News and Comment.
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This journal is admitted to possess the influence, the men, the standing and the leading circulation. It is exclusively read by the heads of many wealthy commercial houses throughout the Empire.
Four pages of this issue, numbers 275 to 278, are devoted to a summary of important points about steel.
" Answers to Queries and others of our usual features are unavoidably curtailed or omitted this week, owing to the pressure upon space due to the C.M.U. A. parade.
The scope for newcomers to the utility side of the industry, and particularly for makers of petrol vehicles to carry loads of three tons and less, is briefly asserted on page 273.
Parade Report.
Our illustrated report of the Coronation Motor Parade will be found on pages 286 to 296. His Majesty the King replied by telegram to a message dispatched from the parade area by Colonel Crompton during the early marshalling.
An Albion Booklet.
We always regard with favour sound propaganda, the object of which is to show how commercial motors can do better work than horses, and at less cost. Hence, we are glad to observe the plan of the contents of a 16-page Albion pamphlet entitled "The Motor in Commerce." It embodies many of the principal arguments which we have consistently put forward for more than six years ; it presents interesting life comparisons ; it concludes with convincing testimonials. Thereis much compressed into this small brochure that deserves to he studied, and copies may be had from any of the Albion depots or agencies. French Trials of Agricultural Motors.
The Automobile Club of France, as we announced last week, will hold a mechanical ploughing competition on the 7th and 8th September, at Roubaix, in connection with the Exhibition in that -town. The contest, which is under the control of the Agricultural Commission of the Club, is open to machines of either French or foreign construction, and awards will be made according to the nature of the work done, the cost of driving the machine, the time necessary for getting the machine ready for work, the number of men necessary for the work, the ability to operate on various kinds of ground, and the possibility of using the machine for other farm work. The machines must plough to a minimum depth of 0 in. Eight classes of machines are provided for, and separate awards will be made in each class. In the internal-combustion motor section, the classes are for tractors costing less than £600, plough inchided ; motor ploughs costing less than £600; motor ploughs costing less than £1,200; and mixed tractors with winding drums costing less than 2600, ploughing material included. In the steam section, the classes are for complete appliances costing less than £1,200 and more —Lan 4..1,20(l. There is a separate class for electric appliances.
The time spent in ploughing will count from the moment the competitor declares he is ready, the machines being at least 500 yds. from the scene of operations.
Entries for the competition are received by the secretary of the Agricultural Commission of the Automobile Club of France until 31st July.
Road-tarring at Speed.
The Paris municipality has just adopted an improved type of machine for the tar-painting of highways. Instead of distributing the tar on the road by means of brushes, the new apparatus sprays it out of a fine jet, so that it forms an evenly-distributed band 6 to 8 ft. in width. The apparatus works at a greater rate than any machine previously employed in France, for it will tar-spray a road when travelling at the rate of four miles an hour, and it makes a neater job than any other machine seen there. The machine, which is designed by Messrs. Hedeline and Voisembert, consists of a Purrey steam wagon, on which is mounted a metal tank capable of carrying six tons of tar. Within the tar vessel are coils of steam pipes heated from the boiler of the truck. The tar is heated while the vehicle is on its way from • the depot to the scene of operation, thus effecting a considerable saving of time ; further, there is no separate fire to be tended, the driver of the truck being responsible for the necessary amount of steam let into the coils to keep the tar in the right condition. The tar is delivered through the spray nozzle by the action of a pump, the exact nature of which the makers do not wish to describe. From observation of the vehicle on the Paris streets, the work of tarring is done remarkably well, and also at good speed. The truck advanced on a prepared straightaway road at a speed of 4 to 5 miles an hour, leaving behind it a band of tar 6 to 7 ft. in width and uniformly distributed. It was only necessary to ray the tar in the old-fashioned way at crossroads and in corners, where the truck could not operate easily. Three of these appliances are now in use on city and suburban roads. We know of a vacancy for a London traveller for one of the principal tire companies, and we shall be happy to forward applications from suitable men to the right quarter. Letters should be marked " PINEAPPLE."
The Leicester Watch Committee has purchased an 18-24 h.p. Siddeley-Deasy motor chassis, and this will be fitted with an ambulance body. The tender of the Midland Counties Motor Garage, Ltd., of Leicester, was accepted.
