News and Comment.
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This journal has an exclusive, genuine and maintained circulation : members of its Editorial staff have practical experience and knowledge of the construction and use of commercial motors.
The motorcab section is begun on page 230, and finished on page 246 : it is completed by an interview with an owner.
Station Omnibuses.
Several correspondents have asked the date of publication of our special number dealing with station omnibuses and chars-a-bancs for hotels and country estates. The reply is : the isth Feb-. ruary, 1906—more than two years ago.
Latest Brougham for Travellers.
Dennis Brothers, Limited, of Guildford, has recently completed a traveller's brougham for Messrs. S. and J. Watts and Company, the well-known merchants of Portland Street, Manchester.
City houses and manufacturers have moved very slowly in the direction of motor conveyance for their travellers, because a number of them were grievously disappointed with the results which they obtained from misapplied pleasure-car chassis some six and more years ago. In this Dennis vehicle, however, which is fitted with a 35h.p. engine, nobody can question the provision of a brougham that can maintain an average speed of i8 or 20 miles an hour, when carrying iscwt. of samples in addition to the driver and the owner's representative. As a matter of fact, on test, this car climbed the Hog's Back in top gear. It will be observed that the front section is entirely enclosed, so as to shield the driver; the back is fitted with detachable shelves, for the convenient disposition of samples, whilst, with these shelves detached, it can rapidly be adapted for the accommodation of
aassengers, or bulky articles. This pody is a new desi.om for the work.
The first meeting of creditors of the R.M.C. Syndicate, Limited, will be held at 33, Carey Street, W.C., this (Thurs. day) morning, at half-past eleven.
A Noteworthy Departure.
Everybody who knows the pride which James Buchanan and Company, Limited, the large whisky distillers and bottlers, whose principal office is at 26, Holborn, W.C., takes in its horsed. equipages, will he impressed by the news that the company has placed an order for a 36h.p., four-ton " Commercar " vehicle with Commercial Cars, Limited, of Luton and Cambridge Circus, W.C. We have reason to believe that this departure is the beginning of the end so far as horses are concerned, and it is certain that very considerable economies will be effected by the change, because Buchanan's are in the habit of paying fancy prices for their horses. We wah'ome this must recent decision of a horse-proud company to purchase commercial motors, because it testifies to a recognition-of the fact that a smart advertising turn-out, and one upon which reliance can be placed in respect of regular deliveries, can be secured without recourse to animal power. Attractive finish and popularity with customers are even more thoroughly insured by the change which has thus been commenced.
From Japan.
Mr. A. H. Adams, the managing director of the Adams Manufacturing Company, Limited, of Bedford, and io6, New Bond Street, W., advises us that one of the company's customers, a Mr. A. H. Dare, of Kobe, who is using a toh.p., two-seated, Adams car for business purposes, writes : " The car is running splendidly, but the roads round here are awful. She must indeed be very strongly Built to stand some of the bumps that one comes on to suddenly, and before one has time to slow down sufficiently."
Alternative Appointments.
Messrs. Markham and Prance, consulting motor engineers, of 143, Strand, W.C., inform us that, for the convenience of their clients in the West and South-West of London they have opened branch consulting rooms in those distriOs. The addresses, together with the telephone numbers are : West district, 39, Westbourne Gardens (3737 Western); Smith-West district, so, Ritherdon Road, Bnlham (r 605 Battersea). These arrangements will, no doubt, be greatly appreciated by tradesmen and others who may desire to have the opportunity of talking over details wilb romnetolt exm•rt.
Mr. H. G. Burford, M.I.Mech.E., managing director of Milnes-Daimler, Limited, has not yet started on his tour round the world. Pressure of business may keep him in England until the end of May.
We would again direct the attention of our readers to the facilities which are afforded to them, by our " Sundry advertisements "pages, for the making of small announcements, whether of a personal or business character.
The latest buyer of a travellers' brougham is Stafford Northcote and Company, Limited, of 28, St. Paul's Churchyard, E.C., a Panhard chassis having been favoured in this case. There is a likelihood that this company will make other purchases.
A week ago to-day the latest motor mail van, which is to be used for the postal service between London, Watford, Berkhamsted, and Aylesbury, made a successful trial trip, and will be in regular use after to-morrow (Friday). It will displace a van, drawn by three horses, and will save the cost of maintaining horses at various stages on the journey. The vehicle is a WolseleySiddeley.
