Answers to Queries.
Page 18
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Our yeaders will be informed by the Editor on any points connected with the construction or use of donamercical motors. Where a direct reply is desired, a stamped addressed avelope should be enclosed : if a. request for privacy is not specially made, any query and answer may b published. Some replies,' owing to pressure on our space, are held several weeks. • Numerous requests reach us for lists of motorcab and commercial-vehicle owners ; these we never supply. Our advertise
ment columns are open to those who desire to make announcements to owners for the purposes of trade, Business Names Act.
[4303] (Secretary).-.—A concise book, prepared as a guide to the Registration of Business Names Act, is that by Mr. Kenneth Brown, and published by Isaac Pitman and Sons, Ltd., of 1, Amen Corner, E.C. The published price is is. net.
Calling at the Food Production Department.
[4304] (Provincial).—Colonel Alien's address is care of the Food Production Department, Board of Agriculture and 'Fisheries, 72, Victs)ria Street, S.W. It May also help you, if you call, to-know that the name of Colonel Allen's Secretary is Mr. Uphim, for which gentleman you will do well to ask in the first instance.
Inspections for Users.
[4305] (Middlesex.)—We have ho staff available now tomake exanainations. We cannot deal with your request, which we regret. We do not 'know of any reliable engineer who is available to make such an inspection at the present time. We have mailed one of our sheets of working costs. , This may be.helpful,to you, subject to.your increasing the pre-war figures by an average of 40 per cent. If we canimake fresh arrangements for inspections it will be announced.
A Wire-Wound Tube to Hold Coal-gas.
. [4306] (Designer).—Yes; we did notice the suggestions which were put forward by a Mr. Higgins. The design is not a satisfactory one. The thin steel tube will certainly not stand the tensile stress involved. whilst the use of an inner tube of rubber is of no practical value. The suggestion that„the tube is wound in a manner comparabie to the -seire-wound gun is inadmissible. We certainly strongly recommend you not to eattempt to utilise a container which is constructed on Lhe indicated lines.
Conveyance to Race-Meetings.
[4307] (Proprietor).—The Motor Spirit Restriction Order of the 12th July made the following exemption, by clause 5, in respect of public-service vehicles :— " Nothing in this Order shall prevent the driving or use of a public omnibus or stage carriage which is propelled or driven by motor spirit, if such public omnis bus or stage carriage is actually plying for hire on its ordinary and accustomed route and at its ordinary and accustomed hours." If, therefore, you are using your char-a;bancs essentially as a motorbus, on a regular route, strictly as a stage carriage, and the route happens to run past a racecourse, you are quite safe. We presume this Must be the case, because you would otherwise not be obtaining any issue of petrol. If you wish to serve a race-meeting under any other conditions, you . can have recourse to coal-gas.
His Right to Exemption.
[4308] (Driver of Steam Wagon).—No employer has any, right to threaten a man in the manner which is stated, as exemption is dependent, upon the class of occupation and not upon the particular employer. You can leave your present employer if you go to another who is engaged on military work, or the conveyance of munitions, or the distribution of food, who will also get exemption for you. We recommend you to go and see Mr. Brassington of the Eastern Motor Wagon Co.'s Depot, 66, Buttesland Street, City Road, N., and to put the facts before him, as that company is certainly in want of good drivers, and will no doubt make a fight for exernrition foi a goodnian.
058 Unable to Obtain Enough Petrol for Motorbus Service.
[4309] (Fifeshire).—If your service is of naval or military importance, the Commanding Officer of the district will no doubt be prepared to certify it as sisch. If you get such a certificate, showing the national urgency of the work, the Petrol Control Board will no doubt pay some heed to it. The Petrol Control Board takes no notice of telegrams, or letters, which is rather a scandal.
You have the alternative of using coal-gas, and we recommend you to consider this. Messrs. Andrew W. Barton Bros., of Beeston, Notts, are the sappliers of the flexible gas-holders, with the performance of which we have been dealing in recent issues.
Liability to Medical Re-examination.
[4310] (Steam Driver).—You are, in our opinion, not liable to be re-examined, but this is dependent upon your ability, to produce your birth certificate. We suggest that you. should obtain a copy of your birth certificate, which you can do, from Somerset House, by. sending particulars of placeand date, together with a remittance of is,, or by arranging that somebody goes to Somerset House on your behalf, pays Is., and gets a copy of the certificate for military purposes. When you havegot the birth certificate, you can ledge it with the recruiting officer. Unless you can prove the date of your birth, by production of a copy of the birth certificate, or the original birth certificate, you will have to submit to re-examination. No man who attains the age of 41 before the dateof his being called up is liable to be called up, according to statements from Members of the Cabinet in the House of Commons. Why do you not ask your employer to assist you with legal advice from a local solicitor with Tribunal experience ?
Agrimotors by Adaptation and Mileage On Coal-gas.
[4311] (Kent).—We-should not recommend the con. version of an old-type touring car into a tractor, on general grounds of its unsuitability for any such purpose. Supposing in the face of our-advice that you still proceed with this alteration, probably simething after the style of the Martin semi-tractor will be the least likely to fail, as by this arrangement you get a. certain amount of weight on the Tear wheels for traction. On the other hand, here, again, your rear axle will:not be strong enough for the load which this will impose, and it will certainly be preferable to reduce the gearing considerably. Pneumatic tires will be expensive in tire replacement ; solid tires will probably be found more expensive in repairs to mechanism.
With regard to the use of coal-gas,you do not say what means you have of compressing gas from your 2-in. main. You would certainly not be likely to he able to carry sufficient gas for a 50-mile run. To run 50 miles on one charge, carrying a 20-cwt. load, you would need approximately 1250 cubic ft. of gas. It , would be necessary to compress this to about 300 lb. . on the sq. in., and the containing cylinders would probably weigh half-a-ton. If your journeys are regularly of something about that length, at the moment coal-gas is not available as a suitable fuel. You could probably carry enough in a gas-bag on a small trailer (weighing under 2 cwt. unladen) to run for 10 or, 15 miles: you might then make arrangements to take in another charge.