Ambiguous Use of the Word "Locomotives."
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We have again to draw the attention of our supporters, and particularly of new supporters, to the
ambiguous use of the word " locomotives " by -local 'authorities. We are well satisfied that such use of the word is frequently mode with deliberate intent to deceive users of heavy petrol-driven motor vehicles,
steam motor wagons and steam tractors. No petrol lorry, steam wagon, or steam tractor which is entitled to be registered and is registered under the Heavy Motor Car Order is a " locomotive " within the meaning of that, word as local authorities often seek to apply it. • The latest ease of mispse to be brought to our notice concerns Waterford, in which city demands are being made under the Public Road (Ireland) Act, 1911, for payment of £10 licences, and so made without any legal title. Some local authorities seek only to apply the word "locomotive" to heavy motorcars for the purpose of obtaining licence-fees, but others also endeavour to intimidate owners of such vehicles by pretending that the word is applicable to such vehicles in respect, of various by-laws which concernand the application of which should be confined to—traction engines. Heavy motorcars are "light locomotives," by the Motor Car Act of 1896, but are not " locomotives " within the meaning of the Locomotive Act of 1898, except, possibly, in very particular cases, as regards extraordinary-traffic damage, or damage to bridge. Hereane.nt, see "Answer to Query " 4184 in this issue. By-laws concerning the fitting of a cord—or other means of communication with the driver—behind the • last trailer tube drawn by a locomotive do not apply in the case of the single trailer which may be drawn by a heavy motorcar. Again, the regulations conoerning standing on bridges, to take water or for ether purposes, do not apply to heavy motorcars as they do to traction engines.
We hope that those of our readers who may in the past have been subjected to annoyance and unfair treatment by local:authority or other officials, or who may in the future be so treated in consequence of erroneous classification, will bear our foregoing fresh warning in mind, and so be able to put the facts properly to the local clerk to the Magistrates or superintendent of police, who cannot fail, in such circumstances, to appreciate the essential differences between the two types, and the legal effect of that difference upon the application or non-application of a particular by-law or other regulation.
Petrol and Petrol Substitutes. .
The Petrol Control Committee, apart from its intimation (published by us last week) that it will be prepared to consider applications for supplementary licences for petrol substitutes in cases where any commercial motor is used for purposes which are directly connected with the prosecution of the war, aPpears to be determined to lay upon home-produced fuels the same onerous conditions and restrictions as it has with more reason imposed upon imported fuels. The Committee will have nothing to do with a suggestion for allowing two gallons of home-produced substitute to be drawn in place of one gallon of imported petrol on any current licence, in which case • only half the actual volume drawn would have been entered.This appeared to us as a particularly-simple proposition, but the Petrol Control Committee will have none of it.
The apparent indifference of the Petrol Control Committee to its severe treatment of home-produced fuels is proving a matter of concern to other than transpertspeople. It is trenching upon the free production of explosives, or at least threatening to do so. Not a few commercial readers of this journal will be aware of the extent to which solvent naphtha is sold as a petrol substitute, but it may not be as widely appreciated that one effect of restrictions upon the sale of solvent naphtha for fuel purposes may lead to its being accumulated as a stock. This possibility presents many serious aspects, for it cannot fail to result-in the curtailment of the output of explosives. Our associated journal " The Motor," in its issue of Tuesday last, deals with this apparent oversight on the part of the Petrol Control Committee at some length. It is pointed out that, owing to the embargo upon the export of solvent naphtha, its new and growing sale for use as motor spirit has alone relieved the situation for the producers. If the Petrol Control Committee, therefore, does not at once take into account the necessity for a free outlet for this solvent naphtha, as to which it will no doubt now be adequately informed and primed by the Ministry of Munitions, unnecessary difficulties will be created for home producers, not only of petrol substitutes, but of explosives, both of which are shown to be dependent upon benzole and toluol, in connection with the manufacture of which hydrocarbons the solvent naphthols produced. We feel that some relaxation of the regulations will necessarily be made, in order to meet the points to which we have referred. Time must not be allowed to elapse, or misapprehension by the P.C.C. will be• the cause of material injury to rotation of production , for the T.N.T. and other explosives.
Taxi Fares and Taxi Strikes: Home Secretary Decides on Arbitration.
