More About Coal-gas a Hint to Makers of Compressors.
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We continue to urge attention to the claims of coalgas, the best of home-produced fuels. We are able to record interesting new facts this week, not the least important of these being the results of certain comparative power tests, on unaltered petrol engines, G at the Dennis Works, uildford. We are also permitted to announce that the Gas Light and Coke Co, is equipping two of its heavy vans to run on coal-gas. Other data which we publish should go far to convince manufacturers of compressors that now is the time for them to adapt stationary plant to portable use.
The New Lighting Regulations.
We published the new lighting regulations in our issue of" the 19th inst., so far as they concern the conditional use of headlights ; we dealt with other aspects, including their application to hand-carts and un-nimble animals, a week ago. We gather, from both conversations and written inquiries, that some readers of this journal have not properly appreciated some of the points which were definitely set out on page 158 of the first-named of these two issues, as regards the conjoint use of headlights and side-lights. Headlights must not be used in the areas of which a list was given by us a fortnight ago. Where headlights may be used, they must not exceed the brilliancy previously in force for electric or acetylene side-lamps, and they must not be used in conjunction With electric or acetylene side-lamps, or oil sidelamps with lens fronts. On the other hand, headlamps must not be used without side-lamps, whilst the side-lamps to be used conjunctively must burn candles or oil, and must not have lens fronts.
Can a Freight Exchange Succeed Now ?
Economy is, of course, the order of the day. Each of us has, or imagines he has, his own pet scheme and programme for saving. Most of us are more concerned with the restrictions which other people should impoae upon their wants than with our own. The net result is seen to be general all-round improvement. Every month that goes by in this blood-soaked period accustoms us to fresh conditions:, which, but a while ago, we should have counted as insupportable. What was promptly refused in 1914 is nowadays part of our life, and we hardly take notice of its detail. Every week now brings its fresh problems and modifies our external circumstances, until we are almost becoming bored with change. Examples areto hand in multitude, and there are many even in the world of industrial motoring.
In the first week of the war, one of the schemes that we endeavoured to foster, and the only one which we were unable to bring to full fruition, was that for the establishment of a. Traffic or Freight Exchange. And we were able to enlist the important aid of " The Times " in this effort. Previously, similar efforts, but without the necessary Press publicity,, had been essayed, but they were without exception doomed to failure. The reasons for their lack of success were quite well known to us, but we imagined that the new circumstances ushered in with August, 1914, rendered the experiment worthy of a. further trial. But in the end this again failed, and for similar reasons to those which have since wrecked attempts by individuals less well able—for obvious reasons—to invite success than we were ourselves.
May we not, however, once again suggest that the effort be made to economize freightage? The conditions have again, in a twelvemonth or more,
changed wonderfully. The need", for.abolishing "light mileage'' is now-, in fact, a question of the utmost national importance. The Iprincipal new factors urging its desirability are, amongst _others : the petrol shortage ; increasing scarcity of drivers ; difficulties of proper maintenance because of shortage of material and labour for civilian -purposes.; increased congestion on the railways ; and further restrictions of shipping. None of these was so acute when the last attempt was made to establish a Freight Exchange. Is it not possible that the difficulties attending the organization are now, therefore,
relatively less formidable? • The principal reason for previous failures has been the difficulty so to organize and record offers Of wagons and loads as to obtain a sufficient number of possible full journeys, without cumbrous preliminaries and with the minimum of disappointments. The wrong journey is available, or the load is too large, or coals won't carry with cabbages, or the times are wrong : these and many others have been wearisome and insistent hindrances. The quick fixing of freights, rates and responsibilities is an-other problem.
But these are war days, and there is -a call and a welcome for new methods nowadays that a few short months ago were received aslancee Cannot a now effort be made to establish a number of collecting depots for goods, not perishable, on which a day or two's delay would be of little consequence ? There should be no attempt to convey other than from centre to centre ; the collection and delivery therefrom should be left to other means.. One or more public bulletin boards should be displayed pro
• minently in each centre, giving daily information of loads and parcels available. A ,simple form of waybill, fixed mileage rates per unitof. weight, a membership league of users of vehicles for registration purposes, and a. bonus to drivers on money so earned might mean countless empty miles of steam and petrol wagon-running saved, for the country. It is worth trying. Consignees would be more willing to consider any alternative to the railway nowadays. Southbound convoys of W.D. lorry deliveries might be enlisted more fully in the scheme. There is room and need for a further experiment, with an opportunity for establishment while the present abnormal conditions reign. If ever there were a time when we should " try, try, try again," it is now. The last months of industrial developmentand change, in our opinion, warrant a further attempt -to economize "platform space." Our aid and advice are available for the asking. Too much transport is merely drifting,