OPINIONS and Q UERIES H OW long is the Government going to
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condone the enormous waste of petrol, man-power and tyres, not to mention money, that is being caused by the operation of the M. of W.T. Road Haulage Scheme? Palatial offices have been set up, big staffs engaged—and all for what? To get the industry into the greatest muddle it has ever known. Drivers, as well as their employers, are sick and tired of the whole mess; one cannot find another name for it and I am afraid if something be not done, and that quickly, to remedy this evil, the people responsible will not be able to hope for the same service and response which they had during the last spot of trouble in bombed areas.
Personally, I have spent some 34 years in the roadtransport industry, starting work as a driver, and I can claim a fair knowledge of it. It is obvious to me that this scheme is unworkable.
To give examples of waste of man-power and money, maximum-load vehicles (eight-wheelers) have been sent with loads to a certain destination, and on arrival it has been found impossible to get the machines near the hoist on account of their size, so the goods have had to be thrown on the floor and taken a matter of 150 yds. on small hand trucks to the place where they are required. Similarly, small wagons are sent to a-place ideally suited
for the larger vehicles. This -is all caused by men " doing " a job of which they know just nothing.
If the industry has to be sentenced to some form of control, which seem a to be the fashion nowadays, let us scrap this red-tape comedy and let the Ministry get in touch with men who have schemes ready which are really workable, and include permitting a man to run his own business ; then, and only then; can we hope for
satisfactory results. " H. HOWARTH. Royton. AT the meeting drranged by the Mobile Producer Gas Association and held on July 15, at Caxton Hall, one speaker suggested that a definite resolution should be proposed and, if adopted, forwarded to the Ministry of W.ar Transport.
. Unfortunately this did not meet with any support, in fact, nothing definite was proposed.
May I suggest that the following proposals be submitted to the Ministry (1) If not already in being that a committee be formed consisting of one technical representative from all gas-producer manufacturers who have had plants operating on commercial vehicles for the past two years (not only from the M.P.G.A.) in conjunction with technical experts from the Ministry of War Transport.
(2) That a test run should be made with a number of lorries each fitted with a different plant representing those mentioned above, and that this test be organized and supervised by the R.A.C. or some similar body.
(3) That, from the results of this test run, a plant be designed to incorporate the best features of all plants now running which could, in practice, be manufactured by existing factories.
(4) That all ideas be pooled for the better execution of the war effort to put on the market the most efficient mohde producer plant so far devised.
(5) That each manufacturer should be given a quota of plants to produce according to his capacity. S. C. BULLOCK,
• Wharf Manager, • . for and on behalf of Herbert W. Clarke and Sons (Erith), Ltd. Erith.