The taxicab situation in London remains ina state of flux. The men until recently have appeared, as in previous years, to be inclined in the direction of withholding from negotiation. There have been some notorious examples of such refusals to negotiate since the outbreak of war. particularly in regard to
the price which they pay -for, petrol-8d. per gallon. The men, knowing they were on what we may colloquially term "a soft thing," have repeatedly refused to submit themselves, in their view, to a risk of disturbance, and, until the Board of Trade pressed them in the matter to a point where they considered deliberate refusal detrunental, they continued to "rest contented." They then attended a meeting, merely to record their point-blank refusal of any concession. So much for the prospect, at no time encouraging, of any improvement from the point of view of the owner of the cab in this regard. He is now paying between twice and three times as much for his fuel as he was in the years 1913 and the early part of 1914. The foregoing is a summary of the standing disgrace of a non-adjustment of the fuel price, which was Settled at &I. per gallon by Lord St, Aldwyn in 1912. Clause 4 of the award reads :—" In the event of the price of petrol varying more than 12 per cent. on the 1st January of any year as compared with the previous January, either party may bring the matter before, the Conciliation Board., herein mentioned, which shall vary the price to be charged to the drivers for the ensuing year, so that as nearly as may be, it shall bear the same relation to the average price at which the employers had contracted for their petrol as ad. per gallon bears to the present contract price." These words, indeed, mast read as a hollow mockery to the proprietors. The men have been wholly indifferent to them, and the whole loss on petrol has come out of the pockets of the proprietors. Our advocacy, with a view to finding a permanent solution, remains. the adoption of is. as the initial fare, and a like increase of 50 per cent, in respect of all subsequent increments. If therefore, the proprietors of the cabs do not obtain an increase upon the current 2d. per quarter-mile or 21 minutes of waiting (for travelling below 6 miles an hour) after the initial rate, they will be no better off than they are now, or very little better. It is a simple war-time adjustment, and one which possesses only the elements of equity, to decide that there shall be an all-round increase of 50 per cent. We may remark that the Conciliation Board consists of four representatives each of the men and the proprietors.
We are glad to know that the Home Secretary has decided to carry forward to an issue the present conflict of opinion, and for that purpose has intimated his intention of appointing arbitrators to advise him as to the character and period of such settlement: We are convinced that, if all the facts of the case are properly examined, as they will be by the arbitrators, the all-round 54 per cent. increase, 'will appeal to them as the best solution.
Control of Parallel Deliveries: Coalescing Petrol and Allied Interests.
We published three weeks ago to-day (issue of the 15th tilt.) a considered leading article on the subject of the wastefulness of parallel deliveries, and asked the question—" Why not a beginning with petrol " Our views were, shortly afterwards, made the subject of adverse eommente in a section of the motor Presa, one writer suggesting that we were helping the petrol companies. Why not? We, in fact,' seek to help everybody. Our object, as at all times since the outbreak of weir. was to make out a specific case, as we felt ourselves able to do, for the elimination of wasteful parallel deliveries, and wa saw no -solution
but compulsory pooling. The petrol companies can retain no extra profit, seeing that the scheme is to include, according to confirmation of our earlier views which is now forthcoming, a division of profits in strict relation to. the earlier turn-over of each respective company or branch of a company. Excess profits i
taxation' in conjunction with come tax and super tax; may be left te take care of any possibility of unduly-inflated new earnings'. '
The first official intimation about the course which we disclosed and outlined three weeks ago was heard in the House of Commons on the 28th ult., when the following question and answer occurred :—
Mr. Joyneon-Hicks asked whether, at the request of the Ministry of Munitions and the Admiralty, a recent attempt was made to pool all petroleum produets in this country and so economise in transport and personnel ; whether the Shell Co.' the Standard Oil Co., and•other producers all agreed, but the German-owned British Petroleum Go., the control of which was with the Board of Trade, refused to agree ; and why this was so.
Mr. Roberts.—The Ministry of Munitions, the Admiralty, and the Board of Trade have intimated to the principal importing and distributing companies of petroleum products in this country that it is desirable to pool their tonnage distributing organizations and supplies. The organization is already practically complete, and the scheme will shortly be in full working order. The answer to the second part of the hon. member's question is in the negative, and the last. part does not therefore arise. Mr. Joynson-Hicks.—Would not the reply to the second part have been in the affirmative, if my question was answered when it was first put down ?
A beginning has thus been made, and the rivalries of the petrol world are temporarily to disappear, the while the exterior significance of rival names and brands sink into abeyance. Hardship upon the traders there can, in our opinion, be none' if the scheme be properly administered, unless in the one branch of lubricating oils. The custom of trade in lubricating oil differs essentially from that in any of the other several branches of the oil trade. Petrol, burning oil, fuel_ oil and gas oil are in. the hands of comparatively-few importers and traders, but not so with lubricating' oils. It is in this last-named category, therefore, that we hope to see a course adopted which will avoid unnecessary interference with old-established businesses, the building-up of which has occupied many years. There is, indeed, not a little risk that any sudden dispersal of practice in respect of lubricating oils might lead to grave interference with scores of mechanical plants.
The result of this pooling of resources and transport will naturally be watched by us with the closest-, interest from the national point of view. Several Government Departments which are party to the scheme will soon be able to draw valuable conclusions, as shall we ourselves amongst others who are not in those branches of national administration.