The motor has even been the indirect cause of political upheavings, for it is said that the revolution in Morocco came to a head because the fanatical tribal allies of the Pretender resisted, amongst other European articles, the introduction of automobiles into the country, and opposed their use by the enlightened emperor, as too progressive, and not in accordance with the Mussulman faith. [Illustration: FIG. 33. ANOTHER TYPE OF THE “FISCHER” COMBINATION OMNIBUS _By permission of the_ _Fischer Motor Vehicle Syndicate, London_] Meals are sent out in motor-vans by the London Distributing Kitchen Company from its well-equipped premises near the Army and Navy Stores, the breakfasts, luncheons, and dinners being placed in air-tight baskets in aluminium receptacles. In Manchester, for some time past, “meals by motor” have been an accomplished fact, and most popular and lucrative the scheme has proved. Motoring has its romantic side. For instance, in France--the birthplace of the automobile--abduction by motor has been initiated, and our lively neighbours may possibly contemplate the revival of that mediæval custom of wedlock by force. This young lady, however, seems to have been a not unwilling party to the transaction. Going to school by motor has also been made practicable across the Channel. For some months the Ecole Lacordaire, in Paris, has been running a Serpollet steam omnibus, which collects the pupils and conveys them to and from the school. The day’s run gives a total of sixty miles. Monsieur Serpollet has lately carried out an interesting test with the vehicle. He made a run of sixty miles with twelve passengers, and the cost for petrol was 1_s._ 2_d._ per passenger, or rather more than four miles for a penny. The omnibus averaged eighteen miles an hour.[8] CHAPTER XVII _HORSELESS VEHICLES, ELECTRICAL AND OTHERWISE_ (_continued_) SPEED OF MOTOR-CARS To motorists the pressing question of the day is _speed_. In England the motor-car was in its infancy when the present law came into force. Before its birth, no mechanically propelled carriage could travel along the highway faster than four miles an hour; but six years ago a determined attempt was made to adapt the law to the exigencies of modern traffic. Fourteen miles an hour was decided upon as the maximum speed, and the Local Government Board subsequently reduced the limit to twelve miles. But these regulations are now out of date.