OPINIONS and
Page 35
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
UERIES
FURTHER LA.E. .RESEARCH ON PRODUCER GAS
AS Chairman of the Membership and Publications Subcommittee of the Automobile Research Committee, I have read with interest, in the issue of ' The Commercial Motor " of February 20, your account of the work on producer gas carried out at the I.A.E. Research Laboratories. Your article gives an excellent survey of the results of this investigation, and your comments on the information contained in the report are welcomed and appreciated.
You will be interested to know that the experimental work on which this report is based was carried out some time ago, and that the report was actually circulated to affiliated firms in the latter.part of the year 1940. In view of the wide interest in this subject, it has been thought desirable to make a report now available for general publication, through the medium of the Institution Journal,
The investigation of various aspects of this subject has been continued along the lines mentioned in your article, and another report is now in preparation. This will shortly be circulated to the firms supporting the work of the Automobile Research Committee, and doubtless it will eventually be released to the general• public through -the technical Press. A. E. C. DENT, Chairman, Membership and Publications Subcommittee, Automobile Research Committee. Brentford.
DRIVERS NEED BETTER CATERING AND ,ACCOMMODATION
MAY I claim a little space in your valuable journal to add emphasis to the remarks of your correspondents on accommodation and food for transport drivers?
During more than 30 years of driving I have watched road transport grow from a tiny trickle to the huge stream of to-day, uniting all parts of the country. What a contrast that growth affords to the dismal development of the conditions affecting the comfort and Well being of the men performing these exacting duties.
" Fairplay," in your issue dated February 13, writes with every justification about the profiteering; add to that the Hobson's choice that one has of filthy places of rest and refreshment or nothing. Let ins quote one instance : a rather large cafe between Newcastle-underLyme and Stone, along which road I happened to be towards the end of January. The weather at that time had added difficulties to our burden. The food served up tasted as if the cook " had taken his ingredients from the pig bucket—particularly in the case of that greatest of drivers tonics, tea.
The closing of many cafes at night has increased the difficulties, and given thoSe that remain open the chance to push their prices far above the pocket of the ordinary driver. There are fewer beds, and those left are often dirty and generally surrounded, the night long, by noisy comings and goings, so that the alternative of roughing it on one's lorry is often preferable to one who does not travel_ through, the night.
I could list many more complaints : The bad distribution of cafes, so that one finds six in a bunch and then none for miles, hardly any at all off the main roads; bad parking conditions, resulting in lorries being " boxed in," with much bad temper and loss of time before one is able to get away.
Lorry drivers do not ask for " picnic" conditions.
They are as willing as any to put up with hardships, but they do ask for a straight deal, ,or, recalling the demands of the railways, perhaps we should say a square deal.
When one thinks of the many workers' canteens supplying good, cheap food, often carried by lorries, then one cannot but ask if there is not some means whereby the appropriate Ministries could attempt to effect some improvement in conditions under which some of the Nation's most vital and little-praised workers are forced to ply their trade. G.S.E. Winchester.
IS PLOUGHING BY STEAM STILL POPULAR?
THERE was a letter in your issue of February 6. 1 from. Mr. Angus Mackay, regarding the use of steam wagons, etc. Mr. Mackay was quite right when he said that he saw the Mann agricultural tractors ploughing during the war of 1914-18. At that time also they used to take part in demonstrations alongside the lighter paraffin or petrol tractors.
I was an apprentice-fitter at Mann's works during that period, and I am well acquainted with these machines. Like all other products of that company they Were good and reliable, and were designetl to pull a three-furrow plough by direct traction across land, for which purpose they were equipped with wheels of large diardeter having broad rims. Provision was made for fitting spuds when necessary. They were successful on certain classes of land, but had their limitations on soft surfaces. No doubt they could have been employed for cable ploughing as each had its cable and drum. However, the supply was limited . by the manufacturing capabilities of the company, which was also busy making steam wagons.
Possibly some of these tractors are in existence to-day, I know that a number was working up to a few years ago, and at that time the owners had no ideas as to parting with them.
I should say that for cable 'ploughing on the twoengine principle J. H. McLaren; of Leeds, has done as much as anyone. In fact, the company was a pioneer and leading exponent of this. W. COLE. Leeds, 7.
PRIVATE HIRE NOT ALWAYS FOR PLEASURE QOME time ago, under "Passing Comments," you "Jreferred to " Worst Moments " experienced by readers of your journal.
I think mine was when my chief instructed me to arrange for several double-deck buses to convey the members of the L.M.S. staff to the memorial service at Watford for Lord Stamp. It was then brought home to me how the private-hire arrangement of buses, which is usually associated with pleasure outings in peace-time, could be turned by Nazi wickedness into a facility by which a large number of mourners was taken to honour one of transport's greatest figures. REGULAT0R. Watford.