AT THE HEART OF THE ROAD TRANSPORT INDUSTRY.

Call our Sales Team on 0208 912 2120

News and Comment.

5th November 1908
Page 10
Page 11
Page 12
Page 13
Page 10, 5th November 1908 — News and Comment.
Close
Noticed an error?
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.

Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

This journal fosters, represents, and chronicles commercial motoring in all its branches; it has the largest and best circulation throughout the United Kingdom, the Colonies, India, and foreign countries generally. No part of our exclusive and valuable circulation is due to the forcing of sales in useless quarters.

Why not reverse the customary calls for taxicabs and growlers in London ? Is it not ridiculous that street noises should be augmented by a multiplicity of the three blasts which are now obligatory upon those who are ever in quest of the busy motor.

The Corporation of Edinburgh is inviting, tenders for an t8-24h.p. fourcylinder chassis, suitable for an ambulance, and tenders must he lodged not later than the 20111 instant. Particulars may be had from the Town Clerk, Mr. Thomas Hunter, City Chambers.

Polack Tires.

It will interest many readers of this journal to know that the directors of the Polack Tyre Company, of Waltershausen, have resolved to found an English company, and to manufacture tires in England. The factory will be erected near to London, and Mr. Fritz Poppe will be managing director of the new concern.

Motorcab Statistics.

By the accidental transposition of the words " Argyll " and " Unic," in our directory of last week (pages 348 and 149 ante), the Chesham Automobile Supply Company Ltd., and Mr. T. H. Christmas were wrongly stated to be employing Argyll vehicles, whereas the former owns 20 Unic cabs, and the latter one cab of the same make. We trust that those of our readers who have put by the list for reference purposes will make due correction.

The official figures, from which we were able to compile our directory, reached us only shortly before last week's issue went to press. Since that date, in respect of the total of 1,454 cabs which were licensed during the six months ended the 3oth September, we have made the following analysis of makes : Renault, 632 ; Darracq, 282 ; Unic, 23 ; Siddeley, ; I lum r , 78 ;

Argyll, 53; Ballot, 5i ; Fiat, 37 ; .\dains, 2 ; Nlarples, 2 ; Rational, z; .1.11:1111rS,2 ; I ; and Greenwood and Batley I.

Provincial Cabs.

The Provincial Motor Cab Company, Limited, whose registered office is at 32, Old Jewry, E.G., is showing evidence of progress at various provincial centres. A representative of this journal was recently in Glasgow, where the company's local office is at 147, Milton Street, and here he found that, on the 26th ultimo, the company secured licenses for 20 motoreabs. All will be

Charron landau lets, and the fleet will shortly be increased to so. Each of these Glasgitw cabs is licensed • to carry five passengers inside, and the interior is well upholstered. At Edinburgh, on Tuesday of last week, the company inaugurated its local service, with a run to Aberiady, under the direction of Mr. Herbert Hall, the local manager. These cabs are four-seated 162oh.p. Darracqs. Garage premises have been secured at Shrubb Hill, and it is hoped that a fleet of TOO vehicles will be in service by the middle of 1900.

The illustration at the foot of this page, of a group of Charron carriages which belong to the Provincial Motor Cab Company, Limited, conies from the West of England, where Bath and Bristol are both to be invaded. At the former town, the vehicles are garaged by the Bath Electric Tramways, Limited, and are under the careful supervision of Mr. W. E. Hardy, the engineer and manager of the company.

"Lever's Move."

The above heading was used by us, in our issue of the 9th April last, when we were making reference to the order that had been placed by Lever Brothers, Limited, with the Alldays and Onions Pneumatic —Engineering Company, taunted, for 50 commercial motors. Mr. W. H. Lever, M.P., has been a close student of heavy motoring from the early days ef the Liverpool Self-Propelled Traffic Association, to which his company was a subscriber during the years 1896-1902, and the writer well recollects Mr. Lever's deep interest in the various meetings and trials. It is not surprising, therefore, that the famous soap company should, after trials about which very little has been heard in public, begin to launch out, as the announcement on our front cover shows to be the case. This order for eight 5-ton petrol vehicles indicates, we feel sure, the mere beginning of a big development in road-transport work by the Sunlight works.

We may -remind our readers, incidentally, that the company's 50 Afidays vehicles are being largely used in connection with a prize scheme for grocers, whilst the company's to Star vans are chiefly employed in the distribution of enamel plates, and for the conveyance of girl canvassers who work the towns, by house-to-house calls, while the plates are being affixed. These branches, too, are likely to be extended.

Two Financial Items.

Notice is given in the " London Gazette " tit of the winding-up order in the case of Frank Morris, Ltd., Commercial Motor Works, Old Foundry, King. Street, King's Lynn, and (2) that the name of the British Motor Traction Co., Ltd., has been struck off the register of Joint Stock Companies, and that such company is thereby

Motor Mails.

