Rubber Economy Saves 700,000 Giant Tyres
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AENTION was made by the IVIRegional Transport Commissioner, Major F. S. Eastwood, at the tyre economy exhibition which is being held in Leeds, under the auspices of the Ministries of Supply and War Transport, of the fact that some commercial vehicles in the North-eastern Region are laid up because of shortage of suitable tyres.
Major Eastwood, who was opening one of the sessions for sub-district managers and group organizers, referred particularly to the shortage of 34 by 7 tyres. The care of tyres had become of such great importance that it was well worth the while of operators to send their drivers for a tyre economy lesson at the exhibition, even if it meant paying the men's wages, plus their expenses, during their visit. If necessary, evening sessions would be held at the exhibition so as to provide for drivers who could not attend during the day.
Inaugurating the Leeds exhibition on August 19 Lord Rothes, Director of Tyres at the Ministry of Supply, said he found many people were under the impression that as synthetic rubber would shortly be available in quantity, the rubber crisis was at an end. That was not so. To ease our difficulties we must have as large a stock of crude rubber as possible left over to mix with synthetic rubber. Economy in the use of rubber, therefore, continued to be urgently necessary. The reduction in the rubber content of tyres. the planning of production and the tyre rationing scheme had during the past year saved 14,000 tons of rubber—equivalent to more than 740,000 giant tyres—on civilian tyres alone. That was appreciable, but not by any means sufficient: The major portion of any .possible further economy was in the hands of those who used and maintained tyres. If the average of covers fit for reireading could be raised from the present figare of 39 per cent. to 70 per cent., the saving in rubber would be at least another 4,000 tons per year.