The Growth of the Need for Precautionary Devices.
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THE PRODUCTION as an engineering job of a wheel skotch, described and illustrated in our last issue, has roused interest, which, for some time, has been latent, in the means for effectively countering the risk of running backwards on a, dangerous. incline. The earlier engineering methods of meeting this peril was by means of the sprag made in at least three forms; the expedient employed by the driver, whose vehicle was destitute of such an appliance, and who was faced with a difficulty, has been to use anything that came handy as a wheel skotch. The experience of the mechanical transport section of the Army was against the use of the sprag as generally fitted, because it was so often abused, or used in a manner and in circum stances which militated against its success. The wooden skotch trailed behind the rear wheels, a form known 'in, much more primitive methods of' transport, was found to answer the purpose under war conditions—but even this could be abused, so it was found, for it often became the fuel that heated the men's billy-cans and dixies, showing that human nature is, and always will be. thefl same.
The motor chassis has developed in the, directions of ample engine power and ample brake power, and with these the motor vehicle can go almost anywhere, but with the greater call that is being made upon the motor vehicle for goods transport, and also for the transport of passengers on pleasure and sightseeing bent, it is now necessary that it should go everywhere. , The type of passenger likely to be appealed to by motor coach touring is one that is apt to show small inclination to take bodily risks. Hence, on all public-service vehicles some form of sprag or skotch is held by the licensing authokties to be desirable—some going so far as to say that it is necessary. Goods vehicles that are never likely to be set to surmount steep hills could be exempted, but a goods vehicle shoula be able to take any job. that offers, no matter how difficult the country, whilst on overseas models it is not going' too far• to say that the sprag or sketch is essential.
We deal in this issue again vVith these devices and with experiences in various services in their use and application. With the employment of lower grades of driving talent as the use of motor vehicles extends and expands in all directions, the more general adoption of precautionary appliances such as sprags or sketches and even of engine governors will be found to be desirable.
A Word to Farmers Concerning the .Trials.
THE TRIALS of farm tractors (or, as we prefer to call them, agrimotors) commence at Lincoln . to-day (Tuesday), under the auspices of the Royal Agricultural Society of England, and will con tinue, probably, for ten days. Previous trials of° tractors have taken a non-competitive form, because it is. yet early days. in the history. of this form of 'utilizing power ; there is still much to learn of the conditions under which they will be called upon to work arid for which they must be, designed and constructed; and there is but a small amount of available talent capable of getting the best work out of the machines. .
Until design has settled down, coinpetitions are ill-advised and undesirable, and certainly can prove nothing. _ For that reason we have never' approved of the decision of the R.A.S.E. to make awards in the various classes, but, as it is the practice of the Society to make its trials of implements competitive and to award medals, the objections of the nianufacturers have this year been withdrawn, and they have ' subordinated their own preferences to those of the Society rather than imperil the trials. For it is the wish of the manufacturers to hold these trials annually, according to motor trade practice, under the auspices of the trade institution, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, and it would have been a pity to have allowed, the trials of 1920 to fall between the two stools."
As it is not possible to select from present-day tractors any, particular machine in a class and to say that that one is the beat, farmers will do well not to interpret the awards too narrowly. These awards are to be based chiefly upon fuel consumption and acreage ploughed in a given time, and also upon the opinion of the judges of the merits, of eonastrnetion of the machines.
Farmers who are present at the trials will be apt to judge the merits of the machines from the quality of the ploughing. The quality of the ploughing depends, first, upon the correct choice of the plough to suit the actual land under treatment, and, secondly, upon the right speed of ploughing to suit the land and the plough. In this ease the competitors have not been allowed to choose the ploughs, but must all use a make and type ot implement determined for each class by the Society, the object being to discover which tractor does the greatest acreage on the least fuel with a given kind of plough. The premise is a, false one, and we ask farmer spectators to take this into account and not to follow the ploughs and tc inspect the ploughing, but to watch the tractor and see how its work is carried out. Any, farmer who has got a good tractor can easily choose and adjust. his ploughs to suit his own requirements. . A final word to farmers. The Commercial Motor for some years has paid much attention to the agre., motor and to its application to farming—the gradual change over from haulage by horse to haulage by motor and the employment of motor power in other farm operations. It has a regular contribution from, one of the most expert agriculturists in the country, a pioneer in and an advocate of power farming. It is the authority on all forms of mechanical transport, and; in the adoption and illustration of motor power on his land and in connection with, his work, the farmer will find thatThe Commercial Motor can be of just as much value to him as it has been found to be to all who, in other industries, have become users of commercial motor vehicles. The services of the staff of the journal are placed unreservedly and on all matters at the disposal of its readers.
