News and Comment.
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The regular contemporary interest shown in the pages of this journal is the best testimony to the leading position which it occupies.
The S.NI.M.T. has voted a donation of £100 to the Horseless Sunday Experiment.
We would ask owners of vehicles to take an interest in the Drivers' Insurance scheme which was announced in this journal last week. Full particulars are again given on page 461.
At the meeting on Thursday last of the Wandsworth Guardians, the Works Committee asked for instructions as to whether. provision should be made for the accommodation of horsed or motor ambulances in the new infirmary now in course of erection. It was resolved that provision be made for two vehicles of that class, and tenders will be invited.
One of the most successful two-ton petrol vans is that made by Commercial Cars, Ltd., of Luton and London ; one of these, in the service of Pickford's, Ltd., and centred upon that company's Brighton depot, is illustrated herewith. We have reason to believe that this will he the forerunner of other similar machines at numerous country depots of the wellkncwn carrying company in question.
The weather at Southport, for the Royal Lancashire Agricultural Show, was extremely bad, in keeping with that experienced in many parts of the country. Fire engines and pumps had to be requisitioned, on Saturday last, to get the water out of the horse ring and certain parts of the implement section. In fact, the condition of the ground at Gloucester was relatively good. Our report of the show will be found on pages 444 and 445, and further illustrations on page 457. The Sirdar Rubber Co., Ltd., notifies large orders from the Great Western and other railway companies for buffers, washers, and " mechanicals "
generally. Numerous orders of the kind appear to have been placed during the past fortnight, in anticipation of further price increases.
Road Statistics Wanted.
The preliminary steps are now being taken for the accumulation of data that will be useful to the Central Com
mittee on Road Statistics. A subcommittee has been formed to consider procedure, and it has already met. Any suggestions from owners will be appreciated by the Editor of THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR, and they need not be confined to the heads set out in these pages two weeks ago. It is hoped that steady work upon this important committee will immediately succeed the present holiday season, as delay is highly undesirable.
Arrol-Johnston Business.
Mr. William Lowe, formerly of the Humber works, Beeston, is about to take up the position of head of the commercial department of the New Arrol-Johnston Co., Ltd., at Paisley. Mr. Lowe's considerable experience on the sales side should stand him in good stead.
St. Helens Tires.
The St. Helens Cable and Rubber Co., Ltd., of Warrington, has recently appointed Messrs. Davidson and Blackadder, of 50, Wellington Street, Glasgow, its agents for the whole of Scotland. The company's Scottish representative, Mr. J. W. Logan, will continue to attend to his old connections, but as a member of Messrs. Davidson and Blackadder's staff.
South Nigerian Motors.
Further to the illustrated particulars of the Lacre and Thornycroft vehicles in Southern Nigeria which appeared in our issue of the 1st April, and to the pessimistic forecasts of Sir Percy Girouard, the Governor of Northern Nigeria, upon which we commented when reviewing the Blue Book of the Colonial Offices on the subject of Mechanical Transport in the Colonies, we would very earnestly again commend to the notice of the Earl of Crewe, and to the engineers of the Crown Agents for the Colonies, the valuable results obtained on the Ibadan-Oyo Road, Southern Nigeria. In spite of 23 in of rain during the four months ended 31st May last, praetically no damage has been done to this road by the motor traffic, which averages a total of 4,000 miles per month. This result, too, has been recorded under the wear of vehicles, one of which has a gross weight in excess of six tons, and which never " got stuck " on the track. Another point of importance is that natives drive the vehicles, and only one European mechanic is required to keep the five motorvans in order. Some of the natives, after only five months, drive fully as well as any European can.
Burrell's works (Thetford) will be closed for the annual holidays until Monday morning next.
No meeting of the C.M.U,..t. EXEN.:11tiVH Committee will be held this month. Members are requested to note Wednesday, the 1st pros., at 3 p.m., as the next occasion.
Alessi's. Langstaff. Ehrenberg and Pollak, lately of 17-18, Basinghall Street, EC., who enjoy a large share of orders for the packing and shipping of motor vehicles, notify their removal to 8, Upper St. Martin's Lane, W.C.
Mr. Arthur Ventriss, the as,sietant engineer of Westminster who has charge of the Council's motor vehicles, has been instructed to prepare a report for the Highways Committee upon the comparative cost. of a Leyland and Thornycroft petrol vehicle.
