OPINIONS and QUERIES Unhealthy Sales Competition.
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• The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
[3270] Sir,—The remarks contained in your editorial columns of last week's issue are of particular interest to us.
If it is not agreed that manufacturers themselves are the most to blame for the state of affairs you indicate, no one will deny that they alone can provide the remedy.
Speaking for ourselves we find that other considerations apart, we cannot afford to follow up our tenders by incurring salesmen's heavy expenses and the costs of futile demonstrations, and at the same time do justice to our other customers who would be asked to bear these expenses in the overall price.
As practically every operating company using our vehicles is paying reasonable, and sometimes good, dividends and our business with corporations is (possibly for the reasons you indicate) not very large, a return to more rational methods of selling to municipal buyers would be welcomed by us.
W. R. SHEPHARD, Managing Direaor, For T. S. Motors, Ltd.
The Need for Unity Amongst Hauliers.
The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
[3271] Sir,—Yours is a timely and much needed warning regarding the need-for unity amongst transport contractors. Should any move be made in this direction we shall be glad to support it -wholeheartedly. C. G. GREATOREX, Burton-on-Trent. For the Burton Transport Co.
Should a Patent Agent Tell ?
The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
[3272] Sir,—What is the duty of a patent agent to his client? Is the duty of an agent merely to write a specification and do such things as are necessary to procure a patent for an invention which in some cases the• agent must know full well cannot possibly give the result which is expected and desired by the inventor, or should he, in the case of an inventor who is obviously ignorant of first principles of the subject with which he is dealing, point out to his client that the idea is a mare's nest?
A. solicitor will, in most cases, bring to the notice of a client the impossibility of winning a case, where he sees some insurmountable obstacle. A doctor will tell a patient that he can do nothing for him in the case of some incurable malady. No builder of repute would build a house to the plans of a customer if he knew perfectly well that the house would fall down immediately it was used ; that it would not answer the purpose for which it was intended, and for which the customer had paid. It would be taking a man's money, knowing full well that what you were going to do for him would be of no good. It is true that in the case of the builder he might warn his customer that the house wouldbe no good, and even build it under protest,
but I do not think that any, conscientibus builder would care to have his name connected with a structure which fell down, even if he could clear his conscience by saying "I told you so before I built it."
I know that patent agents.must live, and I sometimes wonder how they all do, seeing how many there are of them, but would it not be better for the profession if, in cases such as those which I will mention, where utter ignorance of first principles is shown, it offered to act as an adviser and charge a fee for so doing rather than see an agent's name attached to a specification which can cause only roars of laughter when read by even an intelligent schoolboy.
The class of patent to which I refer in particular are sometimes called "gravity motors," where a weight or water falling on one side of a wheel—but carried up again on the other side by the same wheel—is claimed to produce power for nothing. "Fuelless motors" are sometimes patented in which the exhaust pipe of an engine of the steam type is bent around to where the steam should enter. The engine, once started, goes on for ever, not only driving itself, but having some power to spare.
In patents such as these it may be said that the " inventor " deserves all the disappointment he gets for his presumption in entering a field of which he is in such a state of ignorance, but as this.ignorance is frequently shown in the patents granted I suggest that patent agents and the Patent Office would do well to disillusion people who, by their folly and lack of knowledge, bring ridicule on inventors generally.
Luton. ENGINEER-DESIGNER.
A Protective Association of Commercial-vehicle Drivers.
• The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
[32731 Sir,—I am particularly interested in the suggestion made by "Old Reader" in your issue of November 18th, and whilst I am well aware that such bodies as the C.M.T.J.A. and the A.A. welcome members, I nevertheless feel that an association for the protection of commercial-vehicle drivers requires immediate attention and it should be up to us to form such an association to protect our interests, especially in the near future. The fee payable, as "Old Reader" suggests, should be small.
Knowing that the C.M.IT.A, has the interests of the commercial users at heart (and they certainly have plenty to get on with at present), I consider that if a number of us could get together through the medium of your excellent publication, we could soon approach the C.M.U.A. to mother the scheme,
As The Motor recently published an article by Mr. Edgar Wallace in which he stated that "the motorist is far worse off than the criminal when being dealt with by British so-called justice," it is up to us to push forward our claims for fair treatment. I will be willing to help forward the scheme suggested by "Old Reader," and no doubt the motor driver who is a commercial traveller or trade driver would be welcome to the fold, Now, Mr. Editor, what are you going to do? Remember. We commercial-vehicle drivers are a large body, and to my knowledge include many readers of The Commercial Motor.
London, S.W. READER FROM THE FIRST ISSUE.
The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
13274] Sir,—In reply to the letter from "Old Reader" in your issue of November 18th, may I point out that about 40,000 commercial-vehicle drivers entirely agree with his opinion regarding the possible effects of the Road Traffic Act, 1930.
, With regard to his conclusion that "it is high time some protective association was formed," these same 4J,000 drivers would reply, that, whilst "Old Reader" has been dreaming and wondering, they hare formed a Protective Association, to wit: the Transport and General Workers Union, which has for many years now been providing just that form of protection he so .earnestly desires. In addition to many other forms of protection needed by the driver; both on and off the road, exert advice and assistance are being placed at the service of its members every day for a very small annual or weekly subscription, and the above-nientioned 40,000 offer an exceedingly warm welcome to "Old
Reader" to join their ranks. TRANSPORTER. London, S.W.9.
