Out and Ho m e. By "The Extractor."
Page 14
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Autogenuus Welding. Leyland's Diesel. Strike Results. A Tale Against Wigan.
A. case came before my notice during last week in Lancashire, which has a peculiar interest. A tradesman owning a motorvan had the ill-luck during the cold snap to have one of the cylinders crack. His man knew all about emptying the water out, but forgot. The owner went to the makers, who promptly offered to supply a new cylinder, but gave no hint about any welding process to repair the old one. Inquiry elicited the information that at the Engineering Exhibition in Manchester demonstrations of acetylene welding were made daily, and these included repairs to cracked cylinders. I remember the exhibit myself well, and most interesting it was. When the North of England Motor Show opened, our friend hopefully visited Rusholme expecting to find similar demonstrations going on, or at any rate, he hoped to find out something about the system, but he inquired and looked around and came away disappointed. No one seemed at all disposed to talk about repairs. Now it happens that the concern which demonstrated at the Engineering Exhibition was also actually at Rusholine, but doubtless through lack of space they could only find room for an office, and a unique office it was, fashioned like a ship's cabin. This was the exhibit of the British Autogenous Welding Co., 268, South Lambeth Road, S.E. Now, the object of this paragraph is to try and show that a demonstration exhibit such as this would be of immense interest at a motor show attracting numbers of owners, and both welding firms and exhibition authorities would do well to consider this. I hope the hint will be taken, and
that we shall see the results on many occasions.
We were all very much taken up with the Diesel engine made by Mirrilees nickerton and Day, which was shown at the London Lngineering Exhibition last September. As I pointed out last week, the proprietors of these journals have long ago pinned their faith to the Diesel in a practical manner, so, as I say, this le0 h.p. modern engine was the object of much interest on the part of our technical staff. To my surprise, on visiting the works of Leyland Motors, Ltd., during last week I find this identical engine installed there ; not, of course, driving the main shafting, but doing most useful auxiliary work. I soon learnt too that a '240 h.p. Diesel by the same makers is also to be installed in the same engine room. It was a great pleasure to be conducted over the Leyland Works by Mr. H. Spurrier, Junr., and to note the marvellous advances of the past 18 months. The extensive re-arrangement of the shops, because of additional tools and new buildings, was a veritable revelation to me, and now another acre and a half is being built over to cope with the turnover which is ever increasing. A grave view is taken of the strike here, hut it is chiefly on account of the raw material supply, because good stock of coal is stored up. Practically every part of the vehicle is made now at Leyland Works. Some idea will be formed of the extent of this undertaking, when I say that just on 1000 men are now employed, and all on commercial vehicles. The company is deservedly enjoying results from work that dates back over 16 years. Exactly how the coal strike is affecting our branch of the trade is the prevailing topic at the moment. Ey the time these lines are in print and circulated I am hoping that the strike will be practically over. In any case, I am assured it will take two or three weeks for the miners to get to work again. That, however, to my mind will not seriously affect the commercial-vehicle business, because, once the principle is settled, coal supplies will be available from one source and another. It behoves manufacturers, however, to prepare for a lengthened period of unrest, because the strike may drag out for weeks. I was struck last week by the longheadedness displayed by a director of one of the engineering firms with whom I came in contact. His concern is full up with work for many weeks to come, but his supplies of raw material will not last more than six weeks, and the Sheffield steel manufacturers have already sent out notices of closing down—some have already had to do so. So that in six weeks this engineering firm would be compelled to close entirely, and their best men would probably drift off to other firms who may be still working ; so it has been decided forthwith to put the men on three-quarter time ; their stock of raw material will hold out some weeks longer and the trouble may possibly be tided over.
In London we are not face to face with the strike's desolations as they are already in the mining districts, over some of which I have been during the past week. The men are jaunty enough and wear a holiday air, but I notice the women look sad and the small tradespeople are, of course, already in a parlous state. I stood near a long line of miners filed up to receive their strike pay on Friday last, and the average age seemed to he about '22, which somehow was a surprise. Wigan altogether wore a strangely unaccustomed look, but the patter of the clogs remind you that you qre amongst the collieries. This place is so essentially a mining centre of Lancashire that the following yarn is directed to it. " John Willie applies at the gateway of the region of the blest and is promptly and decisively refused admittance and referred round the corner to the left, down the 8teps. Even there in the nether regions they eye him over, look askance and eventually refuse him ; whereupon he bursts out tearfully and dejectedly—' Do you mean to say I am to go back to Wigan ?' "