It does not often happen, at a motor show, that
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a good fairy appears with pockets full of bank Unusual notes, and insists Cu.si'omeri. on purchasing the
entire exhibit, barring the signboard, but this experience befell Mr. Arthur Drummond on one of the days he put in at his stand during last week. He was a precise man, too, and demanded an official receipt, with which they were not prepared at Olympia; but, needless to say, that difficulty was surmounted, and the entire Show assortment of Drummond lathes will go to fit up a repairing depot in Scotland_ Another unusual customer; at this stand, during the week, was a lady who purchased a small lathe for her own use, and she knew exactly the kind of lathe she
w anted.
Continentals in A mite reaches me, concerning the French Industrial Vehicle Trials, hich came to a finish early last France. week : the pages of this journal have summarized the scheme and results. Continental solid tires have scored greatly in this contest, as five of the 10 prizes went to the Saurer and the Vinot-Deguingand vehicles, which were shod with Continentals.
It was interesting to me, to attend the dinner of the Agents' Section of the S.M.M.T., because I feel that the maintained success of the commercial motor is largely bound up with the agents. Fresh users and new drivers always find the assistance and advice of the local man of great value, and have noticed those manufacturers of vehicles, who do largely through agents, keep their customers better satisfied. Mr. S. F. Edge remarked, in his speech at the dinner, that his experience was that only five per cent. of his business was done direct. This would not apply, of course, in a purely commercial-vehicle concern, but my opinion is that the tendency is that way, and, although it is desirable to send out special representatives, it is well that local agents should be also interested in keeping the vehicles on the road and earning the money laid out on them. In going about the sountry, I notice that commercial
Support the Agents.
motors are much more preponderant and better liked in those districts where the motor agents have, through experience, acquired a better grip of the trade vehicle's special points and necessities. I stated, last week, that Mr. J. S. Stafford, the Secretary of the Agents' Section and its "outside" organizer, is a man much in earnest. His speech at the dinner vividly conturns tins, and his reception by the agents assembled betokens the great respect in which he is held. Manufacturers should then, in my view, get in touch with some of the "best" agents. and interest them more closely in the trade vehicle.
Friday night's banquet, at the Hotel Cecil, in celebration of the " majority " of the
pneumatic t i r e, was a great function worthy of a great occasion. The speeches in the main were• excellent, Mr. Harvey du Cros, in acil knowledging a presentation made to him, gratefully and generously included the names of his associates in the production of the Dunlop tire. Foremost amongst those mentioned, naturally, was the inventor, Mr. J. B. Dunlop, wila occupied a seat near the Chairman, H.S.H. Prince Francis of Teck. Over 750 sat down, and these comprised the cream of the motor and cycle trades, with the exception, as far as I could see, of those interested in tires other than the Dunlop. My solitary criticism is that the speech of
The Comity of Age.
Mr. A. J. Walter, K.C., should have been cut down by half. Many of his details and history could well have been printed on a page in the programme, especially as it is obvious that, in that largo hall, not one-half of the people can hear' it sounded, moreover, like a fervid address to a jury. Anyhow, the affair was splendidly organized, and a sincere note of enthusiasm prevailed.
In proposing the toast of the evening, at the Agents' Section dinner, Colonel Bosworth
Some Dinner drifted naturally Amenities on to the subject of aviation, and he pictured, many years hence, the celestial regions, where aviating facilities, without any engine difficulties, are presumably boundless. The speaker indicated the possibility that Edge, Jarrett and Letts might be engaged in a highest-altitude competition (if they're there, he slily interpolated), and he foresaw the presence of Julian Orde, as an official, armed with a theodolite. A large trader, accused of price cutting, hovered over this same dinner in spirit, and was constantly spoken of and referred to as Mr. X. I obese ved that he was present in person at the " majority " celebration, and. as he passed closely to one of the vice-chairmen (a charming man and a wit), Mr. X. was greeted by him with "Don't tread on my corns—I'm not an agent." The assailed one led off the laughter which followed.
Stoewers in England,
Mr. W. Turner Smith, who will be remembered by the readers of this Journal on account of his association with the London Motor Omnibus Co., and its allied concerns, has been appointed by Messrs. Stoewer of Stettin, as the manager of their leesiness in Great Britain. A London office has been secured in Queen Victoria Street, and energetic measures .:tre, at once, to be taken to secure a :Awe° of the trade of this country eith new models of both pleasure care and commercial vehicles. A number of local agents has already been apFeinted, and Mr. Turner Smith will be ples..eed to enter into details.
"Show Saturday' Dinner.
