Gas Producers Not Wanted by Operators Scottish
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SCOTTISH transport operators' are not favourably disposed towards the Government's scheme for the ate of gas-producer apparatus on road vehicles, and criticism of -it was voiced at a meeting in Glasgow, last week, held under the auspices Of the Scottish Commercial Motor Users' Association.
Mr.. F. G. Smith, Director of Vehicle Maintenance, M.O..W.T., spoke on "'Gas Producer Usage and the Use of Leaded Fuel," and said that the tve of the utility gas producer in its present limited form was, in the opinion of the Government, a necessary insurance against the possibility of a fillet shortage for civilian transport, as a result of interference with overseas supplies. The present scheme was a precautionary measure, so that in the event of a large-scale use of solid fuel the transport industry would not be taken unawares.
There were 500,000 goods vehicles running in this • country, and the Ministry wanted a few thousand of. them to run on gas producers. "
Mr. I. Barrie, of Glasgow, referred to the fact that the idea of converting a large number of commercial vehicles to producer gas was a Cabinet decision taken at a time when the country was faced with the possibility of a serious
shortage of petrol and oil fuel. To-day they were told that whilst the Battle of the Atlantic was not finished „it was more or less won, and that fuel supplies to this country Could be reasbnably maintained. He was definitely of the opinion to-day, that, as practical operators, they shouldnot be asked to fit gas producers. The Use of-producer gas meant a considerable tonnage reduction when they .could ill afford to lose a pound, whilst their man-power problems would be trebled and operating efficiency reduced.
Sir William Thomson, chairman of the Scottish Motor Traction Co., Ltd., said that, as a bus operator, he was also opposed to the fitting of gasproducer outfits. Thewere -told that, at the present time, the great need of the country was man-power. In that respect the gas-producer outfit took more man-power than anything else. His company found that it took six buses fitted with gas producers to do the work of five other buses, and that it took. nine extra men for the maintenance of 10 of those buses, " 'Mr. Smith said that the Minister, having had all the facts before him, said • he must have this gas-producer scheme in embryo. They were asking Operators to try it on the 50-cwt. unladen class of vehicle, leaving the great mass of the heavies untouched: Mr: Barrie, in proposing a vote of thanits_ to Mr.. Smith, said that Scotland did not need any force and would fit the producer if-that be in the nation-al interest; he could not see that it was.