Opinions from Others.
Page 16
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The Editor invites correspondence on all subjects connected with the use of commercial motors. Letters should be on one side of the Paper only, and type-written by preference. The right of abbreviation is reserved, and no responsibility for the views expressed is accePted. In the case of experiences, names of towns or localities may be withheld.
Road Grants.
The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL Mama.
[1,386] Sir,—Some £2643,000 has already been granted by the Road Board for the betterment of roads, to be used for widening and improving, and in some cases for tarring the surfaces. This little sum has been drawn from the pocket of the owners of spirit-driven motor vehicles—the majority of the amount from touring-vehicle owners. It would be interesting to ascertain the proportion of this sum raised from the tax on commercial vehicles. Generally, the man who pays the piper calls the tune.
For how long will the taxed-vehicle owners allow the heavy untaxed vehicle to run on the roads without weight supervision, and at any speed they like, without asking the Road Board and the authorities obtaining allocations of the amount collected from the taxed-vehicle owners to take the necessary steps for the purpose of preventing these heavy axleweights from being placed on the roads that are improved and supported by the users of the taxed vehicle ? One does not like to see the money found for this purpose expended carefully, and with the discretion which accompanies every grant allocated by the Road Board, used for the purpose of putting -money into pockets of users of vehicles running free n the highways, not paying any tax, and carrying any weight the vehicle can or its owner desires to put upon his vehicle.—Yours faithfully, "FAIR PLAY.
Fifty-five Millions on the Roads.
The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
[1,387] Sir,It is an acknowledged though regrettable fact that a prophet experiences difficulties in making a profit if he carries on business in the home district. I was, therefore, not surprised when some two years ago I was rebuffed for suggesting in these columns that the solution of the road-cum-motor problem lay in the making of suitable roads for heavy motor traffic. I was told, at the time, that the price was prohibitive, and that in consequence the motors must be made to suit the roads. It is very refreshing and encouraging to find that the seeds sown in such unpromising soil are being skilfully watered by the editorial hand, and that they show promise of an abundant harvest. I should be quite content to let the matter rest there, were it not for a new danger which has arisen.
The weak point in my suggestion to rebuild the main roads lay in the doubt as to whether our road surveyors can make roads if we give them the money. A few undoubtedly can, but observation leads me to -believi that many of them know about as much of road-making as the average man does about dressing .a doll. They know what to put on, but how or when to put it on beats them altogether. Let me give a few examples of what I mean. I have a road in mind, which has been tar-sprayed twice in nine months : in the first instance, it was done when the
Toad was wet, and the tar came off again in sheets ; in the present case, the same result is taking place, either because the tar has not been properly mixed, or because the tar does not appear to have been sufficiently protected from the wheels of the road • traffic during the process of setting. Another road, -lin a different district, was coated with tar to such .a depth that it was like indiarubber ; when the sun • came out, the vehicles sank into about 3 in. of tar,
and, as they proceeded, took the road surface with them. That is an equally-bad result: Again, in the matter of sett paving, the quality and size of the setts vary considerably, and road surveyors do not seem able to agree on the best methods. Surely, sett paving should be reserved for those streets which have to bear the heaviest traffic, but it is often found in quite-obscure back streets, which have no traffic to carry except an occasional coalman's cart. Tar-sprayed macadam would be more suitable and less costly, as well as its being quieter. Indeed, surveyors often cause heavy depreciation to residential property through the practice of laying sett paving indiscriminately.
The question of road camber is one that requires standardizing, as far as possible, before drastic steps are taken. At present, motor manufacturers are quite unable to make their machines' wheels suitable for the roads they traverse. In a word, Sir, my plan is that, whilst the roads require rebuilding, the work should be carried out in a manner which will leave us better off than we were before. In the past, road surveyors have been left pretty much to do as they liked : nobody troubled much about the roads because they were not used to any great extent, but, now that the nation is sinking vast capital upon machines which are to be used on our roads, the matter assumes a more-serious aspect. A national loan, such as you suggest, is the undoubted need of the times, but it must be spent under the direction of expert road makers. Make the roads good, and the machines which traverse them will rapidly accommodate themselves to the new roads: at present, it is impossible to adopt many refinements in motor practice, which are admittedly wanted, because of the excessive wear which takes place when the machines are traversing bad roads.
—Yours faithfully, "-MOTOR-WAGON CARRIER."
[Criticism by this journal concerned this correspondent's plea for complete exemption from the risk of extramdinary-traflic claims. We endorse his plea for intelligent expenditure-En.] A Short Way With Obstructors.
The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
[1,388] Sir,—Some time back I was taking an old book-binding to pieces, and found it was composed of sundry sheets of the "Ipswich Journal," under date of 4th December, 1761. I succeeded in deciphering the following:— " Last week, John Smith and John Hasell, servants to George Muniford, of Oxford, were convicted before Dr. Tanner, one of His Majesty's Justices of the Peace for this County, and paid the penalty of twenty shillings for refusing to turn out an empty wagon they were driving for a gentleman's coach."
Would a magistrate venture to deal as firmly nowadays with a brace of delinquents? It must be remembered that 20s. represented a larger sum 130 years ago than it does in this present year of grace. Moral: DRIVE NEAR LEFT KERB.
This is the way the C M. LA. is tackling the problem, and the more generally these notices are adopted the better.—Yours faithfully,
H. LYON THOMSON.