OPINIONS and QUERIES IS ALL WELL WITH MEAT TRANSPORT . ?
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VOUR journal dated December 15 contained a criticism I of the arrangements for the transport and distribution of meat in the Beeston and Stapleford area.
From my own experience as a contractor since the beginning of the meat pool, I would like to point Out in fairness temyself and others, that we have not had a fair deal. • We are operating at little more than the rate given at the start, and the small increase has had to be fought for, tooth and nail.
Only during the past few months has it been established whose is the responsibility for supplying ollal• containers. Up to then we had been deluded into doing so ourselves, and I estimate that their upkeep and scrubbing cost us a minimum of 43 per week. While it was believed that these were our responsibility, a high standard of cleanliness was expected and maintained; now, any sort. of old boxes appear to suffice, and these do not seem to be even hosed off—let alone scrubbed.
A vehicle with a specially constructed metal-lined van body, insured for and capable of carrying 6 tons, and manned by driver and mate, maybe occupied daily. except Sunday, to deal with a total of, say, 20 tons a week, and as the rate is per ton, the position is unsatisfactory_ No control appears to be exercised over the local representatives of the W.M.S.A., and complaints are often construed to mean that we are deliberately trying to cause unrest. A report by an unbiased person, after watching the procedure for one week at each of the local depots, might he worth reading and possibly come as a real shock to the authorities concerned.
In the Lancashire area, C-licensees with new vehicles are carrying out'many deliveries of meat, yet legitimate hauliers are advertising for work. The associations concerned seem to be powerless to rectify such abuses. What we appear to lack is a good leader. I hope that one may be found before it he too late. NomAo. Lancashire.
THE VIEWS OF A THREEWAGON MAN
THE case of the " Small Haulier with a Big Grievance,— referred to in a letter in your issue dated December 15, certainly shows up the' appalling state of affairs that exists in the industry to-day.
As " Small Man " points out, he reads day after day in the Press what is being done for the small tradesmen to help them to re-establish their businesses, but they, like him, are faced with a black outlook. Nodaily paper to-day dare publish a strong case for them, as they are bound by the big cartels and the combine firms from which they obtain their main source of income. [This does not appear to apply to the "Daily Express," which founded the Council of Retail Distributors.—En.]
Until the M.O.W.T. unit control scheme came into being I drove one of my own vehicles and built up a connection with a large concern, the transport manager of which fully realized the advantages of dealing with the small. operator. He found that others, like myself, delivered his materials to all parts of Britain in a highly efficient manner, with the minimum loss of time and, above all, without damage to his prefabricated materials, which were vital to the success of his enterprise.
, Then. the M.O.W.T. control steps in and takes over, my vehicle is taken off and put to more vital work„ I pend hours waiting at different control points. I travel miles empty, and half or sometimes quarter laden. contact hundreds' of drivers and find 90 per cent. of them dissatisfied with weeks away from base and home, unable properly to service their wagons; of being sent from one end of Britain to the other, often empty, and of having no proper accommodation when large numbers arrive at the control points. The remaining 10 per cent. are drivers who do not care what happens ; long as they draw their money at the end of the week; one could pick them out on the lifferent parking places by the condition of their wagons.
The only redeeming feature that I found in the unit control scheme was that after the four most vital years of war it was possible for the M.O.W.T., in an emergency, to have a large number of vehicles sent to any point to deal with the situation.
The days of emergency were many during those 'list lour years of war, when Britain's manufacturers turned over to, war production, and, as is shown by the figures, they achieved the seemingly impossible; but road transport then played its part; incredible journeys were undertaken, every driver felt a pride in getting his load through, and worked with a good will under appalling conditions; many fleet owners turned out to drive, through blackout and bombing, after years in the " yard." Empty running was cut to the minimum, manufacturers got their loads through to their destina tions. e
The hauliers had already done a magnificent job of work, but to-day the future to me looks grim; bans are placed on the cartage of certain commodities until a serious shortage occurs in the large cities, then the M.O.W.T. sends hundreds of wagons empty to pick up these banned loads, causing terrific congestion and hours of waiting, so that when a .question is asked in Parliament it can say : "We saVed .the situation."
Surrey. THREE WAGONS.
MORE ON USED-TYRE TREATMENT
I HAVE read with ankh interest the leader published in. your issue dated December 8 and entitled "Tyre Wastage Accusals Refuted." It issa pity that your informant decided to remain anonymous, but in view of the vague insinuations which underly his comments. it is hardly surprising that he has not the courage to declare himself.
• Your informant refers to conditions in the tyre industry in 1919 and after. I would point out that at that time even new tyres were not wholly satisfactory, as the pneumatic-tyre industry had not yet overconib its teething troubles. Two outstanding events in the progress of tyre construction, namely, the introduction of " cord " for casings, and carbon-black for the tread rubber, occurred well' after 1919. Conditions then and now were, in fact, utterly different and no useful purpose is served by drawing a "red herring" of this nature across the trail.
You refer to the casing collectors' refusal to work on " service fee basis." The reason for this refusal is quite clear—lack of confidence in C.I.D. inspection, based upon our day-to-day experience. The balance of your .article is largely comprised of insinuations against the integrity and ability of our members. As these emanate from an anonymous source, I pass them over as unworthy of the high standard normally maintained in your columns.
