News of the Week.
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The A.C. van trials, announced to begin a fortnight hence, have been abandoned.
It is clear that the same classification and regulations will not be repeated. Hence our use of the word "abandoned."
We publish on pages 485 to 487 the views of prominent members of the motor industry in regard to such trials.
It is a great disappointment to see a competition of this character announced and not carried through, because a failure of this magnitude must re-act adversely upon Great Britain's international reputation as the leading country in the manufacture of commercial motors.
It is satisfactory, in one sense, to know that some of our makers are too fully booked with orders to spare either the men or a single machine. Again, some found the dates to clash with other important engagements. Explanations of this kind are always forthcoming, but the fact remains that the compaition could have been made a success had it been properly managed from the start.
A company has been formed in America with the title of the Alaska Automobile Transportation Company, with a capital of ,;too,000. It will deal with both passengers and geods on a large scale, and will tap many districts at present not directly connected. The first route will be between Nome and Salmon City, a distance of thirty-two miles. Three trips will be made daily, the charge for a single journey being .4.1 per head.
The Spanish province of Andalusia has adopted road construction as the principal form of relief work for the unemployed. Is it possible that England will take a lesson from Spain in this matter? Whether or no, granted proper ganging " and control, it is unlikely that our own unemployed problem could "be more usefully solved, for some years to come at any rate, than by a comprehensive scheme of road improvement and construction.
" The Times " publishes a conununication from Mr. J. M. MacLulich, managing director of the Sirdar Rubber Company, Limited, objecting to the statement attributed to Mr. R. J. Kingham, the secretary of the London General Omnibus Company, that a set of rubber tyres for a motor omnibus costs Ztoo, Mr. MacLulich points out that his company charges 20 per cent. less than this and guarantees the tyres for to,000 miles. He goes on to say that it is the rubber company's loss if the tyres fail to run the guaranteed distance, but if they run more the advantage is with the omnibus company. A section of this issue, beginning on page 472, is devoted to the use of commercial motors by market gardeners and fruit growers.
This is our sixth special number of a missionary nature. The previous ones have been :—" Indian and Colonial" (March 23rd); "The Brewing Industry" (April 13th); "Laundry and Allied Trades "(May Ith) ; "The Milling and Flour-Dealing Trades" (June 8th); and "Motor Omnibuses and Public Service Vehicles "(July 6th).
All these issues have been widely circulated to the several quarters named, and we have to acknowledge the valuable support accorded us by users and members of the motor industry alike in this connection.
A first list of the applications for enrolment as associates of the Society of Motor Omnibus Engineers is published on page 469. This has been officially communicated by the secretary of the society.
According to Mr. Frank Hill, the general secretary of the London Cab Drivers' Union, the use of the taxameter is acceptable to London drivers of motor cabs. The rate of payment is a fixed wage of 305. per week with 2S. in the pound commission on the takings.
The Lancashire Farmers' Association has been discussing the effect of motoring upon the farming industry. During the discussion Mr. Worsley Taylor, M.P., expressed the view that commercial motors would be of the greatest use to the whole community, farmers included.
The results of the daily tests of the Halle spring wheel, which are now taking place under the control of the Automo. bile Club, will possess much interest for all who value new methods of absorbing road shocks by means supplementary to the ordinary supporting springs of the vehicle,
The Lancashire County Council has allocated Z'soo for dust laying out of the .4.-1,400 it has received in respect of motor vehicle registrations and licenses. After September 1st proceedings will be taken against the owner of any inotc.11wagon which has a gross weight in excess of 12 tons, or a weight of 8 tons on any axle.
The recent report of the Kensington Borough Council, to the effect that street watering by motor vehicle cost io.54. per thousand gallons, compared with 8.3d. by horsed vans, is taken on a ridiculous basis, as no proper arrangements for filling the large motor tanks expeditiously had been arranged. Westminster's experience, to quote one extending over years instead of days, is a direct refutation of the Kensington statement. The circulation of this issue of" THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR exceeds to,000 copies. This will be certified, as usual, by a firm of chartered accountants.
