S IR RAYMOND DENNIS, K.B.E., has signalized his ;return to his
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homeland by granting an interview to The Commercial Motor, a record thereof appearing in this issue. Sir Raymond calls upon labour to play its part in the rehabilitation of our export trade. [Page 172.
OUR agricultural contributor "Agrimot," discusses this week the question of the most suitable tractor for work on British farm lands. [Page 190.
THE tractor, trials conducted at Shrawardine last week by the S.M.M. and T. are fully described and illustrated in this issue. The trials should play a highly important part in the popularizing of the agri motor among farmers. . [Page 181. * .
THE new mcdels being prepared for exhibition at Olympia are now becoming available for description, and we are this week aisle to deal with theThornycroft, Sentinel, and Dennis vehicles, and their new features where they occur. [Page 177.
AN interesting type of hydraulically operated tipping gear is utilized on the Sentinel tipping wagon to be shown at Olympia and described by us in this issue. The pressure is obtained by the use of an injector similar to that used for feeding the boiler. [Page 178.
" VIM " draws a moral, in his contribution this week,from a: typical instance of a haulage contractor who considers the advisability of selling his tractors becanse he .thinks they are being run at a loss. "Vim" analyses the position and gives some useful advice to this contractor and; others who imagine themselves to be in a like case. [Page. 169.
WE have taken pains to record the development in municipal haulage from horse to petrol, steam. and electric power. Cleansing is not a showy part of municipal work, and economy' and efficiency must needs be proved. The way in which the electric tipper is being chosen and used by the Sheffield Cor poration is fully described in this issue. [Page 174.
THE dashboard ,switch on the Ford van is a complicated. bit :_of mechanism, andcalls for a complete understanding of its method of working,so that any defect-which -may occur can, be located and remedied quickly:, In Ford Van. Pointers this week, the switeh is clearly described, and • instructions ,are' given for disassembling and for correctly wiring up the ter minals. [Page 188.
Facing the Competition.
WITH the threatened cut in railway rates for , parcels traffic, competition between road transport services and the railway systems must become rather more acute, but it -cannot be said that the competition has yet become, or is even threatening to becorne, keen.' • We cannot say that we fear competition to the extent to which some extremists have lately gone. Neither the road haulier 'nor the railway manager can go too far except a -deliberate throat-cutting policy; be decided upon, and 'that from the roa,dhaulier's point of view is not possible because he cannot profitably handle the long haul traffic, whilst.;.from. the railway point of view, it would beunavailing, for the services now rendered by the road haulier would need to -be replaced with something similar, and it would be a difficult job to persuade Parliament to grant the necessary power's to the railways, • Again, competition in rates will actually increase traffic and create new traffic, and for this reason we expect to zee a rapid expansion of parcels traffic now that rates for conveyance at ordinary parcels .. scale and at owners' risk are being reduced, to the extent of from 12 per cent. to 30 per cent. With recent: reductions in the price of fuel and' oil, and with . other reductions in costs practically due, the :-new rates should leave a good margin of 'profit when the impetus to traffic given by the reductions shall have swelled its •proportion.
Our advice to road hauliers is to be extremely careful over costing in the first place, and also' to he more than careful. in quotations. They can offer a better service than the railways: "from door to. doer with a minimum. of handling and with a reduc. tion in -packing charges,." is a most valuable feature of their service, and its value should be emphasized at, every available opportunity. This reduction in handling gives the road haulier a. very big-;pull in the costs of transport, and he is not a good administrator who cannot reap the advantage therefroni: The established haulier will have a more difficult competitor this autumnand.winter in the. coach proprietor who converts hiscoach"es, to goods-carrying Vehicles. In certain; Circumstances this' can be done ; with a,fair measure of success, because some coaches .. . are under-geared for coach work and are "really!more . suitably sprung for.. goods transport than passenger carrying. Much can be, done by co-operation,.brcom. paring notes; arid by the Mutualavoidance' of Iratecutting. We know that this is setting up an ideal state of affair s^ rather difficult of attainment, but it is useless giving a big advantage to manufacturers and traders at the entire expense of the transport industry. .
How the Coach Can Hold Its Own.
COMPETITION of fares between railways and coach proprietors will be no . keener than it is for some months to come, and, in thcameantime, coach proprietors can set about getting their house in order. Thepast season has been unusually
favourable to them, and in most cases has enabled them to build up good reserves. But let it not be for
gotten that the vehicles put into use early in the season have covered a greater mileage than would. reasonably have been anticipated2 and that the increased wear and tear will entail greater expense in overhauling and reconditioning.
