ENCOURAGE BRITISH TRACTOR • PRODUCTION
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WIE have received from Mr. David VV Brown, managing director of David Brown Tractors, Ltd., Witham, a letter concerning our article, " More Tractors Wanted from the States," published on August 1..
He says that we all appreciate the tremendous importance of the practical interpretation of the Lend-Lease Bill. as envisaged in the broadcast by Mr. Harry Hopkins. His inclusion of tractors in his categorical fiat shows a realization of the need for speeding nip farm Mechanization in this country, but the sending of complete tractors to Britain should not be regarded as the only solution. • A substantial proportion of the necessary tractors could be produced here if the strenuous efforts of British tractor manufacturers were supported by the importation of materials and machine tools. The equivalent amount of material to any given number of tractors would show a huge saving in ocean tonnage. We are continually being told, adds Mr. Brown, that we must not sit back and wait for our friends in the U.S.A. to furnish all "the tools," but to speed up our production to the limit. Agriculture can best be served by feeding our own tractor industries and regarding American machines as complementary, rather than wasting valuable shipping space by relying solely on imported tractors.
DEATH OF MR. G. H. RODWAY
WE greatly regret to learn of the recent death of Mr. G. H. Rodway, A .M.I . A. E , M.S. A.B. ( U.S.A. ) , at the age of 60, following a sudden heart attack. Mr. Rodway had a life-long association with he automobile industry, and he held the post of chief engineer of British Timken, Ltd., from 1919 to 1924. More recently, he was
sales executive of the Automotive Pro ducts Co., Ltd. WILL TRANSPORT SERVICES BE SUBSIDIZED?
THE August Bulldtin of the NationalConference of Express Carriers points out that the Chancellor of the Exchequer h. again referred to the Government's intention to stabilize transport rates. It may thus indirectly subsidize rates by refraining from increasing those for the railways in proportion to the rise in operating. costs. The haulier, on the other hand, must necessarily cover his increased cost and is thus faced with State competition.
The Standing Joint Committee has been asked to take up the matter, but we, would point out that it is quite possible that road-transport rates will also be subject to some form of subsidy —at least' this appeared to be the intention of the Chancellor of the Exchequer in the proposals originally contained in his Budget.