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Answers to Queries.

21st August 1913, Page 18
21st August 1913
Page 18
Page 18, 21st August 1913 — Answers to Queries.
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

Our readers will be informed by the Editor on any points connected with the construction or use of commercial motors. Where a direct reply is desired, a stamped and addressed envelope should be enclosed : f a request for privacy is not specially made, any query and answer may be published. Some replies, owing to pressure on our space, are held several weeks. Numerous requests reach us for lists of motorcab and commercial. vehicle Owners; these we never supply. Our advertisement

columns are °ben to those who desire to make announcements to owners for the Purposes of trade.

A Favourite Plug with Owners.

[2178] (Tyneside).—We cannot give you the name of the makers of the " Sauser " sparking plug, but the agents for this country are Messrs. S. Wolf and Co., 115, Southwark Street, London, S.E.

A Good Hand-book.

[2179] (Newport, Mon.).—We recommend you to buy "The Motor Manual," which is priced at is. 9d., post free from the offices of Temple Press Ltd., 7-15, Rosebery Avenue, London, E.C.

Acetylene Welding Plant Wanted.

[2180] (Motorbus Proprietors).—You can get acetylene welding plant from either of the following companies: —Acetylene Lighting and Welding Co-., Ltd., 151, Victoria Street, London, S.W.; Acetylene Illuminating Co., Ltd., 268 and 270, South Lambeth Road, London, S.W.

Motorbuses for India.

[2181] (Calcutta).—We are sending to you under separate cover a copy of our Overseas Annual for this year, and a copy of our recent Olympia Show Report number. You ought to get all the information out of these copies that you want, no far as enabling you to make your own direct communications to manufacturers goes.

Two-ton Loads for Builders.

[2182] (Sheffield).—A petrol motorvan, for the loads you mention and with a. tipping body, should pay you well in comparison with the cost of horses and carts, provided you can give it a fair mileage—not less than 40 per day by preference. It is possible that, having regard to the amount of terminal delay which your class of work forbodes, such a vehicle would not pay you. The motorvan costs more per hour than does a horse and cart, and, if the percentage of waiting time is very high, the cheaper unit may be the better for that reason. If you can cut down the terminal delays, by arranging some special form of superimposed body or small trucks that can be handily lifted off by a crane, which crane might be embodied in the design of the lorry itself, you would get rid of the difficulty of excessive delay. Broadly speaking, even with your class of work, a rubber-tired petrol lorry for a two-ton load should cost you, at the very outside, 8d. per mile run. The higher the mileage, the less per mile do certain of the charges work out. For example, the driver is cheaper per mile, and so are all the standing charges. Everything should be included in the 8d. which we mention.

Damage by Heaped Snow.

[2183] (Brewery).--We note that one of your motorlorries ran into a big heap of snow last winter, and that some damage was sustained. There is no doubt that such a heap should be lighted if it be dangerous, and this was held by Mr. Justice Bray, in a case which he heard at the end of July, 1909, at the Birmingham Assizes, when the Birmingham Corporation had to pay £200 as general damages, and £48 as special damages, by reason af a, similar accident.

You do not make it clear whether your case last winter concerned a heap on a highway with or with. out tramrails. If the heap in question had been caused by tramway employees, we cannot do better than refer you to the decision in the case of the Acton U.D.C. v. the London United Tramways, Ltd., which was heard before JJ. Darling and Walton in July, 1908. The interpretation in regard to the snow, of Section 28 of the Tramways Act of 1870 was then raised. The words are : "The promoters shall, at their own expense, at all times, maintain and keep in good condition and repair, with such materials and in such manner as the road authorities shall direct," and so on. The points in this case were whether the snow, as it had been piled to one side of the highway clear of the tramway track, was an obstruction of the traffic over the road as a whole, and whether the council were liable for its condition after the tramway company had moved it from the track. Mr. Justice Darling held that in this particular ease the fact that the snow had been taken off the middle of the road and heaped at the side did not cause it to become an obstruction to the traffic or a nuisance. Mr. Justice Walton held that the removal of the snow from the middle of the road, and piling it on the side of the road, did constitute a nuisance, but that no damages were recoverable in respect of that nuisance unless peculiar damage could be proved by the party suing. Both held that the local authority was the party to sue.

Anxious to do Hiring Work.

[2184] (Suburban).—We are interested to observe your opinions about the purchase of a motorvan with a view to making money from it on hiring work, and we note that you believe you can get plenty of furniture and parcel delivery, fruit conveyance, etc., to and from London, similar to the work which you are now doing with horses and vans. We also note that you favour a 30-cwt. or two-ton vehicle, that you will drive it yourself, and make your own van body. In this latter connection, your experience as a vanbuilder will no doubt help you. We think that you ought to be able to get a trade together on the lines which you mention, but it might pay you to offer to contract for two or three tradesmen only, as that tends to give a certain amount of steadiness to the work. There are unquestionably all classes of haulage work to be done. You would probably do well to buy a, 30-cwt. or twoton van, because the cost of working a van of that capacity is very little more per mile than the cost of working a one-ton van, whilst the earning capacity is much better.

You should not do work under 6d. per ton-mile, and you should be able to see earnings in the neighbourhood of 9d. per mile run (counting both light and loaded running to get at the mileage), in order to have a really-satisfactory profit for yourself. If you multiply the number of miles that are involved in any trip for which you are asked to quote by Od., divide the figure which you get by the load which you are to carry, and then quote at whatever the rate is per ton, you will always be on the safe side. Of course, it might pay you at the start, to work on a slightly lower revenue basis, but 9d. per mile run is none too high as a guiding figure.

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