Opinions from Others.
Page 17
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Where Meta Foot-plates are Essential.
The Aditor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
1.1227] Sir,—In your issue for the 24th July, 1913, you mention—as a " One Hears "—that the metal footplates have an odd appearance. I might, perhaps, point out that this is one of the many points which are usually overlooked by European manufacturers in shipping motor chassis to hot climates. The effect of, say, the North American climate on wooden floor-boards, which are quite satisfactory in Europe, is such as to render them useless inside of two months.
It is the practice of this company to fit aluminium floor-plates on all their commercial chassis, and we have found that this is the only material, which, while being light and easily removed, will stand the climatic changes. Bearing in mind that the floorplates are exposed to the heat of the motor, the alternating from dry to saturated atmosphere makes it impossible to make a wooden floor-board that will remain in a useful condition.—Yours faithfully,
THE PIERCE-ARROW MOTOR CAR CO. H. KERR THOITAS, Assistant Manager.
Railways and Motor Service.
The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
[1223] Sir,—I cannot refrain from premising with a compliment to the originator of the idea for giving, in Tun COMMERCIAL Moron, two series of excellent illustrated articles, (a) on the N.E. Railway motor service., last year, and (b) the G.W. Railway ditto, recently. Perhaps other articles of a like nature will follow, because they have many phases of interest.
I am led to write by having noted the articles carefully, and also having been keeping my eyelids propped up recently in Wales. The development of the commercial motor in a brief period has been nothing short of amazing. But I was as much impressed by railway enterprise as by private firms' magnificent. catering per motor chars-k-bancs,
Obviously, to establish a railroad between places like Bettws-y-Coed and Llanberis, or between Bettwsand Corwen, or yet again between Bettws and Beddgelert, would be vastly expensive. It might pay : and it might not. A big sum of money would need to be sunk, and it might not bring in a return. Here, however, the L. and N.-W. Railway Co. is able to carry out. a gigantic experiment for an outlay of something not far into four figures of sovereigns. Amongst the motorbuses, with proper time-tables, that are in operation one was struck by the one from Bettws to Llanberis—not many years ago a lonesome road for pedestrians, then for cyclists, then for private motor-owners, and now for public motor vehicles. Similar enterprise characterizes other parts. Perhaps Tun COMMERCIAL MOTOR will demonstrate whether
they all pay.—Yours faithfully, O.B.
London Motor Traffic Inquiry.
The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOIt,
11229] Sir,—In your reports of the above in recent issues of the " CM.,' we are told that the Government advisers have pointed out that there is at present no instrument on the market that is a combination speed-indicator and audible-warning device, which can be relied upon for accuracy, and that. the wearing of the tires alone effects the accuracy of their records. And again, that it is only possible for such instruments to give warning of the maximum speed, so that they were otherwise useless so far as warning the driver before the actual speed limit was reached is concerned.
May we respectfully point out that when the time comes that the Government is ready to insist upon and order the fitting of such devices to motor omnibuses, or tramcars, it would be a comparatively-simple
matter to design an instrument which would not only indicate speeds accurately, and automatically compensate for tire wear, but give audible warning at any predetermined speeds below the maximum. We should like to receive an order for a thousand or two such instruments at anything like a, reasonable price, subject to satisfactory tests beforehand, but, with the uncertainty of such device ever being ordered, or required, to say nothing of the expense of getting out such an instrument, and the prejudice against it by the parties concerned, and last, but not least, the difficulties that are likely to be put in the way by interested parties, it is not to be wondered at that speedometer manufacturers are reluctant to adventure.--Yours faithfully,
MARKT AND CO (LONDON), LTD.
Engines at the Show.
The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
[1230] Sir, -It gave us much pleasure to read the remarks regarding our engine on pages 591 and 592 of your issue of 31st ult. We fear, however, that " Builder's " criticism of the water-spaces around the valves may be misunderstood, and we would like to say that we have a large number of our 32. h.p. engines running thoroughly satisfactorily in the tropics, in many cases the fuel being paraffin, which, as you know, means a higher temperature of cooling water. We are quite confident, therefore, that the waterspaces around the valves of our 32 h.p. engine—and incidentally around the valves of all our engines—are ample and do eliminate the possibility of local overheating.—Yours faithfully,
Scotstoun, ALBION MOTOR CAR CO., LTD.
Where Shall I Deal ?
The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
[1231] Sir,I am one of those who hope to see the agent shortly hold his own in the sale of commercial motors, especially as I am interested in a few concerns of the kind. I cannot understand why it is that agents have taken so small a share up to the present in this department. Enormous possibilities lie ready to hand for them to convert into actual business, and the stagnation of trade, by which some British manufacturers of private cars are threatened, on account of the so-called "American invasion," promises to bring about a big influx of manufacturing support on the commercial side.
It is all very well for makers such as the Leyland, Dennis, Thornycroft, and Commercial Cars, to mention four only of the older constructors in this country, to be Ale in a large measure to do without agents, and to conduct their own selling organization, but makers of that class do not represent the bulk of the commercial-motor industry as it will soon exist.
I recall one of your articles on this agent question, in which you sought to establish an analogy with experiences of insurance companies. I thought that a good simile when I read it, and I should like to encourage would-be agents by repeating that they have a good chance to get as big a share of the total commercial-motor trade of the country into their }lands as that which is possessed by the general body of insurance agents. It is common knowledge that most insurance companies do less than 30 per cent. of their total business direct ; the other 70 per cent. comes through the hands of agents, and bears a good commission. Why is this ? Merely because the agent does useful work in selecting rates and submitting them, and in keeping in touch with his clients with regard to detail changes or requirements, as well as for main renewals of policies. That is all the motorvan agent will have to do, and the sooner he begins the better it will be for the manufacturing companies.--Yours faithfully, R. J. WILLIAMS.