The local motor mail, between Camberky and Farnham, to join the Londun-Southampton mail, for which the contract is in the hands of McNamara and Company, Limited, of Castle Street, Finsbury, will be undertaken by Messrs. Pollock and Company, jobinasters, of Guildford, who have purchased Dennis van,, for Ow purpose. The Secretary of the G.P.O. notifies the preparedness of the Postmaster-General to receive tenders for the conveyance o; his NItijest 's mails by motorvans, between 1.thlthrn and Oxford and London and Reading, in respect of which contracts the lenders must be lodged not later r ';iii the Oh instant.

West Ham Fire Brigade. Al the meeting of the West I lam Corporation on the 13th ultimo, the Works Committee reported that in consequence of statement appearing. in " THE CommExceu_ MOTOR " as to the decision of the Committee to purchase a motor fire-escape, representatives of various firms had waited upon the Superintendent of the Brigade. Subsequently, four quotations for the supply of a motor vehicle were sent in. judging from these, the Committee had every reason to believe that a suitable motor appliance could be obtained for ;.(15c1. The Committee presented higures which showed that the approximate first cost of a horse vehicle would 3e ,Ci75, whilst the maintenance would 3e 4'3 t2 per annum. The first cost of a motor would be, including some small repairs to the engine house, k:662,

whilst the maintenance per annum

s.vould /:too. The Council decided to purchase the motor, as being the more vc■ tnomical.

In the Proviaion Trade.

.1n interesting. example of the employment crt licivy petrel vans in the provision 1-:ide is afforded hy Messrs. Reynolds Sons and Company's fleet, part of which has been supplied by J. and E. Hall, Limited, of Dartford. The 30-381op. machine illustrated here. with is spoLen of very %Yell by those who are in touch with it. This van is naturally a large one, fitted with a white tilt 10 protect the valuable loads which it carries, and, on the occasion when it was caught delivering in the NW. of London, was crammed quite full with cases of provisions, flitches of bacon, and c)ther heavy stuff ; in fact, the load was said to scale 4;1,tons. The engine shows wonderful capabilities of getting away with such a burden, even over the switchback road going towards Hendon. Shrewsbury and Challiner tires are tirted to all the wheels. The

strength of rh mm

e frame ebers is much increased by the deep flitch-plates. "Commer Cars." Notwithstanding its larger trade in heavier types, Commercial Cars, Ltd., of Luton and lAmdon, has obtained a fair volume of orders for its two-cylinder vehicles. These are fitted with 16.48h.p, engines, and are designed for net loads of front 30 to 35 cwt. A vehicle of this model is illustrated herewith, as recently supplied to Messrs. Thomas Parsons and Sons. The body, which was made at the Luton works,

w

is of a design which presents a slight variation from the ordinary box-van pattern : it is arranged with slinging hooks, etc., for easy removal, so that the vehicle may be alternatively used as a platform lorry when rough material is to be carried. For references to this company's latest success Lever Brothers, Leer

Brothers, Ltd.-see the front cover of this issue,. and page 76. Milnes-Daimler's New Catalogue.

A tastefully-printed and well

arranged catalogue of commercial vehicles has reached us from Mr. 11. G. Burford, M.I.Mech.E., tie managing director of Milnes-Daimler, Limited, which company is justly entitled to its title of the pioneers, in this country, of petrol-propelled vehicles for business purposes. Since its establishment, in the year 1932, this concern hassupplied over 300 buses for London service, in addition to a large num

r r

ber of passenger vehicles for use as feeders to many of the great railway companies, whilst over Soo goods vehicles, of varying horse-power, have been supplied for use in a large number of trades. Milnes-Daimler wows are also extensively employed for the conveyance of his Majesty's mails. lit the new catalogue each of the company's models is suitably illustrated, and the views are accompanied by a complete specification of the chassis. No ‘Yould-be purchaser can afford to be without a copy. Its contents are admirably arranged. and thee include, in addition to the features mentioned al ulve, convinci ngtesti monials front satisfied owners, aum striking list of awards, and nerous illustrations of vehicles which are at work in all parts of the world.

Sixty-seven heavy niotorcars were registered, in the County of Middlesex, during the half-year ended the 3oth June last.

Parochial Relief.

The Glasgow Parish Council has recently purchased a 16h.p. Albion ambulance wagon, and we illustrate this. The interior is left plain, and the Ye

hide is intended for the conveyauce, from the Council's head offices to its different institutions, of persons who are seeking parochial relief.

M xlay States Successes.

