Opinions from Others.
Page 21
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The Editor invites correspondence on all subjects connected with the use of commercial motors. Letters should he on one side of the paper only and typewritten by preference. The right of abbreviation is reserved, and no responsibility for views expressed is accepted.
Wanton Waste of Petrol.
The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
[1449] Sir,—As a, pioneer of motoring, may I first of all call attention to the paragraph, dated 1st March, on page 17 of .the issue of THE ComerEaciee MOTOR re the consumption of petrol by motorbuses which is to the point. I must protest against the wanton waste of petrol by buses, Government ears, delivery cars, taxis, etc. Only the other day in Victoria Station I counted 17 busts all running their engines rather than employ a one-armed soldier or some person tc restart them. The waste which is going on is scandalous ; thousands of gallons a day are being blown into the air by men who are not at the Front, and probably never will be. While some are daily giving up their lives to save England, others are at home wasting petrol simply and solely because they are too lazy to stop and start their engines.
Surely those at the head of affairs sitting comfortably in Berkeley Street should make some representation to the Government, and every agent would do well to point out, too, that they have a right to be provided with a proportion of the amount hourly wasted throughout the land. A Defence of the Realm Order should now be put in force to forbid anyone to run an engine more than a minute when the car is at rest—under a heavy penalty. With the motor tractors coming along there will be even less petrol than at present.—Yours faithfully, W. WINDHAM. London.
Canadian or American Tires?
The Editor, THE CObdMERCLAL MOTOR.
[1450] Sir —As a reader of THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR, and one interested in the question of the prohibition of imports—especially as affecting the motor industry —I have read with interest the report of your correspondent's interview with Mr. &Aka; of the Goodyear Tyre Co. (Gt. Britain), Ltd., which appeared in your issue dated the 8th. March.
I was rather surprised at some of the statements contained in the article, having always been under G the impression that the oodyear Tyre Co., Ltd., was purely an American concern, run by American capital, and that the organization in this country was merely the European distributing agency for the American house.
I also believed that the bulk of this company's tires were made in the United States, whereas the impression created by your correspondent is that they are made in the Goodyear Canadian factory. I should like to be enlightened on this point, as I have not myself yet seen a Goodyear tire of Canadian manufacture in this country.
On reference to the Import Returns for the six months ending the 31st December, 1916, it appears that the value of the tires imported from the United States is about thirteen times the value of tires imported from Canada, and seeing that the Goodyear Co. is credited with doing the largest business on this side amongst American companies, the statement in the article referred to can hardly be reconciled with the official figures.
As a, matter of information and of interest to motorists generally, I think it would be well if your correspondent, "The Extractor," could have another chat with Mr. Saylor with a view to clearing up the points raised, and possibly at the same time getting from him a statement showing the percentage .of tires imported from Canada—Yours faithfully, Ashtead, Surrey. A. C. BURNLEY. Advertisements Free of Charge.
The Editor, THE COlkIMERCIAL MOTOR.
[1451] Sir,—We are fortunate in having friends in the trade who are willing to pay for advertisements of our company. 04 the back cover of the issue of THE COMMERCIAL Merroe1 dated the 15th: March, Messrs. Dennis Bros., of Guildford, in advertising their excel..lent lorries, point out that they are built on principles conceived and laid down by us. Such an advertisement is mutually complimentary. It is indeed rare to find one engineering establishment using the product of another as a standard to which they hope to attain and we are indeed grateful for the honour which has been paid to us. While we thank Messrs. Dennis Bros. for their kindly action, we feel that we cannot be indebted to your good selves for full-page advertisements free of charge, and we therefore have pleasure to enclose herewith a cheque for £5 for your Campaign Comforts Fund.—Yours faithfully, For WILLIAM FOSTER AND CO., LTD.,
W. A. Tearrox, Managing Director. [We &TO most pleased to have this further contribution to our Comforts Fund from Sir W. A, Tritton's company.–En.] A Hard Legal Case.
The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
[1452] Sir,—In the issue of 1st March of THE ColdMERCIAL MOTOR, of which paper I have been a reader for many years, I notice the report of a case where the steersman of a steamer (a discharged soldier) had been summoned and fined for not producing a licence when asked for it by a police sergeant, although his employers had already applied for the licence to West Riding County Hall, Wakefield, and had received a receipt for cheque and licence, weieh clearly snowed that the firm was not trying to evade the law. Yet, in spite of this, the man was summoned and fined, although the firm, his employers, were busily engaged on Government contracts.
The time wasted by sergeant, solicitors, magistrates, employer and employees in the police court might lead one to imagine that there was no war going on at all. To make the whole case much worse, the man was a discharged soldier. It is a pity that the gallant sergeant cannot get a, job out here to do a bit for his country. I suppose he, and such as he, will be waiting to arrest and fine some of us out here if we are lucky enough to get back to "Blighty" when the war is over. I am now on active service on a Caterpillar tractor, hauling siege guns, but prior to joining up, was a steam driver and fitter myself. I might mention that Mr. Knight has my sympathy, especially as he is busily engaged in helping to win the war. By the way, an engine man on stationary plant never finds himself in a police court on account of his engine, yet the man who has to work for his living just the same on, a read engine is pulled up, summoned and fined for trivial cases, losing time at his work, sometimes days on account of travelling. There ought to he some protection for drivers against such procedures, and I hope to see this come into force before long.
Another thing which causes a lot of trouble is the five-mile-per-hour legal limit of speed with a trailer. When driving with a trailer, it is a puzzler to keep the restricted speed limit. We hope by the time the war is over to see some of these points rectified. Meanwhile, good lleak to THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.—Yours faithfully, B.E.F. G. AMPHLETT.