A meeting,' 1 understand, will be held on the llth
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May, between the police authorities (who have indicated that public-service vehicles must give audible warning when the speed lunit IS exceeded) and the leading makers of speedometers. This is as it should be, so that things may take a mm-e practical turn. All the same, I think the idea of giving audible warning is a fantastic notion, and it is very unlikely that it will lead anywhere; in any case, it will be very undesirable. We have an elegant sufficiency " ot noises in the streets as it is.
Consternation has been spread by the Budget proposals, and the chief topic of conversation of everyone I have met within the past few days has been of the utter thoughtlessness of it—as far as the commercial vehicle is concerned. Tt is conceded, by most people, that where one's hobbies are concerned one is usually prepared to pay; one does not, anyway, cavil at a few extra shillings, and perhaps, with the prospect of improved roads, the pleasure-ear owner may be inclined to grin and bear it. With the motorbus, the motorcab. and the lorry, which, as one may say, are only just feeling
their feet in their competition with horses, the case is different, and the Chancellor of the Exchequer's " astucity " (that is not my word ; it comes from the " Daily Telegraph's " leading artil le on this momentous question) is in this case over-reaching and ill-considered. The imposition of the tax is likely to give a serious '' setImek " to motor omnibuses.
My view, is that some immediate combined action should be taken to point out to the Government how grossly unfair will be this extra burden on commercial vehicles, and I. hope, before these lines are printed, a meetiug of the principal associations and bodies interested will have been held, and that proper representations will have been laid before Mr. LloydGeorge and the members of Parliament, by the time the Budget Bill is read a second time, so that they matsee the iniquity, of it all. Of course, the thought comes that paraffin may be substituted, possibly in a fairly satisfactory manner, but I think we should endeavour to avoid that, because, if it be largely used, its price will assuredly go up, as it is controlled by the motor spirit companies.
I think one important reason which should weigh with Parliament is that the heavy vehicle industry is essentially British. The development in this country has been much faster, and more complete, than in any other country, and British manufacturers have lnelited in consequence. We are now faced with a serious check, and legislators should understand clearly how much this increase in the price of motor spirit, due to the tax, will interfere with the progress of the inch ustry.
I was greatly interested to hear from the lips of Mr. Arthur Drummond, of Guildford, whom I ran across in town the other day, that his company had just received an order for six 9-inch lathes with " all-geared " heads from Sir Joseph Whitworth and Company, Limited, after that concern had submitted one to a thorough trial. When one has obtained a reputation for 3--inch lathes, as Drummonds have, it takes time to impress upon large engineering firms that heavier lathes are also made by them ; an order like the above Will have a more convincing effect than reams of circulars and hours of talk.