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News and Comment.

9th April 1908, Page 11
9th April 1908
Page 11
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Page 11, 9th April 1908 — News and Comment.
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

This journal has an exclusive, genuine and maintained circulation: its sales are not forced in useless quarters.

The Olympia Exhibition closed on Saturday last. It was a magnificent display, and we compliment both the organisers and exhibitors upon the result which they secured. The organisation was clearly ahead_ of 1907, but the attendance fell behind.

Absentees.

The difficulties which lie in the way of the securing of a representative " gate " amongst the commercial and trading communities are evidently greater than was anticipated. In any event, we heard many expressions of disappointment in this connection, and

f'7•

we deal with certain aspects of this important question in a short leading article (page 151). It is, indeed, a poor return for all the expenditure involved, that it should be necessary to confess to a comparative failure as regards any distinct encroachment upon the mass of apathy which exists amongst so many potential users. Might not a conference of exhibitors be convened by the S.M. M.T. ?

R.A.C. Chairmanship.

Mr. C. D. Rose, M.P., has consented to accept office as chairman of the Royal Automobile Club for a second year. It was the writer's privilege to nominate Mr. Rose as a member of the club committee, in March, 1904, and everybody is agreed that a more hardworking and successful chairman has never taken up the multitudinous duties which fall to the lot of whoever undertakes to direct the course of business at rig, Piccadilly. Notwithstanding the many good qualities of his predecessors, Mr. Rose has deservedly won for himself the reputation of being the best chairman the club has yet had. His capacity for business is as remarkable

as his ability to enter into detail. Many readers of this journal were, towards the end of last month, shocked to learn of Mr. Rose's loss in the death of his third son, Captain Adrian Rose, who succumbed to an attack of typhoid fever. Two other sons of Mr. Rose lost their lives during the South African war, and his courage in sticking to the helm of automobilism in the circumstances of this most recent bereavement cannot be too highly appreciated.

Other People's Views.

Mr. Henry Sturmey (pages 168 and 16y) has some observations • to make about Olympia. We do not agree with him in his condemnation of the fourcylinder motcrcab, as we believe the four-cylinder engine will have a deservedly large vogue for many hiring and jobbing purposes. Upon these vehicles, too, the pneumatic tire will continue to be used until some type of " filled " tire becomes more popular, or the peculiar merits of the " K.T." tire, which possesses unique qualities in absorbing road vibrations, are appreciated as they deserve to be. Pages 164 to 166 of this issue contain other views. Lever's Move.

Page 166a contains a few particulars and illustrations in connection with the great order for so commercial motors which has been given, by Lever Brothers, Limited, to Alldays and Onions Pneumatic Engineering Company, Limited, of Matchless Works, Birmingham. Mr. W. H. Lever, M.P., was a visitor to the recent show, and there has probably been no more striking individual purchase, in con-. firmation of the progress of commercial motoring, than this action by a worldrenowned man of business.

" Round the World.

Mr. H. G. Burford, M.I.Mech.E. managing director of Milnes-Daimler, Limited, will leave London, for a business tour round the world, in about four weeks. He expects to be away for close upon six months, and to visit a very large proportion of his company's customers.

Small Advertisements.

Attention is directed to our sundry advertisements pages, upon which many interesting announcements are made. It is not improbable that a large number of our readers and supporters overlook the value of these pages for purposes which cannot properly be met upon our display pages.

Motor Ambulances.

It is gratifying to us to be able to publish so favourable a report as that recently presented by the Ambulance Committee of the Metropolitan Asylums Board (page 166). We have foreseen an extension of this branch of use for several years, and the latest authority to decide to take up the matter is the Corporation of Liverpool Particular attention is directed to the notice at the foot of this page, which is inserted at the request of our Business Department.

Colonel R. E. Crompton, C.I3., took the chair at the annual dinner of the Association of Amalgamated Motor Drivers, Mr. Arthur Spurrier, who had promised to preside before it was known that Colonel Crompton could do so, willingly giving place to the chairman of the C.M.U.A.

An Irish Enquiry.

The Bangor (Co. Down) Urban District Council is about to apply to the Local Government Board (Ireland) for sanction inter alia to purchase a steam motor wagon. Definite information will be available about the end of the month, and enquiries should be addressed to the Town Clerk, Mr. J. Milliken.

Cab Testing.

A reader of this paper, who holds a .Scotland-Yard license for driving a motor-propelled hackney carriage, asks us to state that he is prepared to drive any new motorcab, for testing purposes, in London. He points out that one manufacturer is already testing a machine this way in London, and that he believes such a test to be more pro-, fitable than a straight-away run on country roads. Any letter addressed " Economy," c/o the Editor, will be forwarded.

Halley Sales.

