News and Comment.
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This journal is exclusively read by the principals of many wealthy commercial houses, by the heads of important Government and Colonial Departments, and by numerous officers of Local Authorities. It has a certified and genuine circulation.
An interesting air-cooled system is described and illustrated on page 166.
The first portion of the report of the proceedings of the Road Conference will be found on pages 169 to 171.
The Budget.
The petrol tax is inequitable: as the Budget is drafted, 42.37,500 of that tax falls upon London motorbuses, and they cannot be held, by any Liberal stretch of imagination, -to damage country roads, or to derive benefit from the improvement of such roads.
Class Taxation.
The tax is inequitable, too, by reason of the fact that it concentrates taxation upon a particular class of road vehicle. It goes farther : it limits that taxation to a class within a class, and it allows the heaviest motors, which are alleged to do most damage, to escape. This is ill-considered and unjust. Still, there is no occasion for scaremongering.
In Restraint of Trade.
A tax upon road locomotion is in restraint of trade, and is otherwise harmful. England must use commercial motors more and more widely, if she is to survive as an industrial country or a great state. We are entitled to object to a tax which singles out certain motors for it levy, which is unintelligent in its incidence, and whieh allows horse-drawn traffic to reap benefits for which motorists pay. We refer, more fully, to these and other aspects of the situation, on page 165, and the table (below), which we have prepared, will show the average result of the tax in various branches of use. Mr. S. F. Edge (page 182) thinks that foreign tires should have been taxed instead of pet rol, but, whilst his arguments merit attention, does he not overlook the fact that the present Government is neither protectionist nor in favour of tariff reform. Whereas private cars pay on a sliding scale, from £2 2s. to £42 per annum, trade vehicles are exempt therefrom.
Collection and Refund of Tax.
The impost, of course, will fall upon the purchaser and user. The fact that certain omnibus companies and other consumers have made contracts ahead will not, as some people have suggested, be of any avail to them. The Finance Act of 1901 provides that all new duties are to be added forthwith to the contract price of any commodity affected by new duties.
It is probable that the Customs will demand the full 3d. per gallon on all petrol entered, and that it will be left to individual consumers to make the needful declarations in order to recover the 10. or 3d. per gallon. Leakage by evaporation in handling probably reaches five per cent. Will the importers be allowed this margin? Dyers and cleaners will be entitled to a rebate at the rate of 3d. per gallon ; owners of commercial motors at 10. The process must inevitably be clumsy and vexatious, but we see no practical alternative. It means that, on 40,000,000 gallons of petrol, the State will collect about £500,000 to secure a yield which Mr. Lloyd-George estimates at 4375,000. This extravagance of procedure and administration is abominable. There is much to be said in favour of the substitution of a tax upon axle-weight, but we fear it is useless to ask for that now.
Alternative Fuels.
Our article of last week, on the subject of "Coal-gas fuel for Motor Vehicles," was appropriate to the delivery of the Chancellor's speech. One indirect effect of the petrol tax will unquestionably be the encouragement of alternative fuels, and it must be remembered that the use of paraffin is less objectionable in a commercial motor than it is in a private car. In fact, we see no reason why this tax on petrol should not virtually develop the demand for petroleum, unless the importing companies put up the price of the oil.
Sharing the Cost.
There are rumours afloat that the importing companies will themselves bear some proportion of the tax—by consent. They are certainly not obliged to do this, but it may prove to be distinctly to their advantage to carry, say, .1d. of the lid. which it is intended to charge against commercial motors. There have, during the past two years, been not-inconsiderable relaxations of the old-time stringency which characterised the regulations of local authorities in regard to the transport and distribution of spirit, and other extensions of latitude are under consideration now. We would, therefore, urge upon the large importers the wisdom of their taking part of the burden upon their own shoulders, rather than their runfling the risk of curtailing trade. It must be obvious that any systematic use of, for example, coal-gas fuel, to which we have already made reference, by the omnibus companies, would seriously hit the petrol corn n les. Professor W. Watson, D.Sc., will contribute a paper, on Wednesday next, before the Institution of Automobile Engineers, on " The Thermal and Combustion Efficiency of It Four-Cylinder Petrol Alotor."
C.Ms1LLA.
