News and Comment.
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This journal is the only recognized authority ; it is exclusively read by the heads of many wealthy commercial houses. It has by far the largest and best circulation.
C.M.U.A. proceedings are reported on pages 4 and 5.
The petrol-storage article is on pages 8 and 9, whilst there is brief Editorial reference elsewhere.
The Panama-canal undertaking is well ahead of contract time. Some idea of the areas which are affected may be gathered from the reproduction on page 18.
Canadian Trials.
The text of the conditions for this -year's Canadian trials of agricultural motors, which regulations have been in our hands for three weeks, is now published (pages 15 and 16). We have not had the space earlier, Volume XIII.
Motor delivery not only increases the turnover of consumable commodities which are sold to customers, but it materially increases the useful turnover of packages and containing vessels. We enlarge upon the importance of this factor on page 1—of volume No. xiii, by the way.
Bells-Dublin Mails.
We have observed unfavourable criticisms, on several occasions, in certain of theDublin papers, with regard to the motor-mail services to and from Trim, Atliboy and Kells. We understand that the undertaking did pass through rather a rough time during the first few weeks, possibly owing to lack of full appreciation of the requirements for the proper working of a mail service of the kind. Load capacity and engine power must always be on the right side, if trouble is to be avoided in work of this class. In any event, it cannot fairly be contended that motors are a failure, when so many motor-mail services are running successfully in all parts of the United Kingdom. We hope Dublin's attitude towards taxicabs is not going to be extended.
Engine Rating.
We have made our own summary of the discussion upon the report of the Horse-power Formula Committee; and this will be found on pages 14 and 15.
Berkshire Roads.
Reconstruction is proceeding upon many of the main roads in Berkshire ; interested owners and drivers should take note. Deviations are at present necessary, in order to avoid these lengths : Fyfield-Tubney Wood ; Maiden head Windsor ; Maidenhead Knowl Huxigerford-Denford Hill ; Theale-Aldermaston ; and Ascot-Bracknell.
The services of Colonel R. E. Crompton, C. B., M.Inst.C. F., Consulting Engineer to the Road Board, have been retained by the Berkshire A. and Ae.C., and he has accepted instructions to draw up a report upon the state of the Bath and other main roads in the county of Berks. He has, we understand, already made numerous conducted inspections of the roads, but the exact date for the presentation of his report, which should be of real interest to ratepayers in the county, is not yet ascertainable. Confidence About Steam-wagon Costs.
Westminster City Council has accepted the tender of Leyland Motors, Ltd., for the maintenance of a steam wagon, at 255 per annum, for two years. An earlier contract in regard to this steamwagon maintenance has expired ; it was for five years, and the maintenance charge was originally £85 per annum, but this was reduced to £55 per annum, by agreement, in November, 1908.
Motorvan's Good Work in South London.
A smart-looking, 16-18 h.p., 30cwt. Lacre motor van is illustrated. It has just completed a little over nine months of running and a mileage in excess of 7,250 miles, without any mechanical or other trouble whatever. This Letchworth-built vehicle is owned by Messrs. Williamson and Cole, of 26, High Street, Clapham, and the acceleration of their business by the reliable performance of the new Lacre is a source of much satisfaction to them. The demand for this model is considerable.
Another Motor-mail Service.
The Postmaster-General is inviting tenders for a motor-mail service between Manchester and Leeds. The route is a hilly one. The contract will be for three years, from the 1st October next ; the load-capacity is specified as bejug for 25 cwt. of mails, and the sPibled 11 m.p.h. The trip, via Oldhainand Huddersfield, is one of 40 miles. Tenders must be lodged not later than 3 p.m. on Friday, the 24th inst., at the office of the Secretary, G.P.O., London. It is nine years since the first motor mail, that betwen Liverpool and Manchester, was started, with MilnesDaimler vans. Mr. Wm. Hamlin Hamshaw, Secretary of the Institute of British Carriage Manufacturers, informs us that the correct address for communications intended for that body is 81-83, Shaftesbury Avenue, W.
Remarkable Statement on Road Expenditure.
We have felt compelled, on more than one occasion, to draw attention to, and even to comment upon, the extraordinary attitude shown in Bolton towards commercial motors. On Thursday, the 2nd inst., the Borough Engineer and Surveyor, Mr. E. LI. Morgan, was permitted to enter the witness-box, in connection with the prosecution of John Stanning and Co., Ltd., of Leyland. The charge was that of excessive rear litxle-weight, the load being 8 tons 10 cwt., or a halfton of overload.
It seems a regrettable fact that the company did not send someone empowered to defend the case, and so argue the point as to whether " general" evidence was admissible, or, if it were, to cross-examine. Mr. Morgan made the following statement concerning St. Helen's Road, on which the alleged offence took place :— 1. Total cost of road, 1901 to 1903 ... ... £239 2. Total cost of road, 1906 to
1910 ... £2,169
Increase • in the second four years ... ELMO 1. Cost per mile previously.. £30 2. Cost per mile latterly ... £249
Recent increase per mile £219 Mr. Morgan added that he attributed these increases almost entirely to motor lorries. We repeat : It is a pity that there was no expert official, legal or otherwise, to cross-question on these figures. The company was fined £5 and costs, the summons against the driver dismissed on payment of costs. Dennis in the North.
