Passing Comments nPERATIONS of clearing-houses have recently been engaging the
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attention of R.H.A. (now A.R.0.) committees in certain areas, and we understand that action is being considered to check activities that are felt to be undesirable. In the North-West especially there have been complaints of the methods of less-reputable concerns, although there, as elsewhere, much good work is being done by other houses. It is somewhat surprising that the clearing-house is so free from the fetters of the Act, but it is possible for a powerful organization to do much for the encouragement of the well-ordered concern, and to exercise some beneficent form of controlof its members' connections with others,
without further cluttering up the Statute Book. ' E3.6
IT is claimed for Mr. W. A. Clements of Ilfracorabe that he is the first person to have put into service a motor ice-cream van. This was in 1926, when he bought an Austin chassis and had a special body built for it by Messrs. George Cann and Son, a local firm. Much correspondence was received from icecream concerns, and the vehicle even formed the subject of a comic song. One party of American tourists said that they had been all over the world, but had never seen anything like this vehicle. The idea proved profitable, and three of Mr. Clements's vans are now delivering to various towns and villages in the area, their popularity being increased by the fact that the owner has been awarded a diplOnaa
merit at each national exhibition since 1929. '
ANUMBER of hand brakes on commercial vehicles is proving inadequate when it comes to starting from rest up a steep gradient. The difficulty is to combine range of lever movement with mechanical advantage. We suggested to one manufacturer that a means for overcoming the trouble would be to incorporate, in addition to the handbrake system, a hand. control for the vacuurn-servo valve, normally operated only by the pedal. In view of this fact we observed with interest that such a system is employed on the big Scammell tanker described in these columns on May 24.
THERE are divergent views on the best position
I for the oil filter. If placed on the discharge side of the pump serious consequences may arise should it become choked, whilst on the suction side it may cause starvation of the pump. In the former case a by-pass valve will mitigate' the evil, but it cannot be considered good practice to feed unfiltered oil to the bearings, even in emergency circumstances. There is much to be said in favour of intake filters of the floating type, but the only sure way of avoiding trouble is to clean the filter with unfailing regularity, and, to make this easy, a readily detachable element is a sine qua non
ACURIOUS fatal accident occurred recently as the result of an underground petrol tank being replenished. The spirit was being passed through a flexible hose from a road tanker. After 300 gallons had been delivered, measurement showed that only 20 gallons were in the fixed tank ; owing to a faulty con nectioa of the hose the rest had escaped into a pit surrounding the tank. A further 300 gallons were fetched and duly delivered, but nothing was said regarding the spillage. An hour or so later, however, an explosion occurred in cottages close to the garage, one of the occupants dying as a result.
IT is stated by Mr. A-. F. D. Knight, manager of the I Philco vehicle radio department, that much misunderstanding exists 'amongst users on the question of sparking-plug suppressors. He points out that many vehicles will operate satisfactorily without these, but neither the Fhilco company, nor any other maker, can, at the factory, eliminate the pick-up by a vehicle aerial of the leakage of H.T. current playfully scamperingaround some chassis. Already the company has installed 700 sets on motor coaches and with e. large proportion of these suppressors have proved unnecessary, but they are supplied with every set in the first instance as a precautionary measure.