OPINIONS FROM OTHERS.
Page 30
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The Editor invites correspondence on all subjects connected with the we of commercial motors Letters should be on one side of the paper only and typewritten by preference. The right of abbreviation is reserved, and no responsibility for
views expressed is accepted.
Horse-ploughing Costs.
The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
[1808] Sir,—With reference to the competition for the prize of 210 offered by this company tor the best reply received as to actual cost of horse-pIoughing. This competition closed at the end of the month, and the hundreds of replies received are now being carefully scrutinized by the undersigned for the purpose of making the award..
Meanwhile, it may be of interest to your readers to know that a vast majority of these replies do not take into account many important factors in the cost Of operations, and there is no doubt' whatever that tho great bulk of the farmers who still adhere to horse-ploughing do not realize how much this work sctually costs them.
Taking the whole of the replies, however, and bearing in mind that the great majority do not make proper allowance for many of the charges, it. will be of interest to your readers to know that the average of all the estimates is Ll 16s. per acre. This figure is all the more impressive because some of the estimates range between 12s. and 21, and a very much greater nuniber are under25.s.' both of which figures are, of course, quite absurd under present conditions.
When it is considered that the large number of replies which give these very low figures help to reduce the average estimates, it will be understood, without going further, that the actual cost of horseploughing at the present day is in excess of 21 16s. per acre.
In connection with this figure of Li 16s., it is interesting to know that at a branch meeting of the National Farmers' Union a case was brought up for consideration which concerned the charge of 21 16s. per acre for ploughing, charged by one farmer against another. The farmer who was being charged this amount thought the amount was too much, but, after hearing the statement of the actual costs, incurred, the committee decided that 21 16s. was a fair estimate of the OA of ploughing two-horse land.
While it will be a few days yet before the. award can be made, this preliminary notice through your columns will serve to inform your 'leaders who have entered this competition that all whose replies quoted less than 21 16s. per acre have under-estimated the average cost of horse-ploughing under present conditions.—Yours faithfully, For the AUSTIN MOTOR TD.,
E. Co.,H. ARNOTT.
Full Measure From Bulk Storage Systems.
The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
[1809] Sir,—We are very interested in the report of the Chief Inspector of Weights and Measures of the Durham County Council on the subject of "Instruments for measuring petrol from bulk storage supplies," an extract of which appeared in your issue of the 1st inst., and need hardly say that we await the decision of the Board of Trade on this matter with considerable interest.
In the meantime we should like to mention that the apparatus made by our company, which is, as is well known a measure pure and simple, has always been stamped by the Weights and Measures ,authorities as a legal measure:—Yours faithfully,
For and on behalf of THE STEEL BARREL CO., LTD.,
IL C. DucE.WORTn. for Managing Director.
The Care of Chains,
TheEditor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
(1810] Sir,—In your issue dated February 8th, I noticed a short paragraph drawing attention to a booklet entitled Chains: Their Use and Abuse," by Hans Renold, Ltd.,
I would like to emphasize the importance of giving as much publicity as possible to this question of the treatment of chains. It is really surprising how chains can stand up to their work at all when. one sees the way in whioh they are so often neglected. When the final drive is by gearing something serious happens—and happens rapidly—if the driver neglects to lubricate the gears adequately and often, but with chain final drive neglect appears to be more the rule than the exception, in spite of the fact that dirty and dry chains waste a great deal of power, with a consequent increase in petrol consumption, besides causing an unnecessary and aggravating amount of noise.
When adequate chain cases are fitted, the situation is somewhat ameliorated, as much of the dirt, which would otherwise cover the chains is excluded, but even then as great care should be taken as if they were open, and the chains should be well lubricated as often as possible. The reason why chain final drive is not so popular as it might be is chiefly due to the result of this neglect, as it forms a most satisfactory form of drive if proper attention is paid to it.—Yours faithfully,
Cardiff. • G. Ws 3-OHM.
Extremist Fallacies and Misrepresentations.
The Editor, YEE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
[1811] Sir,—In view of -the constant references in your columns to the hampering effect on industry of labour unrest, it will probably interest your readers to hear that the Industrial Publicity Bureau, in whose founding and development I had the honour of taking an active part, is issuing for the -use of employers of labour' a series of short talks on industrial topics, which are printed in the form of little folders of convenient size to slip into, the men's pay envelopes each week.
The first six of these little talks (we call them P.D.T.s, short for Pay Day Talks) have already been issued, and P.D.T.s will continue to be published every week, dealing in turir with every possible subject of interest to the working man in his relations with his employers and industry in general • particularly they aim at enlightening him in sin;iplelanguage on those economic laws, of which he feels the operation, but which he does not understand.
This is the first national effort ever organized by the employers to shosv their employees "the other side of the picture." Leading industrialists are of one mind, that in this way only can the insidious extremist and revolutionary propaganda, which is misleading and antagonizing labour, and threatening the stability of industry, be counteracted. What we are doing is by means of P.D.T.s to educate the workers up to the employers' point of view, and their own best interests.,
The cost of operating the scheme,.I might mention incidentally, is so small that there is•no reason why every firm in -the eountry should not participate. Any employer of labour wishing to see specimen P.D.T.s, and to receive details of the scheme, can do so by writing to me.—Yours faithfully,
11, Archer Road, Penarth. LEWIS E. DICICINE.