News and Comment.
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This journal is extensively read by the heads of many wealthy commercial houses.
12,2:53 out of a total of 16,476 licensed passenger vehicles in London are now mechanically propelled.
All readers who are interested in private cars and accessories therefor should note that the Olympia Motor Show for those types of exhibits will open to-morrow (Friday), the 8th inst., and will remain open until the evening of the 16th idem. It will be largely attended.
Fight For the Words "Home Counties."
Carter, Paterson and Co., Ltd., has not yet brought to a conclusion its motion in the Chancery Division to restrain the Home Counties Transport Co., Ltd., from using that registered name.
The Newest Agrimotor.
A radical departure in motor_ plough design, and one which promises to mark a stage in that branch of motor engineering, forms the subject of an exclusive illustrated article on pages 204 to 207. We foresee a huge demand.
Topical Subjects.
Our leading articles this week deal with the following topical subjects : (1) "Proceeds of motor taxation for relief '—not reduction—of rates " ; (2) " Street congestion in London " ; (3) "The increasing popularity of the C.M.U.A. badge " ; and (4) "Boys as mates."
The National Co.
It is announced that the receipts of the National Steam Car Co. now approximate 29000 weekly, and that the receipts for the financial year now ended were in excess of 289,000. It is understood that a dividend at the rate of 10 per cent. will he declared. This company is adding to its fleet at the rate of 12 new steam omnibuses a month.
Whit-Monday Motorvan Parade.
The first entry received for the seventh annual parade of Commercial Motor Vehicles, organized by the Commercial Motor Users Association, was an Albion motorhearse, belonging to J. H. Ken_ yon, Ltd., closely followed by Mr. J. F. Puttock's Hallford furniture pantechnicon. The first entry for the " Team " section (silver challenge cup presented by the proprietors of THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR) came from Harrods, Ltd. New Registration.
St. Pancras Mutual Taxi-Cab Supply Co., Ltd., with an authorized capital of 2100 in 10s. shares, and with its office at Clarendon Garage, Rochester Place, Camden Town, N.W.
The Purchase Department.
The attention of owners is again directed to our "Purchase Department" pages—this week, Nos. 216 and 217. This elaboration of our old and regular feature of "The Supply Department" is a noteworthy development in connection with our steadily-increasing circulation amongst owners of fleets and individual vehicles.
Tires for M.A.B.
It is reported that the method of purchasing tires, which the M.A.B. now proposes to adopt, is as follows :—to invite tenders from a number of firms of repute (say 20) to supply such solid tires and pneumatic-tire covers and inner tubes as may be required during a given period of perhaps three or six months. It is proposed to continue to make further systematic trials of tires supplied by different makers, with the object of ascertaining which are the most reliable and economical types.
The report proceeds :— "The experience of the Committee up to the present would not justify us in selecting any particular firm as one which would invariably supply tires of first-class quality and durability, and therefore it is undesirable to have a contract running for so long as
twelve months, or to be confined to only one firm even for shorter periods."
Liability for Road Repairs.
The Hornsey Borough Council has received counsel's opinion to the effect that, in certain residential roads, of which a, particular case is given, motorbus traffic is extraordinary traffic within the meaning of the statute, by reason of its being exceptional in the frequency of the journeys over the road, and new in character and description.
Important to Owners of Petrol Stores in London.
In regard to the L.C.C. (General Powers) Act, 1912 (Part 2), re petrol oil depots, which received Royal Assent on the 7th August last, the Public Control Committee of the L.C.C. has decided to fix the charge for the registration of a depot, in use as such on or before the date above mentioned, at 21, and for the registration of any other petroleum-oil depot, at 25. It is also laid down that applications for registration must be accompanied by plans. Applications for registration of existing depots must be made within one month of public notice, which the Committee is arranging to give, of the provisions of Part 2 of the Act.
If You Bind Your Copies.
Those of our readers who keep their copies of this journal with a view to having them bound should send for a copy of the new index to Volume XV. Amongst the many first-published or exclusive particulars which are therein to be found are : the complete draft specification of the 1912 W.O. subsidy scheme ; the new Renault programme ; the Diirr floatless carburetter; the Easyweigh jack ; the St. Pancras S,I41. steamer: the Currie autoporter ; the Napier one-tonner ; the Vienna electrobus ; the Simonis gas-bubble extincteur ; the C.M.B. electricbattery chassis ; the N.A.G. street washer ; record coal consumption on a new Garrett ; the Daimler three-ton details ; the N.E.R. motor department ; the Brasier 2i-tormer ; the Belsize 5-cwt. van ; the Commer parcelcar ; the White 5-tonner ; the Scout models : the 7-ton Barford roller ; the Cedes electric tower wagon ; the Walsh and Clark agrimotor. The present volume already contains much prompt information.
We are informed that a considerable order for Midland solid band tires has been placed by the Mechanical Transport Branch of the Army Service Corps.
The new Polack depot in Manchester will be equipped with a Hollings and Guest hydraulic tire press, and another of these handy and economical presses has recently been supplied to the order of Messrs. Wallington, Weston and Co., of Frome.
Better Roads.
Developments in regard to the provision of better roads are likely to be hastened very materially by the holding of the Third International Road Congress, in London, at the end of June next. Representatives of some :17 States will attend, and the organization is already well in hand. Mr. W. Rees Jefferies, Secretary of the Road Board, is acting as general Honorary Secretary to the Congress, with Mr. Montague Harris, Secretary of the County Councils Association, as deputy general Hon. Secretary.
