The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-07-11
NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS
 AND SUBSIDIZING TRUCKS

National preparedness. as a subject, Is one of the most expressing that is be- fore the American public today. News papers, magazines and public speakers have handled many phases of 1t in the past few months, but there is one ele- ment of the question that. seemingly, has been given a small share of attention, that of motor truck subsidies. It was through having adopted the policy of giv- ing subsidies that France, Germany and Austria and, to a certain extent. Eng land, were enabled to gather great fleets of motor trucks together at the outbreak of the European war.
 Just prior to the start of hostilities the British war department drew up sub sdy regulations that were the result of a number of years experience. In a re- cent number of The Engineer, a recog- nized English authority on engineering matters, the first truck to conform to the subsidy regulations was described and as a preface to this description gave a resume of the conditions imposed by the war department These have a par ticular interest in this country now as a possible development of the move for
 
 must, sooner or later, bring up the ques- ton of government subsidies here The Engineer says:
 "fn all matters relating to military transport the military point of view must take precedence for the moment. but peace will come sooner or later. and with it presumably a somewhat sudden ces- sation in the demand for military sup plies and period of anxiety on the part of manufacturers of lorries. among other things, as to the disposal of an output swelled, as 1t will have been, by the pres- ent abnormal and unsuitable requirements of war. Terrible difficulties would arise if the vehicles which now have to be built to meet service requirements were inherently unsuitable for other than mill itary purposes This Is a point to which the mechanical transport committee gave very full consideration when drawing up the regulations governing It's subsidy scheme for times of peace and which ap- ply, we believe, to all vehicles now be- ing constructed for the war office. It will be remembered that the object of the scheme was to put the government, on the outbreak of war, not then foreseen, in possession of an adequate number of mechanical transport vehicles of a more or less standard pattern, without involv- ing the taxpayer in enormous expense by the direct purchase of large fleets, which would nave been cO1npdTdtlNely lul6 uuT- ing peace time. With these considerations in mind the mechanical transport com
 mittee drew up a subsidy scheme, which was put into final form last year. Un- der it. if the civilian owner of a lorry agrees to have embodied in the construc- l ton of his vehicle certain features which are desirable from a military standpoint, but which in no wise interfere with its utility for commercial purposes, and al | lows the vehicle to be inspected every | six months by an official of the war of | flee, he not only obtains grants amount ] ing in all to from 9110 to G120, but on the outbreak of war is paid pre- arranged price for his lorry. Thus not l only Is the owner assured of fair even generous-price but he obtains a report every six months to show that 1 his vehicles are being properly looked | after and driven by his staff. A careful
 study of the regulations indicates that | in only one essential feature of design | is the liberty of the designer interfered
 with-a chain drive is barred on any ve- 1 hicle which is to earn the subsidy. The reason for this is a military one. On
 active service the work which the lorry | has to do Is very severe on wheels and | tires and the wheels must, therefore 1 be able to be removed and replaced in | the least possible time. In gear-driven
 vehicle the wheel may be taken off by