OPINIONS and QUERIES A Request for Our Assistance.
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The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
[3892] Sir,—May we ask for your consideration of the following facts in connection with the Salter Report on road and rail transport? The proposal to restrict licences for haulage contractors will mean the end of many thousands of independent hauliers; most of whom (like anyone who takes . the responsibility of owning something) are strong supporters of the Conservative Party. This statement is proved by the limiting of licences for passenger transport under the Road Traffic Act (1930).
There are now 13,000 fewer passenger vehicles, and those that • are left are semi-railway-controlled or owned by large combines; this, apart from curtailing healthy competition and service to the public, is 'undoubtedly against the country's interests in times of labour trouble. The same position will indubitably arise with goods transport if the report be adopted. The statement that the report is agreed by representatives of road and rail is absolutely untrue. There was not one member on this conference who really represented long-distance road transport as an industry, and we were not even allowed to propose one.
May we ask you to support us in our fight to pre. serve our independent businesses and save the country from another powerful stroke by these grasping monopolists, who, with their poverty of enterprise and cumbersome restrictions, are destroying our country's strongest characteristics and leading us to the obvious horror of nationalization?
W. R. JACKSON, Partner,
Liverpool. For the Warpool Transport Co.
[We think that it is hardly necessary for the Warpool Transport Co. to solicit our help in this matter. We have already expressed very strong views on the report in question, taking the initiative in this matter within two;days of its publication. We quite agree that the proposals as to the licensing of hauliers, which would involve the haulier in justifying his request for licences, is a retrograde step, which may do incalculable harm to the industry. The average haulier would then be in a worse position than the passenger-vehicle operator, who is, as a male, better able to bear the expense of legal advice and representation.—End
Costs for Steamers and Oilers.
The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
[3893] Sir,--In his letter, published in your issue of October 14, Mr. W. H. Goddard displays an innocence of the bare rudiments of transport costing that deprives his remarks of value.
• How happy would be the haulage contractor's. lot if he could dispense with depreciation as readily as does your correspondent, by the payment of 5 per cent. Interest per annum.
Unfortunately the £000 price difference between the steamer and the oiler must be amortized over the life of the vehicle and appear on the cost sheet as an additional charge of, say, f120 per annum—sufficient to pay a large proportion of the steamer's yearly fuel cost.
From Mr. Goddard's subsequent criticism of the steam vehicle it would appear that his knowledge of the subject is no more profound than that of his costing. We can assure him, however, that the modern steamer can, in over-all running cost, performance and reliability compare more than favourably with any road vehicle in its range, whether for runs of 1,200 miles per week with 12 tons, or assisting less easily started neighbours into action on chilly mornings.
F. W. BENNETT,
For The "Sentinel" Waggon Works, Ltd. Shrewsbury.
Employees Dismissed for Complaining of Overwork.
The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
13894] Sir,—A number of transport firms have recently been lined for violating Section 19 of the Road Traffic Act, 1930; but this does not hinder others from forcing their drivers to work longer hours than are laid down in the Act, and it seems to me that drivers are not protected sufficiently from this particular type of employer.
Suppose that I am an employer and that I want my men to work extremely long hours, if they refuse there are plenty of men who would be very willing to oblige me, in order to obtain work, and willing to say nothing regarding long hours, so it is up to them whether they want to keep their jobs or not.
Another example is, one of my drivers, by falling asleep at the wheel, causes an accident and,complains that he is overworked and has gone so many days without proper rest. The result is a heavy fine for me; but is it likely that I will still employ a driver who has complained against me to the police?
I know very well a man who complained to his employer, a coach proprietor, that he was not having sufficient time off for rest ; that was during the early part of August, and that man is still having a rest. When asked by prospective employers as to why lie was dismissed from his previous situation, what chance does he stand should he tell the truth? Should his previous employer be asked the reason for disposing of this man's services, is it likely he will help a man who has insisted on his rights? This min is actually being penalized for insisting on having proper rest. Why .should this be allowed?
A favourite method used by a number of employers is to give a very, small standing wage, plus so much per ton carried, and, to make matters worse, a notice explaining Section 19 is issued to all drivers. What a fdrce!
These men are forced to keep at it in Order:to obtain a living wage, and if they do not .someone else will.
Another system of paying is so much per trili—no trips, no money; but can you imagine an employer of this type allowing his men to rest when a rush is on, or can you imagine a driver, having been idle for a few days, having his full number of hours rest? I do. not suppose he would work very long if he did.
This type of employer has a very spasmodic business, and when a rush of work comes along, not having many vehicles, he expects you to keep going.as hard as you can in order to get back for another load.
The question that now arises is : What -possible protection is this section of the Traffic Act to the driver?
If he complains or is the cause of the police taking action against his employer he, in 99 cases out of 100, loses his employment, or else he works day and night and, thinking himself lucky in having a job, says nothing.
Perhaps in the near future a scheme will be brought into force compelling employers to keep a log book for each vehicle and driver, showing the mileage and hours of work. This book to be inspected by the police or other authorized persons every so often. Y.F.S. Luton.
