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News and Comment.

30th May 1907, Page 13
30th May 1907
Page 13
Page 14
Page 13, 30th May 1907 — News and Comment.
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Keywords : Steam Wagon, Taxicab, Tarmac

The regular weekly circulation of this journal now exceeds 8,000 copies, exclusive of any extra mailings of special issues.

The election of the new president of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders will take place a fortnight hence.

Some impressions of the French Trials, formed after a visit by two members of our staff, will be found on pages 327 to 332.

One more entry for the R.A.C. Trials —a 5-ton steam wagon in Class G. This is the first entry from a steamwagon maker, Savage Bros., Ltd., and it brings the total number, to Tuesday evening last, up to nine vehicles.

Captain H. H. P. Deasy notifies us that he has resigned the chairmanship and joint managing directorship of the Deasy Motor Car Manufacturing Company, Limited, but that he remains on the board as an ordinary director.

A full-page illustration, prepared from a photograph taken in the despatch room of the Co-operative Wholesale Society's depot at Newcastle-onTyne accompanies the completion of

Dur tenth performance ' section :pages 315 to 319).

A Johannesburg Tender.

The Municipal Council of Johannes)urg is inviting tenders for a selfwopelled fire escape and a self-prorelied tender. Specifications and forms )f tender may be obtained on applicaion to the Council's agents in London, dessrs. E. W. Carling and Company, it. Dunstan's Buildings, St. Dunstan'S E.C. Tenders must be in ohanneshurg by the 31St July. .

Meet at Reading.

Acting upon the advice of the Readng local committee, the date for the irst provincial meet for commercial notors has been fixed for Monday the 7th proximo. A conference between he London and local committees is to e held at the Reading Town Hall to. .ay (Thursday) at 11.15 a.m., by. the

courtesy of the Mayor of Reading, when it is expected that various details will be settled, inclu'ding-the route for the procession in the town. Luncheon will be held in the Town Hall, on the day of the meet, at one o'clock.

Manufacturers who seadA vehicles will be required to pay an entrance fee of one guinea per machine.

Members of the Commercial Motor Users' Association will-he -admitted to the Travel Exhibition, it the Royal Horticultural Hall, Westminster, without charge, on production of their current -cards -ofmembership. The exhibition will remain open until the 8th proximo.

A Sound Van Body:

The Wolseley van which we illustrate herewith is one which has recently been supplied to Motor Jobrnasters, Limited, of York Street, Westminster; and the tilt-body mounted thereon was made by Christopher Dodson, Limited, of Horseferry Road, S.W. . The bodywork is quite up to this maker's wellknown standard of excellence, and the materials used in its banstruction are of the best quality, all the framing is of English ash and oak, whilst the panels are made of well-seasoned mahogany, as is the invariable rule of Christopher Dodson, Limited. In making all joints, bolts have been used wherever practicable. The waterproof covering is made up of three layers of material : the inner and outer ones are of waterproofed canvas, with a layer of rubber between. .

The South Metropolitan Gas Company, of Old Kent Road, S.E., has ordered a 34on Dennis motor lorry.

Motor Stamps.

Bosnia and Herzegovina has adopted a stampwith a motor mail van on its face, a departure which may be adopted in other countries before long. This form of acknowledgmept of the utility of the self-propelled vehicle is, for the present, a novelty.

A Deserved Compliment.

Prince Fushimi is reported to have been greatly interested during his visit to the Alexandria Works of Argyll Motors, Limited, on the 20th instant, and to have complimented the directors who received him upon the magnitude of the business in hand, as well as uponthe extent of their organisation.

Obituary.

We sincerely regret to learn of the death of Mr. Alex. Govan, who was managing director of Argyll Motors, Limited. Mr. Govan died suddenly on Monday morning last, at his residence, Normanhurst, Helensburgh, N. B., after a short illness which was due to ptomaine poisoning. The deceased gentleman had been personally known to the water for many years, and nobody could have been more devoted to the interests of the Argyll Company than was he. We well remember his pride in the Alexandria works, and the ceaseless energy. -which he displayed over the conversion of the old Hosier Engineering Company during the month of March, 1905.

The funeral took place at Helensburgh Cemetery yesterday (Wednesday) afternoon, at 2 o'clock, in the presence of a large gathering of personal friends and business connections of the deceased gentleman. The floral tributes were very numerous.

