SATURDA,·, NovE:\IBER r3TH, 1909.

THE AUTOCAR .a Journal publtsbet > tn tbe interests of tbe mecbantcall\? propellet, roat > carriage.

EDITED BY H. WALTER STANEq,

~,o. 734. VoL. XXllI.] SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 13TH, 1909.

[PRICE 3D.

The Autocar.

(Publishe:l Weekl7.)

Registered as a Newsp.1per for transmission in the United Kingdom

Entered as second-class matter in the Nev, York (NY.) Po-;t O.,·,ce.

Three Editions every Friday.

The THREEPENNY EDITION, printed on Art Paper. The PENNY EDITION. printed ·upon thinner paper. T.1e FOREIGN EDITION, price ;?d., printed o:i thin paper ro~ ~ransm.ssiou abroad

Editorial Office :

COVENTRY.

Publishing Offices :

20, TUDOR STREET, LONDON, E.C., England.

CONTENTS. NOTES USEFL.L HIST!) AND TIPS Olympia Show Itinerary . . LUXURY A~0 SPORT (ILLL.STRATED) . . The Autocar League BODY DE!-IGN CO'JSTRUCTION ([LLUSTRATED) THE Two NEw DEASY CAR.S (ILLUSTRATED) ON THE ROAD 1:-; 194-5. BY OwEN ]OHS . . TALBOT CAR FOR 1910 (lLLUSTRATEO) SMALL CAR ADVICE AT OLYMPIA • • THE B.S.A. CARS {ILLUSTRATED} . • TIIE N. AND B. DETACHABLE \VHEEL THE I2·t6 H0TCIIKI<;S (lLLl.:STRATED) GEARIXG-lTS L\tP0RTANCF: • . SMALL CAR TALK (ILLUSTRATED) MOTORING IN ]AVA (ILLL1STRATED) • . TIIE FRA:s'KLJS A:R-CO0LIXG SYSTE)I (lLLlSTRATCD) THE NEW 16 H.P. ADAMS CARS (lLLUSTRATEO) • . ON THE TRACK • • CORRESPONDEi\·cE (I LLLSTRATED}

PA.GE. 74-1-7.p

743 ·. 744-75 l

752-753 ·. 754--7:,5

7;6 . . 763-764

765-766

767 768 . . 769-770

770 772 · · 773·77+

775 . . 776-777

777 77 ·779 780-78 t 783-786

THE SrENCER.:'.\louLTOS DETACHABLE AND D1\·10ED Rm (ItLUS.) RE\'IEWS ..

FLA'SHES RECE1'T PATC.:-JTS {ILLUSTRATED)

i87 778 789 790

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Notes. To Further Harass the Motorist. It is perhaps not generally knmrn that for some: months pasr there has been in progre3s 11·hat may be regarded as a determined mo\·e on the part of a committee meeting at the Home Office to harass the motorist to an e\·en greater degree than is at pre. nt the case. In the early part of the present y ar a committee \YaS appointed to consider the question of the storage, the use and the com·eyance of motor spirit, and to suggest what amendments \rere nece sary in order that the trade in motor-spirit ma\-be effectively go\'erned. Since that time e\·erai witnesses have tendered their evidence, and those \rho han' closely followed the rnriou sittings :rnd noted the que. tion put to mam of the 1rit11e5, s \rill ha\·e h;id no did1culty in arri\·ing at the conclusion that the memb:cr.; of that Home Office committee appear to be determined to frame or to suggest the framing of regulaticn: far more drastic than those at present lll \·ogue.

'l'o the (';i,u;il oLsen·er it may not seem particularly important that he should intere t himself in a matter 1rhich on th-e face of it i · of concern only to the large motor spirit importing and distributing firms. .A little consideration, howe1·cr, ,rill convince him that the 11ue,tion as to ne11· regulation· for the storage and distribution of motor soirit is one \\-hich has a direct intere.:;t to him. elf, inasmuch as in the long run he has to pay the piper. To-day the most dra. tic regu1 ations arc enforced respecting the storage and the transport of mutor spirit. Som- of our chief ,rnter1rnys-for instance, the Regent's Canal-are closed to the transport of motor spirit, while on the railways the conditions of classification are grossly unfair. But for al 1 this the motorist pays 1rhen he purchases his tin of petrol, the admini:itratin~ charges upon \rhich, including those of transport, are placed at 4d. per gallon. Thus it is clear that the motorist has a direct interest in all that appertain. to the storage or transport of motor pirit, and should use "·hate\·er influ nee he pos esse. in order to see that regulations are framed which are in accordance with rea. on.

No Need for Additional Restrictions. At the most recent meetings of the Petroleum Committee! most conclu. i\·e e,·idence ,ras forthcoming from trade 11·itnesses as to the efficiency of th present rc'.gulations, \rhile suggestions ha\·e been made tha'.. many of the,e might reasonabh-b:c rebxeu in fayou, of others 1\·hich \rill render the extension of the mot( ;· spirit trade more easy, and at the same time relie,·,, those engaged therein from many of the pains anl penalties \1·hich at present surround tlwm. The e\·idence tendered by l\Ir. Falk (the Anglo-American Co.). :-Ir. Leonard (:-Ies,rs. C;irles;, Capel, and Leonard), :-Ir. Tennant (of the Gas Light lmproYement Co.), and others should in itself serl"e the useful purpose of amending the motor . pirit regulation. in the direction desired, but, on the other hand, then· are po1rerful opponents to any suggestion of the rebx;ition of the present methods in rngue. In fact, it ha.-; been s-eriously argued that the present regulations should be amended to such an extent that 211 motorists ,rould be brought under the Yarious Act.,. Let us explain ,rhat ha, been the suggestion of no le,s an official than the Chid Assistant of th Public Control Department of the L:rndon County Council. Jn bri::f. thi, has been that motorists should be requircrl to r;-•~ i,ter their premises for the keeping of petroleum spirit ,rith the local authority under the P troleum Ac~. Th reason for this suggestion, in Mr. O'Donnell's 01rn ll'Ords, ,rill be to render the administration of the la\\' simple, and consequently mor effecti\·e. The a,·erage motorist will, we are cmwinced, ask what he has done that he should bf' lura,serl in this ,rn\-, nut the abm·e suggestion is quite rea,onable compared 1\·ith that put fonrnrcl frcm