Answers to Queries.
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Wants"Mineral Turps."
[4189] (West).—We understand that you can buy "mineral turps" from any leading oilman in your district, but subject to licence if for use in a motorvehicle engine.
Amendments to the Heavy Motor car urder.
[4190] (Lincoln).—Evidence given before the L.G.B. Committee by the Editor of THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR on this subject was published in our issue for the 28th October, 1915, to which issue we refer yeti. The evidence is too extensive to be summarized here. As the matter is before a specially-appointed expert committee of the L.G.B., which committee has held a large number of sittings, and is now drafting its report, we doubt if any ex-parte representations will be of much avail, although it would no doubt be valuable if you were able to meet the influential people, whom you Mention, at the L.G.B., for the purpose of discussing that draft report.
Excess of Applications for M.T., A.S.C. Commissions.
[4191] (Surrey).—You have been inaccurately informed, no doubt due to a genuine misunderstanding, if you have been given any information which has led you to believe that the Editor is in a position to deal with commissions in the M.T., A.S.C. The facts are, that he has been putting forward lists of names of men whom he considered to be possessed of suitable qualifications, for consideration as applicants at the hands of the staff officers of the A S.C. in the department of the Quarter-Master General at the War Office. He has been doing this, of course, by request. At the moment, there are no more vacancies, and the lists which he has supplied have not yet been exhausted.
Petrol fcr Hackney Carriages.
[4192] (Private IIire).—There is no ruling of whica we are aware that hackney carriages which are used for private-hire work are to be allowed no petrol after theist. April, 1st May, or any other date. There is an intention more strictly to review the licences for petrol for use in private cars, and private-hire oars will presumably come within the scope of any review if they are merely hired out on jobbing contracts to people who use them purely for private purposes. If such cars are used by business and professional men, they are clearly entitled to the same consideration as taxicabs, or to even more-generous consideration, seeing that taxicabs are frequently and inevitably used purely for pleasure purposes.
Bkitish Prices and Delivery.
, [4193] (Estate).—The prices of commercial motors at the present time are extremely uncertain. In fact, manufacturing and delivery conditions vary almost from week to week. A 21-ton British-made lorry can be had for £695 and at reasonably early delivery, from the Austin ilotor Co., Ltd., Northfield, Birmingham. Steam 'wagons are best obtainable secondhand, at about £450 for a four-tonner. There are practically no new three-ton or four-ton petrol lorries obtainable, but if you can arrange a permit, and obtain a release on the strength of it, you might get a four-ton petrol lorry at a figure in the vicinity of £800. We do happen to know. that Halley's Industrial Motors, Ltd., of Yoker, recently had on hand a few unassembled parts for five-tonners, and if you wrote to Mr. George H. Halley, the managing director of that company, he would probably be able to return a. satisfactory reply. As regards working costs, we have mailed direct one of our pre-war sheets. You may take it as correct if you add.40 per cent, on the average to the petrol costs and 30 per tent. on the average to the steam costs. Shall He Start Motor Haulage or Enlist?
[4194] (Notts.).—We .advise you not to embark in the motorehaulage business at the present time You will be much more useful to the country if you join the Motor Transport Branch -of the A.S.C., which course might enable you also to add slightly to the money which you have saved. You can, of course, secure exemestion from military service by taking up recognized military work in. connection with Army transport, or munitions transport, if you can obtain plant. You do not give sufficient information concerning your financial resources to enable us to state more as regards starting in business now.
Seeking a Commission in the M.T., A.S.C. • [4195] (Keen).—We have returned the photograph which you sent to us, and we recommend you to apply to Colonel Coke, Q.M,G.5, War Office S.W., asking him to let you have a form of application for .a commission in the M.T., A.S.C. When you have filled up the form completely and sent it in; you will, after a certain interval, no doubt, be accorded an interview, provided demand recline See, also, Answer No. 4191. It is impossible for the Editor to do anything in the matter personally; as his reference would count for nothing by reason of the fact that he has not the pleasure of knowing you personally, but only by name.
Young Motor Drivers. [4196] (Dubious).—The attitude of both local tribunals and military representatives, towards claims for exemption in respect of any commercial-motor driver, depends in part upon the man's medical record. A specific case arose at the Warwickshire Appeal Tribunal towards the. end of last month, when the North Warwiekshire Motorbus Co., Ltd., successfully resisted an appeal of the military representative from a decision of the Tamworth Tribunal. The military representative made a considerable point of his added difficulty in asking for older men if he could not get youths of 18. The particular youth had been passed for garrison duty at home, had replaced a general service man in the employ of the company, and his employers claimed that, notwithstanding his youth, he was entitled to be kept in the certified list OR account of his medical classification. He had been a mechanic and driver for more than a year. The Appeal Tribunal dismissed the appeal of the military representative, and refused him leave to appeal to the Central Tribunal.
Ages at Which Drivers Can be Retained.
[4197] (Blackburn).—The men are, unfortunately, likely to be pressed by the military representative, because they are under 3L We may point out, however, that it is specifically laid down in the instructions to Tribunals, which are set forth in the current list of certified occupations, Form R,117 (page. 4), that "Where the age limits are low, it is because in the national interests they should be so, and the fact that a man following a certified occupation and coming within age limits for that occupation is a young man, is not in. itself sufficient ground for refusing exemption." The ages for "power carters" or motor drivers employed by public carriers of " goods by road, are 30 for single men, and 27 for married men. The men about whom you inquire are, therefore,' below the age if they are single, and only one of them the safe age if married. We fear that you will have a poor chance of 'getting the men off unless you get some certificate. from a representative local official, such as the chairman of the district munitions, committee, or munitionsboard of management, to say that the workis of national importance. Their medical categories may help you, if not Class A. m55