The usual monthly meeting of the Executive Committee of the Commercial Motor Users' Association was held yesterday (Wednesday), at 1, Albemarle Street, W. Important business arose, in connection with the Budget proposals, the recent road congress, pending conferences with the Scotland yard Authorities in respect of contemplated regulations for motorbuses and motorcabs, and the Association's prize scheme for good driving. We are not in a position, at the time of going to press, to deal with the proceedings in Country-house Fires.
" THE COMatERCIAL ?dome.," during the months of August and September last year, strongly advocated the establishment of county fire-brigades. Steps to that end are naturally likely to be slow, haying regard to the departure involved, but we are pleased to be able to report that the Midlothian County Council is now taking steps to purchase its own fire-engine, and negotiations with the Edinburgh Plans and Works Committee, for the housing of the engine and its staff at the city fire station, under the superintendence and control of the city firemaster. are in course of progress. This, so far as we are aware, is the first case of action upon the lines advocated by us.
Dennis Fire-engine Demonstration in Glasgow.
.A. demonstration was carried out last week, before the Glasgow Council, with the latest type of Dennis fireengine. From the municipal buildings. the engine, in company with one of the corporation's own motor engines. ran to the Alugdeek Reservoirs at Mil ngavie, distant some seven miles fume Glasgow. On the run. the Dennis vehicle proved its general handiness and showed excellent speed capabilities the average speed for the distance was practically 30 miles per hour. At the reservoirs tests were carried out with one, two, three, and four hose-pipes, the height and distanee covered 17 the jets being noted in comparison with the corporation's engine. Despite the fart that the latter is considerably more powerful and has a discharge of 100 gallons per minute greater than the Dennis, the latter compared more than favourably.
In sueli a eity as GIassrow. where the gradients are severe and the buildings high and in many cases difficult of access, a powerful self-propelled engine is an absolute necessity for efficient work, and, there; the Dennis acquitted
itself to the satisfaction of both the tire ollicials and the councillors. We expect to see, as the next addition to the already-extensive Glasgow equipment, one of the latest Dennis engines, which, as an engineering job, attracted all those present. Mr. Rennie, of Rennie and Prosser, Ltd., the Scottish agent for the Dennis productions. organised the demonstration and provided a fleet Of six ears for the conveyance of the councillors. Our representative was indebted to Mr. Rennie for a seat in his 221.1.p. Panhard.
Lighted Animals.
The Coventry and Warwickshire Motor Club has lodged a petition with the Warwickshire County Council, with a view to obtaining the adoption of a by-law to provide that a light or lights shall be carried by persons who drive cattle, sheep or horses along the roads at night. The General Committee of the Royal Automobile Club has circularised its associated clubs on the matter, and has urged them to take similar steps in their respective districts. It is desirable to point out that any county council apparently has power, tinder Section 16 of the Local Government Act, 1888, to make such a regulation.
Thornycroit Orders.
The :North of England agent of John I. Thornyeroft and Company. Limited. fir Chiswick. Basingstoke and Southampton, Mr. C. Pemberton Wooler, of 3. Winston Ca rdens, Headingley. Leeds. sold five Thornycroft commercial motors during April. We have already mentioned the repeat order for W. and R.. Jacob and Company.' Limited, one of whose Thornycroft eludes was illustrated by us a week ago, and we may now state that the other orders are : repeat from James Blaeldedge and Sons, Limited. Derby Road Mills. Bootle, Liverpool, for a 16h.p. two-cylinder chassis to carry a gross load of 50ewt. ; from Martin. Sons and Company. Limited, of Wellington Mills, Liedley, Niuldersfield, for a 30h.p.. four-cylinder, foer-ton
lorry ; from C. Scarth and Sons. Limited, of Alueley, near Leeds, for a 161x.p., two-cylinuer, two-ton lorry ; and from Williams, Jowett and Company, Ltd., Box Manufacturers, of Bradford, for a 16h.p., two-cylinder, two-ton chassis.
Road Tarring.
