Opinions from Others.
Page 22
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The Design of Steam Tractors.
The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR [1352_1 Sir,-1 quite agree with Mr. Lalonde's remarks as to the inefficiency of the compound steam engine as now designed for railways and road vehicles. I have for many years advocated the use of a compound system which makes it impracticable for a simple engine to compete with it, no matter what the condition of work. The fact that our great railways have failed to solve the problem of compounding to suit the conditions of railway work should not deter designers of engines for road vehicles from adopting a system which will develop a maximum of power with a minimum consumption of steam. It is only necessary to consider the enormous improvement that has been effected in the petrol engine during the last 12 years, and to compare it with the absence of any improvement in the railway engine during the last 40 years, to indicate the great advantage that is likely to follow when a firm takes up the question of designing a steam engine on the lines I suggest. —Yours
faithfully, JOHN RIEKIE.
[We invite this correspondent to be more fpiiait. j Fines for Technical 011ences.
The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR [1353] Sir,—I have read with interest the remarks of your correspondent " Lancastrian " on the above subject, and knowing Lancashire conditions as I do I feel that, although the complaint as to the manner in which owners are dealt with for offences under the Heavy Motor Car Acts is general, Lancashire particularly feels the sting.
1 admit that the Motor Car Acts require readjustment and an up-to-date tone introduced, but there is little immediate chance of this whilst Home Rule, Welsh Disestablishment and Plural Voting occupy the time of Parliament. We shall, therefore, have to be content to move in the same groove for some time to come, and in the meantime we must do our best to work amicably with the authorities. London, I think, manages to get on very well with the police and authorities. Why should not Lancashire? To my mind, the real reason for the manner in which technical offences are dealt with in Lancashire is the entire lack of understanding between owners and the authorities, and at no time more than the present was an understanding needed. The severity of the fines imposed is creating the same impression on owners as on those of the unfortunate n criminal " class who as first offenders receive a very heavy sentence ; it only makes them very bitter against the authorities, and encourages the thought that it is not worth while trying to do the right thing. The chief offences are those connected with overspeed, overweight and trailer brakes. The authorities take the view that overspeed damages the road, but does not the real fault lie in the fact that the roads have never been suitably constructed in the first case? Further, an owner is in the hands of his driver as regards overspeed ; though orders may be issued day by day not to overdrive, the owner cannot follow his machine all over the country. As regards overweight, here again the owner cannot really be blamed. He sends to a customer for a load under the legal weight, and for some reason or other the customer overloads, and never a word is said : a heavy fine is incurred, and the owner has no redress. Trailer-brake offences are real "flies in the ointment " to steam motor-wagon owners. Trailers are sent out in good condition answering every requirement ; a stone gets in the way, a link in the trailer chain gets " kinked " and appears inefficient when examined by an official ; or, take again the case of the trailer chain coming uncoupled ; if this is noted by a policeman, the owner is liable to be summoned for not
Da having a person on the trailer to apply the brake, and all perhaps due to some little boy. For all these offences heavy fines are imposed. It is true the driver is summoned in. several instances, but how can he be expected to pay fines amounting in all to about Z6, or even £10 from the artisan's wage? The authorities know it is not the man who suffers, but the owner.
It is no use laying down a complaint such as I have done, without a suggestion of how a remedy may be effected. The remedy suggested may be crude—even unworkable. The true idea must be to set others thinking, and to give the groundwork of something that will he helpful and break down the barrier that at present exists between the authorities and owners. We do not wish to escape without fines ; our common sense tells us that if we do wrong we must be punished ; but we argue that reason and justice should prevail. One of the first steps I would suggest would be the appointment of stipendiary magistrates. There is a Road Board for Great Britain. Why not one for Lancashire ? Lancashire is, perhaps, the busiest carrying county in England, and the control of the roads should be a department in itself of the Lancashire County Council, or it might be of a representative board made up from members selected from the N. and E.L.C.M.U.A. and the Liverpool and Counties C.M.U. A., acting together with the nominees of other road associations and representatives of the Lancashire County Council. All matters relating to road use could be referred to this body.
Further, all persons applying for a dr;ver's licence should be compelled to go through some test. The men are trusted with machines valued at anything up to £1000, and it is only right from the employer's standpoint that he should know they are in charge of reliable men. From the authorities' point of view. the knowledge that machines are in the hands of skilled men should induce them to relax attacks.
Generally, I am sure it is the honest desire of all owners to work with and not against the law, even though such laws are hard. and we want the authorities to understand this. This is where our hardship comes in. We are told, though not in as many words. that we encourage offences, and the circumstances of many cases make it very hard for us to Prove otherwise. We can only give our word, and when it comes to this it is a case of the old proverb "Give a dog a had name." etc. We should not be made revenueproviders for the richest county in England.
In conclusion, I would ask any justice of the peace— if this letter should catch his eye—to give heavy motorcar eases his careful attention, having in mind that the majority concerns only hard-working owners with but little spare capital who do not wish to shirk responsibilities, but simply ask for the same measure of justice that is given to others.—Yours faithfully, " ANOTHER CARRIER." Provincial Parade in 1915.
The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
[1354] Sir,—Your observations and Mr. Philip Kershaw's letter lead one to recall a proposition which was rediscussed at the last Manchester Show by many who have at heart the welfare of commercial motors—a parade in Manchester. The trend of talk, however, was not on the lines which you and your esteemed correspondent advocate, though many of us would give every possible assistance to that, because it is commendable to the uttermost. I believe TrrE ComMM.! Die MOTOR first suggested the theme of the practical conversations I now write of, viz., Why not begin to organise, early, a parade of commercial and industrial motors as a preliminary to the opening of the Manchester Show For preference, lorries should be loaded, to add real interest—Yours faithfully, " MA X, "