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RS THINK.
Transport Cures Food Queues.
THE PRODUCTION of an adequate food supply and arran,gements for its transportation when and where required are problems that grow in importance as methods of warfare grow in bitterness and intensity. The correlation of fOod supply and transport is not sufficiently understood ; but this 'matter cannot be allowed to remain one of indifference to those who have the power and are willing to assist. Indifference, stultifying and futile rivalry must give way before the stern realities of the present times and of the ruthless and intensified international competition which will follow in the wake of peace. Transport vehicles might be plainly marked with terminal destinations and routes—London—Redhill--,Brighton—so that anyone having goods to send might trade direct with the driver. This simple device might conceivably be extended to taxicabs. Having once had the good fortune to secure the use of one I felt inclined to share the privilege (and the expenee) with anyone going may way. E. W. L. Nicol,.
, Transport Can Be Organized.
THE SITUATION which you outline in your article on "Transport," in your issue of the 3rd inst., should provide serious thought on the part of the powers that be. Return loads and waste mileage provide problems far too complicated for the familiar type of Government official even to think of tackling, and the necessity of getting to grips with the situation is more than apparent. It is agreed that an organization is required to deal with the situation, and that the man at the helm should undoubtedly
have the necessary experience and organizing ability to deal with the complex intricacies of such a scheme.
The time is ripe, by virtue of necessity, for action to be takens and the various trade organizations and associations should, to my mind, get busy and endeavour to bring pressure to bear in official quarters, and to insist on the situation being handled by an authority on the subject.
The chaotic bungling of Departments that have, in the past, endeavoured to tackle ether subjects is so well known that it is hardly necessary to mention the matter, and if the present tangled web of road transport is 'be be unravelled, the first danger to be avoided is the appointment of a department and officials with ideas which, though original and ingenious, would make confusion confounded. However, we will assume that this danger has been avoided and that an official organization is provided ; I could then imagine that D.O.R.A. might imake the running of empty lorries an offence, but this would, of course, not be practicable unless organization existed where every lorry owner would immediately be put into tench with loads and those with -loads into touch with lorries. The Petrol Control Committee have expended much time and energy in collecting exhaustive data as to the lorries in use and the nature of the work undertaken, and this alone should provide excellent material for the formation of a scheme.
One is also reminded of past enterprises, i.e., Interfreight Exchange, Motor Freight Exchange, Return Journey Co., etc., all of which have collected vast data on the subject, and, as one who has personally spent a considerable amount of time in this connection, the prospect of a well-organized scheme with a Government backing presents endless possibilities. We have our Stock Exchange, Baltic Exchange, Corn Exchange, and other similar organizations, and the establishment of a recognized National Freight Ex change is no remote possibility. / C. MOTE. (COMMERCIAL CAR HIRERS, LTD.).
Transport.—One Man Control Imperative.
T AGREE entirely with the views so frequently ex
pressed, that one director of transport instead of one for almost each department as at present would, after a short time, effect great economiets and very materially relieve the congestion that at present exists in all parts of the country. I am, however, not one of those who believe that
railway interests are taking advantage of the present position to establish a connection for after the war advantages. In point of fact I could' name instances where the railway companies are not at all anxious to carry certain commodities. "Out-arid Home" loads to my mind is the solution, and obviously if this is so, the organization must be in the hands of one department in order to obtain the best results.
C. H. POYNTER (JOHN KNIGHT, LTD.).
Transport : Speeding it Up.
YOUR VERY welcome article on the above interests greatly. There is no doubt you have driven home every point for discussion, and, taking our par, ticular experience, which you know is froth thd infancy of transport, we realize that a transport department could be run only on the most up-to-date4 and methodical lines, and we have always tried to follow this method out to the strictest letter, with the result that this department of our business has been most successful and pleasing to ourselves and our clients.
As you must quite understand, with a fleet of wagons working on what we call day-to-day work, with a connection of about 200 clients, the organization is very difficult. Since the outbreak of wa rWC have had many difficulties to contend with.
We have had Vehicles commandeered, difficulties in getting spare parts, bolts, nuts, iron, steel, etc.; shortage of drivers, but we must say we have always been treated very fairly by the different Government departments we have met during these trying times, and sometimes it has been necessary for us to s.o to a great deal of trouble to get them to see the situation in our way, but we have generally been rewarded
for our energies by their assistance.
-At the same time we think there is plenty of room for organizing and speeding up the transport of the country, as there is not the slightest doubt that trans. port by road is the most important factor at the present moment in the successful prosecution of the war, both at home and abroad, and we trust that your article will have the desired effect.
" From our own expe,rience as a private motor transport concern and the satisfaction we have given both" to our clients and ourselves, it proves beyond doubt that an efficient organization and a thorough knowledge of the business msgt he combined in order to get successful results from the available transport in
the country. ' FRY BROTHERS, LTD.