The New Patents Act.
The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
[3895] Sir,—There is a widespread impression that the official Patent Office examiners will now make a more extensive search than hitherto before granting a patent in this country. This is wrong; there is no widening of the search. The only statutory obligation on the examiner in this respect (Section 7) is still, as of old, to search among British Patent Specifications. The new provision, however, is that the Comptroller may cite "any document" within his knowledge, but there is to be no new rigidly prescribed search.
This is very different from the search of unrestricted scope undertaken in several other countries (e.g., Germany and United States), with the result that patents granted in these countries have a higher reputation than British patents and offer a better security to those financially interested.
In practice, the examiners will bring to the notice of the Comptroller all kinds of anticipatory document of which they may be aware in their own general knowledge, and it is estimated that even such a compromise will involve an ultimate annual sum of £60,000. This is to be partly met by an increase in patent fees, expected to yield 138,500 annually. EDWIN C. AXE.
London, W.C.2.
Interesting Facts on Oil-engine Performance.
The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
[3896] Sir,—Shortly after the start of the oil-engined vehicle in this country it was seen that the economy in fuel consumption was very great, and this has since been thoroughly confirmed and generally recognized. As a matter offact, at to-day's fuel prices it amounts to nearly 90 per cent.
The critics, however, and certain people who seemed earnestly to desire that this engine should not prosper, were busy spreading the news that whilst the fuel economy was admitted, the maintenance costs would be so great that the fuel advantage would be almost eliminated. This, of course was partly based on the fact that the pre-chamber engine has to be equipped with electric starting gear, which must obviously add to the maintenance costs. It is quite a common thing for these vehicles to have to be towed for a start, owing to the' heavy amperage pulling the battery down so low that it will not drive the starter.
When, however, the direct-injection engine made its appearance, the outlook was entirely changed, and—at least where one popular engine is concerned—no electrical gear whatever, except that for lighting, was required, but this is not the principal item of cost.
Engineers in charge of fleets of motor vehicles were
all anxious to obtain authentic data concerning cylinder wear, big-end-bearing wear, crankshaft-bearing weir and .generally the maintenance outlook as compared with petrol engines. Naturally, to get at this we had perforce to wait until such time as we could show not one, but many vehicles which had run a really big mileage, under all sorts of circumstances of roads -and weather and general normal conditions of haulage. This has been a matter of patience, but now at last, after four years and five months of experience, we have ample data available to prove that not only
is the oil engine (I refer, of course, to those engines which are properly designed by firms with the neces.sary :experience) less costly to maintain than the petrol engine, but to Rich an extent that the actual results will astound those who are interested in these matters.
Perhaps. one of the most important and convincing results is that of an important firm in the north who
have a fleet of 14 oilers, mostly 10-tonners. They also have many similar vehicles with petrol engines. The maintenance costs on the latter average. 2.82d. per mile, and on the oilers 0.82d. per mile. The petrol machines cost 2.75d, per mile for fuel and the oilers 0.33d. Thus the economy in maintenance, 2d. per mile, approaches that of the fuel, 2.42d, per mile, and the total economy is thus 4.4241. per mile, which can be considered • as remarkable. The cylinder wear in the first engine amounted to .0015 in. for over 20,000 miles' running. In another case the cylinder wear after 10,000 miles was .0005 in.
There is, in the Midlands, an engine which has run 100,000 miles without reboring, and although this is now needed, the engine still starts by hand with two or three turns, proving that the compression is still good.
A five-cylindered engine running in Hull was recently opened up for the first time after 18,577 miles and found to be in excellent order. This engine has never had a spanner on it and the sprayers had never been removed. It was returned to service without touching. The Leeds double-decker bus was opened up after running 34,000 miles and found to be in good order ; cylinder wear was very small, and the main bearings and big-ends perfect.
In Derbyshire there are two engines which have run • over 60,000 miles and have never lost a day's work. They start up with two turns, just as they did when new.
On the Continent there is one of this same British make of engine which has completed 32,000 miles in a double-decker, and has never been touched.
All the above engines are of one British make, and . there are now about 1,000 running, both here and all over the world. We can now say that this British engine has the world beaten, it is a great and highly satisfactory achievement and one to be proud of.
I think that there need now be no doubt whatever that, at least in this unit, the maintenance costs are
well below 30 per cent. of those of similar petrol engines. Unfortunately, there are other examples which have proved to be very costly' in maintenance.
This is solely due to the fact that the makers have not had the experience which is so vitally necessary in the designing and making of compression-ignition engines.
Leeds. W. H. GODDARD.
Particulars as to Beet Haulage.
The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
[38971 Sir,—As I propose to put my lorry on to sugar beet work, will you please let me know the nearest centre from Preston for this work, also the length of time that the "season" lasts? BEET. Preston.
[The nearest sugar-beet factory to you is at Allscott, Shropshire. You should apply to the Shropshire Sugar Beet Co., Ltd., Allscott, Wellington, Salop. The season commenced at the beginning of October and closes on 31st December.—S.T.R.]