Roadside Water for a Penny in the Slot.
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In common with many others, I read with considerable interest Mr. Nixon's article on water supplies in your issue 01 August 24th. The matter is unquestionably ot paramount importance to users and drivers of steam motor wagons. The writer of the article shows very clearly the need for some provision and arrangement other than the present haphazard, happy-go-lucky way of getting water, and if some scheme could be devised for supplying water from town mains, it would be a very great boon to both drivers and users of these vehicles, whilst the existence of such facilities would often prevent the necessity of having to fill the tanks from very questionable sources. A large amount of damage is done to boilers at the present time through drivers being compelled to take water trom canals, ponds, and small wayside streams, which contain a large amount of lime, mud, salts, and heterogeneous suspended matter. The writer is in a position to know that the life oi boilers, which are constantly supplied with towns' water, is three or four times as long as those subject to irregular supply, and they do not give one-quarter the trouble. As Mr. Nixon states, a modern s-ton wagon will travel from in to 12 miles on one filling, and, if arrangements could be made for taking the water from the mains near the outskirts of towns, this distance could be run, particularly in populous and manufacturing districts, without having recourse to the country horsepond with its direful sequelce. My suggestion is that water-boxes, similar to a pillar letter-box, be erected at the edge of the footpath on the main roads entering and leaving towns, near the extremities of the water supply; and in large cities, such as Manchester, Birmingham, and Liverpool, in one or two central spots as well, in broad convenient streets or squares, where they would not be the cause of obstruction when a wagon stood a few minutes to replenish its tank. These boxes could be about 3ft. about the ground, and 12 inches in diameter. Near the top a door, say, gin. high and 6in. wide, would be fitted. The middle part of the box would form a well, and the lower part a meter casing, in which a door would be fitted for convenient access. A penny-in-the-slot meter would complete the outfit. Also the top door would be opened by a penny-in-theslot lock. The bottom door would only be opened by a key in possession of the water company. A driver wishing to take water would place a penny in the slot, which would enable him to open the top door, and which would also start the meter to supply him with, say, so gallons of water.
The water from the meter would flow into the well in the middle part of the box, and into this the driver would put his suction hose. The well would be about the size of an ordinary bucket, and the driver would have to place a penny in the slot for, say, every so gallons, but in order to save time arrangements should be made to enable him to repeat the order without shutting the door and stopping the supply. This arrangement would permit of a complete refill at a cost of 3d.—a charge, I think, most owners would be willing to pay for good water. To prevent freezing in winter, the meter and pipes in the bottom box would have to be thoroughly well packed to keep out the frost, as would the pipe from the meter to the well, whilst the well itself should be fitted with a kin. drain pipe, always open, to clear it of water after use. An overflow pipe would also be necessary, as it would often happen that the driver could not take in all of the last so gallons.
Now as to the expense of fixing these water-boxes. Since the water companies or authorities would receive is. gd. per 1,000 gallons, the writer thinks it would not be unreasonable to ask them to fix them in places likely to be used considerably; but, in order to induce them to do this, joint action is required, and it is just the work for the Motor Van and Wagon Users' Association to take up. The Association and users in different localities should confer together and find out where would be the most useful places to fix a few experimental boxes, and the Association should get into communication with makers of meters and pennyin-the-slot machines. When apprised of the cost of meter and box, they could approach the water authorities with everything cut and dried and give them as little trouble as possible. The pattern and design of box and its adjuncts should be the property of the Association, and supplied by its authority, so as to have all boxes in the country uniform. If the water authorities would not move on account of the expense of equipment, erection, and connecting up, the Association might raise special funds by subscription, particularly from users likely to benefit by the proposed boxes to be erected in the first instance, to pay for all the necessary steps. But in the event of water authorities not finding the boxes, they ought to supply water at a cheaper rate, say, id. for 75 gallons, or zd. per fill. Of course, a full and complete service of these boxes obviously could not be fixed throughout the country forthwith, for that stage of perfected organisation must be the work of years as the motor industry develops; but a start might be made with a few in places where their want is most felt, and if found satisfactory, as certainly will be the case, the system could be extended gradually. I am, naturally, only acquainted with my own district, and that perhaps only imperfectly, but T am at least aware of about six wagons that run daily from Darwen, through Bolton, to Manchester, and everybody concerned agrees that one box entering Bolton and one entering Manchester would be found acceptable by their drivers and others using the Bolton and Manchester road. Further, I am inclined to think that a box might be fixed with advantage in the Rochdale Road at or near the Manchester boundary. These are a few examples.
To prevent the misuse of pennies by drivers— these coins being very useful things for other purposes—arrangements might be made with the water authorities to have brass checks the exact size of a penny. Such tokens could be sold to the owners of wagons in, say, one pound packages, which could be given to the drivers as required. If the water authorities were agreeable, arrangements could be made for wagon owners to pay a fixed sum per quarter for water, and to dispense with the meter and the penny-in-the-slot arrangement, which would lessen the expense of fixing the boxes very considerably. In this case, a special key on the lines of a railway carriage door key would be used for unlocking the door. J. SUMNER (Leyland).