There will undoubtedly be a stiff fight with regard to the phrasing of the various resolutions that will be submitted. Road authorities from various parts of the United Kingdom will endeavour to forward their claims for Exchequer grants on a growing scale, whilst the policy of the Road Board, under the tetms of the Development and Road Improvement Funds Act, of 1909, will be to justify the limitation of Exchequer grants to bona-fide improvements.
The important bearing of this Road Congress upon questions of axle-weight and wheel dimensions has also been mentioned in this journal on various occasions, and now, when we are only a little more than six months short of the date when the Congress is to be held. it behoves all owners to come into line to strengthen the hands of the dele
gates of the Commercial Motor Users Association by direct subscription to that body. How widespread is the interest of owners in the C.M.U.A., and how general the willingness to support it, may be gathered from the fact that some 60 new-corners have joined its ranks during the month of October. The entrance fee is one guinea, and the
annual subscription one guinea. A payment of two guineas at the present time secures membership to the end of the year 1913.
The Congress, it will be noted, will immediately precede the Com mercial Motor Show at Olympia, which show is announced for the month of July. We may mention, incidentally, that the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, which body prorhotes the motor
shows at Olympia. has contributed the sum of £500 to the expenses connected with the Congress.
Wolverhampton Town Council, in granting licences to the Wolverhampton Motor Services, Ltd., has constituted itself an exception to the rule that has been adopted by most local councils.
The tramway manager and the chairman and vice-chairman of the Tramways Committee of Rotherham T.C. have been authorized to consider and report upon the advisability or otherwise of establishing a motorbus service to certain districts outside the borough.
An L.G,O.C. Presentation.
The staff and employees of the L.G:O.C. Mortlake garage have presented Mr. B. Brooks with a gold watch on the occasion of his leaving to take up the duties of chief clerk at the new Willesden depot. Mr. W. J. Johnston, the district engineer, made the presentation.
Spring-strengthened Tires.
We recently inspected a set of " Stelastie " tires which has completed a 5000-miles road test under R.A.C. observation. In the tread of these tires a large number of interlaced, spiral steel springs is embedded in a vertical position. The method of manufacture is such that the rubber in the tread is pressed into the interstices of these springs, forming a strong steelrubber combination.
It is claimed that this construction gives toughness and resiliency, and removes side-slipping tendencies. The wear on the test tires proved to be less than per 1000 miles, and only one slight cut in the covers was made.
Torkington Tires, Ltd., York Street., Westminster, is the agent, until the formation of a large manufacturing company, for " Stelastics."
Why Assist the Trains ?
"The Financial News " has been publishing a series of articles in regard to the formation of a London Traffic Board. Exactly why these articles were published under the unseemly title of " The New Juggernaut" is not apposite to our present comment. In the course of one of these articles, we read : "After all, the ratepayers of the borough are shareholders of the county council tramways, and are bound to assist the undertaking by every means in their power." This is a pure case of begging the question. Why should the ratepayers send good money after bad, and help to perpetuate a system of street locomotion which is harmful to every other form of ordinary street traffic ?
Civilian Motor Reserve.
The War Office, we learn from an inside source, is fairly well pleased with the extent of the response to its proposals for the enlistment of civilian motor drivers. When the particulars were published by us, various reasons for dissatisfaction with some of the proposed terms were indicated in our columns.
It is not unlikely that active measures will be taken to improve the terms of enlistment, and we certainly think the authorities will be doing wisely if they move in this direction. A possible source of additional support, which we might indicate to them, is to be found in the ranks of London taxi-drivers. The fact that the London Cab Drivers Trade Union has instructed its men not to take part in the scheme by no means exhausts those possibilities, for the authorities have a more-satisfactory field for recruiting in the ranks of the motorcala owner-drivers.
In any circumstances, in order to secure a more-general response, the terms must be moderately improved. That should be easy. Insurance.
The Car and General Insurance Corporation, Ltd., whose head office is at 1, Queen Victoria Street, E.C., and which company has close upon 40 branch offices throughout the United Iiingdom, is now issuing a new series of revised " Eclectic " motor policies.
Second-hand Machinery.
We are asked to announce that the executors of the late Mr. Charles D. Phillips, of Newport, Mon., are continuing the large machinery and other business which was successfully conducted by the founder for over 40 years. The usual considerable dealings in new and second-hand machinery will now be in the hands of Messrs. C. Godfrey Phillips, T. M. Prosser, and Louis H. Hornby. The W.O. and the Bridges.
The bridge question continues to agitate the minds of officers who are responsible for service on the road, and the risks which attach to the use of scheduled bridges are not at all relished at headquarters. It is understood that civilian users would prefer to see a test case regarding a broken-down bridge fought by the Crown, but neither Aldershot nor Whitehall is particularly anxious to oblige.
Three Times Their Guarantee.
The Wolverhampton Corporation Tramways has found that " Faransure " tires, supplied by Messrs. S. Stevenson and Co., of Glasgow, have now completed over 31,000 miles on the front wheels of a twoton Albion omnibus, and are "still running." These tires, furthermore, are of the standard section which is fitted by the Albion Co. to
vehicles of this designation—an important point to be taken into account when relative tire wear and prices are under review.
Activity at Winnipeg.
Our correspondent in Winnipeg reports very considerable briskness in demand for commercial motors there, and that a splendid 1913 season is anticipated. The Hudson Bay andother big companies are now regular buyers of vehicles, for service in connection with their stores at cities such as Calgary, Regina and Vancouver.
The " Free Press" of Winnipeg has bought a third motor truck, and the Lake Winnipeg Shipping Co. is doing extremely well with its five-ton Foden ; the last-mentioned vehicle is largely employed in hauling sand and gravel from the company's yards to different buildings under construction.