OPINIONS and
Page 25
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UERIES
SHOULD HAULIERS REPAIR THEIR OWN VEHICLES?
nO I detect a sign of " stalling " on the part of Mr. 1-1 E. B. Howes, as would appear from his communication published in your issue dated August 17 and dealing with my article "Should Hauliers Repair Their Own Vehicles? " of August 3?
Surely, whether the article was written by Bill Jones, of Wigan, the Emperor of East Asia or a humble member of the I.R.T.E., it should not mike any difference to the willingness of ability of Mr. Howes fully and fairly to deal with the points at issue?
In any case, Mr. Howes is definitely and perceptibly weakening, as is clearly shown in the last paragraph of his communication, in which, surprisingly, he actually concedes that a haulier must go to a " specialist" motor repair depot to have a crankshaft reground and cylinders rebored or relined. As these three operations are precisely the most usual and important ones in the general demand for repairs and overhaul, he clearly owns up that his whole case is lost by sheer contradiction of his main and original claims. M.I.R.T.E. Leeds.
A CALL FOR LESS INTERFERENCE
W ITH all this talk of nationalization, let hauliers beware " the expression, " Good Compensation," in respect of any method of acquiring their businesses. They must think of what this capital would mean in terms of moneyearning capacity if invested at, say, 2i per cent., and as compared With what they have been in the habit of receiving from their own work. Apart from this, they would lose a regular and interesting occupation, even if the awards they received be not as high as some people have been obtaining from their occupations. Before the war, many workers engaged in agriculture and other classes of work earned considerably less than the men in road transport and often had to work harder and longer hours. No haulier need be afraid of lack of work if he provides an adequate service, and this may well
apply to loads in both directions. J. CHAPMAN. Hartfield.
THE POWER OF THE FUTURE
THE splitting of the atom has caused much speculation as to the future usage of this power. It is, of course, only natural that words of caution should be raised by thoge who are connected with the production of fuels and machines working on what we can now call old principles.
In one of my recent articles in " The Commercial Motor," dealing with electric vehicles, I pointed out that, apart from its many advantages, science had made great strides in recent years towards reducing the weight of stored power. As regards the future, I will go so far as to say that the storage space of electric power for the propulSion of vehicles will be reduced to very small dimensions. As a next step, science will have to find a way to slow down the stupendous explosive power or energy released by the splitting of the atom and to find a chemical compound capable of withstanding this force.
It may not be long before ways and means are found to utilize -this new power to the best advantage, and I feel sure that the internal-combustion engine will finally
be replaced by electric motors, which will have sufficient stored power to propel themselves over a much greater mileage than has hitherto been possible without recharging.
Some experts will point out that it has taken centuries from the day of inventing explosive to the development of the internal-Combustion engine. Against that it must be appreciated that science to-day advances at an ,astonishing speed and problems are solved in a matter of years.
As regards the petroleum interests, they will, perhaps, hardly be affected by such a change over of propelling power, as the chemical industries are requiring their products at an ever-increasing rate for conversion and distilling into other useful materials.
R. HINDS, Managing Director Bromley, Kent. (For Notek Electric Co., Ltd.).
IS THE R.H.A. GOING INTO BUSINESS?
I ET me congratulate Mr. Pierson for his excellent contribution under the above heading in your issue dated August 10. '
To my mind, he has comprehensively dealt with what to many of us is a real danger. It may help others fully to grasp the position if I give the following facts:— At a jointif-reefing of unit controllers and hired operators, a unanimous resolution was passed, calling for the Government Road Haulage Organization to be terminated by December 31, 1945., and for the repeal of the 73B Regulation by the same date.
Great confidence that the industry could handle adequately all the road traffic of the country was expressed at that meeting.
It was stressed that during all the difficult times we had gone through before the scheme came into being, including the blitzes, the road transport industry had never been found wanting.
On this occasion, Mr. Duffield, the chairman of R.H.A., offered to present the appeal to the Ministry. He ultimately reported back, and although saying that he had nothing definite to state, he was very optimistic, and said the Ministry had asked for assurances that certain Government traffic, mainly in connection withhousing, would be carried.
After full discussion, it was decided that all the delegates should sign a declaration giving their personal guarantee. This was done. A Termination Committee was then formed, and it was agreed that this committee should number 12, made up of four from the C.U., four from the H.V., and four from outside these two panels.
No further meeting of the Hired Panel has been held, but I understand that the Termination Committee now' comprises the eight elected members from the two panels and the whole of the Executive Committee of the R.H.A. If its. title had been " The Perpetuation Committee ''. it would have been much more aptly named. If 'the so-called leaders of our industry think that a scheme of this nature is necessary, then they are supporting that " bogy " they profess to dislike, namely, nationalization of transport.
I think control bad—I believe it kills initiative and enterprise, but if there has to be control, then I, like, Mr. Pierson, infinitely prefer Government control' to that applied by the "Old Gang," and, believe inc. this present proposal is nothing more nor less: Stockton-on-Tees. H. L. WALKER.