Passing Comments
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Do Municipalities WHY is it that battery Realize the Value of TY electrics are employed to
Electriâ– m? such a small extent by
municipal authorities? These vehicles are surely admirably suited to the needs of a form of transport the characteristics of which are regularity, low mileage and frequent stopping and starting. Such users of road transport would do well to examine in detail the claims of the battery electric, weighing up every factor against the corresponding one in relation to petrol vehicles. Possibly many of them do not even know that this type of vehicle has now carved a deep niche for itself in the commercialtransport field, and, least of all, realize that there are such things as electric tower wagons, refuse collectors *end tractors, as well as smaller types for use in yards and works.
A32 THE Commissioner of the
Department of Road Transport and Tramways, Sydney, New South Wales, informs us that a special edition of the Highway Code, as compiled by the Minister of Transport over there, has been distributed to the number of 513,000 to all householders in the State, and arrangements have been made with the Department of Education for its issue to school children. It is considered to be one of the most intensive moves in road-safety education which has been adopted, and it follows the action taken in England some years ago, when 15,000,000 copies ofa similar publication were issued. We note that the Code, whilst being short and readable, contains such interesting figuresas speed in feet per second, brake-stopping distances and reaction times.
The Promotion of Road Safety in Austrails
Forestry Makes DeH" greatly the develop
mand for Producerment of the tractor has mand for Producerment of the tractor has gas Tractors . . aided forestry, was emphasized at a meeting in the S.M.M. and T. roams a little time ago. Mr: E. H. B. Bonlion was giving an interesting talk on forest logging and extraction, before the Institution of British Agricultural Engineers. The tractor scores in countless respects for forestry work, and in particular it makes a much cleaner job than more primitive methods of extraction, whilst offering great economy, not only in its own operation but in avoiding timber waste. It was, however, suggested with good reason that there should be more vigorous .attempts to perfect tractors which would use as fuel the material available all around them, in forestry. Here is one of the best known reasons why tractor manufacturers should regard the producer-gas outfit as worthy of their close attention.
WE have referred, in sc deribing the German motor roads, to: the use of sheets of paper between the foundation and the concrete of the carriageway. This is, mainly, to provide a smooth bed for the concrete, so that it does not key into the base and is, therefore, more free to expand. The use of such paper has now been made obligatory. It need not be waterproof, but must have a resistance to cracking equal to 267 grms. per sq. cm. on a circular surface two hours after immersion in water, must weigh between 152 and 180 grrns. per sq. cm., and not be liable to develcrp wrinkles in wet or windy weather, whilst the rolls must be as wide as possible. The minimum overlap must be 5 cm. at the edges and 20 cm. at the extremities, the direction of overlap being such as to prevent water from working its way under the paper.
Paper Assists in the Building of Concrete Roads