Motor Mail Contractors. '

The prospectus of the National Motor Mail-Coach Company, Limited, after remaining in preparation for a considerable period, came into the hands of the public on Saturday last. The authorised capital is .4.152,500, divided into 150,000 ordinary shares of L:i each, and 50,000 deferred shares of is. each. Of the deferred shares, 30,000 are held in reserve, and the other 20,000 go to the promoter and vendor in part payment for his services, but we cannot find in the prospectus any statement as to how the profits will be divided between such ordinary shares as may be allotted, and the 20,000 deferred shares in question. The directors are : Sir Martin Conway ; Mr. Henry A. Johnson (Henry Johnson, Sons and Co., Limited).' W. E. Pountney ; the Hon. F. W. Stanley ; and Major J. Medlioott Vereker, whilst Mr. George Henry Hayes, of Plumstead, the founder of the business, is tct as general manager, for at least four years, at a salary of .600 per annum, and a bonus of .;,5o for every

per cent. of dividend in excess of 6 per cent. that may be paid on the ordinary shares. Mr. Herbert C. Webb, who was at one time connected with Provincial Carriers, Limited, is the proinoter and vendor, and underwrites 35,000 ordinary shares (the minimum upon which the directors will proceed to allotment).

Turning to the estimates of profit, which have been prepared by Mr. A. R. Sennett, we regret our inability to endorse them. The chartered accountants' certificate shows that the working results of six mail services have shown an average profit per coach in the service exceeding £350 per annum, exclusive of any charges for management, depreciation or interest on capital, and over periods ranging from nine to 43 months. Upon this experience as a basis, it is estimated that 50 mail coaches will show an equal profit, but we fear that figure is not sufficiently conservative, and that it does not make due allowance for increasing competition and other necessary contingencies. It is, however,. upon the estimate of 2,400,000 tonmiles, as the annual performance from 6o delivery vans, that we feel the estimates to be more seriously wide of the mark : such a yield involves the conveyance of 2 tons of goods, over an average distance of 71 miles on 280 working days per annum, by each of the Go vans owned, and this is an impossible average. If • the company goes to allotment on the bare 4.35,000 that is underwritten, it will have to be content with a very small rollingstock and the attendant increase of difficulties. The saving feature is Mr. Hayes' practical knowledge of the work in hand, but we understand that all the contracts with the G.P.O. are renewable annually.

"Baiting" Taximeter Cabs.

Mr. Gladstone has informed Mr. Goddard Clarke (Peckham Division) that, although none of the 14° taximeter motorcabs which are now plying in the streets of London have yet had their taximeters sealed by New Scotland Yard, the revocation or suspension of their licenses is not contemplated, as steps are being taken to insure full compliance with the new Public Carriage Order at the earliest possible date.We think Mr. Gladstone's decision is in every way a corn mendable one, as there is no reason why the public should be inconvenienced by any false observance of a mere technicality, especially when the pressure is being brought to bear by reactionary proprietors of horsed vehicles.

More Agents Wanted:

The General Manager of the Car and General Insurance Corporation, Limited, Mr. Frederick Thoresby, t, Queen Victoria Street, E.C., informs us that he is ready to appoint more agents for that company, and particularly in connection with the extension of its Frn. players' Liability department, which includes all domestic risks under the new

Act. As all shopkeepers and householders will be under liability from thc 1st of July, and, as a large volume of new business should be done, any readers who may be desirous to add tc their incomes in this connection shook make early application as above.

Tar Spraying.

We illustrate a machine, constructec by Tarmaciser, Ltd., 7, Victoria Street Westminster. This machine will be in teresting to our readers by reason of thi numerous operations which it performs and which include the following : (a Sweeping the road by rotary brushe made in sections each of which can ad just itself to the inequalities of the road (b) combing the road to disturb the oh binding material; (c) sucking the dus out of the interstices of the road, IA allow the tar to percolate; (d) spread ing the tar by means of special ta valves ; (e) brushing in the tar; • and (f distributing the dust collected by th suckers over the freShly-tarred surface The vehicle is steam-driven, and th tar is kept hot by a coil through whicl exhaust or live steam is passed. I: order that the driving wheels shall nc lick up the tar, they are fitted wit: steam pockets or coils which keep .th rim quite hot. The first machine i now completed and privatetests hay given complete satisfaction, but it wa.5. hroug-h an accident, unable to reac: Staines for last week's tests : the drive steered it into a ditch en route.


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