WHEELS OF INDUSTRY.
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The wheel of wealtlt will be slowed by all difficulties of transport at whatever points arising, as a carriage is by the roughness of the roads over which it runs."—John Beattie Crosier.
Making the Coach Advertise Itself.
In preparation for the opening of the season this week, the Premier Transport Co., Keighley, in conjunction with the allied ;:ompanies of the Brenta Chara Co. and the Keighley Haulage and Chars. Co., Keighley, have adopted a common "fleet mark," which comprises the letters " B.P.K.," surrounded by a ribbon aid buckle. This sign is carried on the side panels of all the coaches, and will be used in all advertising matter and popularized in every possible manner.
On Thursday, ,March 31st, a big advertising " stunt" is to be undertaken, with the object of .demonstratingt the popularity of the motor coach and showing the possibilities of catering for, big parties. Arrangements have been made for school children to be taken for an eating to Malham. Nine to a dozen coaches will be brought into use, and children are being brought from all parts of the district which is covered by the ern/vilely. Head teachers have been circularized and they have selected representativea from each school to take part in the. affair. The manner of selection has been left with the teachers, but the suggestion was made that the presentation of he tickets for the outing should be given as an award or prize. In almost all eases, the teachers have entered heartily into the arrangement, with the exception of those Ln one particular district, and that, significantly, is the district where a serious motor coach accident took place last year. Teachers will accompany the children, and tea will be provided by the Premier Co. at the Church Hall, Malham.
A programme, illustrated by half-tone blocks, has been prepared by Mr. Jonas Bradley, a former headmaster and a noted local antiquary, and in it, in addition to instructions for the children, an interesting and instructive description of the sights to be seen on the journey is given. The Premier Co. hope to make the affair a real joy-day. Toy balloons, " squeakeaa," flags, and other gala 'day accessories have been obtained, and all bear the lettering " B.P.K. Motor coaches." •
The children will be taken through the principal streets at the dinner hour, and the imposing procession should have a good effect. The whole affair has been arranged to cause as big an impression a spossible Without appearing to be an advertising affair, and it is hoped that in this way the attractions of motor coaching will be brought home to grownups through the children.
Lincoln Buses and Race . Meetings.
No one was very surprised when the Lincoln City Council_ rescinded. its resolution that no Meter vehicles other than their .own Or those belonging to ratepayers in the city Would be allowed a licence to 'drive from the town to the racecourse. It was apparent that the seven Corporation buses and the five motor chars-a-hancs owned by people in the town could not hope to deal with the
016 enormous passenger traffic which is always a feature of race times. The race committee sent a deputation to the Mayor pointing this out, and the Chief Constable was ordered to issue
licences wherever required. Nevertheless, the Corporation kept its eyes open during race week, and seven buses made many journeys to the course, always packed with passengers. During the afternoon the other parts of the town were left unserved, and the income from the is. journeys will go far,said one alderman, to lift the load that the purchase arid running of the buses entail off the ratepayers.
It is impossible to estimate the number of chars-iabancis which attended the meeting from places as far distant as Manchester, Matlock, Leeds, and Birmingham. Two of the new buses belonging to the .Mansfield Council also did good business.
The' C.M. Overhauling Articles.
The first reprint of the articles on overhauling of the leading commercial vehicles chassis has been exhausted, and a further edition has been prepared. We shall be pleased to supply these reprints on heavy paper at sixpence each, with the first of which we send to each applicant free of charge a binding cover for the series. Applications for the reprints have been received from manufacturers, agents, repairers, fleet owners, hauliers and drivers aid have been greatly appreciated.
A New American One 1 onner.
The upheaval which recently took place in the administrative staff of the Ford Motor Co. has been followed by the formation of a new motor company to be known as the Gray Motors Corporation, the president of which will be Mr. Frank L. Klingensmith, formerly vicepresident and general manager of the Ford Co. Mr. F. F. Beall, former vicepresident and in charge of the manufacturing side of the Packard Motor Co., will be vice-president and general. manager'. The company expects to begin production early in the autumn. Mr. Beall has for some months been perfecting a four-cylinder engine to run most
economically. The first production of the company will be a pleasure • car, but. S. One-ton truck will almost certainly be included in the company's programme later on. • .
The holders of preference shares in the Austin Motor Co., Ltd., have, in meeting assembled, sanctioned the issue by ; the company of debentures and/or debenture stock to such -amount as 'the directors think necessary with a limit of 1,500,000.
Although this ieshe has-been considerably enlarged, we have been compelled, owing to pressure of space. to hold over several regular features, amongst which are included " Ford Van Pointers " and " Hints for Hauliers."
