ANSWERS TO QUERIES.
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Our readers will be informed by the Editor on any points connected with the construction or use of commercial motors, Where a direct rep is desired, a stamred addressed envelope should be enclosed if a request for privacy is not specially Made, any query and answer may be published. Some replies, owing to pressure on our space, are held over several weeks.
Commercial Motor Taxes.
[4333] (Contractors).—With the sole exception of motorbuses, -no commercial motor vehicle is subject to any ruling by the Surveyor of Taxes as to the rate of depreciation which is allowed for the purpose of calculating the amount of income tax or excess profits duly. The fisual figure in such cases is :12 per cent., and sometimes 15 per cent.
Tuition Schools and Coal-gas.
[4334] (Manchester).—So far as we know, none of the schools have equipped a vehicle for running on coal-gas, but they are now just going into the question, and as coal-gas holders are now becoming more readily obtainable in London, there is no question but that this particulax fuel will be a way out for schools; enabling them to run their cars for tuition work.
Wants More Petrol.
[4335] (Grocers). e---Th e Petrol Control Department will not grant you more petrol than is recommended by the Department of Agriculture or other Governmeat Department. You will have to make your case good with the Board of Agriculture in the first place— presumably the Food Control Branch, to which the secretary is Mr. Burton, of 18, Upper Grosvenor Street, London, S.W. It will help you if you can get the co-operation of your local War Agricultural Committee fdr the County of Londonderry.
Coal-gas for a Stationary Engine.
[4336] (lloston).—It is quite practicable for you to send a fabric container to the gas works on a trolley, bat perhaps you might do better by obtaining a small gasometer and have it fitted up to the nearest point to which the gas main comes ; you can then fill this whilst the vehicle is away, and arrange to fill the fabric container on the ve,hiele. This method overcomes the difficulty arising out of the fact that you would want, to fill an ordinary gas container, at least a 100-light gasmeter.
Obtaining a Commercial Vehicle -Licence.
[4337] (Sewton Toney).—You will have to make application to the Clerk of the London County Council, or County Borough, for a driving licence. When you get your vehicle, it will have to be registered With the same authority.
Traction-engine Haulage andRoad Damage.
[4338] (Manchester).—We cannot agree that these exceptional loads on small wheels do not damage the roads. We admit that the lack of head-room under bridges necessitates the use of the small wheels at those points, and it is impracticable that the haulage should be effected on trolleys with larger wheels for • the remainder of the journey, which would be a solution. One has to offset the increased damage, due to these very small-diameter wheels and the total weight upon them, against the national necessity fur the transit of such loads and against the inability of the railways to take them. Such bulky articles must go by road. On the other hand, we repeat our -view that we are justified in seeing that the discovery of weak places in the road is .not wholly laid upon steam wagons and Motorbuses, any more than we seek wholly to lay it upon the class of traffic about which we have exchanged letters. We agree with your view -that recriminations between different sections of road-users should be avoided. Their suppression is a matter of no small difficulty. Owners of steam wagons and motorbuses, when they are publicly accused of doing, all the damage, must point in self-defence to other originating causes. You will know that, during the past 124 years, this journal has very seldom indeed even touched upon the bad effects of the haulage of exceptional loads by traction engines, although it 7night have yielded to pressure to do so on many occasions. Your view is, to a certain extent, an ex parte one. If the motorbus people re-acted immediately they were touched in print upon a weak spot, they would do -more harm than good to their future prospects.