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Opinions from Others.

13th April 1916, Page 19
13th April 1916
Page 19
Page 19, 13th April 1916 — Opinions from Others.
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

AGRIMOTORS AND STATE AID FOR THEIR PURCHASE.

The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.

[1612] Sir,—I have to thank you for publishing my letter on the above subject in your issue of the 30th March. I note that by accident you make me say that an incoming tenant farmer had to pay 12s. 6d. "per week" for ploughing before the war. This should read "per acre." [We apologize.–.-En.] My letter only concerned agrinaotors which are suitable for use on the land, or to provide a. source of power for farm purposes other than haulage. It is only claimed for the Wyles plough that it has no rival as a cultivator or a source of power, and we do not advocate the use of this machine as a tractor for haulage purposes on the road.—Yours faithfully, F. W. 1LTSMAR.

FIRE-ENGINES AND NON-SKIDS.

The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.

[1613] Sir,—I notice, in your issue of the 30th ult., a letter signed by "General Manager" relative to there being no effective non-skids available, and a footnote thereto relative to the excellent performance of our Dennis motor fire-engine in climbing over the Malvern Hills through deep snow during a blizzard on the night of 25th February. In this last case we had heavy Parsons,' chains fitted on the rear twin tires and had no trouble ; nor have we on other occasions when we have turned out in snow. However, the circumstances are somewhat different, as with a clear road we kept the engine hard al, it, and its load of some six tons carried us through drifts which might have been difficult to get. out of if we had had to stop for traffics—Yours faithfully,

War. OSBORNE THORP, Chief Officer,

Malvern Fire Brigade.

IS THERE AN EFFICIENT NON-SKID?

The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.

[1614] Sir,—We notice a letter, No. 1609, signed "General Manager," in the issue of your journal of 30th March, in which the writer complains bitterly that there is no effective non-skid now on the market.

With all due respect, we beg to differ from this gentleman. Since we put our own patent non-skids on the market, only a very short time ago, we have had a continual and increasing stream of inquiries, orders, and repeat orders. We have had repeat orders from some of the best-known firths in the country, including the Albion Motor Car Co., the Sheffield Motor Co., and so on.

Your correspondent states that. he is working a public service in the North of England ; we might mention that we have sold a good number of our nonskids in various parts of the North, and we have had good testimonials as to their effectiveness, particularly from the county of Durham, which is. as you know, very hilly and a very hard district to work.—

Yours faithfully, THE SHEPPEE MOTOR CO.

DISCHARGED SOLDIERS AS DRIVERS.

The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.

[16151 Sir,--The experience of the Rapid Transport Co., Ltd., may be of interest to your readers at this time, when drivers are so difficult to obtain.

We have received discharged wounded soldiers from the Soldiers and Sailors Help Society, for training as drivers. These men have been simply sent out daily along with a good driver, who did his usual work, and at first the learner only got the wheel on quiet country roads. The training lasts one month, and generally the learner is able to take entire charge of the vehicle for the last week, though the driver is always with him.

Every man has proved a most efficient driver at the end of the month. Several are now driving our lorries and giving every satisfaction, some are in other situations, and one at least has re-enlisted, but this time in an A.S.C. Motor Transport Column, and passed both driving and mechanical tests with flying colours.

It is necessary to insist on the men coming to the garage in the morning, and finishing at the garage at night, or they are tempted to treat the matter lightly, and join or leave the vehicle when they like. At the same time they get much useful knowledge from their driver when he is oiling up the car.

Although a man has a foot missing it is no matter, so long as he have an artificial one. One man that we trained had lost his left leg above the knee, yet he managed his " replacement " very well, and after training he got a job at once, and is still there.. This method of training gives each man about 1000 ID iles of road experience, which.would be impossible if the, ear were sent out for the special purpose of teaching driving, while the latter method would waste some precious petrol.-Yours faithfully,

For RAPID IVIOTOR TRANSPORT CO. LTD,, ALEX. STErART, Managing 15i-rector.

ANNUAL LICENCE FEES.

The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.

[1616] Sir,—In one of your leading articles in your issue of 306 March, you give owners of the above type of vehicle "furiously to think." Such a tax as 230 is surely an unreasonable one? Owners, probably, had prepared their minds to accept. the shock of a 25, or even of a 210, tax, but to have their costs increased to thestune of 230, on top of the hugelyincreased general charges, is, in the view of owners who have considered the matter, wholly unreasonable. As a deterrent from the use of steel tires, it should prove as excellent as the correspondinglyincreased business it would bring to rubber-tire makers.

To name one factor alone, however, the ownerdriver will be hard hit. Then there are the traders who require large loads, and to whom increased speed beyond five miles per hour is not a necessity. One assumes, also, that the traction-engine owners will be included, although they have probably never thought of any increase of speed. Viewed in the light of the many excellent arguments in, your journal on the vexed question of which class of tire does least or most harneto the roads, it certainly does appear to be a double anomaly that petrol-driven vehicles on rubber tires should only be assessed with half the tax of a steel-tired vehicle.

One is constrained to hope that the matter will not be allowed to rest in its present position, and that efforts from all concerned will not be lacking in the endeavour to secure a more equitable tax for the poor, steel-tired steamer. " STEAMER." Manchester.

[The heaviest petrol lorries already pay through the pet rot tax an average of £11 per annum per 100 miles of running per week. The steam lorry, so far, pays nothing. This is the real anomaly—ED.]


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