We shall deal with certain other phases of the coaching movement in subsequent issues, referring to the activities of proprietors in various parts of Great Britain.
Imported Chassis for Chars-a-bancs.
When is a char-a-bancs an omnibus? This question has recently been raised by a claim for import duty which has been made by the customs authorities against a proprietor who purchased a. chassis and, after fitting it with a char-aebancs body, used it for conveying parties to football matches and other places of entertainment. As the proprietor was unaware that the chassis had been imported duty free, or that any question could be raised as to his liability, he was not a little surprised when he received a claim for duty amounting to more than £100.
The import duty of 33i per cent. was imposed by section 12 of the Finance (No. 2) Act, 1915, upon all motorcars and their aosessories and component parts, but section 13 (4) provided that motorcars which were proved to the satisfaction of the Commissioners of Customs and Excise to be constructed and adapted for use, and intended to be used solely, as motor omnibuses, or motor ambulances, or in connection with the conveyance of goods or burden' in the course of trade or husbandry, or by a local authority as fire engines or otherwise for -the purposes of their fire brigade services, and chassis, component parts and accessories which are so proved to be intended to be used solely for any such case should not be charged with the duty. The authorities base their claim upon their reading of the word " omnibus," which they contend only includes a charAabancs where the vehicle plies for hire and the passengers pay separate fares and that, in the event of a char-t-bancs being let out at so much per day, or for the conveyance of a particular party, the duty is payable. In other words, they appear to contend that a ehar-hbanes is only exempt from duty where it is used solely as a public service vehi: cle and, of course, never at any time for the conveyance of a party from which the public is excluded.
A point worth noticing is that the Act does not seem to enable the customs authorities to claim payment of the duty where a vehicle which was exempt when it was imported is afterwards used for a purpose other than those specified in the Act. At the aame time, an owner who uses an exempted vehicle for one of those purposes is liable to a fine of £100 or six months' imprisonment.
There is another" Provision: in the Finance Act of 1915 which affects the person who transfers 'to -another a motor vehicle or chassis which has, been exeinpted from 'duty. The transferor must give notice of the transfer and of the name and address of the transferee to theCommissioners of Customs and Excise, in default being liable to a fine not exceeding £100 or six months' imprisonment.
The moral is that it is important, when negotiating for the purchase of a vehicle or chassis which is to he used as a char1)..-bancs, to ascertain whether it. was imported duty free, and, if the purchaser finds that it was exempt, to take into consideration the amount of the duty when agreeing the price.
Improved Springing Device.
An improved springing device is being manufactured for Hott Bros. (Rochdale), Ltd., of which the patentees are Mr. James Taylor, of 141i1nrow, and Mr. Robert Holt, of Rochdale.
The invention, Mr. Holt informs The Commercial Motor, relates to laminar springs of the kind wherein rollers or ' balls are arranged between the leaves or plates for the purpose of reducing friction and thereby facilitating the movement-of the leaves or plates relatively to each other and increasing the resiliency of the springs.
Traffic Really Extraordinary.
Almost with monthly regularity Glasgow Corporation records instances of road damage by excessive traffic. The latest iastance is a. smashing of 1,923 stones by the conveyance of six boilers, each weighing, with the bogey, about 73 tons, from the premises of Messrs. Barclay, Carle and Co., Kelvinhaugh Street, to Stobcross Quay. As customary, the corporation is bolding the firm responsible for the damage.
Manx Motor Coach Taxation.
The Association of Isle of Man Threshing Machines and Haulage Proprietors is interested in. the Highways (Amend-• ment) Bill which is now before the House of Keys. The Bill proposes to impose taxation on heavy motor and traction traffic on behalf of the local authorities, and to make a charge of £1 petpassenger seat on motor coaches.
Inst. A.E. Meeting.
The next general meeting of the Institution of Automobile Engineers will be held at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Storey's Gate, Westminster. London, S.W. 1, on April 13th, at 8 p.m., when Mr. Geo. Watson will read a paper entitled "A Suggested Programme for Automobile Research."
An invitation card may be obtained on application to the secretary of the Institution, 28, Victoria Street, S.W. 1. A meeting of the members in the Manchester and Liverpool districts is being held on April 7th, at the Memorial Hall, Albert Square, Manchester, at 7.39 p.m., for the purpose of re-forming the North of England centre of the Institution.
Randall's Insurance Scheme.
Having regard to the increasing demand of the commercial vehicle user for quicker and more reliable service in the matter of repairs and replacement, in sheet metal particularly, Messrs. James H. Randall and Sun, of Green Street Works, Paddington Green, London, W. have endeavoured to increase their already exceptional facilities for catering for this class of work.
