More Coke, and Why.
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We last surntnarized the claims of coke upon all commercial intereSts in our issim of the ith ult. Mr. E. W. L. Nicol, the fuel expert and engineer to the London Coke Committee, continues the argument in the course of an article from• his penwhich we publish to-clay. He bases his case, as on previous occasions, upon the inter-related effects -of demands for coke and benzole. It is clear that the greater the production of benzoie the moire must coke be placed upon the market, and it is therefore obvious that supplies of this commodity will be available for all classes of consumers. • The Government may, as we forecasted last month, before long decide to place a tax upon the use of open fires for the consumption of cOal. It may be decided to order the use of coke. Waste of the volatile portions of bituminous coals will certainly not be sanctioned in the future, either by legislation or common consent. The country cannot afford to continue to dissipate motor spirit, ammonia, and other valuable products of destructive distillation " airily."
, Owners of steam wagons and tractors are again exhorted by Mr. Nicol to consider the claims of coke on the grounds of eoonomy. We foresee that,. after the war, the preaent World-shortage of coal will not be adjusted by improved shipping facilities and other means of distribution for -a long time—for as long, perhaps, as three or four years. That is a powerful argument in favour of preparedness to use coke, and Mr. Nicol repeats the pcant that . any 'fire-grate in which coke can be consnmed.peasesses a margin to allow the alternative combustion of coal if desired.
We are not a little interested bathe schemes for the popularising of coke as afuel on other grounds. It appears to es that, after the war, the present latitude which is allowed to owners of steam wagons and tractors in respect of the emission of smoke will be curtailed. If, theo, users have not become accustomed to burn coke, they will, in the absence of general supplies of smokeless coal, laxe to take increased risks of being fined for non-compliance with the definition of Section I of the Act. of 1.806.
:Coke, given plenty of firebar and of space, is an admirable fuel for the majority of road-traction purposes. If is becoming increasingly a national duty to pay heed to its claims. Their value should be tested by users as the opp-ortunity presents itself.
Women as Drivers.
" Everyone rushes to help us. . . Our customers never keep us waiting the way they do a vanman." Thus does one of our fair corresnonderits, te whom we made reference in our first leading article of a fortnight ago, give an indication of the manner in which some women drivers are very properly helped te get through their work. This confession of at least occasional necessity for assistance goes to prove the rule to which we have admitted certain exceptions. Our Correspondent. whose second letter we publish amongst our " Opinions from Others" this week, is engaged' upon a somewhat-heavier class of delivery than is legitimately covered by the definition of light motorvan work. She is, however, with her girl assistant, evidently serving rounds and routes in popu, bus districts, and not employed on long-distance journeys or inter-urban duty. How Would she fare, we ask, if some or all of the work had to be done at points and places where the welcome assistance which she so generously acknowledges was not forthcoming? It is of the greatest national importance, at the present time, that women who are strong enough should do ail manner of work in substitution for men, and we have records before us of women who are stoking furnaces quite asWell as the best of the men whom they have set free to go to the Front. One knows, too, that women are successfully driving electric tramcars, in Glasgow and other cities, with men doing duty on the same vehicles as conductors. This last-mentioned fact of itself is 'sufficient to prove that., in comparison with the residue of men who are available for nianua.I work of ordinary kinds, large numbers of women are in fact their physical superiors. It is far from our intention to do anything but to express—as we in fact have done—genuine admiration for the manner in which women have taken up exacting tasks, but we have yet to be shaken in our firm belief that they are not, unless in ,exceptional cases, suited for the driving of commercial-motor vehicles, Other than these wine].) are of the lighter types. We shall be interested to have views from, owner-readers.
New Agrimotors —A Warning.
-. The progress of the agrimotor, by reason of the special circumstances of -the time, has received a generous fillip. In this it is only sharing in the general advance made in all classes of machinery as applied to industry., There is one-special aspect, however; which 'deserves serious consideratien a.t the hands of all users and prospective users. We refer to the serious fact that many of them do not bear the hall-mark of having received the prolongedand detailed consideration, both in the matter of their -design and construction, which we in this country are accustomed to expect in the better-class production of our engineering works.
. Agricultural tractors that we have seen, although admirably/designed to accomplish their work, for a time, do not appear to have the lasting qualities demanded by British users. We may -specify one point only,. in Support of our contention : they are..not,adequately covered and protected from the injurious effects of grit and dust on their moving parts. This
feature alone hasbeen shown, in theaexperience of British constructors, to deserve the most painstaking care. Any motion work, no matter, l}ow,q,pparently
simple or unimportant, if neglected in this important aspect. wears at an alarming and Costly, rate. We have no desire to discourage in the slightesb degree the use of agrimotors ; obviously, our wishes are all in the opposite direction. Bad experiences with hastily-bought, and in some cases as hastilydesigned, machines must cause the industryas a whole to be discredited, and to suffer a set-back: