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Opinions from Others.

25th November 1909
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Page 16, 25th November 1909 — Opinions from Others.
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

The U.S.A. Problem.

The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.

11065] Sir,—The extract from Mr. H. Kerr Thomas's letter, in " The Extractor's " notes for the 18th inst., is of undoubted interest, particularly to myself, as 1 believe it fell to my lot early in the year to draw attention to the unhappy state of affairs which exists in the U.S. commercial-motor world, giving as well the reason for it—a reason which has never been disproved.—Yours faithfully,

ARTHUR E. A. M. TURNER.

Users' Experiencen.

The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.

[1066] Sir,—We have a 16 h.p. Albion van fur 15-cwt. loads. The positiun we were in two years ago might be stated thus : we had, at that time, two horses and one van, the two horses being necessary because of the hilly condition of our streets. The van gave way, as did the honses, and it would have been necessary to replace these. Instead of doing so, I thought that a motor delivery-van would be a good advertisement. I have not regretted it, as I find that the capacity for delivery of a motor is muchi greater than was the capacity of the two horses and van. The capital outlay for the motor was much greater than the outlay which would have been necessary for fresh horse-flesh and a new van, hut the economies in the running equalize that. We have economized further, this year, in that, instead of having a stable at a rent of 4.30, plus taxes, we now have a space in a garage at a cost of A.:12, a saving close on £23.—Yours faithfully,

JAMES SMITH.

A. and D. Padon, Law and Commercial Stationers, Edinburgh.

The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.

rI0671 Sir,—" Jack Frost " is with its again, but, so long as he keeps the roads dry and hard, we shall have no reason to quarrel with him, for, after all, it is only at such times that we get a peep into the glorious future when good hard roads shall be the order of the day. It must be rather cool work for the petrol-lorry drivers, who have nothing to warm themselves with but the distant contemplation of their radiators, and I think that some further protection will have to be made for them against the cold, more especially in eases where the driver's seat is placed high up.

I have been asked, more than once, what is the approximate difference between the consumptiou of fuel in winter and summer months. I should be interested to know if anyone can supply an answer to the question. The only information I have on the subject is, that it is generally advisable to reduce the loads by about 20 per cent. while the roads are in their worst condition; if a wagon be overloaded while the roads are in a soft, spongy condition, the fuel consumption may go up as much as 50 per cent.

Now that the winter is upon us, I would again refer to my suggestion that, if the read authorities were to Olive a supply of cinders or small granite chippings on the road-side of the hills with the steepest gradients, it would benefit both horse-drawn and motor vehicles, and also prevent a lot of unnecessary wear and tear to the roads by the skidding of the latter : there need be no fear that these supplied would be used extravagantly, as the process of laying a track up a hill is far too tedious to invite a lavish me of any material provided for the purpe,c. Steamwagon owners deserve some consideration. One of my drivers has been the unhappy possessor of a black eye, which he acquired in an argument with two " gentlemen " who were demanding the right to ride an the drawbar of his trailer ; unfortunately, the stoker was a bit slow in coming to the rescue, and the men gut away. I am quite aware that I ought to place barbed-wire fences

round my trailer bars, to prevent the public from suc cumbing to the temptation of acquiring free rides on the same, but, being a grasping capitalist, I suppose I shall shun the extra expense until the law compels me. I think the police, in the meantime, might make a few inquiries to advantage, when they meet a wagon which has evidently more than its correct complement on board. I have no doubt that, if they turned their attention to the subject, they would not be long in finding means for stopping what is really a very dangerous practice, not only to the persons involved, hut to the general public. Picking up passengers who apply for free rides is a. practice which may lead to consequences that are little thought of at the time. I, on one occasion, allowed my sympathy to get the better of me and gave a man a lift ; he was apparently sober when he got on the wagon, but the vibration proved too much, and he rapidly developed into a glorious state of intoxication, and there is no doubt that, had I got into any trouble with my machine, the state of my passenger would have reflected unfavourably utstn myself. Our log sheet for the week is as follows: earnings, 5l): tonnage, 149; mileage, 794; percentage of work done, 90; coke used, seven tons; gear oil, 10 gallons; and cylinder oil, two gallons.—Yours faithfully, " MOTOR-WAGON CARRIER."

