News and Comment.
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This Journal fosters, represents and chronicles commercial motoring in all its branches.
The vexed question of cartage rebates by railway companies is discussed on pages 286 and 287. A further reference to this subject will be made.
Mr. E. A. Greather may conduct the R.A.C. trials, for which Halley's Industrial Motors, Ltd., has entered two vehicles. This makes a total of eight entries to Tuesday last.
The draft locomotive by-laws for London, which were published in our last issue, and which affect traction engines only, have been duly adopted by the London County Council ; application has been made to the Local Government Board for their confirmation.
We have to add to the list of ordinary and special features which are crowded out from this issue, to make room for our special " performance " section, which is the tenth of its kind, the continuation of our report on the Olympia conference of road makers and users.
Our Next Special Issue.
Four weeks from to-day, our "Allworld Motorbus " special issue will be published. It will be sent to the management of every important railway and tramway undertaking in the civilised world, as well as to a selected list of banking houses, shipping firms, and representatives of other financial groups which are likely to be interested by its contents.
Good Body Work..
Christopher Dodson, Limited, of 45, Horseferry Road S.E., has recently completed a number of excellent bodies for Wolseley-Siddeley 3oh.p. chassis : both their construction and appearance fully bears out this company's excellent reputation for good workmanship in van construction, as well as for publicservice purposes. We shall make a further illustrated reference to nod'son's van bodies at an early date.
An English Lorry.
The accompanying illustration of a 31-ton lorry is of a vehicle supplied to the Hovis Bread Flour Company, Limited, by Commercial Cars, Limited, of Biscot Road, Luton. The Luton works can now give reasonably early delivery of its 3611.p. chassis, several of which have been purchased by Waring and Gillow, Limited, after a severe trial. These Waring and Gillow vans are fitted with large tilt-top bodies, and they often run 140 miles in a day.
The Users' Association.
The Secretary of the Commercial Motor Users' Association, r, Albemarle Street, W., advises us that upwards of 20 new members have recently joined. As the subscription is only one guinea per annum, and as the Association tenders such useful advisory, legal, and other services, as well as providing its members with a free subscription to THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR," which journal it officially recognises, we look for further similar notifications. A Special Offer.
Tangent Vheels, Limited, of Grove Road, Balham, S.W., makes a unique announcement in our advertisement pages this week, and owners of vehicles, whether horse-drawn or self-propelled, will do well to study this tempting offer, and to avail emseives of its terms within a fortnight.
The Swiss Trials.
Only two of the vehicles which started in the Swissf. Trials failed to complete the entire tour, a distance of some 230 miles. The Saucer vehicles came through the tests very well indeed, and it is interesting to note that they are built in this country by J. and
E. Hall, Limited, Dartford ; the Orion, N.A.G. and Safir machines also proved their qualities under test. All but three of the vehicles' had, solid 'rubber tires ; two had pneumatic tires on all wheels ; and only one, the" Herkules "lorry, had iron tires. The summary of the tests is held over, from want of space in this issue. Pages 295 to 307 contain a number of reports from rnotorvan users, and they constitute our tenth "performance " section. We regret that the space at our disposal is insufficient to complete publication of all the communications reeeivred, and a number are unavoidably held over until next week.
Milnes-Daimler, Limited, of 221, Tottenham Court Road, W., has just received an order for three of its standard 2-ton lorries, and trailers to go with them, for use on the Gold Coast. The same morning, Lucas and Company, Limited, of The Brewery, Leamington, sent in a notification that its MilnesDaimler lorry had run 21,100 Miles before the original set of internal gearrings was taken off the driving wheels.
The French Trials.
