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The Inaugural Dinner.

It is said that Englishmen can do nothing without a dinner, and the Trials Committee decided to give that experience a further test. The resulting function, if attended by only some 8o odd guests, was a very pleasant one, and it provided a convenient occasion for the distribution of the official programme to a number of influential Press representatives who were present.

Mr. C. D. Rose, M.P., Chairman ot the Royal Automobile Club and of the Motor Union, occupied the chair, at the Trocadero Restaurant, on Saturday evening, and he was supported by, amongst others, Colonel R. E. Crompton, C.B. (Chairman, Commercial Motor -Users' Association), Mr. Worhy Beaumont, M.Inst.C.E. (Chairman, Trials Committee), Mr. Edward Manville, M.I.E.E. (President, Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders), Captain Bagnall-Wild, R.E. (Secretary, Mechanical Transport Committee of the War Office), Mr. W. G. Lobjoit, J.P. (Hounslow), Mr, Philip Dawson, Mr. J. W. Orde (Secretary, R.A.C.), and some 30 representatives of the competitors. Mr. E. R. Calthrop, M.Inst. C.E., was prevented from attending by the death of Sir Alexander Wilson (Chairman, Barsi Light Railway).

After dinner had been served and the formal toasts had been honoured, Mr. Edward Manville, President of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, gave the toast of " Success to the Trials." He remarked that the gathering that evening could not fail to mark an era in the industry as important as, if not more important than, the one that was opened with the 1,000-mile trial for private cars in the year Iwo. He referred, incidentally, to the third series of Liverpool Trials, which were held in the year isor, and thought that the increase in the number of competitors in the interval was highly gratifying, apart from the fact that 5o out of the 6o vehicles that were accepted for the ensuing competition, had reached the depot at Chiswick. In regard to any possible unauthorised followers of the competition, he thought the Club had acted most wisely in publishing a rescilution which all hoped would have the effect of stopping such demonstrations by people who had not come forward to support the trials. (Applause.) In conclusion, he referred to the co-operation between the Club, the Society of which he was President, and the Commercial Motor Users' Association.

Mr. Worby Beaumont, in acknowledging the toast, made some interesting references to the probable cost of the trials, and indulg.ed in the epigrammatic saying that Mr. Manville, as Chairman of the Finance Committee of the Club, would not be " disappointed in his disappointment." Success had now attended these much-talkedof van trials, although their deferment had unquestionably been due to adequate causes, and to no desire of the Club to leave the work alone. (Hear, hear.) The conditions had been so arranged as to bring out practical results, whilst it had not been overlooked that there should be an inducement to the manufacturers to make their vehicles attractive externally, as well as efficient internally. The trials, in his judgment, would help to advance the date when, as was inevitable, the most important part of the motor industry io this country would be that which was concerned with the production of commercial motors. (Applause.) He desired to say that he had asked Mr. Orde whether any message should be conveyed to those who were present, and Mr. Orde had asked him to request that everybody connected with the trials would observe (a) punctuality, (b) forbearance, and (c) good humour.

Mr. J. D. Siddeley submitted the toast of " The Press," and expressed the hope that gentlemen who wrote on commercial-motoring subjects would not lead the public from one extreme to another. It was too often possible to read in the daily papers that there was a boom, and shortly afterwards to read that everybody was losing money all round, when, as a matter of fact, matters were proceeding upon normal lines of reasonable experiment and development. (Hear, hear.)

Mr. E. Shrapnell Smith made the first response to this toast, and he was followed by Mr. H. M. Wyatt.

Colonel Crompton next pnoposed the toast of " The Chairman," and remarked that no stronger man than Mr. Rose, yet one who combined kindness of manner and an attractive disposition, had occupied the important and difficult position of Chairman of the Royal Automobile Club and Motor Union. It looked as though each successive chairman were better than his predecessor. (Loud applause.) The Chairman, the toast having been received with musical honours, remarked that nobody, unless the Kaiser, dare stand up to respond to a toast which had been proposed in such glowing terms. So long as he could assist in a great movement like the one with which they were about to deal in so practical a manner, he would be delighted to continue to do his share of the work. He thought that Mr. Orde deserved their thanks more than he.

An admirable programme of entertainment had been arranged by the Secretary, but it was still found possible to terminate the proceedings shortly before ii O'clock.

Observers' Duties.

It will enable our readers to appreciate the thoroughness of the preparations for the checking of the behaviour of the vehicles upon the road, if, before we proceed to deal briefly with the initial stages of the actual tests, a few of the principal instructions are named. These instructions are extremely voluminous, but they are none the less clear, and they particularly emphasise the fact that the efficiency of the trials rests with the observers. Failure to appreciate this fact cannot be charged against any lack of insistence, and he must be a shamefaced individual who, after the Club's appeal to his senses of honour and responsibility, fails in his duties, either from laziness or lack of perception.

