Opinions from Others—con.
Page 18
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Now let us hage a look at the question of connecting up these units. I most emphatically deny that the designer" of an assembled chassis has simply to "select from catalogues supplied to him by manufacturers the units most suitable." In my experience the matter of assembling the units in the frame is one that does, of necessity, receive the utmost attention at the hands of the builders of units, and the assembler actually designs his frame, connections and controls round the units he has chosen as most suitable for his job. I find that all these parts are specially made and one has only to look at some of the British "assembled" chassis just beginning to find their way on to the market to realize that for "clean" design they are often in advance of the "oneshop" cars of established reputation now built in this country.
Your contributor quotes two cases of inaccessibility—gross inaccessibility—in two " assembled " chassis; but I can call to mind equally glaring errors in someaof the chassis which are. built throughout by one firm. These are also things which must be laid at the door of the men working the system itself! These faults are not inherent defects of an assembled chassis as stated by your contributor ; they only show that we have not always got the right men producing it, which can also be said of every other trade.
The question, "Is a 'Designed' Chassis better than an ' Assembled ' one ? ' must therefore be answered in the negative, and the second question does not arise ; neither do I believe that assembling motor lorries from units will cause them to be all alike and stagnate design any more than the same system, which is in vogue in the United States, has caused-all the American pleasure cars to be all the same.
It has done one or two things, however ; it has improved the quality, reduced the weight, made parts interchangeable and it has brought prices down with a run andI look forward to a very great extension of trade in this country on the same lines, .believing that by this means alone shall we be able to produce vehicles at a price necessary to keep out our foreign rivals and to come within the purchasing power of the vast majority of business houses.—Yours faith
fully, R. PENTONT. "Kenilworth," Newport Road, Stafford.
Co-operative Purchase of Vehicles by A.S.C., M.T., Men. One of a Number of Letters from the Front.
The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
L1589] Sir,--Your suggestions for acquirement, by their present drivers, after the war, of the war-worn vehicles now in use by the Army and Navy should arouse keen interest among the personnel of the A.S.C., M.T. From time to time I have heard rather pessimistic speculations among M.T. drivers a.s to what their position will be on return to civil life after
the war. Without doubt a large number of them will have quite a useful little capital sum at their disposal, accumulation of arrears of pay ; and most of them will eagerly examine schemes designed to give them employment for which they are well fitted and at the same time enable them to employ their capital to advantage.
With the expert advice and assistance now offered by THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR the possibilities 'are great indeed. One sees projects shaping which will have the threefold effect of assisting our Government to dispose of the vehicles at a price somewhere near their value; assisting the development of road transport by opening up new routes and services or augmenting existing ones ; and assisting the M.T. men who are now doing their bit in France and elsewhere to reinstate themselves in civilian life with fair prospects. I shall eagerly watch for developments and shall hope and expect the whole matter to be brought closely to the notice of the men who are likely to benefit.—ours faithfully,
E. Wrrennti,,, L.-Cpl., M.T., A Co-ocerative Scheme which a Correspcndent was Not Able to Develop.
The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
[1590] Sir,—I was exceedingly interested in the article on co-operative ownership, .which appeared in your issue for 27th January, particularly so because last August, after leaving the Army, I was thinking out a scheme for employing ex-A.S.C., M.T., men on the co-operative system. Knowing the present conditions, and those which are likely to rule after the war, particularly in Liverpool and Lancashire, my thoughts naturally turned in that direction.
My idea was to employ only ex-M.T. men, and to start operations at first with discharged ones, whilst negotiating with others for their services after the war as they might be available. I thought of endeavouring to interest some of the big cotton and shipping concerns which are so adversely affected by the congestion which ruled even before the war, and which now is, of course, so much worse. I thought of employing a mixed fleet of petrol wagons and heavy steamers for different classes of work, of collecting goods at the depot for conveyance by regular services to various Lancashire districts, of throucjh conveyance of full loads, and of carrying out, to some extent, the suggestions which I made in an article on co-operative road-carrying which appeared in your paper some two years ago.
I hoped-to carry this out by granting facilities to private owners, and acting, to some extent, as a freight exchange. My idea was, that any balance left after paying all expenses and six per cent. interest on the capital, should be divided amongst the drivers on a basis which would take account of the tonnage carried by each and of the freedom from accident or serious breakclown.—Yours faithfully.