Halley's Industrial Motors, Limited, of Yoker, Glasgow, has, amongst its recent orders, received the following : two more chars-à-bancs for motor service in Ireland ; two one-ton vehicles for R. D. Waddell, of Glasgow, the well-known sausage maker ; and one char-a-banc for Mr. D. McKenzie, of Garve. This company's new one-ton vehicle was one of the features of the recent Olympia Show, and it is now adapting the model for Colonial use by fitting large-size wheels, with suitable gear reductions.

From Egypt.

Mann's Patent Steam Cart and Wagon Company, Limited, of Pepper Road Works, Hunslet, Leeds, has received a very interesting report, in the columns of the " Egyptian Gazette," about its two-ton steam wagon, fitted with a fire-extinguishing and chemicaldisinfecting plant supplied by the Clayton Fire Extinguishing Company, which was illustrated and described in our issue of the 21st November last. The effectiveness of the combination is apparent from this report, and the great value of mounting such an outfit upon a self-propelled under-carriage. Scottish' AC.

We cull a paragraph from the annual report of the Scottish Automobile Club, which report was peesented to the general meeting of members on Monday afternoon last : " In furtherance of the desire of the club to encourage and develop the use of motor vehicles for commercial purposes, the committee instituted a special department of the club, entitled Commercial Vehicle Department,' which has received support from a considerable number of the makers and users of such vehicles. The department organised a successful parade in Glasgow on 17th October, 1907, in which 6o commercial vehicles took part, and they have succeeded in securing the removal of restrictions applicable to commercial motor vehicles in several cases, and have been of assistance in various other directions."

Fowler Tractors.

The latest types of two-cylinder and three-cylinder steam tractors which are made by John Fowler and Company (Leeds), Limited, which oompany's London office is at 6, Lombard Street, E.C., are fitted with forced lubrication instead of the splash system which was, until recently, employed. All parts of the engine, from the wrought-steel piston rings to the crankshaft bearings, are most thoroughly lubricated, and the boiler is a most efficient one. The fire box is of the Belpaire pattern, but it is not fitted with cross tubes as is the case with many boilers in which this type of fire box is employed. These workmanlike machines are worthy followers of the splendid portable, semiportable, and other heavier patterns of steam engines for which this company is famous, and they promise fully to uphold the world-wide reputation of the Leeds works in traction service.

A New Motorcab Company.

The Motor Cab Company of Great Britain, Limited, with an authorised capital of £50,000, in „Li shares, is offering the whole of its capital for public subscription, and the lists will remain open until Saturday next, the ith instant. This company was registered, on the 26th ultimo, by Messrs. J. B. and F. Purchase, of 14, Regent Street, S.W., and its directors are : Messrs. Harvey du Cros, J.P. (chairman), Robert Watson, J.P., Montague S. Napier, S. F. Edge, and George du Cros. The prospectus is of an unusuar character. There are no contracts, and no estimates ; nothing is paid for promotion, and there are no deferred shares ; the minimum subscription upon which the directors will proceed to allotment is the nominal amount of too shares; the whole of the cabs will

be British built—presumably by D. Napier and Bons, Limited, although nothing is related to that effect; it is provided that Dunlop tires shall be exclusively used; the preliminary expenses are estimated not to exceed L,Soo, including all registration fees ; and no contracts will be closed until the statutory meeting of the company takes place. In the absence of detailed information, we can only say that the names of the directors provide the necessary guarantee that the business will be run upon sound lines, and that the company will be made to pay.

Our Roads.

One of the best and roost trenchant articles on the great question of the day —that of the road problem—is contained in this week's issue of our sister journal " The Motor." It is from the pen of Sir J. H. A. MacDonald, K.C.B., whose experience and knowledge of road and traffic matters is as extensive as his style of writing is captivating. We have never read a better statement of the case, and we do not hesitate to say that the Roads Improvement Association will be well advised if it can arrange to circulate, say, one million reprints of this article.

Motor Mail Services.

Milnes-Daimler, Limited, of 221, Tottenham Court Road, W., began its contract for the carrying out of the London to Cambridge parcel mail, on the night of the 1st instant. Three 28h.p. vehicles are allotted to the task, one being held in reserve for fear of any mishap to either of the remaining vans. The route lies through Barnet, Welwyn, Hatfield, Hitchin, and Royston, the length of the trip being some 62 miles. The writer was present on the occasion of the inauguration of this service, in company with Mr. H. G. Burford, M.I.Mech.E., and certain high officials of the Post Office, and accompanied the " down " mail until the two vehicles met near Welwyn. They are scheduled to average ten miles an hour throughout, and their replacement of the horse coaches, which have run from London to Hitchin for the last 15 years, caused no small amount of stir along the line of route. An enormously greater weight of parcels is put upon each of these motorvans, in comparison with what the horses used to take, and it is perfectly evident that the Post Office must effect a very great economy by the change, in comparison with the o.55 of the receipts from parcel post which it is obliged to pay over to any railway corn pany that carries the parcels for it, apart from the absorption of the terminal cartages at each end and at each intermediate office.


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