Our Usual Overseas Annual
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..d To be Mailed Early in December,
.The Overseas Annual of THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR will be published and issued early in December—not later than the 14th of the month. It will, as in pre vious years, present an authoritative and unequalled synopsis of developments in all branches of industrial motoring during the year, and it will be circulated to all parts of the world. Whilst most of the usual features will be retained, overseas readers and other supporters of this journal on the export and foreign sides of its connections can look forward to the in clusion of various new and unique additional features. Detailed references to these will appear in due course. Publication and issue in the month of December allows The Overseas Annual to " arrive out" just after the Chrietmas and New Year holiday seasons are over, and at a time when importers and traders are in a particularly-receptive mood, and ready to adopt—to them—new moves. The Annual will be sent, free of charge, as in previous years, to every overseas subscriber to our regular, weekly, thin-paper edition of THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR. The whole issue.
apart from the necessary voucher copies—with the single additional exception of 250 copies reserved for special sale—will be mailed to overseas readers. The ratio of overseas circulation to home circulation will be approximately 50 to 1.
Overseas Registrations.
In conversation, a few days ago, with one of this country's principal overseas trade representatives, we were distinctly interested to learn of an unforeseen difficulty which has arisen in his experience. This gentleman has been unexpectedly debarred from offering a particular make of motor vehicle in South America, in this case a well-known motorcar, by reason of the fact that the descriptive word had already been registered, throughout the whole of that area, by an individual who neither has nor had any interest in, This connection with, the makers or their agent. This circumstance is, indeed, one of considerable hardship for both the manufacturer and the agent, and we seize upon it for the purpose of warning other manufacturers of the risk in question.
We learn that, provided the particular registration is duly confirmed, and that no flaw can be discovered in the procedure before one or more of the registrars. our friend will be under the obligation to pay a considerable royalty to the person who has appro priated the name of the car, as applied to motor vehicles, in South America. At home, one has fre quently heard of the speculative individual, who registers names at large, in the hope of his subsequently being able to levy toll upon the bona-fide manufacturer or dealer. His field overseas is possibly, a wider one still.
We feel that the whole motor industry will be in debted to Mr. for directing attention to this state of affairs, and we have pleasure in putting forward a summary of the difficult position in which he and his principals have found themselves placed. We understand that the Consul-General of any country will furnish full information to any applicant, in respect of the regulations and charges for the registration of trade marks. To be forewarned is, indeed; to be forearmed.
A Few Hints to Taxi-Drivers.
Taxicab drivers are stated to be bemoaning the fact that gratuities are less and less each year. We think that this diminution in the amount of " tips " is due, in many cases, to the failure of the men individually to show that measure of extra attention to their " fares" which is the only sure means by which such extra voluntary payments can be secured. We proceed to state a few_ cases in point.
In these days of growing taxation, no hirer of a motorcab enjoys paying over even a few extra coppers to a surly driver. It is only human nature to expect a simple and civil "Thank you." Yet, as many readers of these lines will agree, that minimum response, in return for an extra 4d. or 6d., is not given as cheerfully as it should he, and is often wanting altogether. The next time, that unthartked hirer is less inclined to pay away odd coppers for nothing, and his " tip " is kept down to the minimum 2d,, instead of being extended to the liberal 8d.; he probably pays is, 6d., when le. 4d. is registered, instead of le. 8d. or 2s. Had his previous experience been one of grateful acknowledgment, the extra money would have probably been paid out, in seven cases out of ten, with pleasure, and certainly so during inclement weather or late hours, Drivers too often forget that a cheery face and a polite acknowledgment count for much with people who are themselves accustomed to be polite to others. Another instance, which may be cited with certainty as to its force being recognized by many who use taxicabs daily, is provided by the ease of the drivers who fail to get off the seat to open the door. They do so, sometimes, but not as a general rule. In wet weather, above all other times, this slight measure of additional attention counts for a lot with the "fare." It is annoying to have to stand in the rain, while the driver fumbles in his pocket for change,which never seems to be as handy as it should be, which latter point is yet another for the men to bear in mind. On the other hand, bad the driver the sense to get down from his seat, and to assist his passenger or passengers in the matter of keeping themselves dry, which is the prime reason for their having taken a taxicab at all in some instances, he would find himself rewarded with silver—in place of a, couple of coppers, or nothing.
In the old days of the hansom-cab, it was possible for a hirer, on a wet day, to, pass up the money through the trap in the roof, and then to " cut " for it, into a shop or other place of call. In a taxicab, one has either to hang out of the window, and get wet by drips down the. collar in doing so, or to stand 'on the pavement while liquidating the sum due for the
drive. A " fare " who is well dressed likes neither Plau. The driver should think Of that.
1 We axe confident, from personal experiences, and from a willingness on our own part liberally to yecognbize consideration on the part of public servants kenerally, that taxicab drivers will do well to study little points of this nature, and that the Concrete expression of such extra attention will often add up to a sum in excess of an additional 2s., a day per man in their pockets. People who hire taxicabs regularly do not make much ado about an extra 6d.—so long as they get something in return. Will somebody send home this fact, in other quarters where the taxicabby spends more of his pennies than with us ? We hope so. They will be doing the men yet another good turn by such further reminder.
Doubtful Commercial Value and Probable Commercial Illegality of the 30-cwt. Subvention-type Vehicles.
• In May last, when we were dealing editorially with the advance publication by us of the War Department's subsidy scheme for lorries capable of carrying net loads of 30 cwt. and three tons, we felt that it was only fair to intending buyers that we should point out that the weight question was one of real moment—vide Vol. 15, No. 374, page 187, of this journal.