A special department has now been set aside entirely for work of this description and a service bureau instituted.
An original insurance scheme has jest been inaugurated by the company for the benefit of commercial users, which provides that all goods received or orders executed up to June, 1921, will be repaired or replaced free of all charge should the article, at any time during the three months following the date of the original order, become further damaged or even totally destroyed. Radiators are guaranteed for six months under this scheme.
Personal Pars. .
During the month of February Karrier Motors, Ltd., initiated a competition between agents, the prize for the agent who secured the most successful results being an 18 carat half-hunter gold
watch. Mr. Kenning; whose portrait we reproduce on this page, was the successful agent on this occasion, and he is a member of Messrs. F. Kenning and Sons, of Clay Cross, Mr. Kenning is one of the best-known and most successful motor traders in this country, and has represented the Huddersfield company for the sale of Karrier chassis for some years, the results of his efforts having, been extraordinarily good. He is at the present time lying ill in a nursing home after having undergone a serious operation, and his many friends will, we are sure, wish him a speedy recovery. -,Mr. Kenning occupies an insportant position in his own town, and for some time past has been a Justice of the Peace.
Mr. R. E. Wilson, who was, until recently, assistant sales manager for J. and E. Hall, Ltd., of Dartford, has vacated this post in order to take up a position as sales manager with the Satire,Commercial Vehicle Co., of 64, Mortimer Street, Gt. Portland Street, London, W., the British concessionnaires for this famous Swiss vehicle manufactured at Arbon. Mr. Wilson possesses many friends in the motor industry owing to his frank and breezy personality and to his early association with the trade.
The New Model Austin Tractor Does Well.
A new model Austimtractor performed very satisfactorily at the recent tractor ploughing demonstration organized by the Seale Hayne Agricultural College, when eight of the chief makes Of tractors took part in the trial. A 1920 model Austin tractor took part as well as the new model, each of the tractors having two acres of land to plough. It is noteworthy that the new Austin hauling a three-furrow plough was the first to finish the work, and that. it took approkimately one hour less than any -other tractor on the ground.
Shops on Wheels.
Motor vehicles which are used as mobile shops are in great evidence in the various markets trtroughout Lancashire, Cheshire, and Yt,rkshire. One Manchester owner uses a Clement-Talbot 25-30 h.p. reconstructed R.A.F. chassis, shod with pneumatic tyres, as a clothing store. This vehicle, which can carry well over one ton of stock, valued at £1,000, tours the various markets of the throe counties previously mentioned from day to day, and, in the near future, it as expected to make a tour throughout Wales. The owner says that the mobil system is infinitely better than travelling to markets by means of rail, whilst itis far more economical, and there is none of the trouble of packing and unpacking skips, loading, and unloading, etc. In addition, the scope of the vendor is unlimited, and he is the master of his own time instead of being the slave of the railway time-table.
Another owner who sets out from Royton employs a F.W.D. lorry, which is stocked with jams and pickles, but this vehicle is in no way specially adapted or converted. Trestle tables are erected and used for the display of goods when the vehicle reaches the various market places.
Several ex-army lorries appear to be in use for conveying goods from the vendoa.s' premises to the various markets, and this system is rapidly cutting out the previous practice of storing the goods locally, or, by the alternative means, of transmitting them by rail.
Lifeboat .Launching by Tractor.
For the past year the Royal National Lifeboat Institution has been experimenting with a Clayton caterpillar-type tractor, such as is used for agricultural pus.. poses, with a view to its use for launching lifeboats on flat, sandy beaches. Twenty tractors of this type were purchased by the Institution some months ago, and -they are now being adapted for the special requirements of the lifeboat service.
The problem of adaptation has been a difficult one for it has been necessary to make such parts of the engine as the magneto and carburetter absolutely water-tight, and to provide protection for the sparking plugs against spray from sea waves. These difficulties have now been overcome, and the final trials of a Clayton machine have just taken place at Hunstanton, on the East Coast, in the presence of members of the Committee of Management of the Institation, the chief inspector of Lifeboats and other officials, and the result is that the mechanically propelled tractor has proved a complete success.
The method of launching is very simple. The tractor, which is attached to the lifeboat carriage by means of steel drawbar, pulls the boat down to the water's edge, and is then uncoupled and travels round to the stern of the boat and pushes the lifeboat and carriage into the water. The tractor then " rnans " the launching falls and hauls the boat off its carriage. The trials have shown that the engine of the tractor can run freely when the machine is in over 4 ft. of water.
The work of adapting the remaining 19 tractors will now be completed as quickly as possible, when they will subsequently be sent to their permanent stations. This metho.1 "mild mean great economy in labour, and much prompter launches than are at present possible with horses, for a tractor with four helpers can do tile work for which ten horses and ten helpers are at present required, and can do it more expeditiously.