The duties include an examination that the correct load is aboard the yebicle entrusted to the care of any observer, but this does not mean that the Club will not officially re-weigh the vehicles at any time it chooses on the road ; in fact, we believe that this course should be adopted in respect of any vehicle whose load is made up of individual and unenclosed pieces of material. Each observer has to be at the storage depot about one hour before the time of the start of the vehicle to which he is allotted, and the driver is not allowed access to that vehicle until the observer calls him into the depot.

An official route-map and log-sheet (the "Record book") is furnished to each observer for each stage, and all the necessary spaces are provided upon this, as will he readily seen from the specimens which we reproduce herewith, so as to render any error or omission simply inexcusable. All stoppages and their causes have to be recorded, as well as fuel, oil and water supplies taken or used during the day, whilst full instructions are given in regard to road-side adjustments or repairs, all of which will come under the special attention of the judges. If, by a mischance, an observer mis directs a driver, and the vehicle is driven off the proper route, he has to instruct the driver to return to the point at which the true route was left, and to make full records of such deviation.

Travelling through any town or village is to be at a slackened rate, and vehicles are not to be less than ion yards apart, whilst no overtaking is allowed in narrow roads, or under other awkward circumstances.

On arrival at the terminal dep6t of a run, the observer has to wait while the vehicle is washed, and he has to escort the driver out of the dep6t before he leaves it himself. His final duty is to take his record book to the controller of records (Mr. Stewart Mallam, F.C.A.), and to go through his entries, before taking his own departure, in order to explain any indistinct ertries.

Running Times.

The official programme announces that the classes will depart as under, and adherence was given to these arrangements on Monday and Tuesday last :—Class F, 0, H, at 7.30 a.m., to arrive 5 p.m.; Class D, at 8.30 a.m., to arrive at 3 p.m.; Class C at 8.45 a.m., to arrive at 3.50 p.m.; Class E (half of), at 9 a.m., to arrive at 2.30 p.m.; Class A, at 9.30 a.m., to arrive at 3.10 p.m. ; Class B, at 9.45 a.m., to arrive at 2.45 pro.; Class E (half of), at to a.m., to arrive at 3.30 p.m. We are glad to note, however, that, in defer ence to a number of requests from competitors as to the adverse effect upon fuel consumptions and performance records generally, a revision of these Limes came into force on Wednesday, and that the times of departure are now from half-an-hour to an hour later.

Luncheon Stoppage.

The discretionary power of the observer to stop the vehicle under his charge at any place for the purpose of obtaining luncheon, instead of at some fixed rendezvous, is an excellent one, as it avoids excessive congestion, and distributes the patronage of those who are travelling along the road between a larger number of Inns. We believe that this arrangement will also prove a convenience to some of the steam vehicles and tractors.

Depot Replenishments.

A maximum period of one hour is allowed each day for the purpose of replenishment, lubricating, adjusting, repairing and getting up steam, and any time in excess of one hour so occupied will be added to the running time for the following stage. In addition, all such times will be recorded on the certificates. No considerable repairs may be undertaken in a dep6t, without the special permission of the judges, and all such repairs have, of course, to be done under the direct supervision of Club officials. A varying period is allowed for the purpose of washing the vehicle, according to the condition of the roads and the conveniences for the purpose at each particular dep6t5 and the maximum period so permitted is announced each day, the object being to avoid urnece-isarily prolonged attendance.

General, We are glad to be able to say, from personal acquaintance with a large number of gentlemen who are acting ii the capacity of observers, and from ourobservation of the behaviour of others during the early stages of the

trials, that the Club has been particularly fortunate in securing the nomination of an exceptionally competent body of men. There are, unfortunately, a few who do not appear to realise that they are entrusted with duties which require careful application and, above all things, a punctual appearance in the depas each morning. Some cases of late arrival have already occurred, v-ith consequent temporary dislocation of the organisation, and we cannot too strongly support Mr, Orde in his condemnation of any such lateness. It is quite true that the round is legitimately regarded by a number of the observers as a relaxation from ordinary work, and is being taken by some as a holiday, hut neither of these considerations can be allowed to vitiate the due performance of their duties to the companies who are paying their expenses and to the Club whose committee has accepted their credentials as satisfactory. We hope that any who have entered upon the task in a spirit of levity will become more staid and careful.

The Initial Stages.

There was a fair muster of interested spectators to witness the start on Monday morning, and. the smoothness with which the organisation worked on the -opening day was a noticeable feature of the proceedings. The judges present included Captain Bagnall-Wild, R.E., Mr. E. R. Calthrop,M.Inst.C.E., Dr. H. S. Hele-Shaw, F.R.S., and Mr. W. G. Lobjoit, J.P., who were joined later in the day, by Mr. E. H. Cozens-Hardy, M.Inst.E.E., hut their duties were, as might be expected during the first few days of such a trial, by no means exacting. Later on, when some of the vehicles begin to develop, spring, wheel, and other mechanical troubles, there will be more for the judges to do in the way of personal inspection.