We learn that Mr. A. H. D. Altree has resigned his position as general manager of the Simms Manufacturing Co., Ltd., and of the Simms Magneto Co., Ltd. Mr. Altree was—fox 31 years the first general manager of the Daimler Motor Co., Ltd. His private address is " Kendall," Northwick Park, Harrow.
McNamara's Report.
Motor contracting suits MeNaraire and Co., Ltd. ; its improved trading results are, no doubt, very gratifying to the Secretary, Mr. A. V. Willmott, and to his son, Mr. Ken Willmott, who is so largely responsible for the successful engineering side of the business. There is an increase of 22,600 in the trading profits, which now amount to £20,785, compared with the year ended the 30th J one, 1908. A dividend of 10 per cent, on the ordinary shares is maintained, and the company looks like making inroads at last upon an old suspense account, which dates back to 1899 and totals £49,600. The general reserve is now brought up to 1.7.000 "Sentinel" Orders.
Orders for five standard six-ton Sentinel steam wagons were received by Alley and MacLellan. Ltd., of Glasgow, during the week 'before last. One is for the Hull Corporation, and another fm. the Cork Electric Lighting Co., Ltd. whilst the others are repeat sales to old customers. During the month of June, ten orders for this make of wagon reached the works in less than ten days, and nine of these were repeats. A record of this kind in very creditable, and a typical letter of testimony, from H. E. Thornley, Esq., of Radford Hall Brewery, Leamington Spa, addressed to the Polmaclie Works, reads: " The wagon continues to give unqualified satisfaction. She takes her eight-ton and nine-ton loads with the regularity of a train, five days a week, and she is three years old next November." Lever's Record.
Lever Brothers, Ltd., will have 11 " Commer Car" five-ton petrol vans—not eight only—when the three new ones on order are delivered. This is already the biggest lleet of fivetonners with internal-combustion engines to be owned by any user in the Cnited Kingdom, and it is one that will be enlarged very rapidly. Mr. W. H. Lever, M.P:, does not believe in half-measures.
Belhaven Business.
F. B. Goocichild and Co., Ltd., has received a repeat order from Mr. W. H. Murgatroyd, of Lane Mills, Huddersfield; for a three-ton Belhaven steam lorry. This is the sixth Belhaven steam vehicle that has been sent into the Huddersfield district during
the last eight months. Messrs. B. Mellor and Sons, of Albert Mills, Hohnfirth, have also recently placed a repeat order for the same type of vehicle. The Belhaven Company, as many readers will know, manufactures both petrol and steam-driven commercial vehicles, and Goodchild and Co., Ltd., is therefore in the happy position of being able to supply either type. Experience shows that either may be the better suited to a user's conditions of daily working. It appears that for the Huddersfield district, steam vehicles give better results than petrol under certain conditions of employment.
The demonstrations now being given to London firms by the Goodchild organization with the petrol-driven vans have been without exception most satisfactory, and we shortly expect to be able to report the completion of some large orders, which are now under consideration, both in London and the Provinces.
Steam-wagon Traffic on Tarred Macadam Roads.
Mr. P. Dodd, the borough engineer and surveyor of Wandsworth, is saving thousands of pounds sterling per annum since he tarred certain macadam roads which carry a heavy traffic of steam wagons. He states that: " During the summer of 1908 a length of about 141 miles of road was tar sprayed in this borough, with beneficial results, at a cost of Id. per super. yard. The tar was applied under pressure by a machine. Watering has been unnecessary in most of the tarsprayed roads, while in others subjected to motor and omnibus traffic a little sprinkling on the sides or occasional washing only has been sufficient.
" A considerable saving has been effected in street watering, and the cost of cleansing and maintaining the roads has been materially reduced. One of the roads treated is coated with flints, but the results in this case are not so satisfactory as in roads coated with broken granite. Tar spraying is not suited to roads with steep gradients, but on other granite macadam roads it is equally suitable for horsedrawn and mechanically-propelled vehicles. The only disadvantage is the temporary inconvenience to the public while the roads are being -tar sprayed. The total length of roads repairable by the borough is, approximately, 185 miles, and of this 17 miles has already been tar sprayed, and during the current year a further 40 miles will be treated in this manner. The work is carried out under contract, and the present cost is lid. per super yard for one coat, less 21. per cent."