In our next issue (published on Tuesday, October 5th) we shall deal fully with the happeningseduring tile first week of the trials, and a further nurnber.of special articles written for agriculturists will appear,
The Motor Industry in Parliament.
WE SHALL PUBLISH next week an article containing what is, in our opinion, a very imPortant proposal, which we strongly recommend for consideration and discussion by manufacturers at the time of the forthcoming Commercial Vehicle Show, when the temporary centralization of the industry in London particularly facilitates such discussions. We may say in advance that the proposal deals with the problem of securing for the motor industry truly effective representation in Parliament and means of maintaining closer and more effective touch on the one hand with the Government and on the other with the representatives in Parliament of the interests ef manual workers.
The Aerial Conference.
THE AIR COUNCIL has announceclits intention of holding an Aerial Conference in the Council Charaber of the Guildhall on October 12th, 13th, and 14th. The purpose is to examine the present situation and presumably, to encourage accelerated development by an admittedly useful method of pro-. paganda. Papers are to be read by recognized authorities, whose names should be sufficient to secure wide publicity for the event, in the organization of which the aircraft constructors are, evidently, to some degree associated with the Air Council. In our opinion' the main value of any conference of this kind is its propagandist value. It is more useful as,a means of moulding public opinion outside than as a means of increasing the knowledge of those who actually take part. The Air Council should, of course, be in a, position to know whethez the conference is wisely timed from. the point of view of the importance of some early interchange of know ledge' and opinion. . It seems to us, however, that fronlasome points of view' it would have been much better if the event had taken place at the time of the Aerial 'Exhibition a few months ago. Had this been arranged, the conference could, surely1 have been..made to serve as a means of holding public attention to the subject of aviation during the exhibition and, thus, increasing the attendance and securing more widespread and .intelligent appreciation of the exhibits. As the opportunity was missed, the question naturally arises whether, if it is intended to make the Aircraft Exhibition an annual event, for the present, it might not have been better policyto postpone the conference until the time of the next exhibition, utilizing the intervening period for organizing the representation of distant interests from all parts of the world. It would seem probable that the forthcoming conference has been organized at somewhat. short notice. We sincerely hopethat it will be beneficial to the cause. of civil aviation, but we commend to the promoters the suggestion. that, on future occasions, conference and exhibition—or, in other words, theoretical discussion and ocular demonstration—should be combined with a view to making each mutually beneficial to the other.
The Paris Marche du Monde .
IT WOULD SEEM that rapid progress is being made 'with the scheme for establishing in Paris a Central Market for the products of all nations. This scheme involves the construction of an enormous building on the banks of the Seine and within the boundaries of Paris. The interior of the building will form what may be described as a carefully; planned town; in which each street will be the business centre of some particular industry. In a sense, the idea is an organized application of' the principle that is approved, for example, by medical specialists who, in London, have made the district of Harley Street their own, by the coachbuilders who have located themselves in Long Acre, and by the motor dealers who have fellowed the coachbuilders into the same thoroughfare and developed a new centre of their own in Great Portland Street. Then, again, in our international motor exhibitions, we have a good example of the application of the principle that it is desirable to show our goods alongside of our competitors and, so, to challenge direct and immediate comparison. The market is intended primarily as a trade centre, attracting the agents, dealers, and buyers from all distant and foreign. parts, but we can see it gradually absorbing more and more of the retail motor trade of Paris, as well, even if only because of the claim for economical working of the various staffs. While naturally regretting that, if the thing is to go through, the chosen centre should be other than in this country, we must admit that Paris has many advantages, being readily accessible from all quarters and, possessing attractions which enable visitors to combine business with pleasure. With regard to the retail side of the business., one may question to what extent a position in this enclosed market will really serve as an equivalent to a showroom in a frequented thoroughfare. In some respects it has not the same value. It attracts primarily, if not solely, those who mean business before their arrival. It has not any • propagandist value in appealing to the man in the street who has not yet realized that he means business at all. ' When the novelty has worn off, it is not to be expected that the market will draw crowds. Its ability to draw and to clinch the business of serious inquirers depends largely on the degree to which it is representative. If a. man is undecided as between eight or ten different makes of 'vehicle, and can only see two or three of these in the market, then the firms which occupy positions there do not appear to gain any particular advantage. What limy appear to be a minor point, but what is, nevertheless, of the utmost importance, is the problem of securing really good ventilation in what is, to all intents and purposes, an immense exhibition building that must be roofed mainly with glass. There is nothing so fatiguing as a prolonged stay in a badlyventilated exhibition, and, if there are grounds for complaint on this scare, the holders of positions will suffer as against firms running their own depots in other parts of the city. The fact remains, however, that, if the scheme of the market succeeds at all, it will certainly cause a big increase in the amount of buying done in Paris,