Opinions from Others.
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ls. in Exchange for lid.
The Editor, Tire COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
11,037] Sir,—For the past few weeks you have expressed a very strong opinion that the petrol tax, so far as it concerns commercial motors would, ultimately, benefit users, and the motor trade generally. How you arrived at that opinion I fail to see, it certainly is not the opinion of those most interested. I have personally interviewed a number of firms, and, in every case, they were most emphatic in their opinions that great injury would result. It appears, from opinions which I have obtained, that the cost of running a three-ton van will be increased by an amount varying from 1:38 to £:57 per annum—a very big slice off the net profits ; the difference between the cost of horses and motors was already so small, and generally on the wrong side, that it will, in many cases, prevent motor jobmasters from entering into contracts. We had a case in point last week : a mineral-water company requested us to tender for the delivery of its goods. After going into figures pretty closely, we were told that we must do it at l*d. per dozen, or the company would stick to horses, and as our estimate exceeded this rate by 30s. per van, per week, of which excess the tax was responsible for 18s., it was declined. I had the honour of placing this point before Mr. Lloyd-George on the 24th ult, among others, with, T believe, considerable effect, as there is no doubt that a full rebate of 3d. per gallon for commercial vehicles will he made for this year. After that, if the combined trade, supported by the Press, be not strong enough to get it entirely wiped out, the petrol companies will, no doubt, take a share of the tax with users. I can offer no apology for this letter—my company feels too strongly upon the matter.—Yours faithfully, W. FLEXHAN FRENCH.
314, Balham High Road, S.W.
I-We do not follow our correspondent's calculation. A three•tonner is affected to the extent of a maximum of 015d. per mite run, unless its petrol consumption be abnormal. Does Lie reckon to run each vehicle something like MO miles a week, or does lie get only four miles to the gallon? Mr. French will find the reasoned explanation of our attitude in issues dating back to the 8th July last: once we were satisfied that the Chancellor meant to establish n fairly-constituted Road Board, we derided that the proper course was to preserve a focus for the commercial vehicle. The alternative is to be shut out of the right to claim or to press for new roads and bridges where they are wanted only for heavy truffle We are aware that we could quite easily " play to the gallery" if we were to advertise ourselves by shouting " Down with the Tax."—En.
London General Omnibus Co.'s Methods.
The Editor, Tics Commutolex. MOTOR.
.1,038] Sir,Is it not time that this company roused itself from its slumbers and adopted up-to-date methods of publicity and business:. For example, in July last, jointly with Messrs. Tilling, it instituted a motor service from Harringay to Peckham, and this was well patronized by the local residents; but, greatly to their astonishment, this service has, without the least warning, been withdrawn! In my humble opinion, this policy is not calculated to benefit the motorbus industry, and I venture to suggest that, in every case, when a fresh service is started, or a service altered or discontinued, adequate notice should be given to the public by :— 1.—Bills posted inside and outside all cars running in the districts concerned—to a slight extent this is done at present, but in a slipshod manner. 2.—Advertisement in the local papers, and in addition, a letter should regularly be sent to each daily and weekly paper, giving details of any alterations or additions to the services.
3.—Notice to the local councils would be an act of courtesy, which could only be beneficial to the company, and it would be a good advertisement, as all council meetings are fully reported in local papers.
4.—Issue, on a regular date each month, say, the first, of a time-sheet or time-table (price id. or id.) to be on sale at booksellers and railway bookstalls.
5.—Handbills for conductors to distribute.
6.—Handbills distributed house to house, say, every three or six months— if not oftener. I think this work, if they would accept it, might be offered to some of the old hands who have been discharged through no fault of their own : many of these are now in sad distress.
I also suggest that the company might make the following improvements, or alterations : 1.---Place a fare-board outside as well as inside. 2.—Pay conductors and drivers a small commission on takings.
3.—Divide the working of London into four districte, with an office in each main street. This woull be no extra expense, as at parii office other work could
be undertaken, such as selling theatre tickets, tourist tickets, coals, and dealing with collection and delivery of parcels, as agents for Pickford's or similar firms ; also, house and apartment agency. 4.—Form a round-table conference of servants of each grade, to meet once a month at the district office, to discuss such matters as alteration of services, suggested improvements, etc. Men should be paid for attendance.
5.—Provide each bus with a small box in which passengers could place complaints and suggestions. 6.—Encourage servants to suggest new routes and general improvements. Pay for all ideas adopted. 7.—Issue season tickets.
8.-1ssue transfer tickets on certain routes.
9.—Start new horse-bus services in the suburbs, which in course of time could be converted into motor services. In spite of all that is said, there are plenty of openings yet.
10.—Arrange for competent guides to meet country and foreign visitors to London, and escort them round the Metropolis, making use of the Company's services of buses as far as possible. 11.—Provide waiting rooms for passengers, when possible.
I may add that, on the opening day of the Harringay -service, some of the conductors were ignorant of the road, and every now and then had to ask passengers where this road, or that place, was. I think you will agree with me that this was very undesirable.—Yours faithfully,
STEPHEN Seen ART.
Harringay, 1st October, 1909.
Some of the abote suggestions may prove of interest to those wso arc eemicernea with greater London's passenger tranaport.—En.
liners' Experiences.
