Commissioners Discourage Progress
Page 35
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N. other country has made so much propess with the development of the compression-ignition oil engine as Great Britain, although the great interest shown by makers and vehicle operators throughout the world indicates the vital importance of the movement. .. The Commercial Motor can take much of the credit for this country's lead in this respect. It was the only paper which, years ago, had the courage openly to state its conviction that the oil engine would be a success,-and would eventually challenge the • supremacy of other power units utilized for road transport.
Certain manufacturers. -Who were not sufficiently .farseeing lb visualize the eventual demand and the potentialities of this form of power unit, put strong pressure upon us to refrain from championing its cause ; but, as in the case of our advocacy of the six-wheeler, we were not to be intimidated, and we proceeded with the ploughing of our lone furrow; which policy events have fully justified. • • • It falls to 118 again to take up the cudgels against attempts to arrest this forward movement. A pioneer operator of oil-engined buses has considered it expedient to remove from his vehicles perfectly satisfactory oil engines be cause of feared hostility in connection with the renewal of his licences—objections not against the service given by the engines, but beeause they utilized a fuel which, at present, is free from tax. The pressure brought to bear on this operator was apparently not severe, but quite sufficient to make him consider his action a wise one from his point of view.
Such lamentable lack of foresight on the part of the Commissioners concerned is calculated to make operators • despair of obtaining unbiased treatment. Surely.it is no task for individuals to concern themselves with matters such as this, which 'muSt event-it:ally be considered from the national standpoint. • The progress of the oil engine cannot be arrested. It may eventually have far-reaching possibilities in the way of utilizing a home-produced fuel ; apart from this, it will effect undoubted • reductions in the amount of fuel imported into this country. . • Higher authorities than the Commissioners are aware of the situation, 'and, • if need be, oil fuel of foreign origin will be taxed ; but we hope those responsible will be wise enough not to kill the goose which may eventually lay golden eggs and help British trade both at home and abroad.