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Small Oil Companies Defended

26th October 1951
Page 48
Page 48, 26th October 1951 — Small Oil Companies Defended
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

THE article entitled " Why Oil is Not Just Oil" by 1 P. G. Tucker in "The Commercial Motor," dated October 5, is well written and gives in simple language some basic facts and good advice to operators, but the final paragraph appears to be rather unfair to an appreciable number of reputable oil companies -which have for many years given excellent service to their customers. I feel sure that the writer did not intend to convey the impression that all oils, except those supplied by a small group of the large oil companies, were suspect, if not actually unsafe to use.

There are some old-established oil companies in this country the names or brands of which are not household words, but which have for long supplied lubricants the quality of which is at least equal to, and sometimes better than, those of the well known advertised brands.

Unlike certain of the large companies, which have international connections, some of these smaller allBritish companies have not vast finance behind them to indulge in continuous and expensive advertising to make the names of their products household words. Even if they had, they would find it practically impossible to obtain official approval of their products by the majority of private-car manufacturers in this country, owing to the arrangements that exist between these car manufacturers and the major oil companies. Admittedly commerciSI-vehicle manufacturers in general do not altogether come in this category, because they usually issue a specification to cover oils that would have their approval, rather than specify a particular number of the favoured brands.

The following facts may be of interest: Some years before the war the company with which I am associated submitted to the majority of car manufacturers in this country a new improved type of lubricating oil, which was infinitely superior to any of the proprietary oils then being recommended. It consisted of a solventrefined oil from Pennsylvanian crude, in combination with a multi-functional additive for the resistance of oxidation and improvement of film strength. It was tested by the technical departments of several motor manufacturers, which eventually reported on the superior results they had obtained with it.

In all cases, however, we were finally informed by the-motor companies concerned that, owing to the contractual commitments they had with a certain number of major oil companies, they were absolutely prohibited from either recommending or using any other oil except those supplied by the said oil companies, however good it might be. • They did, however, ask these companies how, it was that a small, independent firm could produce a lubricant which was so superior to their own products, and the interesting part is that within a year the major oil organizations all made drastic alterations in their advertised brands.

By all means advise 'users against low-priced unbranded oils, but in doing so do not be unfair to the reputable independent oil firms who can and do give first-class products and equally good service to the commercial operator.

London, W.6. J. W. GRAHAM.

(For Hope Hartope and Co., Ltd.) DO THE CONSERVATIVES MEAN TO CRAMP ROAD HAULAGE I"

By the time this appears in print, it might be either

highly topical or of academic interest only. I would like to voice the opinion of many operators that the Conservative party did not back up the road haulage industry in its election manifesto. What did it mean by "modification" of the 25-mile limit? Why not "abolition," such as we have been demanding for so long?

The Conservatives do not propose to denationalize

the railways If we look at other countries with Stateowned railways, including some in the British Commonwealth, we find road haulage operators cramped ahd penalized, whether the Government be of the left or the right. Do the Conservatives propose to do the

same here? _ London, E.C.I. F. W. RICHARDS.

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Locations: London

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