Passing Comments
Page 14
Page 15
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
Extractsfrom"Minutes" nN April Fool's. Day, some Of Unit Controllers' `--"bright people at Cambridge
Meeting produced draft " minutes" bf
a unit controllers' meeting. They ate too long to include, but the following are excerpts :—present Selected (very) representatives. Guests:' Distinguished (later extinguished). Apologies: From U.C.4 Q99 (serving customers), U.C.4,Q98 (serving time). Matters arising: As -the unit controller who could read forgot his spectacles, there was none. Traffic and vehicles : (a) Machinery of control —4Q squeaking; 45 creaking.. (b) Econtmy in use of vehicles : 4Q nil; 4S nil desperandum. (a) Surpluses or Deficiencies: 4Q no surplices; 4S many • deficiencies (including petty cash). Markets: Traffie for black and grey markets only with area office approval, and arrangements made far plain vans; no commissions exceeding 75 per cent. to be charged. Telephoning : It was reported.bra unit controller-that he had. got a; call through to area,office -in under two hours, after congratulations his handicap was reduced to bogey : Circulars: Certain of these were agreed as having been received and completely misunderstood. Expenses: Attention was drawn to the fact that expenses chits should not show more than 25s. 9d. per bottle—any excess could be added as " tips and sundries." Lost vehicles : It was felt that the loss by a unit of more than five vehicles in a week indicated a need for greater care.
Applying "CM." Costs. WRITING from South East to Transport Work in VY Asia Command, a major Africa . . who is considering the opera
. tion , of long-distance road
haulage in Africa says : "Please give my regards to S.T.R., whose Masterly treatment of the subject of operating costs has been of inestimable .value to me in preparing sets of costs-forecasts applicable --to.the • part of the• world in which-I intend to-try my hand:" Norway Looking for A FEW days ago we were t Our. , Help. in Road F-1. chatting with a young
.Transport . . Norwegian officer, and were
surprised to find That he had been in England only a fortnight, having been upil then in -Norway. He had come here to visit the M.O.W.T., in order to obtain help in reviving road transport in his ccnintry. One thing that had struck hini was the little damage to London compared' with, that clainud' by the Germans. He, however, had been able to listen in to our broadcasting during the . bombing of London, and was .immensely impressed by the spirit shown, the Itma programme making a specia,J appeal. He was also surprised at. the small. number of complaints made by the British public,
despite the continuation of fairly severe restrictions; , . and as to our food supplies, he had put on 14 lb. in 'the to weeks In Norway he had had to work Rr a branch of a German concern, the Norwegian chief of / -which *as, at night, an active member of the Resistance•MoVement. •
Cylinder Thermometer nNE of the, interesting new
Which Provides Much devices. whic,h is assisting Useful Data ., . ; engine designers is the Lodge
" thermocouple " sparking plug. By its aid, the internal heat Of each cylinder can be ineasured accurately under actual running conditions, so that the tester can observe how an engine reacts to 'different throttle openings, etc. One of the many interesting facts which this device has already disclosed is that there can be considerable differenCes of heat in the individual cylinders. In one case, a six-cylindered unit running at high . speed recorded temperatures varying from 770 degrees C. in the front cylinder to 690 'degrees C. in that at the back ; this is entirely contrary, to the usual belief that it is the rear cylinder which develops the most heat. Knowledge like this enables manufacturers to select tte most suitable types of sparking plug, and to correct other irregularities not .hitherto inimediately obvious. They include mixture strength, gas distribution and heat dispersal.