Editorial Notes.

What shall we do ?

Several readers have written to us concerning the conduct of the paper, making suggestions as to the sort of matter which they think it should not contain, and criticising us for putting in articles which have appeared. We welcome all such communications and are only too pleased to have such guidance as to the desires of our readers. Individual correspondents must not, however, expect that, as a matter of course, we shall immediately act on their suggestions. We have to consider the matter from the point of view of the majority, for the old saying that “What is one man’s meat is another man’s poison,” is as applicable to this matter as to any.

A case in point arises in connection with our publication of descriptions of cars and motor cycles. Objection has been raised to these by one correspondent, who bluntly classes them as advertisements. Now we would like the general views of readers as to the acceptability of our policy in this matter, which, we say quite plainly, is to continue to publish such descriptions.

We propose to do so because we believe that the majority of our readers welcome them, and desire them. We beg to dissent from our reader’s classification of them as advertisements. The advertiser of a car or motor cycle may say just what he pleases in his advertisement or in his catalogue. We, editorially, have a like freedom of expression, and we exercise it. There may be considerable differences of opinion in the matter. We should add, however, that we are going further, and are thoroughly testing such cars and motor cycles as are presented to us for that purpose. Moreover, in order that fair comparisons can be made, we have selected a standard test route, which includes the famous Alms Hill, and over this route all machines will be run. In reply to the possible objection that all the information as to the constructional details of a chassis can be obtained from the maker’s catalogue, we would point out that such is the case only in exceptional instances. Manufacturer’s catalogues often leave much to be desired in that respect,