OPINIONS and
Page 29
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UERIES
CONGRATULATIONS TO
_ MR. HOWES ON HIS NEW BOOK T. CONSIDER that Mr. E. B. Howes can be credited 1 with being the first man to invent a " flying bomb " to land right on the target for which it was intended: I refer to his new book, A Common Sense Plan for Road Transport."
The author should go right' to the top in goodstransport politics, and I suggest that he should stand for his constituency as a Liberal candidate, because his publication is on a par with Liberal policy. As a Liberal, he would serve in a dual capacity—as the Churchill of road transport, and as a stanchion in the framework of the Liberal policy of liberty, justice and humanhappiness.
My only fear is that many who will read his book will
soon forget it and the points he raises. Numerous hauliers. in the past travelled along the road of apathy, in so far as political issues were concerned.
Mr. Howes warns us concerning those underground movements which tend to undermine the security of the industry. It is my belief that there is little doubt that, in the past, Strong groups were weakening the foundations of our business; some of these may still be active.
London, N.12. E. Enwicx. • TYRE CARE AND ALLEGED WASTE
WWITH reference to a letter from Mr. T. Rogers, which was printed in your issue dated January 5, I have taken part in many negotiations regarding tyre wastage, both with Tyre Control and Parliamentary representatives, but J have never heard of Mr. Rogers taking part in these.
It is very regrettable that he should rush into print without first acquainting himself with the facts. I am. not able to comment or give an opinion on which is the best of the controls; it requires considerable knowledge • and experience of all of them to do this.
Regarding the central inspection depots, the casing collectors are all experienced men, selected and licensed by the Ministry for that reason, and they have abundant evidence as to tyres, rejected by a C.I.D., afterwards being accepted by reputable remoulders; hence the lack of confidence.
The National Association of Tyre Specialists was formed when the Tyre Control Order No. 4 came into force, -to endeavour to right some of the anomalies and injustices created by that Order, and it has made some progress. The subject of tyre care and maintenance is a national one, but there are many good tyre men, excluded by the Tyre Control Order, who are quite corn-. petent and capable of giving advice • on tyre economy both to road operators and to A.T.Ds.
I can assure your readers that the executive committees of the N.A.T.S. and the T.C.C.A. have never been guilty of rushing into print from motives of self interest or for publicity purposes; all statements issued by these associations are facts.
What motive inspired Mr. Rogers to write in such a fashion I do not know; but, having done so, he should substantiate his insinuations or withdraw them.
J. T. BARK. WITH,
Vice-chairman.
(The National Association of Tyre Specialists.) London, W.G. WILL HIGH-FREQUENCY TRANS MISSION REPLACE BATTERIES?
I WAS very interested to'read the letter by Mr, R. Hind, of the Notek . Electric Co., Ltd., on ." Why Not More Electric Vehicles?" which was published in your issue dated January 26.
It is my opinion that, in the not-too-distant future, this system of propulsion will be used for most of our transport, and in respect of both passenger and goods vehicles. Of course, we alr realize that the big failing at present is the battery, arid so long as we have the present type of battery the electric vehicle vill be of little use for anything other than local work.
The future of the electric vehicle will, in my view, be controlled largely by the development of the highfrequency principle, that is at present being tried ail(' developed by Russia; some details of this were reported in 1.` The Commercial Motor," a few months ago, and I am hoping that, before long, we shall hear more about this, and of any improvements that may have been made.
There is one point that the public will have to watch with care in connection With this; and that is to see that the fuel combines do not"sqiiash-di restrict the development of electricity for road transport, for there is no doubt that it will, in tithe, put most of these very profitable concerns on their mettle.
Incidentally, I hope that the Institute of Road Transport Engineers will keep. its eyes on the development of this form of propulsion for road-transport use.
*, A. G, SPIERS, A.M.Inst.B.E., A.I.T.A. •
Melksha m SIR NOEL CURTIS-BEN NETT, K.C.V.O., FELICITATES THE REPAIR SHOPS
THE White Paper on the prowess and endurance of
the British folk in these years of war, Command Paper 6564 to be exact, "presented by the Prime Minister to Parliament," could not contain everything. Whole volumes and libraries will need to be written in the years to be concerning a little island which was the lonely anchor of hope, even after the " doom " of Dunkirk.
I have moved about the country a great deal and have seen thousands of factories. Even in the darkest. hours the _experience was exhilarating and elevating. The Command Paper could well have had a section on the Saga of the Little Places. Take motor -garages, for example, scattered all over the country. They became, almost every one of them, hives of war industry and effort. One day the full story will be to and it will be a romance, and when users of motor vehicles take to their peace-wheels again, they will do well to hold in new regard the repairing shops, some small, some large, generally called garages, because of the immense service they have rendered to war transport,' blitz or no blitz, in the dead of night as well as at noon.
I am hoping that the Motor Agents' Association, that representative body, may consider the publishing of a history, a White Paper of its own, on the part so bravely played in keeping the actual wheels of our military and econornic life turning swiftly and smoothly. . The story must be inspiring.
NOEL CuarIS-BENNErr, President.
, (For The Guild of Master Motorists and Civil Service Motoring Association.) London, S.W.1. •