Passing Comments
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AT a recent Safety First meeting at Cardiff, at which the Council's awards to drivers were presented, the Deputy Chief Constable of Cardiff said that those in charge of heavy motor vehicles deserved high tribute for their careful driving, and if the drivers of light vehicles were as considerate a number of accidents might be avoided.
MOCK trials are again becoming fashionable. On "1May 10 one will be held by the National Safety First Association at the annual dinner, whilst the first of a new series is being held to-morrow at the London School of Economics, when Sir Chartres Biron, the retired Bow Street magistrate, will judge Earl Howe, the Hon. Brian Lewis, Captain G. E. T. Eyston and Mr. E. S. Shrapnell-Smith on a charge of "treating pedestrians as inferior road metal." This series is in aid of the King Edward Hospital Fund for London. WITH the development of housing estates mobile shops are proving of increasing value. FOP example, some of the owner t of fish and chip restaurants are now operating ancillary outfits dealing with this food, in some cases trailers being attached , to motorcars.
AMERICA. is setting a good example to Britain in the development of its roads. In nine years it has expended upon them -R.2,000,000,000, with the result that the United States now has more roads than the whole of Europe and Russia in less than a third of their area. It is claimed that the combination of improved highway and the motor vehicle has served to weld the nation together more effectively than any other single agency, made possible the more efficient distribution of farm products and enhanced real-estate values. ASTRONG case is being put forward for the restoration of the penny post. All concerned in business would welcome such a helpful step. It is not thought that it would cause a great loss to the Post Office, because a vast amount of postal matter now transmitted at tfie halfpenny rate would be sealed if the penny rate became available. The Post Office is making a huge profit, the surplus revenue during the past 10 years having been £80,000,000.
T N a recent road-test report, a reference was made to the framing of some figure or formula descriptive of the general performance of a vehicle combined with its features as a commercial proposition. This is by no means a new idea, having been sought since the foundation of the industry. There is, however, such a multitude of factors to be taken into consideration that even were a suitable formula evolved it would have little informative value and would serve only for odious comparisons.
I N its anxiety to obtain passengers, the Great Western Railway is utilizing methods which, if they had been commenced by road passenger transport operators, would no doubt have called for immediate criticism by railway interests. Special rates are being quoted for " outing " parties, conductors of large ones will be carried free, and if a minimum number of passengers be guaranteed the promoter will be paid a commission on the fares, thereby acting in the capacity of a booking agent.
THE German motor roads that are now being built have separate carriageways, 241 ft. in width, with a space of from 114 ft. to 161 ft. between them which will be planted with hedges to prevent headlight dazzle. Curves of small radius are being avoided, and speeds of well over 65 m.p.h. are contemplated. So far as possible, material locally available is being utilized.
QOME of the leading manufacturers find that by operating a photographic department they provide not only a useful adjunct to their publicity efforts, but also enable valuable records of manufacture to be preserved. Leyland Motors, Ltd., has such a department and a very busy one too, as is borne out by the fact that in the past five years no fewer than 8,300 negatives have been made. Prints arc produced at the rate of 400-500 weekly.
THE provision of road crogsings for pedestrians is I receiving close attention. For example, Poplar has agreed to provide six experimental crossings in Bow Road, London. These will be 12 ft. wide and painted white, whilst a new type of warning sign indicating them will be erected. The cost for the experimental period of three months will be borne by the Ministry of Transport. If the experiment proves a success, such crossings will become permanent traffic features, and the Ministry proposes that the local authority should take over the equipment used and refund 40 per cent, of the cost of that which is permanent.