Windsor Industrial Motors, Ltd., ask me to repeat the fact—which
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I do willingly—that they have removed their works from Windsor to 120-124, High Street, Tooting.
Tradesmen and others changing from horses to motors, and who desire that their horse drivers shall be thoroughly taught how to drive a van or lorry, will find a good place at the National Motor Academy, 3, Boundarv Road, Notting Hill. 'their methods appear to me to be sound, and before men are sent out into the traffic they have the unusual opportunity of trying the stock vehicles in a vast, enwailed, open space in connection with the school.
The offices of the new company, F. B. Goodchild and Co., Ltd., which will very quickly now be in evidence with petrol vans and lorries, overlook the Holborn end of Kingswav, and during an interesting talk with Mr. Frank Goodchild on business prospects and the mutability of human affairs he drew my attention to an object lesson which occurred in view of his office window a few days ago. A good spell of brilliant sunshine was followed, as we know, by spasmodic showers, and the asphalt roadway was quickly in a treacherous state for horses. Within two or three minutes after the rain started, the helpless quadrupeds started slipping about, and within five minutes there were five horses down, and one poor brute remained down for quite a quarter of an hour, while others picked their way tremblingly and doubtless came to grief further on. It was noteworthy, Mr. Goodchild observed with gloomy interest, that two of these unfortunate five horses belonged to Carter, Paterson and Co., Ltd. Meanwhile, the taxicabs, the motorvans, and the motorbuses proceeded triumphantly along the slimy streets.
T was in Leeds last week, and was interested to meet with Mr. C. E. Fitton, who is now the managing director of the Castings Repair Co., Ltd. He is a Leeds man, but has, up to recently, spent much time in London, and he has, now, decided to settle down in his native town, in order thoroughly to establish this business. They have taken an old factory, and are very well equipped for doing an extensive trade in aluminium repairs. There is ample storage room 4or vans, cars, etc., and a foundry. I saw one cracked-cylinder job, which had just been finished, and it was a marvel to me that such a complete breakage could be restored : it had originally three cracks across the valve seating, and the cylinder was almost split in half ; still, they had made it secure and trim. Mr. Fitton is an experienced engineer, and I should judge that work can be confidently entrusted to him and his associates.
Mr. W. Deighton, of the Yorkshire Patent Steam Wagon Co., appeared with his hand bandaged, and in answer to my enquiries explained that he had had a narrow escape of losing his fingers; but they are going on, it is pleasing to note, quite satisfactorily. His hand was unfortunately jammed, I gathered, between his carriage door and an adjacent lamp-post. Business at the Vulcan Works, Hunslet, is decidedly on the increase.
A booklet of the Bosch magneto has reached me illustrating the " Dill" type suitable for single-cylinder vans, and the Secretary, Mr. G. A. Stevens, intimates that they will supply this very informative little book if application be sent to 23, Store Street, W.C. They are very live people these English representatives of the Bosch. I was interested to hear from Mr. A. E. Bennett's lips about his lectures up and down the country on the ignition question, and I should say he knows the how and why of ignition pretty thoroughly ; it is a compliment, anyhow, to him that he should be invited to lecture before the principal motor engineers of Coventry. A cheery spirit he is, too, for, as I was wending my way home from the Motor Club, having dallied too long to catch the last " tube," I espied the gentleman driving, I conclude, home, and he insisted that he should " drop me " at my place, although in an opposite direction. When comfortably started, I heard him ejaculate: " confound it ; forgot to put the flag down." I gazed about and blandly asked—" Which flag? " And to this " April Fool " was the gleeful response, accompanied by a wild chuckle. Then I realised that he was affecting to be a taxi-driver, and that we had well entered upon the early hours of the first day of April.
Writing of taxicabs, I listened to a tale of woe concerning an alleged overcharge which occurred down at Hastings last week-end, and which raises an interesting point. livly friend Mr. Cecil Routledge, of the " New Era" fire extincteurs, was in the mood to drive out after lunch to Battle Abbey and back, and took a Beeston-Humber taxi from Skinner's garage. The road was clear, the going was good, and the motor ran splendidly; they cut no time to waste at the other end—in fact, they seem to have taken the Abbey " as read." They were back again, according to his account, well within three-quarters of an hour, and an examination of the taximeter showed that it had stuck at 3s. ed. The driver was ready, however, with the information that the fare would be 14s., at which Routledge very naturally gasped. Much argument followed, but the taxi-driver's unassailable point was that it was seven miles out to Battle Abbey and seven back at one shilling per mile, not eightpence as in London, and the arithmetical sum was proportionately simple. I am afraid there is no redress in a case like this, if it is an acknowledged fact that the distance was right. If the " fare " desired to make a stay at the other end, he could bargain with the driver not to charge for the time of the stay, and it is entirely at the taxidriver's option to make such a bargain, but that did not affect Routledge's case.