Culled from Contemporaries.
Page 19
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Comment and Criticism a the World's Press on Commercial Motors.
A Canadian Opening.
Winnipeg offers unexcelled possibilities for the motor vehicle in transportation service.—" Gas Power Age," Turonto.
A Perambulating Cab Rank.
All the cab ranks were descried, and when one did make a belated appearance, it was snapped up instantly.—" Daily Herald."
A Disappointing Truism.
Frequentlythe best engineering product does not prove the best investment.—" Progress," Wellington, New Zealand.
What the User Wants.
When purchasing a motor truck the buyer fih ould not aim at buying foolish warranties, but legitimate service.— " Motor Age," Chicago.
Modern Casabiancas.
But, if it is impossible to set things back so far as to eliminate the motor vehicle, then the pedestrian will insist imon his right to be killed.—" The Auto. Motor journal."
Trolleybus Failures.
The railless electric tram otherwise the trolleybus, has quite failed to make the progress which was confidently anticipated on its behalf by enthusiastic electric engineers a Year or so ago.— " The Motor Age," New York.
The Ugly Duckling,
May it not be that we are all giving too much attention to what is called the pleasure vehicle in its various types, to the neglect of what is destined to be perhaps the most important branch of the :business?—" The Motor Trader."
A Hint for Taxi-drivers.
Never carry any change with you. If .you do there is always the possibility that you might in a moment of absentmindedness, admit to a fare that you 'had change, and thereby establish it most dangerous precedent.—" Vanity Fair."
From Our Friend the Enemy.
From time to time we have referred to the one-sided and prejudiced opinions exTrressed in some sections of the tech.nical and also of the general daily Press on the subject of motor omnibuses. A remarkable example of this peculiar frame of mind is to be found in an editorial in a recent issue of THE CommEn.ct:IL Myron, . , The former (motorbuse.$) grant no cheap workmen's fares, they change their routes at will, and they pay nothing for street maintenance. That it is competing with tramways now to an unnecessary extent is, however, a public misfortune.—" The Tramway and Railway World." The Taxi-driver's Vade Mecum.
One of your favourite maxims ought to be, " The longest way round is the soonest way home." By strictly adhering to this beautiful precept you give your fares a golden opportunity of seeing the beauties, etc., of the surrounding country.—" Vanity Fair."
No Change for Change's Sake,
The buyer purchases a truck as a busirises proposition, and not as a social issue, consequently he is not interested in whether this year's product is the same as last year's, providing it does the work and gives the satisfaction that he demands.—" The Automobile," New York.
The Coming Power.
This organization (the Commercial Motor Users Association) has grown areatly in membership, and will unquestionably become 'OM of the biggest of the motor bodies in a few years time, since the commercial motor vehicle is only in its initial stages at the moment.--" The INforninr7 Post."
No Petticoat Influence At Work.
In this respect the motor truck business has already become more stable than the older branch of the automobile -Masi/team, largely because it is less affected by fashion and pride, which will often prompt a man, perhaps through the influence of an Eve.—" The Horseless Age," New York.
Differences have Dwindled into Details.
There was a time, as there must, be in the youth of every industry, when people were trying to find out the right way to build burden-bearing automobiles, and, heaven knows, they tried practically all the wrong ways there were before bitting upon the correct ideas.—" The Motor World."
The "Daily Mail" Way. Use the Middle (sic) Rail.
There is also a right way and a wrong way of getting on a motorbus. It is absard to get hold of the rear rail and jump forward on the step. A nasty fall is often the result. One should get hold of the rail close to the body of the omnibus with the left hand, and then seise the middle rail with the right hand. --" Daily Mail."
The Public is Gratified.
Public opinion is with them (the taxi
drivers). The men are solid, the employers are not able to resist (already some have given way), and the petrol kings (who are behind the employers in this job) will get a hefty blow " where
they live." The public are getting to understand that the strike is really on their behalf.—" The Daily Herald."
The All-conquering Truck.
Thus the motor truck is not merely a substitute for horse-drawn vehicles, but is an independent self-moving power plant that can be adapted to many special purposes that cannot be accomplished by any other single means.— " The Hurseless Age," New York.
A Call to Action.
Truck makers must unite; they must put their shoulders to the wheel; they must get out of the narrow sphere of manufacturing and testing ; they have to get out into the field of operation and insist that antiquated horse-pace environments be eliminated and modern facilities iastalled.—" The Automobile," New York.
David and Goliath.
The gas tractor is superseding the steam tractor because it is lighter in weight, easier to handle, requires fewer men and u.s a rule is cheaper to operate. By using two crews the farmer can work his engine 24 hours a day, a practice which is not at all ormurnou on large grain farms in the West.—" Gas Power Age," Winnipeg.
A Belated Inquiry.
When will he (the user of secondhand pleasure cars for commercial use) and his tribe have wit to sense that the commercial vehiclehas crowded into one year of its life the stresses, shocks and strains that a pleasure vehicle barely encounters one half of in five years' active running? When?—" The New Zealand Motor and Cycle Journal."
More Subsidy Criticism.
In theory the scheme (Army subsidy) was full of a golden promise; the Government described the particular description of petrol wagon which was considered specially suited to military purposes, and hoped, and even expected, that by means of a modest subsidy motor users would be encouraged to build and employ this particular model during peace in order that the Army might have the call upon it in the event of war. It has not taken long to make it tolerably clear that the
Government had neglected . . . to devote sufficient attention and study to the point of view of the civilian motor user. Briefly stated, it is declared that the type of vehicle demanded by the military authorities is commercially impossible ; that the vehicle as speeiffed is toe heavy for ordinary purposes; and that the subsidy offered is not enough. to secure the option on good, modern vehicles in sound condition, Motor transport is an absolute necessity for Army purposes. It now seems almost certain that the War Office had only surveyed the question from one side, and that the scheme elaborated for subsidizing petrol lorries contained terms which business men could have told, and probably did tell, our military authori ties were not .business terms at all.— " Broad Arrow."