have been orally examined, apart from the careful scrutiny of their logs, whilst those who proved to be highest marked at their first hearing were summoned to attend at 89, Pall Mall, a second time, in order that the ultimate markings of the leading men might be settled with the utmost degree of care. Some 20 engineers in charge of fleets have also come before the Judges Committee, and have submitted particulars to satisfy that committee in respect of the questions put. It therefore comes about that, in contradistinction to the practice in previous competitions, at which it was impossible to settle any of the awards before the day of the parade, that the judges have already communicated to the secretary their decisions in regard to the championship and certain other markings. This forward state of affairs will greatly facilitate proceedings on Monday next.
Appearance Prizes.
There are to be three grades of award for appearance on parade : ten " starred " first prizes of 12 each ; 20 first-class prizes of 308. each ; and 100 secondclass prizes of 21 each. The cash awards under this head, quite apart from the value of the prizes mentioned in the above paragraph, will therefore reach a total of .2150. In addition to this sum, there are numerous special prizes, for allocation to drivers in charge of particular vehicles, or whose vehicles are fitted with particular makes of tires, etc., etc., aggregating a further 2173. No driver VI ill be allowed to take a greater sum than 25, jointly in respect of appearance or special prizes, but any of the three win. ners in the championship competition may take that sum additionally. Any odd amounts which may be rendered available by reason of the operation of this £5 limit will be passed on to the drivers who are classed next in order in the same special sect ion
The Continental and the Polack silver cups will be awarded to owners, and not to drivers.
Team Section.
There are now 37 teams in competition for the Silver Challenge Cup which was presented last year, by the proprietors of THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR, for annual competition at the C.M.U.A. Parade. A second team has been entered by Thomas Tilling, Ltd. In this competition, each driver in the winning team will receive a souvenir medal, whilst the judges have it at their discretion to award a consolation prize to drivers of the team which most nearly approaches the marking of the winners for the year.
The Assembly.
It will be a busy sight, from about 9.30 a.m. to 10 a.m., on Monday morning next, in the roads which adjoin Earl's Court. The assembly is to take place outside the exhibition grounds, as it has been found to be a physical impossibility to arrange free space inside the grounds for so many as 400 machines— largely owing to the intervention of certain officials of the London County Council, who appear to fear that the exhibition would be unduly congested by the admission of 400 vehicles of the kind, which view is probably correct. The thoroughfares that have been chosen are : Seagrave Road ; St. Oswald's Road ; Tarnworth Street ; Sedlescombe Road ; Racton Road ;
Anselm Road; Halford Road; Armadale Road; Eustace Road ; 31errington Road; Hildyard Road ; Rickett Street ; and Micklethwaite Road. Drivers are required to approach these thoroughfares by way of Lillie Bridge. On arrival, they will find marshals ready to direct them to their stations, although this matter of taking up positions should already be well understood by each man, seeing that a marked plan of the assembly area will already have reached him, or the head of his department, by post. Such communications should be in the hands of drivers by Saturday.
Drivers must stand by their machines, after taking up station, until they are informed by the judges that they may leave them. Their mates and friends need not stand by, but can go into the exhibition if they choose to do so. Only men to whom rosettes are issued can gain admission and re admission to the exhibition.
The Dinner: Awards.
It is expected that the judges will have completed their examination of the machines by one o'clock. As, however, the dinner will be served at two sittings, one each at 12.30 p.m. and 1.30 p.m., the judges' rounds will be so arranged that the men who have cards for the first sitting will be free in ample time to go inside the Exhibition. The sitting for which each card of admission is available will be clearly stated on the card. All drivers will be required to be again in attendance at their machines at 2.30 p.m. prompt, and it is expected that the award cards will be distributed between 2.45 p.m. and 3 p.m.
The Parade.
Shortly after three o'clock, all drivers who have secured prizes will be required to parade with their vehicles in accordance with the instructions of the marshals. It is expected that the prize money will be distributed to them as they drive along the roadway inside the Western Gardens of Earl's Court immediately opposite the Old Welcome Club, where the C.M.U.A. official luncheon to the Press and other guests will have been concluded by that time. The Committee is not able, at the moment of going to press, to decide what facilities for parade can be afforded to the drivers of other machines, as no decision can be taken until about 2 p.m. on Monday, when a conference will be held with the directors of the Earl's Court Exhibition, on the spot. In any event, drivers will be allowed to leave their machines on the original stations allotted to them for as long as they like in the afternoon and evening, as the Association has made arrangements with the local authorities for any clinker or other debris to be cleared from the roadway when the vehicles leave.
Watering Facilities. Two water tank-wagons will attend the parade ground, and will move along the line of vehicles in order to allow any steam vehicle to draw supplies. No driver of a steam lorry may leave station for the purpose of obtaining water, as such action on his part might cause congestion or confusion. He must either send his mate to look for one of the water tank-wagons, or ask one of the marshals to arrange that the supply is brought to his vehicle. Drivers are strongly urged to see that their tanks are filled with water before leaving their stations to attend the dinner. Drivers are not at liberty to draw their fires, should they decide to do so, until the awards have been announced and the parade has taken place, i.e., probably about 3.30 p.m. or 4 p.m. Drivers are also warned to secure their tool-kits and personal belongings, before leaving their vehicles.