British manufacturers of front axles and live axles complete for motorcars are requested to communicate with Mr. J. B. King, secretary of the British Empire Motor Trades Alliance, ii, Red Lion Square, W.C.
Tenders have recently been invited by the PostmasterGeneral for a motor mail service between Edinburgh and Glasgow. No tender has yet been accepted, nor has the date been fixed for the commencement of the service.
Mr. NV. G. Lobjoit, of Hounslow, who has contributed an interesting and valuable letter to our Market Gardeners' section of this issue, thinks that the Motor Van and NVagon Users' Association should take up the question of testing agricultural motors.
A meeting is to be held at Aylsham to-day (Thursday) to discuss the inauguration of a service for passengers and parcels between Norwich, Aylsham, and Cromer. If the scheme is approved, a syndicate of local residents will subscribe the necessary capital.
The National Federation of Fruit and Potato Trades' Associations has presented a memorial to the president of the Board of Agriculture urging the necessity for quick transit, reasonable rates, and an improved classification from the railway companies of Great Britain. This action is consequent • upon the views of the Federation's Executive Committee in respect of the report of Lord Onslow's Departmental Committee. We find the moral without difficulty—let the members make an increased use of motors.
The A. C. Van Trials.
The secretary of the Automobile Club has issued the follewing notice :—" At a meeting of the Expert and Technical Committee held on Tuesday, the 22nd inst., it was decided that, since at an early stage of the arrangements it was represented to the committee that the date fixed for the light van trials might be inconvenient, and since the list of entries proves that this apprehension was well founded, and that makers are much occupied with work for the show, etc., the trials should be postponed till next year." It will be noted that this is typical in its want of directness. As it was represented to the committee, presumably by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, that the date fixed for the trials was incon venient, why was The Commercial Motor" Is that date an
officially recognrSed by flounced? Again, what steps were taken to secure entries once the date was published? We regret to say that no proper efforts were made at the date of the issue of the conditions. what ev er may have been done in a panic manner when the period for receiving entries approached expiry. it Annual Subscription One GLinea. is not unreaiolable, on the part of the motor industry, that manufacturers should gauge the itnportance of a competition by the activity and thoroughness of the body which has assumed to undertake its management, and in the very meagreness of the preliminary notices lies the true explanation of the fiasco which has resulted. The most elementary precepts for the successful control and management of the prefatory steps, which should have heralded the approach of the trials in a growing volume of Press notices, were grievously neglected, and that fact, in itself, was sufficient to damn the whole project. THE MOTOR VAN. . & WAGON USERS' ASSOCIATION, . . 16, Down Street, W.
The Organisation for all Users and Persons interested in Commercial Motors at every type.
Full particulars may be obtained on application to the secretary,
W. REES JEFFREYS.
We were able to announce, as special late news in last week's number, that the trials had been abandoned, and weregard that word as strictly applicable, in view of the imperative necessity for a revision of the classification. The limit of load to ti ton must not be repeated; neither must certain of the proposed regulations. For example, the system of marking by the judges must not be nebulous_ The trade looks for some measure of co-operation from the Club, and not for the over-ruling of its views as regards any competition presumably initiated for the benefit both of manufacturers and users; hence our anticipation that amends will soon be made for this gross failure. A great deal has been written concerning the unbusinesslike and disappointing behaviour of the Club in relation to the trials which now stand abandoned, and its action has unquestionably inflicted an unmerited blow to the status of Great Britain in the realm of the commercial motor. We feel disinclined, at the present juncture of events, to say more than that the Club will be well advised to pay more heed to suggestions which may be made by members of the motor industry, and by users or prospective users of commercial motors, in respect of the contemplated series of tests which it is understood will be announced to take place in the Spring of next year.
We agree that it is useless to flog a dead horse; a better occupation will be found in reconstructive work to secure that recovery tor the reputation of commercial auromobilism which must be effected at all costs. Every interest will combine to command that success which is certainly deserved, because, as matters now stand, from the point of view of publicity and general effect, Great Britain is placed at a disadvantage compared with her French competitors. An unfortunate position of this nature could and should have been avoided, whilst our correspondence pages show how ktenly a vacillating nod feeble policy is resented by the industry_