Passing Comments
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Haulers Do Not r'ONSIDER1NG the present Want to Carry the ‘-'shortage of all means for Earth . . . . . transport, it is regrettable that the Ministry of Agriculture cannot make some rule concerning the amount of earth that is often " bagged " with root vegetables. Some potato retailers complain that a reputed 1-cwt. sack often contains 14 lb. or so of earth; thus 121 per cent of the contents constitute waste of money and transport.
The Value of Standards WE have no wish to become in Many Spheres Iry a standardized nation, but of Engineering . . there are many aspects of our
general life where the employment of carefully devised standards would save time, trouble and inconvenience In this respect, an interesting little booklet has been issued, entitled "Standards Review," by the British Standards Institution, 28, Victoria Street, London, S.W.1, at 2s., including postage. It gives many examples of where the work carried out is effecting improvements, and others which still require attention. One that may interest our readers concerns a standard relating to the elementary principles in the drafting of engineering drawings. This is B.S.308, of which the War Office has used 8,000 in its training centres.
Government Promises REFERRING to the Trunk Concerning Roads " Roads Bill, the R.A.C. Much Welcomed • . points out that in 20 years the number of vehicles using British roads increased nearly tenfold—from 330,000 in 1919 to 3,000,000 in 1938—whereas new construction added only 3 per cent. to the routes. Our roads carry the heaviest traffic in the world, and with an out-of-date road system, the possibility of accidents is much greater. In the seven years up to 1937, the total expenditure on new road construction was only £27,000,000, although in the same time the amount derived by the Government in taxation from the use of motor vehicles was £442,000,000.