TRADE NOTES

Evening Post, Volume XCVIII, Issue 146, 18 December 1919, Page 6

TRADE NOTES

A NEW MOTOR FUEL

SATISFACTORY TESTS.

(PROS! OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

LONDON, 16th October.

A South American, named Andrade, of ; Portuguese extraction, has invented a new motor fuel which, when tested, appears to have given promising results. It is understood that Andrade claims that by mixing certain chemicals with pure water a .liquid is produced which is capable of providing motive power. The chemicals are introduced in the form of powders, and minor experiments which have been carried out are reported to- have proved very encouraging. Further tests liave, however,, to be made before the new fuel can be considered to have established the claims of the inventor. At Nottingham, .during a trial at Alderman Ball's place, on some of the liquid being; poured on to the ground it burned steadily, and emitted no smoke. The smell did not recall that of petrol. Half a bucketful of liquid was poured .into the petrol tank of Mr. Ball's car, which travelled with perfect smoothness and »U|i high rate of speed. More water was added, and this seemed, if possible, rather to improve the running of the engine. Mr. Ball says that the car travelled over thirty miles on one gallon, and that if Andrade's assertions are true a gallon can be manufactured for flvepence. Great interest has been a-roused among motor firms in the locality. Andrade also claims that his invention will prove even more valuable for submarine craft, as practically no air is necessary. BIG BOOT SCHEME. Except those who want high-class factory boots, every section of the community is to be catered for under a big boot scheme. The object is twofold. In the first place, the promoterswanttomaintain tain a higher standard of reliability in the production of boots than before the war, and to ensure, by means of a care-fully-prepared specification, approved by the representatives of the industry, that all the essential parts are made pf solid leather. Next, it is desired to regulate the price of the article, from the producer of. the leather to the consumer, so that in none of the stages of production is there any possibility of excessive charges. Profits in each section of the trade are restricted, a-nd the public-can be assured that the prices are no higher than what is consistent with fair—and only fair—remuneration. _ At present the cost of boots and shoes is steadily increasing. Every pair produced under the neV national standard scheme will. have the retail price distinctly marked on the soles. They will also have the name of the district of origin stamped on them, and the identification number of .the manufacturer for the purposes-of investigating any complaints that may be made. Supplies should be available early in-the coming year.. Best prrade boots for "men are to ba 48s; best grade boots for women 32s 9d; for boys 225: for eirls 18s 9d. men's shoes of box calf are to be 325, awl women's glace shoes 30s 6d. OPENING FOR BRITISH ENTERPRISE. Sir Herbert Matthews, secretary of the Central Chamber of Commerce, said if there were only one sugar beet factory available for British enterprise in this country this year, dealing with, say, 1000 tons of- sugar beet roots per day during the winter, it would be possible to invite British farmers to devote 10,000 acres of their land to.this crop. Such an average would yield at least 100,000 tons of topped ■ and , washed roots, from which not less than 12,000, tons of sugar would be produced;; ./And... this: quantity 7 would supply the' require-^ ments of one million people for a year, based upon the war ration. "Further,-the by-products would make valuable feeding stuffs for dairy cows. Half a-million pounds sterling would go into the pockets of the British people for labour and materials, and many subsidiary industries would be stimulated or called into being. Sir H. Matthews considers the soil and climate of England admirably suited to the production of the crop. . WOOL PRICES—DEFENCE OF OFFICIAL POLICY. A. charge of profiteering having been preferred against the Government, a Bradford authority on wool thinks it well that the circumstances should be made known. The wool alluded to consists of New Zealand and Australian clips, which are now being sold by the Government Wool Department. The Bradford expert explains that when colonial woolgrowers agreed to sell their wool at a percentage increase on the pre-war basis, the arrangement was that all wool required' for the manufacture of goods for British and Dominion forces should be taken at the purchase price, but that the profit on any woo] sol'fl at a higher price for civilian use should be divided between our Government and the DomI inions.' When hostilities ceased, and it I was inevitable that most of the wool would be used for civilian trade, it could not be expected that Dominion wool-growers would agree to their raw material being still provided at fixed prices for private traders to exploit to their advantage: It was obvious, therefore, that tbe system of disposing of the wool, to the end of the period, of purchase, 30th June next, would have to be changed, and, acting on the advice of, the Wool Council, and of most traders, it was decided to sell the wool by auction. The London wool sales by auction were resumed in April last. Many of the most imj£:bant users were of. opinion that values would decline. How far these estimates were wrong may be judged from the fact that, whereas the Government fixed issue price for average 64's tops was 7W per lb, they are now selling, out of wool bought in open competition, at 117 d, and even .'more, because of a further advance in the price of wool at the London sales now in progress. It is' clear, therefore, that Government control during the war period has been justified by events, _ that the nation saved a good deal of money because of the purchase of the ■ Australian and New Zealand wool clips on their military contracts for wool goods, and that the civilian population also benefited by the fixed issue' prices, compared with what they are now having to pay, since open competition for wool was resumed. There is abundance of wool at the porte. There is also a large accumulation at the centres of consumption in this country. Consequently, there has been no artificial forcing up of prices' for the purpose of making the profit greater. . •'',■'