Commencing on Sunday last, the new through service of motor mails, between Aberdeen and Braemar, effected by Albion vehicles belonging to Mr. John Smart, the Deeside carrier, to which vehicles we made brief reference last week, was inaugurated. Four sectional mail carts have been displaced.
Enterprise in Belfast.
J. B. Ferguson, Ltd., of Chichester Street, Belfast, has been appointed the agent for the wellknown Albion commercial vehicles, and is laying out to give particular attention to the utility type of yebide. For some time past, this Belfast company has had the finest garage in Belfast, and even in the North of Ireland, and, as an indication or the class of business which it has been doing, we may mention that it holds the sole agency for Rolls-Royce cars and other. well-known makes, including
,Natstin, Minerva, • etc The corn has taken into its service Mr. G. H. Maynard, who, for the past seven years, has been closely asso(gal ed with Mors (England), Ltd.. on I he commercial-vehicle side, and he will give his close attention to the development of the commercial motor movement in the North of Deland.
Marshall's Oil Tractors.
Evaders of this journal may be in-. terested to know that a film showing a Marshall Colonial-type oil tractor at work, coupled to a sixfurrow gang plough, is being exhibited at various electric theatres. We give some of the dates :—Newark Corn Exchange, to-day (Thursday), to-morrow, Saturday, and Sunday next ; Peterborough Electric Theatre_ 12th to 14th inst. ; Lowestoft Cinematograph Hall. 15th and 16th inst. ; Euston Cinematograph Hall, Euston Road. N.W., 19th inst.. ; Bethnal Green Road, F... 20th inst. ; 329, Mare Street, Hackney, N.E., 21st inst. : 131), Barking Road, E., 22nd inst. ; 171, Barking Road, 23rd inst. ; and 370, High Street, Stratford. E., 26th inst. The film, the length of which is approximately 500 ft.. will then be forwarded to Marshall. Sons and Co., Ltd., at the Britannia Iron Works. Gainsborough.
At an extraordinary general meeting of the members of Diplock's Patent Traction Engine Haulage Syndicate, Ltd., held at the offices of Messrs. Brown, Peet and Tilly, Century House, 27, Queen Victoria Street. EC., a resolution was passed to the effect that the company be wound up voluntarily. Mr. W. Poet was appointed liquidator.
R.A.S.E.
The Royal Show this year will open one day earlier than usual, i.e., on the Monday instead of the Tuesday. Sir Gilbert Greenall Bart., chairman of the Showyard Works Committee, at the meeting of the BASE. Council, on the 31st ult., reported that all necessary preparations were virtually completed. It was reported that a communicat ion had been received from the Colonial Office, to the effect that the following Ministers of Agriculture of the Over-Sea Dominions would probably attend the Norwich Show: General the Right Hon. Louis Botha (South Africa); the Hon. Sydney Fisher (Canada); the Hon. S. D. Blandford (Newfoundland) : the Hon. W. L. Baillieu (Victoria) ; the Hon. James S. Duff (Ontario) ; J. E. Caron, Esq. (Quebec); the Hon. R. P. Roblin (Manitoba): the Hon. W. J. Pipes (Nova Scotia) ; the Hon. W. J. Bowser (British Columbia) ; the Hon. W. R. Motherwell (Saskatchewan) ; the Hon. John Richards (Prince Edward
Island); Sir Joseph Ward (New Zealand); the Hon. j. S. T. McGowen (New South Wales), The Hon. A. A. Kirkpatrick (AgentGeneral for South Australia) would also be present.
Edge Accessories.
S. F. Edge, Ltd., of 14, New Burlington Street, W., has issued its catalogue of Edge motor accessories. Owners of Napier vans and cabs will be interested, and should take steps to obtain a copy.
Pumping Set for Constantinople.
We illustrate on page 299 a twincylinder 9 h.p. Aster pumping set which has for some time past been in use in the Houses of Parliament at Constantinople. This engine runs on paraffin fuel, and works continuously for 12 hours a day, supplying water for the hydraulic lifts. The engine may be disconnected from the pumps by means of a metal-to-metal cone clutch, and the operation of this clutch is controlled by a long lever and float: the water is pumped from a tank on the same level as the engine to a large storage tank on the roof of the building, and, immediately any quantity of water is discharged from the roof tank, it escapes, after doing work in the hydraulic ram, to the low-level tank, and th,:: rising of the water level in this tank has the effect of engaging the clutch.