Answers to Queries.
Page 18
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Tablet "Dopes" for Petrol.
[2928] (Suffolk).—We have never dealt in a favourable way editorially with the claims of tablets or other " dopes " to increase the strongth (fuel value) of petrol.. We are, on chemical and physical grounds, extremolysceptieal as to the securing of benefit.
"The Commercial Motor" Not a Maker. .
[2929] (Foods).—You have inquired from us, re a 23-30 cwt. van, apparently in the 'belief that we are manufacturers. We have had pleasure, however, in sending a copy of our last-issue to you by separate post, and we now refer you to the advertisement pages in it.
Can They Rely on Retaining Services of Their Men Dui Back from A.S.0 ,M T.?
[2930] (Kent).—Time-expired soldiers are not liable to the provigions of the Military Service Act, and your men nail safely come back to you so far as present legislation goes. We cannot, of course, say whal the effect of any new legislation may be, but we are inclined to think that no such legislation will be necessary.
About to Complete an Engineering Apprentices1-4 [2931] (Clyde).—If the engineering trades are " 1111starred," we will consider in good time the position of apprentices. No doubt the Ministeo of Munitions will shortly take in hand the undue transferences of labourers, not only without qualifications to the ranks of skilled wankers in munition works, but also to the safe empleymentoso far as war risks are concerned, of continuing at their own labouring occupation.s under the protection of a munition badgc.
surprise of Excise People When Asked for 5d. a Gallon Petrol Rebate.
[2932] (Carrier).— You must certainly press your claim for 3d. per gallon rebate since the coming-intoforce of the new Budget resolutions of September last, It depends, of course, whether the petrol actually bore 6d. per gallon, or 3d, per gallon, before the extent of the rebate due to you can he definitely settled. Under the Finance Act (No. a) of last year, the duty was increased to 6d., but the percentage rebate for commercial owners was re-enacted as 50 per cent., both in respect of the first ad. and of the second ad., thus entitling you to 3d. per gallon rebate on alf the petrol which has borne full tax. You must certainly persevere in your claim. We are amused to learn of the surprise of the local Excise officer.
Wife Will Drive Van When He Joins.
[2933] (Owner).—You appear to have been using your car with a van body, although it is registered with a two-seater body. Reversion in practice to the two-scater body will conform with the registration. Your wife must be careful never to carry a passenger, or to give anybody a lift for pleasure purposes, or she may invalidate the claim to exemption from carriage tax. Perhaps it will be a good plan to adapt the second seat by attaching some small box to it, so that, in fact, it is not available to carry a passenger. As regards your attestation under the Derby Seheme, the law is that any man can be transferred from any branch of the Army to another. You will certainly stand no chance of getting a place in the A.S.C., MT., unless when you present yourself to join the Colours your qualific.ations are held to be so specially good in that direction that they outweigh the country's claims and necessities in respect of more infantrymen. An expressed desire by a recruit, or an expressed preference by him, on attestation, for a particular branch of the Service, really counts for nothing, • we regret to have to inform you. n52 Penalty for Breakdown of a Hired Van.
[2934] (Hirers).—It is-usual for parties who hire out motor vehicles to offer to provide a substitute in the event of breakdown, and certainly to do so in consideration of a small additional payment for the insurance of regular service. If, however, you are content to lose the services of the van for a day, we do not think you can claim more than very little above the rate which you pay—merely sufficient to act as an inducement to the hirer not to leave you in the lurch. For example, if you are paying £2 per day, any days on which the van is not sent and kept available to you should be covered by apayment of lOs., you to pay nothing by way of hire. There is no practice in areas where hiring business is not on a -fair scale. Another way of .protecting yourselves is to require the -contractor to make up a weekly minimum mileage, if required.
6 m.p.g. on Paraffin: 5i m.p.g. on Petrol.
[2935] (Chile).—The discrepancy in the consumptions, as between paraffin and petrol, is amazing. Paraffin should certainly not be better than the petrol to a greater extent than one mile per gallon, unless you help the efficiency of paraffin by introducing steam into the cylinders in some way when running on paraffin. As regards the exceptional consumption of petrol, we, can only suggest that you have either to rich or too poor a mixture—probably the former. Perhaps you could try a smaller jet orifice, or possibly your jet level is a little. too low in relation to the level of the -spirit in the float chamber. There may, also, possibly he sonic leakage from the carburetter in the case of the petrol, although this would also taffect the paraffin unless you use a separate carburetter or vaporizer for it. As you say, at this distance it is extremely difficult to assist much in the matter.