The Alain Roads and Bridges Committee of the Lancashire County Council has decided to make special grants to various local bodies, amounting in all to £2,480, for the tar-spraying of roads, it having been found that a saving in maintenance results. This particularly applies to the neighbourhood of Preston, where motorcar traffic is somewhat heavy. We understand that the following votes for road-tarring have been approved, and that they will be expended during the next few months: — Bucks County Council. £3,000; Kent C.C.. £5,600; Surrey C.C., £3,500: East Sussex C.C.. C4,•500; Middlesex C.C., 1E4,500; Essex C.C., £3.000; Herts. C.C.. ; Bristol City. £3,000; Wandsworth Borough, £.500; Berks. O.C. £250.
White and Popp* Carburetters.
An instructive little booklet contaMing detailed directions for the adjusting of different types of carburettsrs made by White and Poppe. Limited, of Lockhurst Lane, Coventry, has jest reached this office. It is quite a small publication, but it contains some excellent sectional illustrations, as well as concise notes relating to the care and adjustment of one of the hest forms of carburetter that has been produced during recent years. The White and Poppe carburetter is one of a class, if not the only one, which can be adjusted to give a different quantity of mixture without the necessity for changing either the size of jet or of the choke .tube. We strongly advise interested readers to obtain particulars of this device and copies of the various publications issued by its makers.
A repeat order for a four-ton Dennis lorry has been placed by William Hancock and Co., Ltd., of The Brewery, Cardiff, The Queensland Government Railways have ordered a Renard road train, consisting of one motor and four chassis (three wagons and one passenger car).
The Glasgow Corporation is of opinion that no further motor vehicles should be obtained for the service of officials or councillors until a general garage for the whole of the motorcars owned by the various departments be obtained.
Motor Coke Delivery.
The South Metropolitan Gas Co.. Ltd., of 709, Old Kent Road, SE., is now using a standard Foden wagon for the delivery of coke, as well as petrol vehicles for lighter work, such as the conveyance of stores, gas stoves, and other " incidentals " of its business. We illustrate the looden wagon herewith, and are interested to note that it is able to average about 2.5 miles per day, notwithstanding the inevitable delays which attach to house-tohouse delivery. Sometimes, of course. the lorry takes a full load to a factory. or to some large purchaser. It is shown, hereunder, with 92 sacks of one cwt. each upon it.
The Spurrier Non-skid.
It is some time sirxe snow has fallen generally in this country, notwithstanding the vagaries of our mate, but there is no reason why users should not look forward to the equipment of their steam lorries for next winter. This fitting, as we explained on the occasion of the Manchester Show in Febrliary inst, when our report included full particulars of the device, has now been developed until it is of real practicnl value. Twice as many rubber blocks {eight) are fitted as was the original practice. and each of these can be adjusted so as to put into action, or withdrawn from contact, with the road, in a few minutes. It has been proved that the wagon can travel with certainty when there are three or four inches of snow,
and that propulsion only becomes hopossible when the snow piles up in front of the steering wheels so as to
form an insurmountable obstruction. The owner of the wagon which we illustrate (page 175), in a letter that was received by Leyland Motors, Ltd., last week, states: " We are able to get the motor up the hill and along the road to Manchester with the wheel on. We certainly could not have done so without, and we shall certainly have to get a set for next season."
Hemans Aluminium Solder.
Messrs. Hernans and Son, of 61, Mark Lane, E.C., notify us of the vompletion of arramgements under which the sole sale of their aluminium solder has been put into the bands of the Acetylene Illuminating Co., Ltd., of 268, South Lambeth Hoad, S.W. This applies both to the trading and repairing branches, and the company named is now ready to execute repairs to aluminium articles of every sort and description with the Hemans and Sons' solder, at its works in London, Newcastle and Glasgow. All future orders and enquiries should be addressed to the Acetylene Illuminating, Company.
The Argyll Company.
The directors of Argylls, Limited, are fortunate in possessing surplus capital, and we learn that they are loaning considerable sums of money to.sundry municipal corporations. An interesting feature about this directorate is the fact that the six members of the board were absolute strangers to one another until the date of the recent. reconstruction. All are practical men of business, and they are " pulling together " as one would expect in the circumstances of their experience and the task they have undertaken. Mr. J. S. Matthew, the managing director, has certainly lost no time in his work of reorganisation, and a steady _flow of business has already rewarded his efforts. Long may it continue.
It is quite wrong for people to imagine that the works are in any way handicapped for productinn by the temporary cessation of activity there which arose last year. No betterequipped factory exists.