Friday and Saturday of last week were devoted to the weighing of the vehicles entered. In view of the fact that on the first day General Picquart, French Minister of War, was present at these formalities, which took place at the old military equipment buildings on the Quai d'Orsay, it is to be regretted that few constructors sent along their vehicles; in fact, only Tr of the entries were weighed on Friday, the remainder, with the exception of one or two " defaulters," being placed on the bridge the next day. In addition to a number of Government and Municipal officials and Army officers, several of the most prominent French automobilists attended this preliminary ceremony, including the Marquis De Dion, Baron de Zuylen, and M. Darracq. A " ceremony "it was, since the vehicles, after being weighed, were ranged up in the open air for exhibition, and were inspected by a large gathering of motorists, expert and amateur. .Music was given by a military band. A total of 44 vehicles of different types v,,ere displayed on Sunday, when the public was permitted to walk round free.
The trials proper, which are being conducted by the Automobile Club de France, with the co-operation of the General Staff of the Army, began on Monday, under the most favourable circumstances. Most of the big French makers are taking part. An early start was made, the vehicles leaving the Quai d'Orsay at seven in the morning, and passing out of Paris through the Porte IVIaillot. All the 44 machines— lorries, vans, motorbuses, chars-à-banc:; and lighter vehicles for town and district service—started. Though the entrants set out so early, the public gathered in large numbers, both at the Ouai d'Orsay and at the Porte Maillot. The trials will last till the loth June, all the vehicles running daily under such stringent conditions as, if the rules are duly enforced, to give the tests a real and practical value. It is a competition which has scarcely any spectacular merits, though, indeed, the general public is greatly interested, in so far as it may reasonably be expected that many of the types entered will in the future be pressed into public ser vice, in respect of both passenger and goods-carrying operations.
The tests centre on Paris at the outset, but the latter portion of the trials, beginning on the 3rd proximo, will take the vehicles over portions of the routes which were covered in the competitions of loos and 1906. Amiens will be visited on the 3rd of that month, Lille on the 4th, Saint-Quentin on the 6th,. Compiegne on the 7th, and Paris will be again reached on the 8th. Further references in this issue are impossible, owing to want. of space.
Provincial Meets.
The arrangements for the holding of the meet of commercial motors at Rending, on the 15th proximo, are in the hands of a committee composed of nine representatives of the Trade, and six nominees of the Commercial Motor Users' Association. The trade representatives are : F. A. Bonsor (DarracqSerpollet Omnibus Co., Ltd.), Frank Churchill (Durham, Churchill and Co.), F. Gcodchild (Lacre Motor Car Co., Ltd.), Leo Harris (John Marston, Ltd.), Julian Halford (Commercial Cars, Ltd.), Allen Instone (New ArrolJohnston 'Car Co., -Ltd.), J. de Sola (Fiat Motors, Ltd.), L. R. L. Squire (Sidney Straker and Squire, Ltd.), and R. Warriner (Thames Iron Works). We have not yet been advised of the names of the six nominees of the Commercial Motor Users' Association, but we are officially notified that a preliminary meeting took place in the Mayor's Parlour at Reading yesterday (Wednes
day), and that a joint meeting of the London and Reading (local) committees will be held at the Reading Town 1-1.n11 on the zoth instant. Manufacturers will be well advised to arrange to have a van, lorry, or public-service vehicle available for the purpose of representing them on the occasion of the meet.
Birmingham's Latest.
Our illustration, on page 28'8, of a Wolseley-Siddeley fire-brigade tender, shows a vehicle which has recently been delivered to the Birmingham City Cor poration. It is capable of attaining speeds up to zo miles an hour, with its full complement of 26 men including the driver, and a quantity of standpipes, hose, and other equipment. The men are thus able quickly to reach the scene of a fire, fix the stand-pipes, run out the hose, and make all necessary preparations for the arrival of the engines. The special body is mounted on one of the Wolseley Company's standard omnibus or lorry chassis, such as is used for public-service work in London, and it is driven by a 3oh.p., fourcylinder, vertical, Siddeley engine. The chassis is in all respects similar to the one which was exhibited at the Olympia Show, and described on page 38 of "THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR" for the 24th March, 2907.