There are now no fewer than six paying motor services, in connection with the Malay States Railway, according to "Commercial Intelligence." Our contemporary also reports the recent importation of a number of Siddeley taxicabs by Messrs. Benjamin and Lawton, of Cape Town.

Timber Hiutage.

We are indebted to William Foster and Company, Limited, of Wellington Foundry, Lincoln, for the photograph of one of its Welling-ton tractors, as illustrated herewith, in the act of hauling a heavy elm trunk into position. This extra use is one of several to which a tractor can be put in estate work, and it is a mistake to imagine that these " steam horses " are by no means limited to the highway. The simple provision by which power can be used for external work, whether for winding or driving purposes, is a great factor in their economy for country jobs.

Accounting Methods for Motor Manufacturers.

In the October number of " The Business Man's Magazine," Mr. A. II. Zimmerman deals pretty fully with the problem of " Accounting Methods for the Motor Manufacturing industry." In the course of a thirteen-page article, the author outlines a complete system of accounting which is applicable to the requirements of the motor-manufacturing industry or any other continuousprocess factories in the machinery line of business.

Carburation Experiments.

Mr. Robert NV. A. Brewer, A.M.I.C.E., presented a paper before the Society of Engineers, on Monday, the znd instant, at 7.30 p.m., at the Royal United Service knstitute, Whitehall, upon the flow of liquid fuels through carburetter nozzles. This paper by Mr. Brewer supplements the one which he read last sessiOn, and for which he obtained the president's gold medal ; it is devoted, principally, to the action of a jet tube, and its effect upon the flow of liquid fuel. There are a number of tables and curves in the paper, and these are the results of experiments extending over some twelve months ; the amount of petrol which flows through a jet orifice of any size between 0.9 and 1.4 mm. in diameter, and through all the range of suctions or negative pres sures which are likely to occur in ac. tual practice, is set out. There is alst a certain amount of experimental datlto show the relative behaviour of petro and benzol under these conditions. Tht object of the preparation of this papet has been to demonstrate that, by method of simple calculation and tht use of the records which have been ob. Wined, a fairly-accurate deterrninatior may be made as to the size of jet on flee whith will be required for an particular size of engine, or set of con ditions.

Russian Import Duties.

The British Consul at Reiff (Russia) in his annual report on the trade then for 1907, points out that motorcars .an gradually coming into use, notwith standing the want of passable roadt in the country, and the rough cobbb paving in the towns. During the year a start was made with cars plying fa hire, and they met with a fair measun of success. Dealing with the questior of the import duty upon motorcars, th( Consul says that the duty upon thos( to seat two persons is L;14 us. 6d. and four or five persons ..;23 IS. 3d In comparison with this, it is interest ing to note that motor vehicles, o tractors, using petrol, kerosene, o alcohol as fuel, are charged a duty o 471 OS. mei. per cwt., and, as this typt of vehicle weighs from 4 to 6 tons, tho duty amounts to from £83 6s. 8d. tt ,-125, which seriously handicaps thei introduction. The ordinary stean traction engine, when imported witl steam ploughs or threshing machines pays a duty of only 4s. tod, per cwt. and, considering that petrol or kero sene tractors are available for plough ing, hauling, and the driving o threshing machines, it is somewha difficult to account for the high ratt of duty which is charged upon them. There is an opening for heav: motors, the Consul concludes, and Is adds that British makers seem to I), leading in this line. He expresses th, opinion that a combined effort shout( be made to have the question of dot: looked into. The British-made power ful traction engine is far too heavy it weight for Russian requirements, am the lighter petrol types are consideret to be the future motive power of th farm and the highway. We are requested to point out that the correct address of the British Petro.. leurn Company, Limited, is 22, Fenehurch Street, E.C.

It is asked that we notify to our readers that the Davis Paraffin Carburetter Company has opened works at Station Avenue, Kew Gardens, S.NV., where all communications should be adiressed, instead of to Shawford. As the motive power for the works is derived from an engine which uses the Davis carburetter, the company will be pleased if anyone who is interested %vitt call and inspect the installation.

A meeting of the members of the City and Suburban Motor Cab Co., Ltd., is to be held at 32, Old Jewry, F..C., on the 3rd December, for the purpose of haying an account laid before them showing the manner in which the winding up has been conducted and the property of the company disposed of. This company was the forerunner of the United Motor Cab Co., Ltd.

Motor Ambulance Prices.

The summary of the latest tenders to the Metropolitan Asylums Board, in respect of motor ambulances, was published in our issue of the 15th ultimo, and, in the following issue, we suggested that readers might care to compare the prices which were summarised in our issue of the 8th August, 1907. A valued correspondent points out that the second-named quotations were for a lighter type of vehicle, and we have pleasure, therefore, in referring, further, to our issue of 18th April, 1907.


comments powered by Disqus