The S.M.M.T. Secretary Reviews the Year 1915.
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THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR, in its issue of the 13th ult., gave full publicity to an interesting paper by Mr. T. F. Woodfine, Secretary of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, which article had appeared in the January number of the "Journal of the Chamber of Commerce." We published, in the same issue (page 385 ante), a comment, in complimentary and generally favourable terms, on the ability with which Mr. Woodfine had compiled and condensed the article under notice. We very much regret. to. find that we aceidentally misrepresented Mr. WoocTfine, in'respect of one portion Of his paper, due to the following happenings. One portion of it6 Mr. WOoilfine's paper, dealing with the increased cost of animal traction, its scarcity, and the consequences, and with the utilization of motor vehicles to relies e the troubles which had occurred, reads as under in the original setting : "The war has increased the cost of animal traction in at least as large a degree as motor, and there would have been an even greater tranSformation frOm the format' to the latter for business purposes had the vehicles been available. But the War Office would not allow manufacturers to supply otherwise than to the Army, save in exceptional cases, with the result that many tradesmen have been using what are obviously pleasure-car chassis with a light-van body. Where these were not procurable, suitable recourse has necessarily beea had to types of steam vehicles not monopolized ley the Government or to imported vehicles, again necessarily of American make."
This portion of Mr. Woodfine's paper, after being set in type in. our composing-room, was unfortunately sent down to the Editor, and subsequently made up into a page, with the italicised line dropped. By an extraordinary coincidence, as may be noted, the article can be read, straight OD, with this line of nine words eliminated. The omission escaped the notice of our proof-readers : our Editorial comment was based upon the setting in our composing-room, mid not upon the original article. We hasten to acknowledge the error, to which our attention was first drawn last week, and to make the necessary correction and amends due. We are extremely sorry to have been led by a misapprehension to make comment on a mutilated passage from Mr. Woodfine's paper, in the circumstances which we have explained, and to find, now, that comment to be erroneous in consequence. We with pleasure point out that Mr. Woodftne had no intention to cast any reflection upon the numerous British makers of steam vehicles, by suggesting that such vehicles must necessarily be of American make.