An Appreciation of Our Efforts from Devon I AM writing
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to lodge a complaint at not being able to obtain The Commercial Motor dated September 13 for some days after. I am well aware that my address is somewhat distant from your printing works, but I would ask you to have all West Country copies put through first and despatched either by express pas.Renger train or road vehicle—the latter provided that there be sufficient coupons to make the return journey. Unless you can promise prompt delivery, I shall be forced to put my sixpence in the War Loan I
• As no doubt you will guess, this is merely a little bit of humour on my part. What I really wanted to tell you was that your issue of the above date was certainly most excellent, and I offer you my congratulations upon it, if these be acceptable.
Having done my spot of "digging for victory" at the end of my usual lazy day at the office [We have doubts about this self-accusation.—En.] I was able to spend an hour or so the other evening reading the issue. The articles were certainly of excellent quality, and amongst matters to which I paid particular attention were those contributed by or concerning my colleagues, Messrs. Milton, Woodhouse, Irwin and Hocking& The information supplied by Mr. Woodhouse is similar to that which I can give you, and here are three instances.
(1) An operator purchased in October, 1938, a Guy Wolf lorry costing £346. It was requisitioned on July 24, 1940, after a mileage of 13,000. On August 30, this operator was asked to accept £99 5s. 9d. as a final settlement. This figure was arrived at as follows:— Allowance made £120, less £23 4s. 3d. for repairs, plus £2 10s. for expenses for delivery of the vehicle. The operator stated that the only thing requiring replacement was one starting ring.
(2) Another user purchased in December, 1939, a Bedford 30-cwt. lorry. In July the vehicle was requisitioned, and on September 3, he was asked to accept the sum of £157 1s. 9d. This sum was made up by allowance £170. less £12 18s. 3d. for repairs; whereas the value placed on the vehicle by the operator was £220.
(3) Another man purchased an Austin lorry in February, 1940, which was requisitioned in July after 4,000 miles. The price paid for the vehicle was £292, whereas that offered as a final settlument by the authorities was £220.
Mr. Irwin raised some very important points in his letter. During the hours of darkness military vehicles in his area career along the highway either without head lights at all, with one head light not properly masked and no side lights, or with side lights not properly screened. One night during a violent air raid, a highpowered Army car was careering through a built-up area with its head lights full on. Have the military authorities no thought at all for the -civil population?
During some of my precious leisure hours I give a
small service to my country by doing duty as a special constable. Recently, at the commencement of the blackout, I noticed a house in a most prominent position near the barracks, which was displaying a very bright light. Eventually I discovered that it was coming from the unscreened porch of the colonel's house!
On another occasion, during an air raid, I observed in the darkness a motorcyclist approaching without lights, and when I pulled him up I was surprised to find that he was an Army dispatch rider. He stated that he had received no instructions as to air-raid action. You recently gave some excellent publicity to my area in connection with the rates that had been agreed upon between the quarry owners in Cornwall and the hauliers, in connection with work on certain sites, and I am pleased to be able to inform you that the contractors on these have agreed, upon my representations, to accept the same rates for haulage. This is certainly most gratifying, and is, of course, extremely helpful to the hauliers in question. NORMAN J. BENNETT, Plymouth. Area Secretary, Associated Road Operators.