All the world loves a lover, people say, and it
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certainly gave me a thrill of pleasure, on calling at the Doherty Radiator Co.'s works, on Wednesday of last week, to hear that Mr. Fenton, the managing director, was being married that very day. The lady's name did not transpire, but I make bold to wish them both every happiness.
At this season of the year it falls to my lot to arrange for a special motorvan service of our very own to run between our offices in Rosebery Avenue and the Olympia Show, during November next. The van selected this year is a 25 cwt. Halley, and I was arranging this matter with Mr. A. J. Foster, of the B.U.R.T. Co., Ltd., when we drifted naturally into some talk about trade in general, and Halley prospects in particular. I soon became enveloped in. a shoal of figures showing the rapid progress and the remarkably-consistent running of Halley motors. I was invited to investigate what may be called a log-hook showing the mileage for each vehicle, and the fuel consumed. I am fairly esed to these things, but I must say I w as astonished. I looked up carefully the records of 17. vans in service by the Army and Navy Auxiliary Cooperative Society, Ltd., Messrs. Marshall and Snelgrove, and Messrs. 13ourne and Hollingsworth, and the average per van worked out at 17,415 miles per car per year. Then was put before me a letter. just received, from the Army and Navy Stores ordering 11 more vans. The significance of this order lies in the fact that two years ago, almost to the day, the Army and Navy Stores ordered 9 vans; after two years of running they confidently put
in hand 11 more of the same make. This is ROD only a triumph for Halley's, hut a convincing proof of the utility of commercial vehicles.
Later I was invited to look into some ftirther encouraging figures_ It is now just seven months since the BURT. Co., Ltd., became sole con
cw;.sionnaire for Halley nmtors, and a certain number of vehicles were to be taken during the first. 12 months. That number has already been exceeded by six vehicles, and there are still five months to rue. These facts point decisiikly to the excellence of Halley mote T vehicles: it is small wonder that large adjoining premises
in Causton Street have been secured and have already been opened as the Regency Garage. Commercial vehicles of all makes may be repaired and stored here, and the premises are open night and day.
There are many men who have a bent for storing up, in the cellars of their memories, extraordinary facts; they could probably tell you, for instance, within a few seconds, how many copies of THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR would be required to reach round the earth. Now, if I tried to estimate how many barrels of Price's oil it would take to encircle the globe, I should probably be a barrel or two out, and„ as I should not like my figures to be inaccurate, I desire to ascertain the precise distance round the earth as it would be traversed by a commercial vehicle. Can anyone give me the information ? This is asking you something. I fear, but from time to time I am beset with problems which call for this special knowledge. Not so very long ago the Polack tire people made an interesting claim, which, if I remember rightly, was that a set of their tires had shown mileage—taking each tire separately—equal to a journey round the world. Now I am faced with an even more astonishing claim: I am told that a certain steam wagon has approximately been driven a distance equal to twice round the earth without requiring any repairs, or being overhauled. Before I go.any further : Can anyone answer my question ?