I have no desire to prolong this controversy unnecessarily, but I suggest that it might assist road operators to. judge for themselves if your informant would answer the following questions:—
(1) Why did the Tyre Control Order stop the sale of part-worn tyres and give no direction whatsoever for their use?
(2) Why was it necessary for us to obtain political assistance almost to force used tyres into the Order? And why, after specially selected collectors have been appointed, have they been permitted to sort only a very small selection of the Government dumps?
(3) Why, after persuading road operators to remove their tyres early for retreading, refuse to return the rejects to enable them to be run out at the owners' discretion?
(4) As the compulsory handing over of ait old tyre to obtain a new cafe was proposed by other interests in the days when prizes were being offered for-suggestions for using more rubber, how can it now be claimed that this "one for one" system saves rubber?
(5) Why are reputable dealers not allowed to sell used and reconditioned tyres to willing purchasers?
(6) Why are "S "-coupon users being denied tyres . while repairable and " clearance " covers are being slashed, and those capable of giving anything between 3,000 and 10,000 miles are not wanted by the Ministry? These are a few of the many questions which must be answered before judgment can be passed by your readers. In conclusion, I would draw attention to two unassailable facts:—
(a) There is a very large quantity of old tyres lying on Government dumps. We believe this quantity exceeds 5,000,000.
(b) The test check carried out under the stringent conditions imposed by the Tyre Directorate revealed a percentage of 2.9 per cent. of usable casings, according to that department's own examination (although the Tyre Casing Collectors' Association maintains that the true percentage is 7.2 per cent.).
Taking the lower percentage of 2.9 per cent., a quantity of 5,000,000 tyres would yield 145,000 usable casings. Are these casings to be left to_rot?
The above facts, which cannot be disputed, confirm, beyond any shadow of doubt, that a grave wastage of tyre mileage is being condoned by Tyre Directorate at a time when General Eisenhower urges the troops under his command " to extend every possible ounce from
our tyres." R. G. KIRKPATRICK,
Secretary, Tyre Casing Collectors' Association. National Secretary, National Association of Tyre Specialists..
London, E.C.2.
HAVING read the article "Are Tyres Being Wasted? " in your issue dated October 20, I was especially interested in your leader of December 8 headed " Tyre. wastage Accusals Refuted." At the outset please let me express my appreciation df your fairmindedness in
publishing this second article. • All the matter brought out in these two articles appears to me to point in the directionso often indicated by people who rush into print for publicity purposes or agitators who will not scruple to bring to their aid persons in public positions, i.e. self-interest. In most cases of this description the agitator seldom troubles to ensure veracity before presenting his so-called facts to those whose assistance be seeks I want to assist, as far as I can, those persons using tyres to-day, so perhaps I should state that I think I can justly claim to know a little about the tyre trade.
I rather like the position that Tyre Control appears to have taken up over this matter, and tyre users would be well advised to regard this particular Control with more favour than is generally meted out to it. I, personally, hate controls of any sort—in my business I am faced with them in every direction, and, as the result a the method by which Tyre Control commenced its operations, my company has lost tens of thcetsands of pounds worth of turnover. In fact, it was almost thrown out of the tyre trade entirely. In spite of this. I have no hesitation in giving it, as my considered opinion, that Tyre Control is the most efficient of all Government controls. It has one of the most difficult, if not the most difficult, of all tasks faced by controls, and for most of its existence has made a good job of it. It is doing all that is humanly possible to assist tyre users. If the users reciprocate, as they should, both sides would benefit greatly.
I have made visits to central inspection depots and can honestly confirm that those of the staff I have seen are well trained and carry out their tasks with efficiency, under close and experienced supervision. Only in the most essential cases are carcases condemned as unfit for further use. It should be understood, and you refer to this in your second article, that not even the greatest expert can tell whether or not a carcase is fit for retreading or remoulding until the surface rubber has been removed. In no repairers' or retreaders' premises I have ever visited have I seen such careful and methodical inspection carried' out. Users should keep this fact always before them.
It is admitted on all sides that transport is of vital importance, . but transport must have tyres. The quantity and quality of tyres available depend upon the operator as much as on the efforts of Tyre Control. If the average operator would carry out daily inspection of his tyres I can assure you that both the quality and the number of tyres available would be vastly improved. To operators I would offer one final suggestion, make it a habit to have a friendly chat with your A.T.D. once a month, and act on any advice he may think
fit to give. T. ROGERS, Managing Director.
Glasgow. CS. (For Kelvin Rubber Co., Ltd.)
MORE OIL PRODUCED IN ENGLAND
CURTHER to the description which I wrote in
September last of the discovery of oil in Great Britain, it may be of interest to _many of your readers to know that the number of wells completed has risen fronC300 to 394 and that during the war years a total of no less than 325,000 tons of petroleum has been produced. This Weight represents just over 81,000,000 gallons.
The total depth of all the wells drilled comes to 750,000 ft., or about 140 miles. The largest of the oil fields is two miles long by about half a mile wide.
The product continues to be of very high quality and is similar to that of Pennsylvania oilt which is always considered among the best in the world.
We are, of course, -very far from being one of the world's great oil-producing countries, but we have made a promising start and the oil which has been produced in these war years has been of the greatest. value to us. By reducing the number of tankers required to cross the Atlantic, it has also considerably lowered the risk to the lives of our men of the Merchant NavY as the result of submarine and aircraft attacks.
Leeds. W. H. GODDARD.