OPINIONS and QUERIES
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SPECIAL OIL FOR POLISHING VEHICLES .VOUR correspondent, Ronald N. Stafford, in your
• isSite of March 23, no doubt refers to the " polishingoil." method Of cleaning vehicles; ivhich is used by a number Of the large. transport .companies. This oil is manufactured bysome oil C-ompanies especially for this purpose.
The vehiclesare always dry-cleaned, unless the conditions will not permit of their. being allowed to dry. The mud is first. brushed off With a soft brush, and final cleaning performed with dry rag. The oil is applied by means of a wad of waste and must be used very sparingly, one egg-cupful being sufficient for five double-deck buses, If too much oil be used, a smeary finish will result, to which the dust will cling. The oil film is finally polished with _soft rag.
The oil preserves the paint and forms a thin film, which fills the small scratches, thus giving a bright appearance, also the film prevents mud and water penetrating the paint surface, so facilitating cleaning and preventing corrosion, with possible flaking of the finish.
The best method of issuing the oil is for each cleaner to deposit his wad of waste in a tray, to which the daily issue of oil is added. The wad is wrung as dry as possible before use, and it will last a week before becoming too dirty. S. F. GEARY, A.M.I.A.E.
Bournemouth. .
TRANSPORT FILM CLAIMED TO HAVE NO RAILWAY BIAS VOUR issue dated April 27 contains a letter discussing one of our films "Transport on Trial" and characterizieg it as "rail propaganda." To the letter is appended an editorial note in which you say that although you were informedby us, as its producer, that this film was not railway propaganda, you found it hard to believe that statement.
We would like to assure you again, aml perhaps in greater detail than we did on the former occasion, that this film is not in any way sponsored by any railway interest or by any other interest. You have our permission, if that be necessary, to put the question to any of the main-line railway companies, to the Railway Companies' ASsociatiefi or to the Railway Executive Committee.
It was through those two bodies that we obtained permission to go on to the premises of some of the railway coMpanieS to shoot material that we needed, and we may say that we did not obtain that permission without a considerable amount of difficulty. You would also be informed by the British Road Federation that, when we were planning the film, we received opinions and information from this body.
" Transport on Trial" is one of a series under the general title "Point of View," of which we produce one number a month. The general plan of that series is to take, one at a time, questions of social and economic interest to the people of this country and to present,. as fairly and impartially as we can, both sides of some argument that surrounds each question. There is a limit to the number and extent of the arguments that
can be presented, a limit set by the length of time to which a film may run, and what shall be included and what omitted is decided by an editorial board of seven people, each a member of this company. No other influence is brought to bear.
" Transport on Trial," as with every other film included in the " Point of View " series, is. produced to the last penny at our own expense, and for the revenue we get in return we are dependent absolutely upon the amount paid to us by cinema proprietors for the exhibition of the film.
We are conducting a commercial enterprise. We believe that, at the same time, we are playing some small part in steeling the determination of the people of this country to preserve their right to argue and decide problems for themselves.
We should regret it if any impression were allowed to prevail that any interested person or body was allowed to exert any influence on the arguments or facts presented in any of these films, and for that reason we hope that you will find it possible to print this letter along with this undertaking—that you may have any facilities for which you ask, to investigate the truth of everything we have said.
SINCLAIR Wool), Director.
London, W.I. For Spectator Short Films, Ltd.
[We appreciate the frank way in which Mr. Wood has stated the case for the Mtn in question. At the same time, such a film, when presented to a large section of the public, must undoubtedly have a direct influence upon what may be termed mass opinion. The problems and difficulties concerning important industries cannot be truly envisaged by a board consisting of people who hav& no particular knowledge of them, We, therefore, suggest that when films of this nature are being made, or have been finished, they should, before release, be submitted to experts in the fields covered. Points and criticisms may then be raised which have not occurred to the " board of seven 'people." We are sure that this would not depreciate the value of the films, but rather enhance it. So many people have remarked upon the apparent leaning towards the railway of the particular film criticized that it must, even unintentionally, reflect upon a great industry, which employs a far greater number than do. all the railway companies in this country, amid which the war has shown to be essential to our national securityand well-being—En.] ANOTHER PLEA FOR THESTEAM WAGON THE letters recently appearing in your correspondence
columns regarding the disappearance of the steam wagon from our roads have been Most interesting. It does seem that a policy lacking in foresight was followed, for not only' would the steam be very valuable in the present emergency, but its lack of encouragement must also have made an appreciable addition to unemployment in the coal industry over the past few years ; and this while the Government was supposed to be tackling unemployment.
As an efficient, reliable, all-British unit, the steam wagon should have received every encouragement, for, after all, steam is one of the finest prime movers ever likely to be devised; it has a long and honoured career behind it at sea, in industry, on rail, and on the road; in the first three places it has, to a large extent, held its own against all corners, and even now would soon revive on our roads if given fair play.
Nor can the steam-wagon designer be entirely excused for the present situation; for instance, the exhaust should have been removed from the funnel and a fan to create the necessary draught substituted, this being driven from the engine and linked up in sympathy with the steam throttle. Such an arrangement would have entirely obviated the menace of the condensed steam in foggy weather (the only really serious objection to the steam vehicle on the road) ; it would also have effected two other minor improvements automatically, because the gentle continuous draught would entirely obviate the ejection of sparks when working hard, whilst the exhaust steam would be returned to the feed tank via a condenser, thus rendering unnecessary the frequent stoppages for lifting water.
At the present time the steamer has all the virtues asked for ; it should receive every encouragement and the best brains of the country should be utilized for its perfection. R. B. SMITH. Lane End, Bucks.
PEENING PISTONS TO COMPENSATE FOR WEAR IN civilian life I am employed by a large haulage contractor. It was with great interest that I read, in the issue of your paper dated April 6, a note about the Koetherizing method of expanding pistons to make up for wear. Some time ago I was employed at a high-class motor works, and noticed that a similar system was being used then, although, at that time, the method of peening was more crude, but it gave good results.
We used a leather bag filled with sand and a specially shaped hammer with a 1-lb. head. The piston was laid on the leather bag and the skirt hammered outwardly on each side of the gudgeon-pin holes. The area around the holes and down to the bottom of the skirt was then reduced, so that there was no face contact with the bore at these places. Hand fitting was employed for adjusting the piston to the cylinder, each piston being tested with bearing-blue.
The effort may sound somewhat amateurish, but, in practice, it worked very well, and I have satisfactorily employed it also on motorcycle engines. When, however, I have suggested the method to engineering acquaintances, I have been ridiculed.
Another point I would like to mention is that the Army still employs qualified technical men on jobs which do not permit them to make use of their knowledge. I was on the Supplementary Reserve as a private, and I have had 27 years' experience in the motor trade, including a considerable amount with oil engines in municipal work, but since I have been in the Army I have spent practically all my time loading and unloading lorries and doing labouring—in fact, everything bar tasks in my own sphere ; yet both for Army and civilian requirements they are calling for fitters and mechanics. FITTER. Preston.