OPINIONS and QUERIES The Editor invites correspondence on all subjects
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connected with the use of com mercial motors. Letters shou!d be written on both sides of the paper. The right of abbreviation is reserved and no respintsibility for views expressed .. is accepted. Queries most be accompanied by a stamped, addressed envelope.
A TRIBUTE TO THE WORK OF RUDOLPH ERREN
yOUR reference in "The Commercial Motor" dated September 4 to Rudolph Erren's work on oxy-hydrogen engines, etc., ha si just been noticed by me.
I was a personal acquaintance of this brilliant inventor before till's war, having been in close contact with him in patent matters, and therefore feel urged to endorse your opinion that, had he received the encouragement he merited, his prolific inventive ingenuity would undoubtedly have become a valuable contribution to our war effort. Surely the German Government did not overlook the immense possibilities of the oxy-hydrogen system of submarine and torpedo propulsion?
As regards the application of this idea to road transport, Erren has proved it to be a practicable proposition, worthy of the industry's serious attention, as I am aware that sortie of the Berlin buses were operating satisfac torily on this system several years ago. M. LESSELL. Slough.
WORK AVAILABE FOR TIPPING LORRIES WE have for some considerable time been attempting vv to increase our existing fleet of tipping lorries to a number which would be sufficient to accommodate the many demands made upon us by Government contrac tors. Having been unsuccessful we were somewhat surprised to read in your issue of September 18 an article by "Tantalus," wherein he states. that there is a revival of rate-cutting due to a falling off of work for road transport. We would, therefore, be glad if you will kindly advise any hauliers wh0 own lorries of the .five-ton tipping type that they may obtain employment with us to deliver materials from our quarries at Shelsley Beauchamp, which is abont 10 miles outside Worcester, to the various Government contractors within a range of 50 miles from otir quarries, all loading being by means of excavators or from hoppers.
J. HENNESSY, Manager.
For Woodbury Quarries.
Shelsley Beauchamp, Worcestershire.
OLD LORRIES WHICH MAY BE SERVICEABLE
DURING the three years of hostilities I have encountered many hard cases of lorries being commandeered for essential services.
A week or two ago, when visiting a defence area, I saw a large number of disused lorries reposing in a field on baulks of timber (being devoid cpf tyres).
Surely these vehicles could now be utilized either to fill the gaps in our transport system or to be broken up for salvage?
By their registration numbers (UV, UL, YT) I class them as having been manufactured around 1928. Many with van bodies are truly in good repair, and some display such names as The Amalgamated Press, Newnes ,A30 and Pearson Printing Co., and Cadbury's (Bournville), Ltd.
As I hate to see unnecessary waste, I thought somebody might be interested in these machines and could utilize them. ROBERT W. EDBROOKE, B.A. (Cantab).
Ashford.
[Following the evacuation of our troops from France and the subsequent risk of invasion by sea and air, many vehicles were taken to act as road blocks and other forms of obstruction. Some of these pay have been in reasonably good condition at the time, but what they will be like after two years of exposure in the open it is difficurt to judge, although many vehicles kept in the open at the old M.T. Depot at Slough, following the war of 1914-18, were put back into service, some with but few repairs, and worked for years. It certainly might pay to gather these together and, at least, employ the spares from them. The question of tyres would be one of some difficulty owing to present shortage.—ED.]
HAULIERS AND THE C LICENSEE
THE recent controversy reported in your columns regarding the -activities of ancillary users of road transport is most interesting, as it signifies the effect on morale which the present" traffic slump" is having in haulage circles. It seems reasonable to suppose that the recent outburst against C licensees is merely the inevitable outcome of the -unrest prevalent throughout 'the industry for many reasons, not the least of which is the Ministry Road 'Haulage Scheme.
If there be cases where C licensees are abusing their licences to the extent of functioning as public carriers they must be the exception rather than the rule, and surely the situation should be dealt with strongly by the R.T.C. for the area. [A general exemption from the restrictions attached to C licences in respect of operations for hire or reward was given under the Defence Regulations, and this has been rescinded only in certain cases.—, ED.] Fears for the future of the C licensee can be understood, bearing in mind the present unsettled and uncertain situation in the transport world generally, but it Would be as well for a true perspective to be retained concerning the relation between the services rendered by A and B operators on the one hand and C operators on ,the other.
It seems to me. that before the haulage industry, as a whole, can hope • to "attack" the C-licence holder it must consider that it receives a proportion of its traffic from the C holder (manufacturing concerns) and, moreover, cannot compete with the peculiar service which the C-operated vehicle renders, particularly in respect of deliveries of smalls direct from manufacturer to retailer and from retailer to consumer—a branch of transport work which is in a class of its own and has many attendant ramifications, including the collection of empties and of cash, to say nothing of the personal service and contact which the driver renders his employer and customer alike.
Industrial concerns would need a lot of convincing if the haulage industry claimed that it could completely replace the C-licence-operated delivery service.
Long experience with haulage and carrier concerns has led me to the belief that they should employ executive representatives with experience of factory and works conditions and problems, as part of their regular staffs, if they ever hope to compete with the C operator's own service. A knowledge of statutory regulations and general haulage conditions, or even " smalls " condi tions, is not sufficient to deal with the peculiar conditions and problems arising out of the delivery of goods from sender to customer.
If the haulage industry fostered a policy of closer ,liaison between itself, its customers and its customers' customers it might prove advantageous.
L. C. ANDERSON, Transport Manager.
The Hoffmann Manufacturing Co., Ltd. Chelmsford. ,