News and Comment.
Page 10
Page 11
Page 12
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
This journal has an exclusive, genuine and maintained circulation: members of its Editorial staff have practical experience and knowledge of the construction and use of commercial motors.
Next week our " Royal Show :Special " will be out.
The 69th annual show of the R.A.S.E. will be opened at Newcastle,on-Tyne, next Tuesday, and will remain open until the following Saturday; it promises to be a record success, and it deserves to be,
A Useful and Early Report.
Our illustrated report will be unique, in that, whilst it will be compiled and written after inspection of the exhibits and stands at Newcastle, it will be on sale in the shmvyard within 30 hours of the opening. This will enable •many visitors to the Show to make use of our report during practically 75 per cent. of its duration.
Franco-British Exhibition.
The Franco-British Exhibition contains but few examples of road motors, largely because of the operation of the bond of the S.M,M.T. There are, however, as may be gathered from pages 399 and 400, a few interesting exhibits in the machinery halls, and the exhibition as a whole is well worthy of a visit. It is now approaching completion in many sections where nothing was finished at the time of the opening in May last.
General Motorcab Accounts.
It is announced that the Board of the General Motor Cab Company, Limited, will make up the books to an "even " date, the 3181 proximo, and not the 13th May as was the case last year : the new accounts will therefore cover a period of practically 63 weeks, An interim dividend of 3 per cent, on the company's preferred ordinary shares was paid in December last, and these shareholders have now received an additional interim dividend of 6.1 per cent., making so per cent, to date for the year, whilst there will be a final distribution towards the end of August. Arrangements are practically completed for the amalgamation of the London United Motor Cab Company, Limited.
Attention is directed to the several official announcements which appear on one of our " Sundry advertisements " pages (supplement VI).
Modification to Darracqs for New York.
We understand that the next consignment of Darracqs which is to be delivered to the order of the New York Taxicab Company, Limited, is to embody an interesting modification to the cooling system. In the editorial columns of last week's issue of this journal, we drew attention to the trouble which American and other taxicab owners are likely to experience, owing to the freezing of water and petrol systems, when the engines are at rest for any length of time on the ranks during severe weather. By reason of this possible difficulty, the new Darracqs are to embody the thermo-syphon method of cooling in the place of the standard pump system, and the radiator will be placed at the back of the engine in a similar position to the Renault pattern. It is considered that, for New York, this rearrange
merit will not only place the radiator in a position where it is little liable to damage, but it will enable the pump to be dispensed with, and will reduce the risk due to frozen circulation water. The system will, in this way, be much simplified and more easily drained, The pump is often the first part to freeze.
Another Cab Company.
The prospectus was issued, on Tuesday last, of the Universal Motorcab Company, Limited, with an authorised capital of Z,50,000, divided into 49,500 preferred ordinary shares and 5oo deferred shares. Humber cabs are to be used, the takings being estimated at ,C2 per day Ono days per annum per cab owned). The company bases its estimates on the General Motorcab Company's figures.
Mansion House Conference.
Tuesday's Times," in a leading article, strongly supports the case for the early constitution of a Central Traffic Board, in consonance with the recommendations laid before Parliament in 1905, and concludes : " If the evils of motor-omnibus immaturity should indeed succeed in awakening public opinion to the need for dealing with an urgent problem in the obvious manner, Londoners may yet live to recall with gratitude its fumes and _uncouth jars."
Laundry Vans.
One of the most interesting of the Lacre Company's recent deliveries is depicted in the accompanying illustration, where three Laere vans for the White Heather Laundry Company, of Stonebridge Park, N.W., form an attractive group. This laundry was one of the earliest to experiment with motor delivery, and its business has been greatly expanded in the result. Notwithstanding the high incidence of calls in collection and delivery rounds, it is found that the vans are more economical than horses in the actual work done, quite apart from advertisement value. The Rover Company, Limited, of Meteor Works, Coventry, has purchased the coach-building business of Messrs. Hawkins and Peake, of Coventry. Estimates for body building for the trade will be submitted on application.
Echoes of the French Trials.,
We are advised by Hans Renold, Limited, of Progress Works, Manchester, that, of the 24 vehicles to which awards were made in the recent French Trials, no less than 20 had chain transmission, whilst 13 of these, or 65 per cent., were fitted with Hans Renold chains. The first, third, and fifth vehicles in the general classification had the same make of chains.
Mr. G. H. Smith, general manager of the United Motor Industries, Limited, of 45 and 46, Poland Street, W., intimates that nine of the competing vehicles started with " Eisemann " magnetos, and that all the nine finished, • whilst eight of them were classed, and four of the eight as prize winners. The company named holds the sole agency in Great Britain for these excellent magnetos.
The Commercial Motor Users' Association has resolved to defray the cost of the water taken from a water-post at Hyde Park Corner, for at least one year, as an experiment, if the Metro. politan Water Board will undertake to erect such a post forthwith.
The Electrocab Development Company, Limited, and the London Electra, cab Company, Limited, have been registered with the nominal capital of Zioo each.
We are requested by the Managing Director of Turner's Motor Manufacturing Company, Limited, Mr. J. Burns Dumbell, to point out that his company has nothing to do with the Miesse Petrol Car Syndicate, Limited (in liquidation).
Scarborough and Cabs.
Vigorous opposition to the introduction of motorcabs has been organised at Scarborough, where the local jobmasters ask that no motor driver shall be granted a license if he has not been a ratepayer for six months : it appears that this is the rule in regard to carriage licenses. Further, it was held that motor drivers should come into the town on the same terms as horse cabmen, viz., they should have to stay all the year round. The Oxford Motor Cab Company, Limited, has been registered, with an authorised capital of .4.-,5,000 in shares, and with its office at 68, St. Giles, Oxford. Its principal objects are to adopt an agreement with Mr. W. F. Parker, and to inaugurate a service of taximeter motorcabs in Oxford and district.
On Monday last, the 22nd instant, a resident of Knightsbridge was summoned at Marylebone by a taxicab driver for eightpence, said to be the balance of a fare. The driver, when called from the rank, which was near the position at which he was to pick up the passenger, immediately put down the flag on his taximeter. Superintendent Bantick characterised this procedure as " sharp practice " on the part of the taxicab driver, and the magistrate held that a passenger should be allowed a reasonable time to get ready to travel, and that the driver was only entitled to sixpence instead of the eightpence which he claimed. Query : What is the real meaning of regulation 42 (Part V) of the Horne Secretary's Order of the 3oth December, 1907?
In Charge of Whiteley's Vans.
A representative of this journal recently had an opportunity of looking over the new garage which William Whiteley, Limited, has constructed to house its fleet of motor delivery vehicles. The company, with its usual enterprise, has gone thoroughly into the matter, and has provided a smart, capacious, and well-lighted garage ; this is carefully equipped and furnished in every way for the requirements of its business, and the space devoted is large enough comfortably to contain a great increase on the present fleet. The installation for the handling of petrol is particularly good, and on a scale equal
to motorbus requirements ; it is, perhaps, the most complete system outside of these organisations. This fact reminds us that an old motor omnibus engineer, Mr. Ediss, is the engineer to the company, which in this particular direction has made a most excellent selection. Few men in the trade can justly claim a greater experience than Mr. Ediss, who has served as garage superintendent successively with the Arrow, Vanguard, Road Car, and General companies. On enquiring for any special features in his ,work, the fact that he was able—practically by himself—to keep a fleet of ten vehicles on the road, turning them out at an early hour in the morning, by no means tallied with former experiences of buses with a large staff engaged. This record alone should be more than sufficient to convince waverers who will still compare the performances and cost of motorbuses with those of commercial vans.