Opinions from Others.
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The Editor invites correspondence on all subjects connected with the -use of commercial motors. Letters should be on
one side of the Paper only, and type-7.eritten by preference. The right of abbreviation is reserved, and no responsibility for the views expressed is accepted. In the case of experiences, names of towns or localities may be withheld.
Turner's Motor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
11,1201 Sir,With reference to the report that has appeared in the _Press as to the resolution passed ler the voluntary winding-up of Turner's Automobile Works, Ltd., owing to the similarity of title we find some people areconfusing ortr firm with the firm in question. As this is a serious matter for us, if not corrected. 111:1 ed-i beg you to point out that we are not in any way connected (nor ever have been) with the said firm:
This company is in a thoroughly-sound financial posi tier', having each year. since its foundation seven years ago, paid satisfactory dividends to its shareholders. We ended our last year's trading at 31st Deeember, cc th a larger cash balance than any previous year. nil our assets would more than dischariee elm trade liabilities 10 times over.— Yours faithfully, B. Dumens..
Managing Dieeetor. Wolverhampton.
[We have plea:sure in giving' Lonblieily 0 thiu lutter, ic Ucci cccl curi fusion has aristra in OW: ininag al culunnn.—E:.,.1
The Status of Engineering Societies.
The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL Moroe.
[1,127] Sir,--1 have rend critic interest your leaderette ii " The Status of Engineering Societies.' and would :ike tic point out one or two things which I think you bat e overlooked.
There may, of course, be engineering soeietieS iviumi■ cc hat von say as to the secretaries toadying to members of council may be true. although, looking round at the various secretaries with cc horn I am acquainted. I 'mist ft tinkly say, so far from their being anxious to get members of council to speak. they are rather animated hy exactly the opposite desire. I. have hoard, on scores of oceasions, the secretary, in despair of getting n good discussion niter having written to a number of people who might be espected to speak, appeal to members of council AV ii0 alt' authorities on the particular subject to be discussed, and. so far from members of council appearing to seek advertisement, I have noticed a general iuteilliminess on their part to speak at all.
The truth of the matter is that the rank and file of members who have knowledge on technical matters seem. as a rule, either unwilling to impart such kimii ledge to the meeting, or very diffident as to their ability to do so effectively. There are, however, a certain -number of men from the body of members who are only too willing to speak on all occasions, and on every subject. If these individuals could speak with real knowledge, or even with humour, they would he welcome, but they are the terror both of the president and secretary, as their rising is the signal for a eeneral look of boredom over the whole meeting. If your artiele will convey a hint to someof these, you will have conferred a real benefit on the community.
There is another class which also wants admonition, and that is of the members who have no skill in public speaking and who do not try to make up for their deficiency by careful preparation.
Secretaries are, like all other human being., by no means perfect. but, as you are particularly bard on that class, I am, in justice, bound to say that my personal knowledge of secretaries, not less than members of council, enables me to state that secretaries are, as a rule, most anxious to spread the discussion over as large a body of members as possible. and it is because of the indifference of the rank and file that the members of council so often There is one point, in conclusiom I. would add, and Hui. is, that the reason why the mimes are procured is b cause many members will not speak unless they are per sonally called upon to do so, hence the attempts of th secretary to collect names during the meeting. It is frequent custom for a, request to be made for names to b, handed up to the platform, and the result is that the names wine') do come up in this way are generally the nines of the gentlemen to whom I have alluded above and not those whose contribution is really desired. I will conclude by saying I quite agree with the remarks in the article as to the necessity for reform in many matters, amongst, them the discussions, but I have tried in my letter to point out the real cause of evil as far as the discussions at meetings are concerned.—Yours faithfully, THE PREtillIENT OF AN ENGINEERING SOCIETY. ,on de n
Should Manufacturers also Conduct a Business as Carrying or Haulage Contractors?
The Editor, THE CONINTERCIAL MOTOR.
J.128] sir.To ,judge from .the interesting correspondence \-■ hiell tuts arisen on this thorny question, the subject is one which is to some extent exercising the minds of manufacturers at the present. and 1 believe it to be one of the grin-est import to Farriers also, Mr. Cutbush. in your issue of the 24th February, points out some of the disadvantages which may accrue to the manufacturer who embarks upon carrying, and I would like to emphasize certain of the disabilities which may at the same time be conferred upon professional motor-haulage contractors by a manufacturer so doing.
The tee oecupations are nodonbtedly not only distinct, bait even antagonistie, for, whereas, the manufacturer's first care is to promote the success of his machine, the carrier's first thought is the welfare of the traffic which forms his business, the care for the machines being a 6econdary consideration. This difference of ideal becomes at once a. grave source of danger to the professional carrier. who finds himself competing against an individual cc ho has no respect for the nature of traffic, who knows and cares nothing for the local conditions which determinethe fair market price for carrying goods, and who is entering the business prepared to earnat the lowest-possible figure at which the machine can be worked, on any particular job. The carrier, on the other hand, has to cater for a wide circle, and is unable to pick and choose without giving offence to his customers; indeed, he must frequentlymake his own interests subservient to those of others. As a carrier. he has to take his place in the light for traffic which continually wages between one district and another, and where competition is keenest his rates frequently do not meet bare expenses, and it is only by ci skilful combination of work that lie is able to. produce a favourable result. I think, if manufacturers were to realize this, they would be less inclined. to step into the arena to pick out a few samples of traffic, for the purpose of demonstrating the value of their machines, at the risk of destroying a far-greater amoitut of good work which the carrier has been patiently building up in the course of .vears!
