Sparks, Smoke and Vapour Emissions.
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MONO the miscellaneous recommendations of the Departmental Cominittee on the-Taxation and Regulation of Road Vehicles, contained in the second interim report. published in April, are three which cover the question ot sparks, smoke and vapour emitted by steam-driven vehicles. No one will cavil at the proposal that the Minister of Transport should be empowered to make regulations requiring the use of efficient spark arresters on all steam-driven road vehicles using solid fuel, practical effect being secured by holding the owner of a. vehicle responsible for the provision and,fixing of the device and the driver responsible or 'keeping it properly fitted. Even if the liability for damage caused by sparks can be, and, in most cases probably is, covered by insurance, the use of spark arresters should tend towards the avoidance of this damage, to everybody's 'benefit—even to that of the vehicle owner, who should ultimately obtain lower insurance rates on that account.
We are glad to observe that the Committee is of the opinion that no further powers are required by local authorities for the prevention of the nuisance caused by the emission of smoke front steam-driven vehicles. Whenever a flagrant ease has occurred, the local police have never had any difficulty in securing a conviction, although the magiStrates' benches allowed a certain amount of latitude during the war period, when anthracite coal could not be obtained in certain areas.
The third recommendation of the Committee is equally important. It provides that, when visible vapour is emitted from the exhaust and blast nozzles of steam-driven vehicles during wintry weather, or when the hbmidity of the atmosphere is above normal, these facts shall be taken into account when deciding whether or not the emission of vapour is due to temporary causes. It is certainly unfair to regard the appearance of vapour as an offence, when the more ,important contributing cause is either exe,essive humidity or low temperature. It is impracticable' to require steam-driven vehicles to be fitted with condensing apparatus, and, with the gradual elimination of the horse, or the accustoming of draught . animals to the presence and appearance of and effects from steam-driven vehicles, the need for the early stringency with which -the regulation concerning the emission of steam was enforced has almost vanished.
THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR The Road Transport of Table Waters;
WITHOUT plunging deeply into the matter, the transport of table waters may appear to be a very simple proposition, hut, actually, in certain cases, it presents problems which have not yet been. elucidated ; for instance, during visits which we recently paid to a• number of the most important manufacturers, we found one company considering seriously the question of returning to horse_ transport and dispensing with their fairly large fleet of motor vehicles, whilst another company, employing seine sixty .commercial motors, have only recently disposed of their last horse.
Of course, the spheres of activity and the systems of the manufacturers vary considerably. Some companies, for instance, may have a number of factories from which the loads of, mineral waters are despatched by motors to depots from which the distribution to the retailers is done by horse transport, whilst others may manufacture at factories widely separated and deliver from each of these direct to the consumer.
In the former case it would appear that the horse transport might well be replaced by petrol or electric vehicles, as the stops to supply retail customers cannot he so frequent as in the latter case, where deliveries are made direct to the houses of the consumers, and, yet, we find that the company who have recently changed over from horses to petrol vehicles fall into this latter category and are convinced of the great superiority of the motor, even where the stops average 25 per mile. • That this should be the case proves beyond doubt that the economical operation of the petrol vehicle depends as much on thorough organization and a perfect maintenance system as upon the actual class of work which the vehicle. performs. We are, however, • still of the opinion that, in eases where the mileage is ineonsiderabie and the stops frequent, the electric vehicle is the ideal type, although its use is, unfortunately, restricted by its Comparatively high first cost ; but once this barrier has been surmounted the economy of operation is marked.
Eliminate That One-per-cent. Risk!
THE OPENING of the 1922 motor coach season has been marred by one or two regrettable accidents which have occurred on the road, and we feel it imperative to impress upon owners the fact that such happenings may have a harmful influence upon the travelling public. The cardinal aim of all coach proprietors should be to cultivate a feeling of safety and reliance amongst the public, and this can only be attained i by sedulous care n 'maintaining mechanical efficiency. No vehicle should be put on the Toad with its brake lining fabrics badly worn and its brakes imperfectly adjusted, for, although ordinary goods users may choose to take risks, • with the passenger vehicle it is vitally important to obviate even the one-per-cent.chance. Every motor coach accident represents so much goodwill irretrievably lost. All motor-vehicles are compelled by law to be fitted with two independently operated brakes, but as air additional safeguard for motor coaches, particularly those operating regularly in hilly districts, it is desirable to fit some form of sprag, in order -to prevent the possibility of the vehicle running backwards, whilst the need for incorporating some form of skid pan, which retards forward progression when descending hills, is not without some merit of attraction.
The means taken to avoid the risk of untoward accidents while on the road is; perhaps, not a material point, but that every conceivable care must be taken to secure the complete trust of the motor coach traveller permits of no argument. It is the one-per-cent, risk that must be entirely eliminated. •