The additions to the War Office specification, which were made—contrary to the official departmental intimation and reply in the House of Commons—during the interval of 3i months which elapsed between our publication of the specification and its official circulation, and with which additions we dealt in detail a fortnight ago, show that no regard has been paid .to the aspect of the commercial value, for everyday use, in this country, of any 30-cwt. vehicles which may be registered under the new scheme. We proceed to indicate the difficulties which we foresee, in the interests of owners and prospective owners. It is admitted on all hands—even by the officers at Whitehall who are responsible for the specification, that in no circumstances can the 30-cwt. type (Class B) be brought down to an unladen weight of two tons or less. It thus comes about, under the provisions of the Motor Car Acts and the Heavy Motor Car Order, that the legal speed of any such 30-cwt. model is only 12 m.p.h. This is due to the general heaviness of construction, the inclusion of various parts in the 30-ewt, model which are interchangeable with corresponding parts in the three-ton model, and to other factors. One of these other factors is the weight of the body that is likely to be used, in which connection, although the vehicle is called a 30-cwt, design it is expected at times to run with as much as 2 tons 15 cwt. imposed upon the chassis.
As we pointed out nearly four months ago, 30-cwt. vans are required, under commercial conditions, to travel at times at speeds as high as 16 m.p.h. or 17 m.p.h., and sometimes to average, in flat country, 15 m.p.h. This is a serious defect. Apart from the necessarily-high petrol consumption which the extra weight involves, and partly by reason of the abnormal yet compulsory War-Office ratio between the lowest gear speed and the highestgear speed, we consider that this 30-cwt. type, when built to fill the War-Office requirements, whilst it will be outside the law when running at any speeds in excess of 12 m.p.h., will also be distinctly uncommercial for very many purposes. We see no reason to expect a net annual benefit for the owner in any circumstances.
Sequels to the Rain.
The weather, as a, topic, has been pretty well exhausted by thousands of writers already, but there remain a few points in. connection with the likely sequels thereto with which we may deal briefly.
The increased difficulties of transport which follow abnormal weather conditions make themselves felt, first of all, where cross-country haulage has to be undertaken, and that is one of the reasons why the scheme for this year's Army manoeuvres had to be revised. In fact, as we write these lines, it is still a. matter of uncertainty whether the manceuvree, which were announced to take place in the eastern counties from the 16th to the 20th inst., will be held at all.
Haulage over metal tracks, upon main-line and branch railways, has also been dislocated for a short period, as witness the difficulties in parts of the counties of Norfolk and Suffolk, where scenes were enacted, a little more than 10 days ago, which would have led spectators to believe that they were in some wild and undeveloped region of Canada, instead of less than 100 miles from the capital of the Empire. The railways, be it noted, will suffer most seriously, during the remaining months of the present half-year, by reason of the comparative crop failures in some parts of the country, and by reason of the total failure of some of the crops in others. A very large proportion of the railway companies' income on the goods side is due to the movement of agricultural produce, but the recent excessive rains and floods, whilst in themselves being responsible for immediate loss of passenger traffic and considerable additions to the expenditure upon permanent-way maintenance, have literally destroyed much of that traffic before it was ready. The crops have been ruined in some cases ; in others, while cut for harvesting, they have merely tioated down the swollen rivers and streams. Our contemporary "The Railway News," in discussing this aspect of the situation, holds out a measure of consolation in the fact that there will this year be no expenditure of large sums upon compensation for fires. Foreign imports cannot possibly make good the losses in respect of home produce. It is with road transport, and that of the heavier varieties, that this journal is mostly concerned, and we fully realize that the sodden and waterlogged condition of very many macadamized roads in the country will; during the remainder of this year, and probably until about May next, add greatly to fuel consumption, tire wear and general maintenance. In those counties where the use of tarry or bituminous binders has become common; the lot of the heavy-motor owner will be happier, and that of the driver equally so. The man at the wheel of a steel-tired lorry, with or without a trailer, when he finds himself, after travelling over a good, hard and waterproof macadam road, suddenly labouring through one of the old-fashioned, out-of-date, waterbound and waterlogged variety-perhaps of limestone into the bargain, must indeed devoutiv.hope that the Road Board will hasten along its educative work, and will spur negligent and sleepy road authorities to do their duty by abandoning waterbound construction forthwith.
On this subject of waterbound roads, and their water-logging in many cases during or after continued rain, we desire once more to pay every tribute to the energy and thoroughness of the Roads Committee of the Kent County Council, and to that body's progressive surveyor, Mr. H. P. Maybury. The county of Kent has a high average of both traction-engine and motor-wagon traffic, yet, in the official report for the eighth year in which the county has done its work itself, we read the following as to the state of the roads Notwithstanding the great increase in motorcar and traction traffic during the year, the county surveyor is able to report that the roads have been maintained satisfactorily and are much stronger than they ever were before. . . . As an objectlesson of wear, a waterbound surface, which formerly had at least a three years life, is now completely destroyed in six months, as was exemplified upon one of the experimental lengths laid at Sideup, which, completed in June of 1911, had to be reconstructed in January of the present year." Thus is tarred construction already justified. It may yet prove that the heavy rainfall of August will be a blessing in disguise for all who have heavytraffic interests, seeing that the road conditions of the next few months, in all cases where the wrong sort of construction and surfacing is still adopted, will probably be so bad that recalcitrant, councillors will he forced to give orders to incur the greater initial expense upon tar-bound or bituminous-bound macadam. For such action they will never have cause to be sorry. As is now very well settled in practice, the subsequent lessened maintenance charges in a very few years recoup the greater first cost.