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English Production of Motor Spirit.

1st August 1918, Page 11
1st August 1918
Page 11
Page 11, 1st August 1918 — English Production of Motor Spirit.
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

AN IMPORTANT SCHEME, emanating from the Nottingham Corporation, is pow being propounded, which, if carried to asuccessful issue, May go a -very long way towards solving the difficulty in regard to supplies of motor spirit. It may, in conjunction with similar efforts in other

. areas in which coal also abounds, entirely revolution120 existing conditions. Difficulties inseparable from dependence upon foreign sources of supply have never been more strikingly manifest than under present exigent conditions. Local authorities are aiming at making Nottingham the centre for the, production of electrical energy, which will meet the needs, for manufacturing and other purposes, of towns within a _ radius of 40 miles, this being effected by the establishment contiguous to the River Trent of a huge generating station, to form one of the units in the national scheme to which the attention of Government authorities is now being directed. The matter, it goes without saying almost, is one which can only he brought within the range of practical possibility in districts in which, as in the Midlands, coal resources abound.

A committee composed of scientific and commercial experts has been for some time at work upon the project at Nottingham, and has had the advantage of interviews with Sir Arthur Duckham, of the Ministry of Munitions, and with Mr. Gridley, electrical adviser in that ,department of Government work, who have visited the city for the purpose of discussing the better utilization of the coal resources of the country, to which this branch of the subject is incidental.

For the purpose of the new power station material is to be utilized which, through its unsaleable character, has been long lying dormant in Midland collieries, this consisting of top hard slack and of what are known colloquially as " Jacks," the, latter a rough cannel-coal and both eminently suitable for producer fuel. Of the, former alone it is estimated that from 700,000 to 1,000,000 tons will be annually, available, equal to about 10 per cent. of the putout, in normal times. An indispensable element to the success of the Scheme, which will, vitalk affect a considerable number of Midland towns, is the recovery of such byproducts as the process of fuel treatment allow, and the result of examination, upon the basis of laboratory tests, leaves no qoubt that 'among these will be a, substantial proportion of motor Spirit. Nottingham's own possibilities in the Matter are great, but added to those in other districts some striking results may be reasonably anticipated. The main project of power supply'has now reached a stage at which the Corporation has wisely entrusted the committee with fuller powers of action in the direction of calling in the assistance of one or more experts of scientific standing to advise upon the , technical details.

Midland colliery proprietors are cordially cooperatinr, in securing the success of the sclneme, one sub-comCittee to Wirich the discussion of essential details was relegated. being presided over by Mr. H. Eustace Milton, who is connected with the Buttersley Co.'s extensive group of pits, and who has among his colleagues in the work of investigation Professor O'Shea and Professor McMillan. There is a cognate scheme as to motive power supply which is occupying the attention of the colliery owners and iron-masters of Notts. and Derbyshire, who have invited represen. tatives of the Nottingham corporation to co-operate with them in discussing the establishment of a super electric power station. The Nottingham committee has been criticised in some quarters upon the score of its ambitious character, it being suggested that the projected area, of supply is unduly large, embracing at it would Yorkshire territory in the direction of Sheffield on one side and trending south close up to Rugby, with a, line from Uttoxeter to Sleaford bisecting the circle between the other extreme points ; but whatever may be the ultimate determination as to the area, it is clear that the production of motor spirit upon a large scale may be made an integral part of the scheme, and its importance in view of developments of 'road_traffic isobviously impossible of exage ration.

Rationed Advertising.

HE COMMERCIAL FIRMS who before the war spent their tens of thousands on advertising to the public are to-day experiencing a hitherto inconceivable problem. They cannot find enough advertising channels no matter how nnich they are prepared to pay.

True, in many industries, conditions are such that advertising to sellrgoods is unnecessary ; there is either a shortage of the commodities or the demand is regulated so that all product is sold before it leaves the factory. But the great advertiser views his publicity from a, broader standpoint. It has created,for him not merely national sales, but also a national (often an international) goodwill. His advertising has been in the nature of a guarantee to back his goods.

He wishes to conserve, to consolidate, and to in&ease that goodwill, and to guard against the dread possibility of the public forgetting-his name. 13-ut his opportunities are fewer than they have ever been before.

The shortage of paper has necessitated the reduction of the advertising space available in all periodicals, and advertisers have to content themselves with .compressing their messages into small .areas. Advertisers who formerly spoke in thunderous tones are now almost confidential by comparison. ,

Extra newspaper space simply cannot be bought, as the 'manager of an important production recently found to his sorrow. Through force of circumstances he had been unable to make arrangements well in advance, and when he tried to book advertisements found it impossible. And his production failed in a

: Posters are restricted, to such sizes as to render them insignificant.. The elaborate, mounted showcards that advertisers found useful for shop advertising are out of the question on account of the scarcity of strawboards. Catalogues and price lists ,are limited in number and bulk under an -official , order, and even werb there no restriction's here they would never be 'a complete substitute for the 'publicity afforded by 'newspapers, their position being rattier that of a link

in a chain. . .

. Experts engaged in the direction of publicity who are not -serving with the Forces are devoting their energies to Government publicity and propaganda .work. •

Most 'advertisers are looking for the happy day when,they can Yesume operations on a big scale, for goodwillis the lifeblood of business, and there will be .a lot of leeway to make up.—Herb-ert C. Ridout in the "Daily Mail."


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