A wail reached me the other day. when I called
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upon a tire manufacturer about the under-tiring of steam wagons. I asked how that branch of the tire trade was progressing, because it seems to me that in many districts where roads are fairly good it will pay yell for steam wagons to be rubbershod, but, having resolved so to fit the wheels of his wagon, an owner should not. be cheeseparing in the matter of size. There is always a tendency to overload vehiclesI hear it from every manufacturer, and then, if the poor steamer is under-tired as well, the fiat goes forth that rubber tires for steamers ore impossible. It is becoming the custom to specify rubber tires more than formerly, and tire manufacturers should he given a chance to make their recommendations. In their
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iwti in teres ts they will not overdo it. iwti in teres ts they will not overdo it.
It is with the utmost diffidence that I am prompted (in these columns, I hasten to add) to preach the gospel of advertising, but there is one branch of it. which appears to me is semewhat neglected in this journal. I refer to secondhand vehicles. These are naturally accumulating, now, in all parts of the country, and to turn them into specie recourse should be made to the sundry-advertisement columns of this journal. Many evidences reach me of the eagerness with which those columns are perused by users, and only a few days ago a firm wrote me saying they had disposed of a complete hatch of secondhand chassis entirely through the medium of this paper. I suggest, therefore, to concerns who have taken vehicles in exchange, and to all who have secondhand vans, etc., to dispose of. get your particulars into those wellscanned and well-supported columns.
Testimonials from users are always interesting to me. I love to read that a concern, after 12 months or two ■ -ears of experience, is delighted with their elmnge from quadruped traction to meehanical transport. It must be real before they will sit down and write out their opinions. Experiences with business vehicles differ so greatly from those of pleasure cars : in one of the latter a man may have an enjoyable trip with his family and friends and then he can forgive the car for many faults, breakdowns, cost of tires and upkeep generally ; Providence, fortnmud,. ordains that he shall remember the good days and forget the bad ones, but all this goes for naught with P. business concern when the day of reckoning comes. And so, as I have said, it is very satisfying to read these testinamials, given after a year or more of working. These reflections are prompted by a batch of letters which were handed to me for perusal when making a call upon the B.U.R.T. Co., Ltd., reeently, and amongst these eulogiums, which were all of recent date, I nolieed one feature which, to my mind, speaks well for the efficiency of Halley motors. Many users specially mentioned that their drivers knew nothing whatever of motors when delivery of their vehicles was accepted. This, to my mind, is a great point: manufacturing concerns can retain their horse drivers, as they can be trained to make good motor-men.
I think it was Bernard Shaw who :said, the other day. that, in this country, we spend too much time " chasing round after our tails." He might really have had the free trial in his
mind when he uttered this, as it about. describes the futility of it all. From-. what I can see, the forthcoming special:. number of this journal, in which, " Users' Experiences " will be specially dealt with, will give the coup de: grace to the free trial. There is absolutely no necessity for it nowadays,_ and my suggestion is that =toffeeturers make as much use as possible of.: next %veek's number.
A 2nd important issue which will appeal to the majority of our readers
be the one containing the report of the, North of England Show. Not everyone quite understands yet that this exhibition is now under the auspices of the S.M.M.T., and, therefore, is duly.sanctified. I shall hope to be at theshow most of the time, and I hope tes see our friends. whether exhibiting ornot, at our modest reception room, which will be found on the rizlit as you: go in by the main entrance.