A dinner, held at the Florence Restaurant, Rupert Street, Piccadilly Circus, on Saturday evening last, was attended lyv 52 members of the pioneer staffs of the British P.T.B. Co. (at one time makers of Serpollet cars but now long since " gone under "), The Lancheater Motor Co., Ltd., Messrs. D. Napier and Son, John I. Thornycroft and Co., Ltd., and The Wolseley Tool and Motor Car Co., Ltd. This was the eeeond of such gatherings, the object ef which is to keep together those men whose early connections with the deeigning and manufacturing of motor vehicles should serve as a bond of union. The majority of the party assembled at Olympia, and was conveyed to the restaurant in specially-chartered Darracq-Serpollet omnibuses. An excellent smoking concert followed the dinner—not the least, interesting and amusing item of whiel, was the combined menu, " Fuel Consumption Trial " and the concert programme, or "Noise Committee's Test." Mr. Hubert, C. Clarke (Rolls-Royce) occupied the chair, and the preliminary :arrangements were undertaken by a ee.mmittee of three, consisting of Mr. F. A. Bomar (Darraeq-Serpollet), Mr_ G. W. Watson (formerly of Thornycroffs) and Mr. A. W. 'Windsor (formerly of the Wolseley Co.). Dennis Ambulances.
No fewer than 17 Dennis ambulances are new in the service of the Metropolitan Asylums Board, and the accompanying illustration is one of a delivery of nine recently made. The chassis is practically the standard 18 h.p. Dennis model, but with an added ignition, whilst the steeringlock has been increased. Also, Shrewsbury end Challiner detachable rims are fitted to the wheels. It will be observed that the body is of the ordinary brougham type, so far as external appearance goes, but the interior arrangement provides for two convenient tip-up seats, and a stretcher for the patient. Access to the interior is gained from behind, and the patient's feet lie under the driver's seat.
The Duty of the Pedestrian.
A. recent case (Scudder v. the L.C.C.) calls for rather fuller mention than we gave to it at the time, as it so well defines the trend of the law. The plaintiff applied for a new trial, in the following circumstances :—
He was an agricultural labourer, aged 71, and he alleged that on the 9th November, 1907, he was crossing Mansion House Street, about 4 p.m., when he was ,knocked down by a Tireengine ; one arm had since been amputated. He attributed the accident to the negligence of those on the engine, in driving furiously, giving insufficient warning of their approach, and failing to pull the horses so as to avoid running over him. The defendants denied that the engine was being driven at a, furious pace, and set up the further defence that, if it was, it was proeeeding from the headquarters of the Fire Brigade, in answer to an alarm of lire in Chiswell Street, ano that the driver was discharging a statutory duty imposed upon the defendants and their servants by 28 and 29 Viet. cap. 90, to take much measures as appeared expedient for the protection of life and property and for speedy attendance with fire-engines in case of an alarm of lire. They denied that be was driving negligently, and pleaded contributory »egligenee on the part, of the plaintiff in ignoring the warning bell and the shouts of by
standees, in failing to keep a proper look at, and in turning into the horses on becoming aware of the approach of the engine.
The plaintiff said that he heard nothing of the approach till " the lireengine was on top of him; but a police-constable, who was called on his behalf, said that he heard the bell being rung loudly and continuously wlien the engine was a long way off and the men on the engine shouting when the engine was in Queen Vic toria Street. The policeman added that he did not see anything that the driver could have done to avoid the accident, though he might possibly have pulled the horses round. There was no other vehicular traffic at the spot where the accident happened, but a good many people were about.
The evidence of the men on the fireengine was that the plaintiff was walk ing across the road, on which there were several people, that he hesitated suddenly in the middle of the road and turned to the left, and that, though the driver tried to: get out of the way and the brakes were applied, so that the engine was drawn up in its own length, the pole struck the plaintiff.
In summing up, Mr. Justice Darling said that he did not see that there was any evidence that the fire-engine was going too fast. According to the evidence, if the plaintiff had gone on in stead of stopping suddenly and turn ing round, he would not have been hit. The jury found a verdict for the de fendants. The plaintiff appealed on the ground that the learned Judge had misdirected the jury :—(a) By direct ing them that persons in charge of a lire-engine on their way to a fire are entitled to drive fast and to ring a bell to warn other people to get out of their way, and that it is for such other people to get out of the way of such fire-engine; (b) by omitting to direct them that it is the duty of persons driving a fire-engine along a high
way to drive with reasonable care and not to take their chance of coming into collision with and knocking down foot passengers who are lawfully passing along the highway.
Mr. Justice Darling, after his considered summing-up, held that, when the highway is wanted for exceptional purposes, as it is on the occasion of a fire, the duty of the foot passenger is reiginented in like degree, and that, under Stich circumstances, the pedestrian should be more careful to exer(dee his usual powers of observation. Furthermore, if the plaintiff had pursued his course, instead of hesitating and stopping, he would not have been knocked down. The driver of the fireengine had a right to expect that the plaintiff would walk on as he was walking, and would not turn round suddenly and cause the accident. He held that there had been no misdirection in the lower come, and he refused to order a new trial.