News and Comment.
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This journal is admitted to possess the influence, the men, the standing and the leading circulation. It is exclusively read by the heads of many wealthy commercial houses throughout the World.
In the U.S.A.
Mr. Julian A. Half ord, at one time . managing director of Commercial Cars, Ltd., who is now resident. in New York, and who is possessed of extensive practical experience and knowledge of the construction and use of commercial motors, has agreed to act as our -correspondent in the United States, Mr. Halford, who paid a short visit to this country last month, has put together a few notes, while on the western voyage aboard the Cunard R.M.S. "Mauretania," and these will be found on page 542. They are obviously written in lighter vein, but they 6 get home " admirably with an endorsement of our own view that prospective British output is enormously inferior to prospective world demand.
New Registrations.
Penzance Garage, Ltd., with an authorized capital of .E6,000 in El shares, by Jordan and Sons, Ltd., to take over the business of a motor-garage proprietor carried on by 0. Howarth at Penzance. First directors: O. Howarth, N. T. Howarth, and C. Wells.
J. D. Macdonald and Co., Ltd., with an authorized capital of 213,500 in 21 shares (500 founders), by A. H. Atkins, Ltd., 27-8, Fetter Lane, EC., to acquire the business of J, D. Macdonald, Motor Car Agency, 7 and 8, Queensferry
Street, Edinburgh. First directors: J. D. Macdonald and B. C Lee. Registered in Edinburgh.
C L, Wells, Ltd., with an authorized capital of 21,000 in 21 shares, by Jordan and Sons, Ltd., to take over the business of a motor engineer, motorcar manufacturer and motor agent, carried on by C. L. Wells, at Kingswinford, and at 37, Midland Chambers, Birmingham. First director : C'. L. Wells. Openings for Capital.
Fresh capital must be brought into the commercial-motor industry, and brought it will be. Several leading makers, who have made money out of the industry already and made it in large amounts, have in the past had sufficient belief in themselves and their companies to invest those profits in their own businesses, and they are still building up out of revenue. There are, however, fresh opportunities for new investors to come in, and such newcomers will be able to take their choice between manufacture on the one hand and the extension of transport facilities as owners on the other. We have successively set out in this journal, in considered terms, in each of our issues beginning with the one published on the 3rd August, various important factors which bear upon the huge remaining scope for commercial motors, which make clear the seriousness of the present shortage of production, which have caused the relative increase of value of independent motor conveyance at times of strike fever, and which have demonstrated the fact that commercial motors are recognized to provide " The only way " out of numerous transport difficulties.
This week, on the first and second pages of the issue, we confidently summarize the case for the supply of more capital, upon which tic wly-pro vided capital sums we unhesitatingly forecast returns in excess of thUse which are usually yielded by industrials. Some of our existing constructors are ready to absorb more capital to advantage.
Dennis Progress.
A spirit of solidarity attaches to the undertaking of Dennis Bros., Ltd., of Guildford. The progress of this company, the success of which is due to the energetic work of Messrs. John and Raymond Dennis, who are respectively in charge, as managing directors, of the manufacturing and commercial branches of the concern, has been well sustained, and it did not fall back appreciably even during the had times in 1008. The customary rate of dividend, for many years, has varied between 12iE per cent. and 15 per cent. per annum, with generous appropriations to reserve. Now, in order to endeavour to meet requirements both at home and overseas the company is, as we have previously announced, about to lay down a fine new factory, upon its own land and adjoining the existing Woodbridge factory; the new building will comprise eight bays each 30 ft. wide, and will have a length of 210 ft. By June next, the output of the combined factory should be at the rate of not fewer than 23 commercial chassis a week.
Another strong feature of the Dennis organization is the esprit de corps which pervades the staff and employers. Fresh evidence of this was adduced, on Saturday last, on the occasion of the third annual sports, upon the success of which we congratulate all who are connected with the Dennis Athletic Club. A splendid programme was completed, and several examples of real sporting grit and pluck were shown by the men. The Dennis Rifle Club, which usually shoots on the Guildford town range, had fired at Bisley, prior to the holding of the sports, in com
petition for the " Shrannell Smith." Silver Challenge Cup for
ng-distance rile shooting, and this was won by Mr. H. Pulling. The various prizes were presented at the Borough Hall, Guildford, on Saturday night last, in the course of a smoking concert, under the chairmanship of Mr. Raymond Dennis, who was supported by, amongst others, Messrs. John Dennis, M. P. Andrew, A. V. Willmott, Ken Willmott, E. Barnes (Maple and Co., Ltd.), R. Syrett (Shalford Brewery Co., Ltd.), and E. Shrapnell Smith. Mr. Dennis referred to McNamara's recent order for 50 more mail vans. Rotherham Town Council invites tenders for a steam or petrol motor lorry. See page v of Supplment.