The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
11,0391 Sir,—For the past few months, I have been won, .-lering whether it would be advisable to fit rubber tires sm to a standard five-ton steam motor wagon, at least for avinter work. In any case, it is necessary to run without trailers for several months in the year. The chief disadvantage I should have to contend with is the extra tare weight of the steam vehicles, as compared with petrol . machines, but, perhaps, a tire of slightly-larger section would overcome this difficulty at a reasonable cost. There is the further consideration of whether, when I had once "adopted rubber tires, it would be possible to revert to steel tires again, and would this involve a complete change .of programme each time the type of tires was change(' The most-important factor, at the moment, is the probable cost, and also whether tire makers are prepared to do husiness on any kind of hire-purchase system. This subject is well worth careful consideration just now, for the minter will very soon be upon us.
Since supplying you with my figure of three-halfpence per mile run for the cost of coke alone, I have had the Iigure of 2d. per ton-mile, or 10d. per mile, for a five-ton -steam motor wagon given to me as a figure which I have to compete against in quoting for traffic where motor svagons are privately owned. Now, 8,000 miles is a fair distance for a machine to run in a year, and, allowing for a full load on every mile run, the earnings work out at £333: wages, including sick pay, will average £150 ; coke, at lid. per mile, comes to .e.50; repairs average e50 ; and depreciation, in my class of work, is safely ViO. This leaves £33 to pay for insurance of goods, insurance of evagon and men, upkeep of sheets, lamps, the supply of
• (oil for all purposes, and, what is noire important still, this :1:1 has to cover all risks of shortage of loads from einy cause whatever. This is as likely to occur with a private owner as with a carrier, for the former has hut erne source of supply for his machine to draw from, whereas he latter has many. So much for 2d. per ton-mile. While I am on the subject of rates, T feel I must make :a passing allusion to the unscrupulous manner in which irates are being extracted from motor-wagon carriers by -.people who have not the slightest intention of using us, but who take our figures to the railway companies for the
purposes of bargaining. If a manufacturer is dispatching his goods in lots of 30 cwt. to two tons, which is again split up into several small deliveries, he thinks nothing of applying to us for a rate for eight-ton lots in oue delivery! Ile then uses the rate we make to fight the railway company, or to obtain an advantage over his customer!
Raving recently spent four hours pulling a motor wagon out of a ditch, my interest in the road question hass revived. For the past nine months I have repeatedly referred to this subject of the state of our roads, as being one of the chief factors which is hindering the progress of road-motor transport, moreover, it is morally wrong for this state of affairs to continue. The nation, through its representatives, has in the past given a distinct promise that those who buy motor wagons shall be supplied with suitable roads on which to run their machines, and on the strength of this pledge capital has been invested in motor transport by road. The nation has yet to redeem that pledge, and how is it setting about this? To begin with, the nation admits that it has made a big mistake in allowing motor wagons on the roads at all, under the conditions provided. The authorities find that the roads are not up to their estimate for strength, so they calmly repudiate their promise to motor-wagon owners, and, from time to time, they alter the regulations re the construction of the vehicles in the hopes of adapting them to suit the roads. Each of these alterations involves a direct loss to motor-wagon owners which they have to bear. It has at length to be admitted by the authorities that the roads are so inadequate for road transport that special legislation is required to place them in anything like a reasonable state for the work they have to stand—and here comes in the satire of the whole situation. It is suggested that the motor owner must conic to the rescue and pay for the improvement of the roads to bring them up to that standard that was promised him when he first invested his capital, and, even then, he must be content to see his money being spent, mot so much on roads which he uses every day, but on " fancy railroads " (minus the rails) which are really being built for the accommodation of high-powered pleasure cars. This may he good government, but it is very poor business for the man who invests his money on the strength of promises upon which he cannot depend. I find, as a motor-wagon carrier, that this uncertainty as to the future brings a great deal of discredit upon my business, and is a hindrance in obtaining the capital which is necessary to develop the same.
To return to the wagon in the ditch, it required two other wagons to pull it out, and raised a rather interesting point. How far is a driver justified in using his master's machine to pull another owner's wagon out of a difficulty? My rule in such cases is to make the man entirely responsible, unless he first gets my permission; if in the course of acting on his own initiative he should damage his machine I would punish him severely for the same. " Twitching out " a wagon is a very serious undertaking, and no driver should accept the responsibility on his own —the risk is too great.. A further practice I am trying to eliminate is that of towing wagons home; I never allow this unless absolutely necessary. Breakdowns to-day are, however, few and far between compared with those of, say, six years ago. The most healthy sign of the times, to my mind, is the optimism of the drivers of motor wagons, who feel that they can produce results from their machines to-day which may spell prosperity to themselves and their employers in the future ; they take an interest in their calling which was unknown a few years ago, and what was common practice among them then is now looked noon as beine unworthy_
Our log Me. e for the past two weeks is as follows :—Eare Moe. CO2 and ; tonnage, 149 and 142 ; mileage, 789 and 744; percentage, of work clone, 90 and 90; coke used, 8 tons and 8 tons ; oil used (gear). 10 gallons and 10 galIons; (cylinder), 6 gallons and 5 gallons—Yours faithfully,
MOTOR-WAGON CARRIER.
Lit is probably the most thorough and only safe plan, notwithstanding the extra capital, to have two sets of wheels—one with steel tires, and the other with rubber tires. On the subject of rates, we refer readers to our "Motor Hiring and Contracting" special number of the 15th October, 1008—Eel