Suggestions about South Africa.

The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.

[1068] Sir,—May I trespass on your valuable space, in order to make one or two corrections in the article on South Africa, which you have been good enough to publish?

(1).—"Un accidente." This, of course, should be "Uu pays accidente," " accidente " not being a noun.

(2)." Imagine a canireau of the most-diabolical kind. crossing the road at a slight angle, about every 20 yds. to 50 yds. apart." A better way of putting it might be: Imagine a eanireau of the most-diabolical kind, place it at a slight angle across the road, dot down such cassireaust at varying intervals, say every 20 yds. to 50 yds."

(3).—" And may so easily be controlled by its throttle, to suit the inequalities of the road; in a way no petrol car can excel." If one leaves out " so," one gets an intelligible sentence.

(4).—" At Herne, springs are constructed to take a large number of rapidly-recurring shock; In South Africa, the shocks would be very much greater, and much more frequent." This should he: " very much greater and of longer duration." In other words, in England, one has to contend against rapid vibration— in the Colonies. against large slow jolts and bumps.

It has been suggested to me, that I have somewhat exaggerated the difficulties of road transport in South Africa. I have been asked if I really do believe that road transport by motor would ever succeed out there, in face of the appalling roads, the deep "drifts," and the violent storms. My answer is, that I do firmly believe that there is a great future for the right type of motor vehicle in South Africa. I have given a good many reasons for my belief, in my article, but I would like to remind your readers once again that, at the present time, there are very large quantities of goods road-borne in South Africa. These goods are now carried in wheeled vehicles drawn by animals. I know of no reason why, with proper designing, these vehicle's should not be propelled by mechanical means, instead of hauled by animal power. Or, in other words, why the motor should not be substituted for the ox, mule, and the horse.

Now, if any English firm wishes to put such a motor on the market, and to make a success of it out there, they will have to remember three things: (a).—They will ha-vs to send a. reliable experienced designer out to South Africa, to study local conditions. It

not the least use putting wheels 2 in. bigger in diameter on to their stock chassis, and calling the result " our Colonial vehicle," or some such name. Manufacturers must realize that the experience necessary for designing a car to work successfully in the Colonies is not gained by merely reading the newspapers. I may any that I see there is a firm of petrol-car makers, who exhibit a pleasure car at Olympia designed for work in the Colonies. I have seen this car, and I think that it is a step in the right direction, though, of course, it is not intended for commercial purposes.

(b).—When the Colonial commercial vehicle has been made, it will have to be advertised and " pushed " with great vigour. And here, again, it is not the least use relying solely on whole pages in the newspapers. No, persuasive and tactful " commercials" must be sent out men who know the country and the people, and who will hang like grim death on to any possible purchaser. The superiority of the motor vehicle must be shown, not merely by talk, but by actual demonstration. The Colonial must he brought to believe that here is a machine which really is suitable for Colonial roads.

(c).—The American competition in South Africa is extremely severe. In nearly all lines, it is the same:

already, the Americans have captured the hardware trade, and a good slice of that in agricultural machinery. Moreover, evidence is not wanting that they are keeping a sharp eye on the possibilities of the motor trade out there. Only last week, a contemporary of yours deplored the giving of a contract for motor vehicles (for use as feeders t...) the railway), by the South African Railway Administration, to American and French manufacturers.

When I was in South Africa, a, dealer in agricultural machinery told me that, in his district, there was only one type of windmill pump that was English made, and that pumps of this type were all produced by one maker. On the other hand, he said there were at least half-a-dozen American manufacturers whose goods were well known in the district. Now, the windmill pump is typical of the situation. It is one of the commonest features of the landscape in South Africa. Except the corrugated iron roof, no object is more familiar. Unless the English motor manufacturers wish to lose the potential market in South Africa, they must take steps to get possession of it. They must meet the Americans fair and square, and beat them. They will not do this by sitting at home, twiddling their thumbs.– Yours faithfully,

"WHITER OF THF. A HTleta."


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