We have reason to believe that the saving exceeds thirty per cent, per annum, and we wrnmend this experience to all public road committees.
On Monday of last week, the 26th uIt.o., the head office of J. I. Thornycroft and Co., Ltd , was transferred to Caxton Rouse, Westminster, S.W. The car and vehicle repairs are now undertaken at 5-11, Vauxhall Bridge Road, S.W. This rearrangement
follows upon the occupation of the Chiswick works by the General Motor Cab Co., Ltd., in accordance with our announcement of the 1st ultimo.
" Commer Car" Sales.
Pickford's, Ltd., of 57, Gresham Street, E.C., has ordered another fivetonner. Sales of " Commer Car " Vehicles to new customers are; one 30cwt. lorry to Aalgaards Uldvarefabrikker, Stavanger, Norway; one five-ton wagon to Noakes and Co., Ltd., brewers, of Bermondsey; one 3-ton wagon for the Central Motor Transport Co., of London and Bromley; one 30-cwt. van, per Messrs. McGrath and Co., of New Brompton, to Mr. A. Tickle, dairyman; one two-ton wagon, per Messrs. Grace and Sutcliffe, of Keighley, to Holgate and Cu., Ltd. ; and one three-ton wagon, to carry garden produce, to Lord Wimborne.
A Handbook on Logs. We have received a copy of a handy little book, entitled " Logarithms and Trigonometry for Engineers and Surveyors." It is published by the St. Bride's Press, Ltd., and is essentially a short elementary handbook, which is intended to assist many of those whose knowledge of logarithmic functions has become'" rusty." To many practical men the average text-book on trigonometry is confusing and tiresome. This little treatise of 31 pages contains a clear example of each typical application and a table of logs., and sines and cosines. The introduction concludes with the following sentence :—" These pages being written for busy men will account for the brevity of our sentences and the conciseness of our examples." Coventry's Smart Motorvan. The first motorvan—the "Lotis"--to be supplied to any retail trader in Coventry is illustrated herewith, and it presents a good example of the convertible vehicle. The driver's seat is common to the two bodies, and the van body, with its over-hanging roof, is interchangeable with the rear part of the touring-ear body shown on page 408, two weeks ago. The touring body carries with it the padded back to the driver's seat, so that, when used in its van form, the body of the van is quite open behind the driver, thus enabling him readily to reach any article contained in it. This car makes up into a really good convertible vehicle, and the owners are quite enthusiastic about it. It has, of course, all the special " Lotis " features. The engine brakes up to 18 h.p.' and the fool-proof gear is brought right under the driver's footboard. The glass screen, too, is common to both bodies, and the car is fitted with Ffelsby pneumatic tires. There is duplex springing at the back —a special feature introduced to meet the conditions of a vehicle used, as this is, for two different classes of work. The car is sprung upon its semi-elliptic springs for use in its touring-car form, but it is also provided with inverted quarter-elliptic springs which come into use when the weight of the touring-car body and load is exceeded, as it is when the van body with its load of goods is in use. This arrangement gets over one of the chief difficulties which has always presented itself when the question of building a convertible touring car and commercial vehicle has been considered. Messrs. Wilson use the car in its touring form for their travellers to get orders, and they deliver the goods with it with its van body on, whilst, of course, they are also able to use it for family jaunts when required.
Lights for Cattle.
Four thousand Warwickshire motorists have petitioned the Warwickshire County Council in favour of the compulsory carrying of lighted lanterns or lamps, which should be visible in both directions, by the persons in charge of cattle or horses which are travelling along the roads at night. In the case of droves or flocks in excess of certain small numbers, it is urged that each should be preceded by a light in addition to the drover's light.
Successful Splashguard Attach meats.
Shrapnel splashguards are coming into increasing favour with those owners of motorvans who take an unusual degree of care about the fittings, appearance, and external effect of their vehicles. This attachment, which is supplied by the Shrapnel Splashguard Company, Ltd., of 28. Threadneedle Street, E.G., was first put on to a matorvan by Pullar's, of Perth. Other sets have now been fitted by Harrod's, Selfridge's, Lipton's and many private owners.