OPINIONS FROM OTHERS.
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Rival Ministries.
The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
[1690] Sir,—We are in a hole ! The two Government Departments below-mentioned are writing us, one of them to deliver certain goods, and the other not to deliver these goods. Both Departments threaten us as to what will happen if we do not obey them. We have, therefore, acted in the way most convenient to ourselves, and are now awaiting execution. The following extracts from .letters received imay be of interest in connection with this :—
WAR OFFICE. September 8th.
-You may receive instructions from other Departments to remove goods held by you. No stock is to be released without instructions from here.
MINISTRY OF MUNITIONS. September 9th.
It has been decided to remove all stock you have to the depot at September 12th. Instructions received horn (M. of M.) mist be disregarded.
September lath.
Instructions centained in letter '9th inst. are sufficient authority for removal of all stock to Septembei 18th.
I would remind you that this stock is the property of the War Office and not of the Ministry of Munitions. and you will be held strictly responsible for all goods that you issue without a written release fr:-.sri my depot.
September 18th.
This Department's letter of the 13th inst. still holds good, and the stock in question should despatched to as quickly as possible. Should you not deliver the goods to this Department cannot hold itself responsible for any claims that you may make in respect of storage charges, etc., after the date of this letter.
Yours faithfully,
St. Helens Cable and Rubber Co., Ltd., J. H. C. BRO0KING4, General Manager. Warrington.
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The Future of Road Trains.
The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
[1691] Sirs—I have read with considerable interest, your .excellent leading article on the above subject, and quite agree with you that the Local Government Board Committee will have to pay much more attention. to this excellent means of street traffic.
You state that the Committee examined one system of road trains where the propulsive energy is electrically distributed along the train, and rightly reported that this system appears to be sound in principle, especially in view of the distribution of the total weight upon a number of driving wheels. It is, however, a serious thing that they should have given it as their opinion that such a system should not be legalized. I, for one, am very much surprised to hear this, considering that steam traction engines with two and three trailers are allowed. Why these Early Victorian views in 1919?
As the inventor and designer of the Paragon thermo-electric street train system of transport, I have designed trains up to 300 h.p. for Colonial and. undeveloped country work, and Colonial traffic authorities are in real want of them. This systemcompels each car to traverse the same track as the. previous car ; so, surely, if out-of-date steam traction is legalized, this more efficient system should -be welcomed.
What are the names and what is the experience of these gentlemen who have taken upon their shoulders the responsibility of so advising the Government of this country The matter is of such vital significance to our Colonies and to our own street transport ,ouestion and to the road maintenance question that I am certain a further consideration should be requested., The thermo-dynamic propulsion efficiency of the out-of-date steam traction system is only about 4 per cent. When it is remembered that thou-sands of pounds in cash, and the valuable time of technicallytrained men, are spent during years, of development work in order to increase this 4 per cent. to about 30 per cent., it cannot be seriously believed that such hole-and-corner legislation will be long tolerated' by our well-taxed industries.—Yours faithfully, WILLIAM P. Dunaassaa. M.I.Loco.E.