The above objections. which I have raised to motor ma nufarterers enlisting as carriers. fete be quite well met by the appointment of a thoroughly-competent and experieneed manager over the carrying business. but even then a further difficulty remains, for the manufacturer has heontne the COM petitor of all other motor-haulage contractors, and is thereby closing a very wide held for the sale of his machines; this is, to my mind, the eliief obstacle to env extended movement by manufacturers in the direction
III carrying, and eliec7Rely proves how antagoni-itic the
two oecopittioin, /Tall, are. It is (iiiite natural, of cunt-Lt. that manufacturers sholild desire to be in close tourii with the \sorb: of their machines, and t.o he in a position to obtain id]t.t 1
e experience pii,sible with a view to their liotTilitt. or bringing. the machines to the require. ments of the carrying industry, but. the actual running of machines under Owir own COIldr01 Will trot privh I he Inf,l'Illati011 Linty renIiite.
shInild like Ti refer manufacturers to a letter lv " lotax in your issue oi the 10th F«.,bruarv, in whieli that correspondent points out that the po.licy ii I he largest electrical lulus in the country dorm, the develop trent Cr tramw a.\.s. etc.. 151. lot to enter into .2on.perif lii with possible. eustoincrs tl,emseIves. Init, to as-ist ii3O undertakheo., %vitilst strictly adhering to their business its electrical engineers and etillstriiiidt's_
Nl • r ma Aeroplanes by Road. COMMEITLIAL Mtrriip, 1.12! bini10-,cdIi send yiir 1 photo
Iiidet,,pId110 1.11'1011r-1ln, tO thtt Holl. C.
LIIC 1:,t•sT eVetr EIP:t•II:s1, roads. NN Ii special plaiforni (or the ,.Lase. 0311111 measured 111 it, Ii it li.,, 1Hit. It eiyhed„ with contents, 'lie engine, %%heels ;Hid pilI•kilea.-CnsitS ITit'd on lin. lid•ty had a total length over all of ...i0 ft. This iii'., removed from Olympia to the klc of Slle3lpc1 Ity Onc ut mu. I ht, ityktlicid horIte.s 1.110 130 miles beine .rovered in There was no troiible riliate,er i Ii ttcri::11:.. thlluoll in 1-1110ers, the ‘irly Il reyliring eari• weie trayforii Dartford nib f'd,i1.1.;lin. owing to nal
M the road. Yours taitlitiilk. NV. FLEXM +iN FITE \rid The Best System of Lubrication for Internalcombustion Engines.
Thi, Edit THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
_1.1311.1 `;ir. IL your issiie it The -24th Nlarcl,. I
ymir report has niisconsirtied Thy The cussitin IT Al r. (1. II. Bailhe's paper at the
1.,111irication.." I have er the arrangement eoning ■,,f a special pipe or oil way conveying the ill from the kit,-elitIS to the gudgeon pins in anv of the horizontal or vertical motors which 1 lone constructed, althoughI bus is a very efficient if sonie,A hat expensive method . for siippling a sufficiency of oil to the ,:tudgeon pin of a vertical motor, and at the same time preventing a surplus of oil front rcaiihing the cylinder walls. What 1 said Was, that, any arrangement of this kind is unnecessary with a horizontal motor, as it is cpUte easy to supply sufficient oil through a hole in the cylinder to the top of the piston, the oil then finding its %say to the gudgeon pin either through a hole in the top of the piston,or !,rooves arranged as shown in the accompanying sketch. the bio..ends hieing lubricated by channels cut in the crankshaft. Splash lubrication is finsuitable and unnecessary for horizontal motors, as. The piston is tribrieated front the same hole through the cylinder which supplies oil for th
pill, any excess oil being telnoteih Ii a relief valve fitted in the crankcase at. its lowest point. WW1 this arrangement, the supply of oil is easily controlled, awl, so, dean liihriCati011 is tii-ksiirod.--Vours II rnersinith. T. 11. llitowNE.
Motorbus and Motorcab Experience.
The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR, advertisement may nil crest you: 1.41 RECTORS and 'festers ;Goo...1:, wanted for high-class .six-cylinder cars; Illlnst he good inen. and have references from 12,4-nault, Napier or Daimler ; no bus or cab mechanics need apply. Write, stating qualifications, to Box 4.384.
Daily Chronicle," Fleet Street, E.C.
Being in tha bus business myself, with a fleet of 90 to look after, it would he impossible to run these unless firstI•lass mechanics were employed. This advertisement is, I consider, very unfair; it bars good MCB, who itre perhaps oat of work for no other reason than slaekness owing to the annual overhauls having been completed, and I may also mention that several of my fitters have worked at both Napier's and Daimler's, receiving excellent references.
1 bring this to your notice, as a word in your paper might alter some people's opinions of a '' bus titter.- Yours faithfully-, HAROLD DARBY. 1Sattersea.
We are wen satisfied that ninny the titters Itpresent-tiny rantorhus
and vidtorcab depeLs are fully qual:tied to hill II, places uanied in this ad VertiselTI vitt. Tiff, strict dis,didine of suchdIlis. added To his prior traitine4 III Motorear repairs, makes sad' a titter eNcehtionally