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MECHANICAL TRANS
PORT.
DEVELOPMENT OF INTERIOR.
USE OF SIX-WHEELED VEHICLES.
A committee appointed hy tie Common
wealth Government to investigate fte
rcc&3.t dcvdopnicnt ind uses of m-idmiiicai
transport vehicles of the roadltss type, with
a view to ascertaining to what extent the
adoption of suitable types may further
the interests of the sparse'.y sett'.ed locali
ties of Australia, has just submitted a
report to the Government. Tire mem
bers of the committee were the Chairman
of the Development and Migration Com
mission (Mr. H. W. Gepp), who acted as
president; the General Staff Representative
in London (Brigadier-General T. H.
Dodds). and the Australian Liaison Officer
at the Foreign Office (Major R. G. Casey)
After dealing with various aspects of tat
question, the members of tie committee
point out that it seemed vital that early
steps should be taken Cn Australia to con
trol the cumber of standards of sny new
type of vehicle which was likely to bz
introduced. Attention liad been dra-nii
in the past to the necessity for standardise
tion of vehicles from the- defence point oi
view, and this seemed to be a most
excellent opportunity of layic? d--wn cer
tain ru?«?s and taking the necessary steps
by the Commonwealth Government which
would ensure that new types of vehiclas
coming into general use would be avai.
able for mobilisation in the most efficiect
manner — that vras to say, of a minimum
number of types for which mobile repair
shops and spare parts were required.
Recommendations.
The members of the committee expressed
the opinion that six-wheeled vehicles would
have an extended application under Aus
tralian conditions, and that iheir us-:
?would be accelerated if tests and demon
strations oi their capabilities under vary
ing conditions and in different localities
where their introduction wou'.d be bene
ficial, were carried out, and they eugges
ted that action be taken^by the Govern
nient in tius reeptcL. ^uu^i Ltais uii^jit.
serve to prove the use oi these vehicles
in railway construction in Cearral Aus
tralia, and tor general purposes in i'uo
drier parts of tiie countrv, as ^e'l i*s
feeders to tiie railwars at couutry^ rail
way sstatious. A number of th-ise vehicle*
mi^ht also be placed at the disposal o: tiie
Defence Department for demonttracion aui.
experimental purposes.
The time available had not botn tulii
cient thorough!)* to exp.'ore such a wide
subject as the transport problem as i.
affected Australia. They recommended
that the enquiries of this committee be
continued by the formation of a committee
in Australia conjointly utider the Develop
inent and SliftTation Cocrmissi'ia and tbe
Council of Defence, and tbat the military
representative in London l-e appointed a
corresponding member tc keep 6uch com
mittee fully informed of experimental work
in England.
They further recommended tLat the
Commonwealth Government support an;
movement and favorably consider any pro
posal for joint investigation of transport
matters generally underteken through the
Standing Committee of Research in Lou
don.
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