All the 56 vehicles had been dispatched by Mr. Orde by 10.5 a.m. The last batch to be sent away were, beginning at to o'clock precisely, Nos. 48, 40, 41, 43, 44, 45, 47 in Class E, and in this order. The other vehicles in Class E, from Nos: 28 to 37, plus No. 46, had been dispatched one hour earlier. Vehicle No. F53 did not start in its proper order, owing to the late arrival of the driver.

The first stage, from London to Reading, was not fraught with any incident of moment. The largest group of vehicles to halt at one point en route was probably that found outside the Bear Hotel at Maidenhead, which hostelry evidently attracted a number of the observers, to whose judgment the selection of a lunching-place had, under the rules, been left.

The earliest arrivals entered the Reading depat shortly after 2 o'clock, and half a dozen vehicles had arrived before 2.30 p.m. We purposely refrain from giving the names or numbers of the early arrivals, as we consider that it is undesirable to do anything that might create the view, that any credit attached to that result, which is not the case. We may mention, however, that vehicle No. At, in strange contradiction

the letters upon its number-plate, was the last to arrive. This Turgan

van experienced very great trouble on certain steep hills in the neighbourhood of Farnham, apart from mechanical ttoubles which w-e hope will prove to be of a minor character. It did not arrive until after 8 o'clock, and we observe that it was notified by some of the London daily papers to have failed in the run altogether, but that statement is not correct, and the van, which has many attractive and novel features, though very late, duly completed the first stage as stated. It failed, however, to complete the run to Hungerford, and was withdrawn from the competition on Tuesday.

Reading people, awakened to a sense of interest by the meet of commercial motors which was held in the Borough on the 17th June, turned out in hourlyincreasing numbers, as the afternoon of Monday wore on, and there was a crowd of considerable dimensions outside the Caversharn Road yard by 4. o'clock. The weather during the day had proved much more favourable than the morning foreboded, and the observers, except the one who arrived after 8 o'clock, reported sunshine and good weather throughout their journeys, a story which will have its antithesis before the trials are over.

Mr. C. D. Rose, M.P., Chairman of the R.A.C., gave a small dinner party at his residence, Hardwick House, Whitchurch, on Monday night.

The Thames vehicle in class A, entered by W. T. Clifford-Earp, Limited, arrived at Reading, with a damaged radiator. The trouble was due to the excessive tightening of the nuts upon the long bolt which extends across the width of the vehicle and passes through the two lugs which form the feet of the side-members of the radiator, the result being that the soldering had given way. A new radiator was fitted in the Reading depot, on Tuesday morning, and we think it particularly hard luck for the entrant that his record should thus early have been mar-. red through a piece of careless fitting the works.

From Hungerford.

Reading was able to accommodate alk its visitors without difficulty, but the position at Ifungerford was very different, and not a few of those who. wanted comfortable quarters went to Newbury. The " Bear " and the "Three Swans" had been booked full before the end of July, and their landlords had secured all the available rooms in the village ; but all to no purpose—many were inconvenienced. One heard frequent queries as to why so. small a place had been chosen for a halt, and we may point out once more, if any consolation results, that the length of each stage was necessarily limited by the 30-mile rule for classes. F and H, a condition which must haveirlevitably landed the competitors in a village, on one or more nights, no. matter how the itineraries had been selected. The several members of our staff who remained at Hungerford,

where the advent of our travelling officecaused even more than the usual excite-, ment, advise that vehicle No, D25, (Durham-Churchill) had the misfortune, to break its bevel-pinion, four miles. out, and to have to retire. There were, on Monday, 35 non-stop records. and the total for Tuesday was 26,

Apart from these absolutely successful trips, a number of vehicles suffered delays of only a few minutes. Both ES and Bro were delayed by ignition troubles on the second day, and E37 had to take its load up \Vantage Hill by instalments.

So far, one of the most interesting features is the placid manner in which all the steam-propelled vehicles perform their work. The drivers seem to he free from all cares, and to wear that air of confidence which is so common amongst traction-engine men. The makers of the three tractors, too, are having an easy time of it, for one and all would have willingly hauled eight tons instead of the regulation six tons to which they are limited according to the Club's conditions.

An Offer.

Reference is made, on page 24, to the 45-page, illustrated booklet which we published on Saturday last. We feel sure that many regular supporters of this journal will desire to possess a copy, and we shall be happy to forward one, free of charge, to any reader who cares to make written application to the Editor, ani to send a stamped, addressed envelope (size about 9 by 6 inches) to cover the mailing of a copy.

A Reminder.

Any letters or other communications for the Editorial staff of this journal can be addressed care of any of the official headquarters of the R.A.C.

during the trials, and a letter-box is attached to the omnibus which forms our auxiliary, travelling office on the main lines of route, for the reception of messages. Cards of admission to any of the eight exhibitions will be issued on request.