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ble practice adopted by drivers of many vehicles carrying sand, gravel, etc., is to assist the tipping of the load by bumping their lorries several times backwards against the kerb or some form of chock, thus inflicting excessive and most unfair stresses upon the whole mechanism. Complaints which have reached us regarding broken propeller shafts and other parts have been traced solely to this practice, which we have ourselves watched with amazement on many occaSions.
A STUDENT of the world oil situation, Mr. T.
Orchard Lisle, of our New York contemporary World Petroleum, when talking to us the other day about taxation in relation to the oil business, said that few people realized the immense relative importance of Britain's tax on motor spirit. If they were taxed 8d. on a scuttle of coal, he reflected, they might begin to appreciate the position Such a tax would make an important difference to railway rates.
IN these days of gloomy trade reports it is indeed refreshing to hear that some concerns in the motor Industry are achieving much success. Vauxhall Motors, Ltd., is a case in point, and at its recent annual meeting Mr. Leslie Walton, the chairman, pointed out that, despite a shrinkage in the home market in the total registrations of commercial vehicles and ears during 1931, the company's sales 1318 showed an increase of no less than 50 per cent. over 1530. The concern is also making much progress in the export field, overseas sales for 1931 showing an increase of 657 per cent. over those for the preceding year. In the first three months of this year the company shipped over 1,600 commercial vehicles and cars to overseas markets. The company's expansion can be well indicated by recalling that in its first year (1907) it built a total of 53 chassis, whereas, to-day, one day's output exceeds this.
WITH a petrol-engined vehicle there are many
trilling details which can prevent starting. On the other hand the oil engine can be upset in this respect only by a comparatively small number of points. The most difficult " possibilities " are common to both types and are usually unlikely to occur. For ease of diagnosis the compression-ignition engine wins every time, provided the man is equally well versed in the principles of both motors.
AMONGST drivers it has been more or less of a stock joke that instruction books are written by men in drawing offices, and that they are so remote from practice as glibly to describe tasks which are physically impossible. It is refreshing to learn of one such book which has been prepared by a man of original ideas. After writing the draft matter he donned overalls and went through the jobs as occasion allowed. He rewrote the book! IN his annual report, the Manchester medical officer of health, referring to the Manchester Committee on Cancer, states that a striking indication of the wide interest taken in the research work is provided by the fact that, after sending their chemical advisers to the corporation laboratory, the Anglo-Persian, Anglo-American and Shell-Mex oil companies have joined in making a contribution of E1,000 for two years for the extension of investigation.
They are also providing crude oils from their wells in all parts of the world, and are preparing in their own research laboratory samples of oils purified in ways suggested by the corporation scientific staff, for testing in the municipal laboratories.
SOMETIMRS it is said, not with serious intent, that the language used in The Commercial Motor is pedantic in style. Readers who are concerned with the precise definitions of mechanical parts or of legal requirements will understand why this is necessary, and it appears that even the Ministry of Transport is not above making mistakes which lead to so much confusion that they have to be corrected. The regulations governing public service vehicles, which the Minister issued on March 13th, 1931, contained a requirement that all exit doors should be capable of being opened by one operation of the locking mechanism. This, of course, was not intended and, indeed, would be difficult for designers to provide. The amendment reads that every entrance and exit door shall be capable of being so opened.
WE all want to buy British—that is only right— and British commercial motors are the best in the world. We do not, however, begrudge a word of praise to machines of other countries, and the motors that are working on the Hoover Dam, which is being built across the Colorado River in America are, to all accounts, doing wonderful things. The dam will be about 200 yards thick at the base and will rise to 730 ft. above the foundation rock. Most of the excavation is of solid rock—very difficult stuff to handle. International chassis are being employed in large numbers, some being equipped with three-deck drilling platforms which carry 20 drills that work simultaneously. They are used for work in tunnels.