The season has been a wonderful education to the 'whole of the mach industry. It has provided an abundance of data on working coats and standing charges. Let these be most carefully analysed and studied. In many cases, it will be seen where they can be cut. down. The schedule of services can be reconsidered and revised in the light of the traffic -returns, and many amendments can be made with a view to increasing revenue. Those are minor if important details. What the coach proprietor must consider chiefly is how he is going to attract custom and yet more custom. He must decide upon the class for which he will cater. Development of the coaching movement will take two absolutely diverse directions 'according to the class. of passenger. There is the tripper—frankly blatant, merely riding in a. char-h-banes because it is jolly, oaring nought for scenery and only wanting to be one of a party in some kind of conveyance. To him the charm of thechar-h-bancs is that he can, in the day, get to and from a suitable pleasure resort for such. and such a sum. This man's custom must besought on the ground of cheapness, and he will not need much in the way of comfort.
The other class of passenger is the man who travels by coach for the pleasure of travel. Scenery and historic associations are everything to him; and being of that. temperament he will want comfort and convenience in his journeying. He mustabe catered for by means of a vehicle. possessing ,every reasonable refinement. It must have naore comfortable seats of the armchair type, capable of re-arrangement in number and position to suit the party. Tables for meals will be asked for, ample luggage accommodation will be essential-, a better class driver a sine qua non. Give the road puiblic what it wants and the coach proprietors next season need not fear the railways. The advantages are on the side of the coach, but they must be exploited, not neglected.
Reducing Road Transport Rates, Without Loss.
THERE ARE many ways in which the haulier can reduce both standing charges and running costs so that, even when faced with the necessity of reducing freight charges, he will be able to run his vehicles without sacrificing his satisfactory margin of profit. The problem merely calls for thorough consideration beforehand, not hampered by any feeling of pessimism.
• The recent reduction in the price of fuel has already had a certain amount of influence in weighing down the male on the right side, and it is probable that a further drop in prices will occur in the near future .and will again help. It would appear that, at present, we are employing far too many power units for the transport of a certain quantity of goods, and, if the latter could be distributed over fewer self-propelled vehicles, the cost. of moving them would automatically decline. 012 This points to the need for employing either vehicles of larger capacity or.Yehiclea combined with trailers:, the first method cannot be satisfactorily adopted in many cases, because it may not always be possible to provide full loads; but, where trailers are employed, these need only be utilized when the loads available justify their employment.
Considerable attention is now being given in various quarters to the production of' improved trailers, which will be far more suitable for employment with medium weight or heavy vehicles than many of those in use to-day. It must be remembered'. that a trailer should be as well designed and as carefully constructed as the vehicle which. draws it, otherwise much efficiency may be lost and the trailer may be little more than a white elephant.
Many of the commercial motor vehicles on the market are by no means adapted for trailer work, and it will certainly not do to fit trailers indiscriminately; the makers of the vehicles should always be consulted, and they may be able to suggest changes in the final drive, gear ratioS, etc., which will improve matters. For trailer work it is almost essential that four speeds should be provided, as the differences betw-een the gear ratios become more perceptible under the influence of the inereased pull rendered necessary.
Attention should he given to the possibilities of utilizing other and cheaper fuels than petrol; suction gas comes to mind in this connection, as the various producers now on the market, are steadily being improved by lightening and making them more automatic in action, and we certainly believe that this fuel presents great possibilities.
The Motoring Farmer.
IF statistics were available, there is no doubt that they would show clearly, wilhin the last few years, a great increase in the number of motor. cars owned by the farming class
The majority of farmers are now motorists in some form or another, and their vehicles range from the motorcycle combination to much more pretentious vehicles.
The farmer, in fact, has taken to the motorcar. just like most other prosperous business men, and the very nature of his occupation andi. his comparative isolation should make him particularly appreciative of the benefit to be derived therefrom.
This state of affairs is not without interest from the lorry and farm tractor point of view. It means that the farmer is becoming rapidly educated to the advantages of all forms of mechanical transport. His whole-hearted allegiance to the horse is being shaken.
Few farmers employ a chauffeur, and many of them are far distant from places where 'apart assistance is available. In consequence, they have, perforce, to learn something about tBe vehicles they use. The older generation, perhaps, will not learn
very much, but the mere fact of motoring will tend to break down much of the ancient preju.dice against things mechanical.
But, so far as the yoFunger generation is. concerned—that younger generation which often prefers a motorcycle to a pony—thing:s are very different. The new farming generation is being raised in a petrol-laden atmosphere. The meaanical instinct, latent in almost every youth, can find an outlet
nearer at home than formerly was the case. In the future,our engineering works may lack a few apprentices, but the mechanically minded farmer's boy will stay at home, and help in that development of power-farming which is bound to come.
The farmer of the futurei will be part engineer and part agriculturist. His vocation will be an attractive combination of congenial pursuits, and all prejudice against things mechanical will pass away. When that happens, tractor cultivation and rural mechanical transport will come funk into their own.