A tender of the Polack Tyre and Rubber Co., Ltd., of 31, Basinghall Street, EC., for the supply of solid rubber tires, has been accepted by the Crown Agents for the Colonies.
During the strike period, three Albion vans owned by Messrs. J. Blake and Co., of 22, Rodney Street, Liverpool, performed wonderful service. Each van, working night and day, simply with changes of drivers, averaged more than 150 miles of effective running daily.
Leyland Repeats.
Three five-ton Leyland petrol lorries have been ordered by Messrs. Wilcockson Bros., of Middleton Junction, and another by Messrs. Jewsbury and Brown, of Manchester. The company is also in receipt of pressing demands for repeat deliveries to all parts of the Colonies and Dominions.
War-Office Mannerisms.
We have again observed, amongst owners, an undoubted disinclination to have dealings with the War Office in matters which concern mechanical transport on registration terms, and we have taken some little trouble to ascertain the reasons for this lack of good relationship. At the manceuvres of last year, as our readers will recollect, more than a few drivers and owners of tractors felt that they had been badly looked after ; this yea;, we are quite confident, had the manceuvres taken place, complaints on those old scores would probably not have arisen, as we know that most-specific instructions had been given for the drivers to be made as comfortable as possible in all respects. The truth of the matter is, in our judgment, that the War Office is experiencing a rebuff primarily by reason of its obvious desire to exploit owners, and to get their machines at ridiculously-low terms, merely for a few days in the year, without any adequate offer by way of payment for services. compensation for disturbance of trade. or contingent breach of con tract. Furthermore, and writing from an experience of dealings with the War Office on matters rectorial which goes back to the y a r 1901, we venture to assert that there has been, of recent years, a peculiar lapse in old methods of keeping touch with owners. At one time, the War Office was quite ready to consult with owners or with others in a position to influence them, but it seems, now, to have retired into its own shell. As a result, and one which must follow in natural sequence, there is a lack of sympathy between military headquarters and committees
and those who own the machines. This is to be regretted, and is somewhat unaccountable, when one considers the channels which are open to the officers concerned if they chose to avail themselves of them. We refer to relations with owners, and not to negotiations with manufacturers.
Why is it that Army contractors can so easily obtain motor vehicles when the War Office cannot 1 The possibility of a reqtiirement running to a problematical few days is delightfully intangible, from the owner's standpoint, and the War Office must be prepared definitely to risk the cost of a clear working week of service, on terms of a bonus nature, or fail to get what it wants "on the cheap," The recent curt refusals to make any compensation to owners who had reserved vehicles for this year's now-abandoned manceuvres, which pointblank refusal has been based upon " adequacy of notice," has not helped matters. Insurance companies know the value of ex-gratia payments, whatever may be the strict legal construction of the letter of any agreement in force, and we are confident that the War Office has done itself irrevocable harm by its lack of perceptionin taking up an inflexible attitude under circumstances which call for more-judicious handling. Owners have been frightened off, and we do not see that they have anything to gain by caring one little bit for the War Office or its ways. There is ample civil employment. for motor vehicles of all descriptions, and the general opinion is that the War Office can now "go hang."
Dennis Orders.
Almost synchronously with the booking of a large order for inail vans from McNamara and Co., Ltd., Dennis Bros., Ltd., of Guildford, completed several important deliveries. Of these, the following may be mentioned: a 28 h.p., twoton lorry for the Blackpool Cooperative Society, bringing the total number of Dennis vehicles owned by this class of purchaser
up to 18 a 28 two-ton vehicle for Mr. S. H. Wood, of Weybridge ; an 18 h.p., 15-cwt. van for the Goodrich Tyre Co. ; two 18 h.p., 30-cwt. lorries for Adelaide ; and one 35 h.p., three-ton lorry for Bombay.