Steam Wagon Ferrules.
We are informed by the Barron Expanding Ferrule Co., Ltd., of 31-32, Cock Lane, London, E.C., that they are again in a position to supply the Barron expanding ferrule in all steam wagon sizes. These ferrules, we understand, are being manufactured to an entirely new design, which completely eliminates any difficulty in fitting. Steam wagon users may care to know that quick delivery can be made of these useful fittings.
Manchester Coach Fares.
As showing,how the Manchester coach fares compare with the rail fares, the folloWing table will probably be of interest There are a large number of commercial vehicles in use in Holland, and it is therefore not surprising that the premier Dutch motor manufacturers should themselves enter this branch of the motor industry.
The.2 ton Spyker, which is one of the latest Dutch machines to be placed on the market, is constructed of American parts which are assembled at Trompenburg. This chassis is fitted -with a 35 h.p. Continental engine, and a gearbox which has -four speeds forward and a reverse. The carburetter is a Stromberg, fitted with an extra inlet and regulator. The front and back axles are produced by the wellestablished . Timken factory. The hand brake and gear lever are to the left of the driver.
During a recent visit to the works, it was noticed that about 100 chassis were in various stages of completion, and from this observation it appears quite likely that the company are out to meet the growing demand for Dutch machines from heavy vehicle users in Holland.
Westminster City Council propose to enter 18 motor wagons in the annual parade organized by the Commercial Motor Users Association.
Oil in Costa Rica.
From Washington, U.S.A. it is cabled that the State Department' learns that the Congress of Costa Rica has repudiated certain oil and other concessions granted through the British Minister to an American firm in June, 1918.
The concessions, which consist of several thousand square miles, whilst ostensibly granted to an American corapany, were largely controlled by Britisti interests. The United States is under. stood to have taken up the position that the agreement, by granting water rights along the Nicaraguan frontier to British interests, would give the concessionnaires a foothold for building an inter-oceanic
i canal. Negotiations, n view of the construction of a canal, have been under consideration for some time past between the United States and Nicaragua.
Agriculturists and Road Tarring.
Although the period has not yet been reached at which objection to the tarring of main highways has been entirely eradicated, there has been evidence forthcoming of late, and particularly in Midland districts, that the old antagonism—mainly emanating from agriculturists, and resulting from the idea that more Consideration is paid to the convenience of motor transport than to other forms of traffic—is being rapidly obliterated. A significant illustration of the altered feeling was afforded at the last meeting of the Lindsey County Council.
Alderman Bellwood, in replying to a suggestion that sides of roads should be left untarred for horse traffic, pointed out, that the _Road Board insisted upon the whole of the surfaces being tarred, and he expressed the view that the objection of farmers to tarred roads was rapidly passing away. Other members expressed agreement with this obviously accurate estimate of the changing trend of opinion, one member asserting that when aides of roads are left, untamed agriculturists showed their predilection in favour of the use-of the macadamized portions.
The Shell-Mex Dinner.
The Shell-Mex garage staff held their second annual dinner on Friday, March 18th, at the Old Bell Restaurant, Holborn, with the garage manager, Mr. M. V. Ambler, in the chair, and Mr. R. T. Smith as vice-chairman. The dinner was followed by a strikingly good concert, contributed to partly by professionals and partly by talented members of the staff, The combined menu and programme is worthy of mention, as it was most artistically arranged with humorous pen sketches bv members cf the staff and appropriate Shakespearian and other quotations
COMMERCIAL MOTOR Local Proceedings.
Southend Corporation has asked a committee to inspect the trackless trolley system of cars in operation in Rothe', ham, Middlesbrough, and York.
York City Council is getting a loan of £1,470 for the purchase.of a motor fire-engine.
Gosport and Alverstoke Urban District Council has obtained permission to raise a loan of 21,800 for the purchase of a motor fire-engine.
Deptford Borough Council has arranged to lend the British Petroleum Co., Ltd., of Ninahead, one of the council's water carts at a charge of 21 a week.
Plymouth Corporation has accepted the tender of the Lacre Motor Car Co., Ltd., for the supply of a motor sweeper at a cost of 2750.
lid. a Unit for Electric Vehicles.
The L.C.C. has sanctioned a loan of 2788 by the Hammersmith Borough Council for apparatus required for the
charging of six electric vehicles. By means of the new apparatus it is estimated that the cost of electrical energy supplied to the vehicles will be 14c1. a unit, as compared with 4d. a unit now being charged for this work, necessitating the running of a steam generator.