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Should Hogs be Branded ?
Omany suggestions made for reducing the toll "•,-1 of the road, perhaps the most original was that put forward by Councillor Lindsey Lewis, chairman of the Brighton and Hove Road Safety Committee. His plan. which incidentally was rejected, was that law-breaking drivers should 'have their cars branded. The main objection was that anyone buying such a car might undeservedly inhe,rit the brand.
The obvious alternative would be to brand the driver, but British justice would not accept such a drastic step back to the Middle Ages.
High Lucas Awards for Ideas
THE workers of the Lucas organization. comprisina
those of Joseph Lucas, C.A.V., Rotax and Girling, seem to be prolific in useful ideas, for during 1951 they received awards of £12,000 for those submitted through the WOIkpeople's suggestions schemes.
This sum included awards of nearly £1,500 made by the directors to 30 employees who had already received over this amount for their brainwaves_ Throughout-each year a committee, representative of workers and management, considers the suggestions, which aremainly for improved methods, increased productivity, and time, material and labour saving..
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Names are not put forward until after decisions have been made as to whether awards should be made. Finally the directors consider the ideas and make additional awards.
During 1951, a 38-year-old -chargehand, Mr. L.
• Westwood, received a total of £400 for his suggestions. First the joint committee awarded £50, then, in a special competition, he won £250 and the airectors added a further £100.
Mr. S. Mansell made 80 suggestions in four years,
six were accepted and his awards totalled £500. ..Mr. H. E. Coley has netted £560 for our ideas.
Motor Fuel from Cows
A DDRESS1NG a meeting at Anstruther, a farmer 41-1of East Fife stated recently that the German invention of a biological gas plant makes it possible to obtain the equivalent of 21 galls, of petrol per day, from the manure of a single cow, whilst the residue might include a better fertilizer than ordinary farmyard manure.
The fuel would be in the form of the gas methane, which can easily be employed in motor vehicles and tractors. The difficulty is the cost of the processing. plant, but efforts are being made to reduce this. If successful, it might mean the erection of a simple plant on any large farm.
Punishment to Fit the Crime ?
IN Helsinki, the capital of Finland, drivers who are I found guilty of being under the influence of alcohol, are treated in a manner which must have a most sobering effect. They are equipped with pickaxes and sent out to break up rocky ground for the forthcoming Olympic Games. We presume that this applies only to the fit, for grandfathers might not make much headway.
A more appropriate punishment in our view, might be to put them on to road work. There would certainly be unusual variety among the workers, judging from the classes in Britain from which offenders in this category emanate.
Our Meagre Expenditure on Roads
AN interesting table published by the Association of Automobile and Allied Industries of Italy, indicates the position of various European countries and the U.S.A. in respect of the annual expenditure on roads per head of population.
Converted into our currency the amounts are: U.S.A. £10 2s., Portugal £4 8s., Sweden £2 12s., Norway £2 11s., Britain II 9s., Italy I2s., Turkey 8s. 6d.
Actually, as pointed out by the British Road
Federation, the .comparison is even less flattering when we consider that motor taxation in Britain is producing, during the current year, £250m. and that the Government allocation to roads works out at only 12s. per head, the balance of 17s. being provided by the ratepayers. Thus owners of motor vehicles pay twice for their share of the roads. This would be acceptable if road users were getting the roads they deserve and pay for so heavily.
Regent Makes Progress
THE first film to be produced by the Regent Oil Co.. Ltd., which was shown in London last week, featured the policy of exclusive dealer representation. There is no doubt that under this scheme considerable improvements have been elfected in service-station forecourts, with a view to speedingup fuel-tank replenishment and giving those little personal touches which the dealer's customers appreciate.
The Regent concern has made considerable progress in this country since 1930, and judging from the remarks made by dealers visited by the film unit. this has been due mainly to the excellent service they have received from the oil company concerned.
Regent distributes the products of Trinidad Leaseholds, Ltd., and the California Texas Oil Co., Ltd.