The Private-Car Show at Olympia.
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The annual show of private cars and allied exhibits, which is organized by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, will open, at Olympia, London, to-morrow (Friday), and will remain open until the evening of Saturday the 15th inst. The Show will contain many attractive standard and new cars, as well as a satisfactory total of exceptional novelties -which concern every user of a motorcar.
This journal is not concerned with a, descriptive Show report, because we give our support to the
official programme of the under which cornmercial-vehiele. interests are held to be cur of place at a Novem.ber Show. We shall, therefore, neither prepare nor publish anything in the nature of a report, but we shall be present at the Exhibition, on several occasions during its continuance, and we shall be alive to impressions, and alert to turn to account lessons of value to supporters of the commercialmotor movement.
Readers who are desirous to keep themselves fully informed of progress on the private-ear side of the movement and industry will do well to read the issues of our sister journal "The Motor " for this and next week. They are unique in many important respects, acid the illustration-scheme is a very generous one. The Show Numbers are not advanced in price, notwithstanding their noteworthy –occupation of first place as regards extent. and quality of contents. Each issue provides, many times over, the full equivalent of the penny which it costs the purchaser.
Normal Costs: Widespread Attention.
Ample confirmation has been forthcoming, during the past few weeks, of ourfrequently-expressed view, that many owners of horse-drawn plant are really unaware of the msts per mile run which they are incurring_and bearing in respect of that class of haulage. Horse transport has been accepted as part of the daily round for so many years, and it is still so accepted by many people who are disinclined to move quickly or responsively in relation to altered conditions of commercial life, that we whilst regretfully again recording the fact, cannot pretend to be amazed at its persistence. Tens of thousands of owners of horse stock are waiting and watching while it dies, and until the vans and lorries literally fall to pieces. Their undoubted indifference to the costliness of horse haulage per mile run provides a remarkable contrast with the exactitude that is exhibited by them in respect of any railway rates or motor charges which may happen to affect them. Several horse-van owners, with whom we have been exchanging letters since our special offer of the 16th ult. in respect of the subject of normal or abnormal costs, have been reluctantly compelled by us to admit that their one-horse vehicles are costing them " anything between 8d. and Is. per mile run.' We, on our part, have admitted that these eosts are abnormal, because we knew that the average "all in" cost for a one-horse van, provided the vehicle can be found work to require its use for 100 miles a week, usually varies between .5d. and 6d. per mile run. These latter figures, be it noted, as may be seen by referenee to our current sheet* of working costs for petroldriven or steam-driven vehicles, are sufficient. on any weekly service which can be arranged to yield an aggregate of journeys totalling between 200 and 400 miles, to cover a one-ton petrol van. Again, precisely i as it s necessary for a motor contractor to add an average of at least 50 per cent. to the working costs that can be realized by an owner who employs commercial vehicles for his own purposes only, so do we find that home contractors, in respect of one-horse vehicles, which are so popular with many traders, are actually being paid at rates which go as high as 28. 3d. per mile run in London, and which frequently exceed 1W. per inVe run in the Provinces. There are, of course, explanations of these abnormal charges for horse-drawn vehicles: they generally are found to concern low weekly mileages and big terminal delays. it has been our pleasure, on those points alone, to answer some two dozen inquiries in a short space of time. We are, indeed, being kaiot busy through our latest offer of assistance. We like it.
Interest in the displacement of the one-horse van by the motorvan is, we find, becoming increasingly acute, and it is possible, in the majority of cases, to show that motorvans of approved types, by reason of their low ascertained maintenance costs and low depreciation charges, deserve to be given the preference by up-to-date houses. They are, in fact, securing that preference in a steadily-augmenting degree.
Wedesire, because of certain incomplete series of questions which have been addressed to us, since our recent specific offers to advise concerning normal working costs of all kinds and to revise data for owners who are apprehensive that some of their costs are abnormal, to point out that a sufficiency of information is essential to the furnishing of an intelligent. and useful reply. For example, in the case of one inquiry as to the reason why maintenance costa for a one-ton van came out at 1.25c1, per mile run, instead of the 0.85d. which we have found to be the proper average, we ascertained that the inquirer had confined himself to a short term of six months, in respect of a van which was years old. Another example, to which we should like to refer briefly, in order that subsequent inquirers may appreciate the necessity for their supplying ample details to us when they write, concerned a three-ton petrol lorry for which the maintenance---in this case over a full period of 12 months—had proved to be 2.5d. per mile run, instead of the 1.17d. which we know to be the proper average. In this case, after some difficulty, we discovered that a big repair bill, due to a collision on the road, the cost of which had been reimbursed by an insurance company, had by inadvertence not been deducted from the figures that were communicated to us, and it was only on our calling for particulars of the material and labour charges for each of the items which contributed to the heavy total in question, that
we were able to comprehend and explain the apparent gross excess above normal cost. That was a. piece of carelessness on the part of the owner who applied for our opinion, or of his manager.
In conclusion, and -with a view to the avoidance of unnecessary correspondence on both sides, we would ask supporters of this journal not to be in any undue hurry to communicate with us, but to take the necessary time to get their facts and figures together, before a case is submitted. This course is particularly necessary in cases which concern owners who are not in the Metropolitan area, and which source of inquiry we are interested to find predominates in our letterbox on this vital subject of " Normal or Abnormal Costs 2"
The Man on the Trailer.
An esteemed correspondent of this journal, who .prefers to write in thi instance over a ?WM de plume, passes some amusing criticisms upon possibilities, which might develop into actualities, were the Legislature to require a man to travel upon the trailer in every case. A few counties, we may remark, have obtained Departmental sanction of such a by-law in respect of a. traction engine and a train of trucks, but we do not ourselves anticipate the extension of such a by-law to heavy motorears, which are by law permitted to haul one trailer only at a time. The criticisms, in spite of the light vein in which they are phrased, are trenchant withal, and very much to. the point. Owners of steam. wagons, who are accustomed to the use of trailers, will be able, in cur opinion, to .meet. all reasonable requirements of other users of the highway, by having recourse to the fitting of mirrors of suitable types. A report from the C.M. LA. on this subject may be expected shortly.
-Exhibits at Trade Shows.
Apropos the Brewers' Exhibition, at the Agricultural Hall, Islington, at which successful trade undertaking various members of the motor industry, as reported last week, are exhibiting specimens of their manufacture, we desire once again to remove an erroneous impression which exists in some quarters with regard to trade shows of the kind. We have seen it stated that the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders has specifically approved a certain number of trade shows, and that an official list of these shows exists. A statement of this kind is contrary to facts, of which it shows a lack of appreciation. The S.M.M.T. has never issued any list of shows at which commercial vehicles may be exhibited, and this situation is due to the simple reason that the total of such shows is not an exact quantity. The Society, we gather, does not seek to dictate or suggest in any way, to the individual manufacturer of commercial vehicles, which shows he shall or shall not support, but leaves them absolutely free in that regard. This meets the case of the manufacturer who is directly interested in, for example, a local agricultural show, but at which, possibly, no other member of the industry would wish to be represented. Members of the Commercial Vehicle Section, in short, are left to discover such shows for themselves, and are expected merely to notify the Society of their desire. Then, if there he no objection to the exhibition or show under consideration, it can be treated as one of the six at which any one maker may exhibit, beyond the motor shows for which the Society itself is responsible. As records show, there is no objection in peaetieally every case : inquiry satisfies us of this.
The result of the foregoing order of procedure obviously is that any bond-signer can show his commercial vehicles practically wherever he likes, subject to a limit of six such trade shows per annum, and to the Society's formal prior approval of each such show, so that objection may be taken if there should be cause for any exercise of control. These conditions, of course, apply only to complete commercial vehicles, and the same exemptions under the S.M.M.T. bond A16 are not allowed, at the moment, for parts, tires and other accessories or supplies.
This brief résumé of the practice that is in force prompts us to quote portions of a leading article which we wrote three years ago, and which we have good reasons for knowing largely contributed to the acceptance of a solution which has since proved eminently satisfactory to all concerned. It is front our issue of the 27th August, 1909, that we quote.
"We feel that we are only taking the proper course when we remind our supporters that a very small proportion of representative traders, such as bakers, brewers, confectioners, drapers, grocers, Italian warehousemen, laundrymen, millers, municipal authorities, country store owners, and others too numerous for mention, attended at, or sent anybody to, the Olympia Show in fact, we doubt if more than the hundredth member of each trade was, either directly or indirectly, in attendance.
" We maintain that the average trader prefers to go to London at times when he is certain to meet his own friends, and to have all the material factors and incidental adjuncts to his line collected into one building for his convenient inspection. A discreet variation IA the bond, so that it shall apply only to purely motor shows, and the granting of a dispensation to makers who desire to have a. display at. particular agricultural or trade shows whether in London or the Pro vinces, is a policy which shows, sufficient merit to justify it adoption for a tentative period, after which the whole position can be reviewed in the light of experienc.e and results."
Auto-trailers as Auxiliary Water Tanks for Steam Wagons.
The adaptation of the auto-trailer as an auxiliary water tank, for the purpose of lessening the effects of certain difficulties by which owners of many heavy steam wagons are at the moment confronted, is one to which we desire to direct attention. This handy, inexpensive and legal attachment, of which we gave a description and illustrations in our last issue, lends itself admirably to any one of several alternative uses. It is the particular bearing which it has upon the problem of excess axle-weight to which we have now to refer.
The complete filling of some standard water tanks, most of the weight of which falls upon the back axle of any steam lorry, frequently has, in conjunction
with loads of 4i tons, the effect of bringing the back axle-weight above the legal limit of eight tons. The
uncertainty of finding water along some routes ren
ders it imperative that the driver should fill the tank as opportunity presents itself, and the chance to do so may happen Aninediately to precede a test of axle
weight by an officer of a road authority. The acuteness of this difficulty can in a measure be relieved by the adaptation which we have in mind ; we com mend the construction of such auto-trailer water tanks to manufacturers of steam wagons, and their use to owners. It is, of course, beyond the bounds of pos
sibility to hope to transfer the main water tank bodily to such an attachment as the one we have in mind, but we see no reason why an auxiliary supply
of at least 50 gallons might not be arranged and disposed in the manner indicated. The weight limit of the auto-trailer, unladen, is 2 cwt.
There is, as will be obl,ious, a prospective use for such auto-trailer water tanks, quite apart from the consideration of axle-weight. Occasions are riot wanting on which an additional 50 gallons in reserve woulti be an invaluable adjunct to the supply on the motor wagon itself. The 'ease of transference from the auxiliary tank to the main tank is self-evident.
Our short recommendation is this : that makers and owners of steam wagons will do well to put themselves in communication with the proprietors of the auto-trailer patent. The invention, it appears to us, is one which is deserving of varied application and development, and we have every reason to believe that most-reasonable licensing terms will be granted to any parties who seek to employ this simple but useful attachment, with its single castor wheel. It should, in other cases, be useful for the couveyanco of supplementary coke or coal supplies.