At the recent Manchester Show, we had the pleasure of meeting Mr. James Frost, the representative of Dennis Bros., Ltd., in the Man cheater district, and formerly traffic manager of the Barnsley British. Co-operative Society, whose decision to join the Dennis 'Co. was announced in our issue of the 23rd ult. We know Mr. Frost to be a keen and capable business man, and that hi practical knowledge of the running and maintenance of. commercial-motor vehicles is considerable. He adds a pleasant and distinctly-impressive personality to these qualifications, as may be gathered from the accompanying reproduction of his photograph. M. Frost, two years ago, read a most-instructive paper before a congress of managers and officers of co-operative societies, and we are not surprised to see various complimentary references, in the Barnsley and various co-operative-society journals, about his work in traffic organization, coupled with good wishes for his success in the undertaking which 110W identifies him with motor transport more closely than before. Several interesting presentations were made, prior to Mr. Frost's departure, at the hands of his late colleagues at Barnsley, the tokens of esteem taking the practical shape of an 18-carat gold chain and a smoker's cabinet. We may recall the fact that Mr. Frost's address is 26, Langdale Road, Victoria Park, Manchester.
Argylls in South Wales.
With a view to catering for the:, many owners of Argyll vehicles in South Wales, and meeting :the. deT /nand f6r new Models, ArgyllS, Ltd., has completed arrangenients for establishing a branch.. in •Ca.aL" dill. The premises selected-are at 14, Charles Street, which is situated in the best part of the town, and they will be opened in a few weeks.
The Great Western Railway Co. has ordered 24 sets of Continental T-pattern solid tires for its new 15cwt. Straker-Squire delivery vans.
Mr. Haldane, replying to a question by Viscount Wolmer on the 1st inst., stated that the intended employment of motor vehicles on a large scale will greatly reduce the number of horses required on mobilization.
Roads and Finance.
Arising out of our recent comments upon Mr. Harcourt Clare's speech at Manchester, our "Opinions from Others" pages this week bear evidence of interest in the topics there named. We regard the vievl's of " Civil Engineer " as well reasoned, but we doubt if his suggestions are wholly admissible from the commercial and practical standpoints. The classification and " user " of roads according to permissible axle-weight is a ratherstartling, not to say complex proposal.
Recent Registrations.
Limerick Motor Works, Ltd., with an authorized capital of 2500 in 21 shares, and with its office at 14, Upper William Street, Limerick, to carry on the business of mechanical engineers, etc. Registered in Dublin.
Paris-Courses Automobiles Co., Ltd., with an authorized capital of 216,000 (10,800 preferred and 4,120 ordinary shares of 21 each, and 21,80o deferred shares of Is. each), and with its office at Dashwood House, New Broad Street, B.C., to carry on in the vicinity of Paris a service of motorcars and vehicles for the transport of passengers to the racecourses and other parts of the city, etc. First directors : A. Godeberge, Baron Charles d'Auberjou and P. Choren. G.W.K., Ltd., with an authorized capital of 25,000 in 21 shares, and with its office at 82, Victoria Street, S.W., to carry on the business of makers of motorcars and motorbuses, petrol and other motors, etc. First directors : A. G. Grice, J. T. Wood and M. Keiller.
Bancroft Motor Co., Ltd., with an authorized capital of 23,000 in 21 shares and with its office at 60, Pentonville Road, Islington, N. to carry on the business of manufacturers and builders of automobiles, etc. First directors : J. Fletcher, H. Bowles and P. E. Palmer.
Pullcars.
At an extraordinary general meeting of the members of the Pullcar Motor Co., Ltd., held at 9, Chapel Street, Preston, a resolution was passed lo the effect that the company be Nound up voluntarily. 111r. R. E. Smalley, 9, Chapel Street, Preston, was appointed liquidator. A winding-up order has been made in the case of The Palatine Motor Carrying Co., Ltd., 57, King Street, Manchester.
Silvertown Lubricants.
A smart covering letter came to us, a few days ago, with a desk supply of blotting-paper. It read: " This blotting-paper is good, and we hope you will use it. Our Silvertown lubricants are better, and we trust you will continue to use them."
Publicity by Pamphlet.
We have received from the Continental Tyre and Rubber Co. (Great Britain), Ltd., a series of small pamphlets which deserves more than passing mention. These appear to emanate from the solid-tire department of this well-known comp:ay. The object of their issue appears to be to present some aspect of the employment of solid-rubber tires distinctly and consistently to v.ould-be users at stated regular periods. Each leaflet contains only a few words, but these are very much to the point ; the type is large and the wording is smart and compelling. Whoever is responsible for the initiation of these circulars has learnt the all-important lesson that the effect of a publicity announcement is invariably ruined by the overcrowding of the matter which it is desired to display.
With reference to the affairs of this company, our Berlin correspondent writes :—
"In a note published last week, I stated that the new dividend of the Continental Co. would be a beggarly 45 per cent.' the net profits amount to 228T3,700 (2223,633 in 1909), with 2138,200 written off. A sum of 216,000 has been utilized for philanthropic purposes in connection with the workmen."
Reducing the Cost of Cables.
The yearly expenditure on cable messages to different parts of the world, with many firms, amounts to a considerable figure, in spite of the use of codes in which one word may stand for a lengthy sentence. With a view to reducing the annual bill for cables in business houses, Messrs. J. Williams and J. Ribeiro
have evolved a most-ingenious codecondenser system, by the use of which system any two words of any code may be condensed and transmitted by cable as one word. A code word, whether a regular word or an artificial one, must be formed of syllables capable of pronunciation according to the current usage of one of the following languages : English, German, Spanish, French, Dutch, Italian, Portuguese, or Latin, and, in order to insure that the two-in-one code word shall consist of regular syllables, the system requires that each word shall consist of ten letters, of which the first five and the last five represent the numbers which correspond to phrases taken from any code book. Five minutes study of the very-simple instructions given in the book is sufficient to enable anyone to understand it, and the two-in-one condenser system may be applied, no matter what code system be employed. The book is quite a small one—consisting of 88 pages only– and is divided into sections in all the languages named. It is published by Codes Ltd., of 16, Mark Lane, E.C., and the price is 30s.