Local Accounts.
The District Auditor of the Local Government Board (Mr. Sutherland Wilkinson), sitting at the Municipal Offices, Tottenham, recently, gave his decisions on various objections which had been raised at the opening of the audit in October last. With regard to the excess expenditure on the motor fire engine, which, in March of last year, was -‘..22, and is now .,1,075, expenditure in excess of a loan sanctioned, he said, did not render the payment illegal. Fresh application had been made to the Local Government Board for a further loan, and, if that were refused, it would remain open to him to deal with it, if the excess were charged on the rates. Now, the Auditor was not in a position to say whether the money had been properly spent or not ; .4'2,578 was the gross expenditure at present.
Manchester's Choice.
The success, last Friday, of Mr. joynson-Hicks, the Unionist candidate in the severely-contested by-election at North-West Manchester, should be particularly gratifying to all those of his way of thinking in commercial motoring. Mr. joynson-Hicks is a partner in Messrs. Hicks, Davis and Hunt, an old-established firm of solicitors, whose offices are in Old Jewry. His firm, for many years, has legally represented the London General Omnibus Company, and his father is one of the General's directors. It will he recalled that Mr. Joynson-Hicks is chairman of the Motor Union, and it is reasonable to assume that his advent into Parliament should materially assist in ensuring that all prospective legislation dealing with the use of both commercial and pleasure motor vehicles will be handled in a broad-minded manner. We may mention, incidentally,, that Mr. JovnsonHicks has contributed more than one article to " THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR."
Bread Delivery.
The Belfast Co-operative 'Society, Limited, whose head office is in Agnes Street, Belfast, has recently taken delivery of an r8h.p. Wolseley-Siddeley van, supplied through Mr. W. J. Anderson, motor and cycle engineer of 134 and 136, Albert Bridge Road, Belfast, This vehicle will be used for bread-delivery purposes, and is the first attempt of its kind in Ulster. As our readers are aware, Glasgow leads in the use of self-propelled vehicles for bakers, a number of Albion, Argyll, and Halley vehicles having been sold, both in Glasgow and other parts of Scotland, for the use of bakers and confectioners. The latest of these, a Halley van supplied to the United Co-operative Baking Society, of Clydebank, is illustrated herewith.
Replies to Queries.
Upwards of fp direct replies to queries raised by readers of this journal have been posted during the last three months. We regret that so many of our readers ask us to treat their communications in Confidence, as we feel sure that .both questions and answers are generally of interest to the whole body of readers. A further batch, where requests for privacy have not been made, will be found on page 251, and we would remind the several thousands of new readers, who now see "THE
COMMERCIAL MOTOR for the first time, of our preparedness to give detailed information on specific points, free of charge, a practice which we have followed since the appearance of our first number, in March, 1905.
The Road Question.
Apropos the road question, to whil: some lengthy references will be four on pages 222 and 226, we see that M Douglas Mackenzie is to read a pape before the Incorporated Institution Automobile Engineers, on Wednesda the t3th proximo, on " The effect motors on roads." Another paper w: be read, at the same meeting, and c the same subject, but from the roz engineer's point of view, by Mr. W. Taylor, County Surveyor of Harm shire, whilst Colonel R. E. Crompto, C.B., will contribute a paper el-laic " Notes on wheel diameters."
The Roads Improvement Association.
The annual report of the Roads In provement Association, for the ye; 1907, contains a mass of interesting ii formation on, inter dila, the followin subjects : the dust problem ; tar-sprea. ing trials ; the conference of ros makers and road users ; Imperial gran in aid; the need for a central depar rnent ; the growing prominence of ti road question ; and the programme f( the International Congress, at Pani in October next. We think the a counts might very well have been give in greater detail, as regards the r ceipts and expenditure in respect of ti tar-spreadin, tests. Instead, howeve the sum of ,f_;862, in total receipts £1,699, has been lumped togethe without even separate acknowleA ment to the various donors, whilst ti expenditure of a total of £855 has bet similarly lumped together as a sing' item. Having regard to the detail i which the other and minor ainoun are set out in the income and expend ture account, we can only express cot regret that equally full information not forthcoming in the section to whit we more particularly refer, and to me the commitments of which handsorr contributions were given by the Roy Automobile Club and other bodies. TI annual subscription to the Associatic is only the modest sum of five shilling of Li is. for five years, and its objec. are worthy of the widest support.