Impending Grants to Help Particular Classes ol Road Transport.
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There it. a it opinion abroad in England, and one that will not be easily ehanged, that it is inexpedient for the Government to assist or foster individual enterprise. It. appears to be taken for granted that the recipients of ally grant-in-aid, subsidy or other vote of money will benefit and Ofit the country or the nation. Nearly every pioneer, therefore, is left to mullet costly experiments on his own," unlees somc unusually-intelligent official detects exeoptional merit, or big soope for application, the existence of which his less-far-seeing eolle.agues are probably ready to deny. There have, of course, been isolated examples of substantial financial help, for inventors and patentees, from the Exchequer, but these meurrenees are relatively few and far between. It is snore common to inflict delays upon thetn, by subjection of vorrespondence and reports to the sundry cireumlocutory processes which are so dear to the average civil servant, and then, after hopes have been falsely raised, to crush both ardour and prospectby a negative reply. liVe do not, of course. suggest. that the national perne shauld in any event he available for the encouragement of inventors generally : the man who cannot secure initial support eeldom has a really-good thing to offer. Our point is thiei both inventions and development schemes, and particularly any mechanical system which possesses enormous potentialities in the direction of cheapened aml improved internal menmunieation, are well worthy of Departmental support. in special circumstances. A ram. within mini' knowledge, and of recent public concern, is that of the Brennan singletrack vehicle with gyroscopic emitted. We have invited no expression of opinion from Mr. Brennan on this matter, but cart aequaintance with certain details of the backing that, has been accorded to him, both by the Tndia Office and the War Department, justifies our citing this inetorete as an outstanding proof of State money advisedly spent. There wale it is true, a division of opinion between highlyplaced of:filial:4, but we maintain that the outlay involved has been wise and beneficial. Mr. Brennan has expended large sums of his own capital, but the help to which we refer use eertainly enabled him to enlarge the range of his operations, and to aecelerate his rate of experiment. on a
hasie of ensastrueti
.011. with the result that the eighllaseale model of 21 years ago has already given place to it slimes-qui vehicle which can easily carry a useful load of lei tons. It is obvious to us that, had there been inn central aid, progress with this system. which is fraught with liege possibilities both in respect of rail and road traffic', might have been virtually stagnated, and that 'India, the Colonies ited the Military Authorities of the Empire., as well as Mr. Brennan, would have been losers.
The foregoing points have been used as an introduction
Jto our reversion to the subject of the Development and Hmul Improvement Funds Act. the meaenre which, as we pointed out at. some length four weeks ago, contains so much of interegt to the heavy-motor industry. Not less than t.500,000 a year is placed at the disposal of the Commissioners under this Act, and they, after consultation eith the Itoad Board, may spend so much of this as they think to he expedient upon " the improvement of rural. transport." Next, of course, under Part II of the Act, the Hoed Board, W 11080 constitution is entirely distinct from that of the Development Commissioners, has at its dieposal an annual internal which should, by means of grants arid the proceeds of taxation combined, soon fall not far short of one million sterling. We have every confidenee in asserting that the new factors which this Act brings to bear upon the problem of improved rural transport will limit the call for Light-railway Orders. It ie very hard, several mould's before the time at. which definite executive action can be taken, to write upon the probable administration of these huge funds, but we. feel that. it should be. possible to make good the claims of motor transport. There are, admittedly, numerous other heads. ender whieh the Commissioners st ill he invited to allocate sonic et the reentroes which are vested in them, but we fail to see how any one of these can be proved more deserving than schemee for passenger arid goods services to places which are now without a public service other than that provided by the slow if e Ming carrier's horse and cart. It will reel, as we indicated last month, ivith some aesoviation or body a local council is eligible--whieh has been formed other than ler trading purposes, and it therefore behoves manufacturers of earnerential motors, and most partienlarly of chars-a-hanes and composite vehicles. to prompt such bodies; to formulate the terms of intended applications e Mout delay. We want to see at least onetenth of that £500,000 voted each year for the purchase, of such vehicles, and the sooner dernende are prepared the better. Whilst, at the moment, neither the Development Commissioners nor the members of the Road Board have been appointed, it is quite certain that, no matter which Party proves to be returned to power RS the result of the pending General Eleetion, the main provisions of the Act will be put into force with but little delay.
We shall be happy to afford free consultative assistance, hi regard to the preparation and statement of the case in relation to transport schemes, either in conjunction with manufacturers or any other parties. Such details, it will he realized, cannot be collated and put into presentable form hurriedly, and the whole object of this brief note tin the subject is to emphasiee the necessity for immediate concentration upon a new and helpful feature in the opportimities for fresh 1180S of commercial motors,. This question of likely grants to further motor transport in rural districts rin4t not he confused with thie. improvement of roads, as that. is a separate proposition. An interrelation naturally exists, however. by reason of the fart that extensions can only come as better roads are made, and better made might have been delayed another la or 20 years hilt For the reasonable .Lax upon petrol,