Answers to Queries.
Page 17
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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 : if a request for privacy ts not specta16.■ 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 open to those who desire to ma-ke announcements to owners for the Purposes of trade.
flunking Costszof One-ton Van.
[2266] (Insurance).—We have posted our sheet of costs which may be of service to you. Pneumatic tires are not recommended for a one-ton van by us, neither for back nor front wheels ; they add too much to the cost. You will see from the costs given that on the smaller mileage the incidence of same will be higher.
Second-hand Van with Self-starter.
L2261 (Village to Village).--A good second-hand petrol Tan should suit your requirements. No annual taxes are payable on such a vehicle if it is exclusively used for trade purposes, and never for the conveyance of passengers, not even to give a friend a lift. You might be able to get hold of a van with a selfstarter from the liquidator of the Adams Manufacturing Co., Bedford, at a reasonable price.
Storage of Motor Spirit.
[2268] (Ireland).—You cannot store more than 60 gallons of spirit at a time, all of which must be in twogallon tins, without a special. licence from the local authority. If the above quantity is not exceeded, and the two-gallon rule observed, the hut or other storehouse must be not less than 20 ft. away from any other building, whether in your occupation or that of any other party. Provided those points are observed, there is no necessity to apply to anybody in the matter, but, if for any reason you wish to store a larger quantity than 60 gallons, or to keep it in large packages, you must apply for a licence to the local building surveyor.
Under What Conditions is Rebate Given?
[2269] (Poplar).—The ordinary procedure to obtain the rebate of 10. per gallon in respect of petrol that is genuinely consumed in commercial vehicles, which includes motor omnibuses, but does not include private-hire vehicles or motorcars, is to obtain from the party from whom you buy your petrol a certificate that the full duty of 3d. per gallon has been paid on it. The consumer then has periodically to vouch to the nearest Excise Officer the amount consunied in a commercial motor, and he is in due course paid the money by the Excise people. You will find that suitable forms are in existence.
An alternative course is to buy from a garage which will undertake to collect the lid. per gallon itself, and you will no doubt be able to find a garage in the East End which would do all the work for you. The importers of petrol will sell direct to you at wholesale prices, as a bona-fide owner of a commercial motor. For fuller information, please refer back to our issue of the 11th inst.
The Licensing of Motorbuses.
[2270] (Lowestoft).—We think you will have difficulty in getting any licensing authority to admit that it will in effect grant a measure of protection to holders of motorbus licences who come first in its area, and who serve the district in a satisfactory manlier. At the same time, there is no doubt that examples of the kind exist, and we may particularly refer you to the case of Tunbridge Wells. We have no doubt that the Town Clerk there would be agreeable to send a satisfactory assurance to any other • Council, to the effect that his authority had found it a wise course to follow, so long as the operating company did what was expected of it, not to encourage outside competition. It is entirely at the discretion of the Town Council to grant licences or to refuse them, as the wording of the Town Police Clauses Act reads " may license " and not " shall license."
Wo may say that in many large towns there is a tacit conspiracy to keep motorbuses out, by reason of their competition with existing tramcar services, or with projected Municipal motorbus services. The Council must, however, entertain and hear the application. The opinion of Mr. Macmorran, K.C., re Oxford, which we reported last week, has yet to be confirmed in the Courts.
Towing a Steam Fire-engine.
[2271] (County). -The towing of a steam fire-engine by any other motor vehicle is, in our opinion, a ngerous proceeding. In the first place, if the joint weight of the two machines exceeds 6 tons, the action is illegal, under the terms of the Heavy Motor Car Order of 1904. In the second place, under the same Order, it is illegal to use a trailer to carry passengers, and this might apply if your steam fireengine has seats upon it for firemen. Our principal objection is, the riskiness of the proceeding, in the absence of considerable practice and of control of brakes upon the towed vehicle synchronously with thoseon the power unit which does the hauling.
Can He Hire or Buy on Hire-Purchase ?
[2272] (Lancs. Char-a-bancs).--The substance of your letter is not very clear to us. If you mean to inquire as to where it is possible for you to hire commercial vehicles at so much a mile, we regret that we cannot give you any name anywhere near your district. If, however, it is your intention to inquire where you can purchase motor lorries on the hire-purchase system, it is possible you might be able to arrange this with one or other of the advertisers in this journal. You cannot "put a two-ton lorry on the War Office Subsidy Scheme." The only vehicles which can earn the subsidy are those which are built specially to the War Office specifications, and have been approved. If we have not understood your letter eorrectly, perhaps you will draft one a little more carefully, and we shall have pleasure in doing our .best to give you whatever information you are seeking.
Work for a Two-tonner.
[2273] (Poplar).—You will require, in the first instance, to ascertain the mileage, in both directions, for any particular job, and then to multiply the total miles run by 10d., in order to get the aggregate charge that would pay for the use of the vehicle, to cover everything. The amount of money thus obtained should then be divided by the load that can be obtained. For example, if 20 miles of running were involved, this would be a total charge of 20 by 10 = 200d. 16s. Sd. If the load were a full one of two tons for 10 miles, the charge per ton would have to be 8s. 4d. Of course, in a few cases where regular loading without any delay can be arranged, it might pay you. especially as it is work in the nature of filling up time that is required, to reduce your basis of working even so low as Sd. per mile run. In London. where the delays are often considerable, it seldom pays to carry goods in two-ton lots at less than 4s. per ton, no matter how shortIthe distance, whilst more is asked if above three miles.