Correspondence.
Page 55
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About the R.A.C. Report.
The Editor, "Tim COMMERCIAL MOTOR."
Sir :—Allow me to smooth the ruffled feathers of your correspondent " Observer." Experience teaches that the competent buyer of goods is not influenced by the awards of exhibition juries, neither is he affected by the results of trials held under artificial conditions, Knowing how prone human nature is to be biassed by extraneous influences, he prefers his own judgment to that of persons who, however eminent in their own particular circle, are unknown to him personally. If you are producing a good thing, " Observer," the influence of your satisfied customers will do you more good than all the awards of judges in the world. If you are not, gold medals will not help you.—Yours faithfully,
AN OLD BIRD.
The Editor, "THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR."
Sir :—It is always so difficult for the layman to follow the expert in the idiosyncrasies of motor matters, that 1 should be extremely obliged if you could explain this apparent paradox ?
I see in the issue of the. R.A.C. Trials report that a vehicle in Class F, which was awarded a Geld Medal, is officially described as having a tare weight of 5 tons 3 cwt. 2 qrs. Now I have always been told that there is an Act of Parliament whereby to run a motor vehicle on the public roads as a light locomotive, with a tare weight in excess of five tons, is illegal. As the R.A.C. would naturally not lend their assistance to, or countenance any illegal proceeding, can you tell me whether the Act has been repealed, or, if it hasn't been repealed, do you think that the judges can have been aware of it, or if they were aware of it, would they by virtue of their exalted position consider that they were above such trifles as Acts of Parliament ? It really is all very confusing.
—Yours faithfully, MUDDLED.
The Editor, "THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR."
Sir :—I have read with great interest the letter from your correspondent " Observer," and with most of what he says it is impossible to disagree. Yet there is another side to the question and, while holding no brief for the judges, I think it only fair to put on record the very general opinion that they have come to grief more through attempting an impossible task than through any fault of their own. Judging, always a thankless task, was in this case peculiarly so, inasmuch as the trials occupied so great a length of time. It was hardly to be expected that those of the judges who had their own business to attend to would be able to devote all their time gratuitously to these trials, and it was, therefore, accessary for them to delegate a great part of their duties to the observers.
Unfortunately, these delegates of the judges were not, and could not be in the nature of things, disinterested and, though the great majority of them were sportsmanlike and fair, there were exceptions, and close followers of the trials know that there were instances in which the reports were not made out in a judicial spirit. There is little doubt that an inkling of this led the judges to their decision not to publish figures of the accuracy of which they were uncertain, and for this they are to be commended. Their awards would, therefore, have to he based upon such facts as they could verify on the occasions when they were themselves present, and this In itself would account to a large extent for the surprise with which some of the awards are regarded by those who followed the trials very closely in person. If the trials could have been compressed into a week, by conducting them exclusively in the most severe country to be found, -and working longer hours, it is possible the judges would have been able to have been present all the time. But, in these days of " nothing for nothing and very little for a halfpenny," it is unreasonable to expect busy men to ncg-lect their own business for the benefit of others.
No doubt the slipshod style in which the report is produced is due to the master mind being occupied in the Motor Union squabble. This is the more to be regretted because the organisation of the trials was of so high an order that the anti-climax produced by the report is painful by comparison. —Yours faithfully, PARTICIPATOR. Scott's Specification No. 10,2741%7.
The Editor, " THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR."
Sir 4—Mr. Scott has called attention to an error which has crept into our description of his carburetter upon page 592 of "THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR" for the 5th March.
In that description, B is described as an annular chamber, whereas reference to Fig. 2 of the drawings shows clearly that it is not a single annular chamber but a series of independent chambers of which there are eight shown in the drawing. It is evident that the carburetter would not work as required, unless each of the jets (Al) was accommodated in a separate chamber, and we shall be glad if you could see your way to make this correction in the next issue of your paper.--Yours faithfully, BOTILT, WADE AND TENNANT.
I I I and 112, Hatton Garden, Holborn Circus, E.C.
The Interior of Motorbuses.
The Editor, "THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR."
Sir :—The above strikes me as being a rather interesting discussion as undoubtedly there is great room for improvement in the cars at present running, especially in those of the Road Car Company. It cannot be denied, I think, that these buses have about the " dingiest" interiors of any on the London streets. There is no need, as "A Union Jack Regular" seems to suggest, that these cars should have seats of such a slippery nature as the Vanguard Scheiblers, but they certainly might be fitted with a material of a brighter and lighter nature. The lighting of these cars (and the " Generals ") cannot compare with the lighting of other companies' buses, and it seems a pity, as, externally and mechanically, the " Union Jacks " are second to none. In my humble opinion, the most efficient buses on the road, from a passenger's point of view, are the " Great Easterns." They are kept in excellent condition, both internally and externally, and they are among the best-lighted cars in London, being fitted, as they are, with electric light, whilst their destination indicators are far and away the most effectual in use on omnibuses.
I trust you will excuse this long letter, as I am very interested in all matters appertaining to commercial motoring. —Yours faithfully, F. R. FIELDHOUSE. 5 to I I, Bethnal Green Road, London, E. 26th March, Ina.
Trade Possibilities for Agents.
The Editor, "THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR."
Sir :—When writing to you on 9th November of last year, I mentioned that we believed there were several purchasers of commercial motors in our immediate district. Messrs. John Dickinson and Co., Ltd., Apsley Paper Mills, are now purchasing a 3-ton vehicle, which will presumably be followed by others, for their traffic to Nine Elms and Padding. ton Stations and London warehouse. Messrs. G. B. Kent and Sons, Ltd. (Best British Brushes), have a *ton van by Commercial Cars, Luton, on order for the conveyance of raw material and partly-manufactured goods between their works at Apsley End and their London works and warehouse. The Four Brothers (Mr. G. A. Dunn), Redbourn, Herts., " Garden Produce Growers," have a 1-ton, Argyll vehicle with body by Bayleys, Ltd., on order and this particular vehicle is being shown at the Olympia Exhibition. The two latter vehicles have been purchased through us, and are instances of the trade that can be done by agents, if they will look out for it. You have always laid stress on this in your columns, and we have taken your remarks to heart. We find the statements in your Chambers of Commerce lecture useful and instructive, also those in the trials booklet. I must apologise for writing at such a length, but it is a pleasure to express the interest with which each issue of your paper is awaited. Wishing you all the success you
deserve.—Yours faithfully, PEMSEL AND WILSON,
Hemel Liernpstead, Herts. A. F. PEMSEL,