The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
[3275] Sir,—With reference to a letter from an•"Old Reader," of High Wycombe, in a recent issue of The Commercial Motor, he points out that it is high time for some protective association to be formed for commercial-vehicle drivers.
would, like to draw his attention to the fact that there is, and has been:for years, an organization which offers legal assistance and advice to its members, namely, the Transport and General Workers Union, Transport House, Westminster, London, S.W'.1. I have been a member of the abo'Ve organization for over 11 years and a reader of The Commercial Motor for about
18 years. HENRY JOHNSON. London, W.7.
Running a Steam Tractor-lorry.
The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
[3276] Sir,—Having been a reader of your paper for a good many years I would like your help with my problem.
I have a job hauling offal a distance of 28 miles each way and another 45 miles each way;' the load being 10 tons in each case. The run outward is made empty and the return trip loaded.
Now I have some more work offered me at a cheaper rate, taking a load outwards, which works in well with a return load, but here is my trouble :)if I get a load outwards and no return load, what shall I charge to make it pay, using about 4 cwt. of coal for the trip ; the wagon in question being an articulated six-wheeler (steam) and the wages being: driver £3 and mate;£2?
Could you please tell what it must cost to run the wagon and what I should charge per ton? . Crewe.
[We cannot answer your question entirely without knowing whether you have work which will keep your vehicle busy all the week round.
The calculation should be made this way. Your vehicle costs £10 per week for licence, wages, garage rent, insurance and interest on first cost. If you are using it and earning money with it 50 hours per week, then it is costing you 4s. per hour. Of course, if you are only using it for 25 hours per week, then it costs you 8s. per Your. Then you have to consider the profit you wish to make. If that is to be £5 per week, then you must increase your charge, in the case of a 50-hour week, from 4s. to 6s. per hour, and in the case of a 25-hour week, from 8s. to 12s. per hour.
No account is taken in the foregoing of the mileage you run and for that you must add a further 71d. per mile, at feast, to your charges.
B38
Now: assuming a 50-hour week, yanr charge, for the first-of the two jobs you name, should be calculated as follows.
I suppose it will take eight hours altogether. The charge should be eight hours at 6s. This equals 48s. plus 56 miles at 714. per mile, which is 35s. or a total charge of £4 3s. Now I presume that the second job will take 11 hours: the charge should then be 66s. for time and:56s. 3d. for the 90 miles, total £6 2s. 3d. Since you cannot reasonably charge a higher price because you are not working a full week, the only logical way is as I have just described and for you to turn your energies towards getting more work to fill up your time.
Inaugurating Long-distance Coach Services.
The Editor, TEE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
[3277] Sir,—This company was registered on October 11th, 1930, for the purpose of operating long-distance services radiating from Sheffield, chiefly to the various port§ in Great Britain. Although only registered on the date mentioned, the matter has been in progress since'-July this year, but, since registration, has been somewhat retarded due to an accident to two of the directors, proving fatal in the case of one.
Licences have been granted -by the larger proportion of authorities to which applications have beep made, whilst in the case of others they are receiving consideration.
The first service to be inaugurated is between Liverpool and Nottingham via Manchester and Sheffield.
Would you be good enough tce inform us as to how, in your opinion, the Minister will view the introduction .of these new services under the new Road Act?
Furthermore, we are about to purchase some services in the district of 'Hemel Hempstead and Dunstable, which 'have ben in operation for the past three years, served solely 'by a small operator. In your opinion do you think these will be established services under the new AK and by purchasing these shall we retain the same right as the present cperator would if he carried on?
It will probably be of interest to you to know that the services we are inaugurating are operated by Leyland luxury coaches of the latest design, so equipped as to allow meals en mate on the longdistance services.
W. H. ANDREWS, Managing Director, FortInternational Express Services, Ltd. Sheffield.
[You will appreciate that the granting or refusal of licences will be in the hands, of the Traffic Commissioners and that the Minister will only be concerned when there is an appeal from the decisions of the Commissioners.
So far as we can form an opinion, it appears that the fact of your having commenced the services recently would only be taken into account by the Commissioners, or the Minister, if it became a question of deciding "which :vehicles of more than one operator should be licensed for a particular route. In such a case the probability is that if all the applicants were equally suitable, preference would be given to those who were operating established services.
With regard to the question of purchasing services which have been in operation for the past three years, we would point out that the proprietors of existing services are given no special rights under the new Act. The only provision in the Act with regard to existing services is that the Minister nay make an Order providing that any licence, relating to a public-service vehicle, in force immediately before the commencement of the Act shall continue in force for such period as may be provided. We would also point out that if you buy an existing service the present operator will not be entitled to transfer the licences to you, but you would have to apply to the local authorities concerned for new licences. With regard to the granting of licences under the new • Act we would draw your attention to the points which the Commissioners are required to take into consideration, and which are set out on page 277 of our issue of October 14th.—En.]