THE MOTOR IN MARKET-PLACE.
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FIFTEEN years ago—aye, and less than that— when road motors were considerably in the minority and the horse held sway as a supreme power on the streets a commercial motor vehicle was bound to compel attention, irrespective of its condition and finish, sometimes on account of its representing a new method of transport, and often—very often—because of the pandemonium it made. Nowadays, conditions are altogether different. So changed are the times in which we live that we should be far more likely to ponder at the dogged conservatism (call it obstinacy if one so chooses) of a large manufacturer using horses to transport pianos .or pickles than we should if such loads were conveyed
by motors. . Originality of idea—carefully conceived, and more carefully executed—is necessary in these motorized days in order to attract the discriminating eye of the man in the street. Original methods are the only means of making the average man talk—that is, talk to your advantage. .
It is a curious shortcoming on the part of the average user that he does not fully appreciate the potential advertising value of. his vehicle. Van or lorry, the opportunity exists for inereasing its value in this direction—i.e., if ideas on original lines be adopted. A few van users—notably fountain pen and pencil makers—have proceeded to shape the bodies on their vans to resemble a Gargantuan example of their goods, but the field of enterprise is by no means exhausted in this direction. We hope, by the way, to refer to this particular subject more exhaustively in a later issue.
Originality is, however, the keynote of success, and in this matter we commend to the attention of our readers the vehicle owned by Mr. S. Pa.skin, .of 25, Rosebery Avenue, E.C.1, which we illustrate on these pages. From outward appearance, and at first glance, one might even say that it is like thousands of ether vehicles on the road, except, perhaps, that it is painted pale blue and neatly relieved in large white lettering., but a more careful examination reveals the unique design of the body. The vehicle is nothing short of being a shop on wheels. When Mr. Paskin conceived the idea of selling his wares in the market places of the home counties, his choice of transport to carry his goods lay between the railway and the motor vehicle.
"Why did youfavour thiS latter method?" we in quired of Mr. Paskin recently. •
"For many reasons," came the unpremeditated answer. "If I had chosen the-railway, I should have had to despatch my wares 24 hours before they wereneeded in the market-place, and even then would not be sure that they would arrive in time to enable me to secure a favourable pitch ; moreover, in these days, consigning boots by rail is a risky business, for the liability of pilferage is by no means negligible. There is no risk of this sort with a motor vehicle, for, from the time we leave the warehouse in Rosebery. Avenue fully loaded, until we arrive back in town again— which may be one or-more days—the contents are either under my eye the whole., time or else secure under lock and key." Our informant thought for a moment, and then continued : " Let me illustrate another case where I should be heavily handicapped by the railway. One day last week I arranged to attend a certain marketplace, but, on arrival with the van load of goods, I found that there was no market being held that day, so I forthwith decided to run over with all possible speed to the nearest place at which a market was being held. 1 covered the 18 miles separating the two places in an hour, and' arrived in good time to secure a suitable 'stand,' and, incidentally, did a good day's business. Now, had I relied -upon the railway, I should have found myself and my goods in a market-place with no prospect of trade whatever, and I shudder to think of the dreary lonelineas of such a prospect on a very wet day I In such circumstances it would be impossible to arrange with the railway company to re-collect the goods and deliver them at a neighbouring market 15 or 20 miles distant, and unless it be by the payment of exorbitant
passenger rates which would in all probability mean that I should be some pounds out of poeket for my trouble. With the motor vehicle one is able to alter one's itinerary just as one pleases." "Is it cheaper by road?' we questioned. Mr. Paskin shrugged his shoulders and hesitatingly replied': "That remains to be seen. It is difficult to say yet, for the van has only been on the road for five days, but during that period it has covered 326 miles. Bearing in—' "Remarkably good," we butted in, " when one considers that from the time the market is reached the vehicle is at a .atandstill."
" Exactly! Bearing in mind, of course, that the more business I do the better will it work out, and that this feature would not pertain v.r.re I to use the railway."
" But, surely--"
"I know what you are going to say, but view the matter in this way. If I made use of the railway, I should have to send a large stock over and above what I could actually sell, and that, as business increased, this stock would proportionately increase, and it might conceivably be that the payment on the cartage of this extra. stock would swallow a large proportion of the prat made from the,goods sold. '
"But why is it necessary to have' such a large sur,plus? " Of course, if I could so arrange it that all those people who wanted, say, size 8, would buy them on one day, this would not be necessary, but, in order to eater for all classes, it is essential to carry all sizes and all qualities, according to demand, which. can only be even'approxirnately gauged from actual experience. Do you know that my Ford one-tonner will carry 900 pairs of boots and shoes, apart'from laces rubber heels, leggings, and other miscellaneous
stock? It seems almost incredible, but just you come and have a.look at the van—it has now drawn up outside. I will have the, vehicle set up just as it would be in actual use. You would like your photographer to take several pictures when this is done ? Certainly."
• It will be seen from our illustrations that the back of the body is a fixture and that, of the two sides of wood, that on the off side is designed to let down. . The waterproof canvas covering, which is firmly secured to the near side' is taken across struts at the top and joins up with the drop-down side. When this side is. in actual use the loose side canvas is turned back on to the roof, unless it be a wet day, when it is used to protect the various goods by taking tit across two framed wire supports which are stood up flush against the stout supporting link chains and the body end members.
The side, when let down, provides a space 8 ft. long by 2 ft. 6 ins, wide, on whichtthe samples and goods to be sold are displayed. The better quality footwear is displayed in the boxes in which it is transported, but the heavier boots are loosely arranged. Two shelves, each 2 ft. wide, are arranged inside, and they extend right round the three sides of the body, and, seeing that the overall length of the latter is 8 ft., this leaves an opening of 4 ft. in the centre of the open side which extends 2 ft. 6 ins, into the body and thus provides ample space for an assistant to sit on a camp stool and hand out from the interior racks the goods required by the customer. The boxes and the boots are piled up one on top of the other on these shelves—the loose pairs of boots being stacked in the open space, which, of course, is not used for any other purpose while the vehicle is running.
To prevent the possibility of the boxes tumbling off the shelves while the vehicle is travelling up or down hills and piling themselves into a hopeless mass on the floorboards, the two framed wire supports already mentioned, plus another similar one, are used to screen off the shelves. The 'shelves and the uprights supporting them are made of 2 in. by 1 in. American whitewood. Three 6 volt lamps, which obtain their power from the ordinary battery equipment, are strung at, intervals along the side of the bodv for use when the days are dark. So soon as the market-place is reached and the market inspector's assistance has been invoked for a suitable stand, the side is dropped and the samples neatly arranged on it. This done, one man occupies the space inside the body, whilst Mr. Paskin proceeds to talk of the merits of his wares from a raised form.
"How have the buying public taken to the idea ? "we questioned, re-opening our talk. • " Splendidly ; the attractiveness and novelty of the vehicle is doing all that is required. Nothing quite like my van ha-s ever been seen in the market-places before, and I am therefore always the subject of an admiring crowd. Mind you, I don't get it all my own way, for many cheap-jack competitors, apparently afraictof their business wending my way, have sought to belittle my efforts."
"Do you intend to visit the same market-places each week-2" "Well, you. have now touched the real crux of the situation. When I originally conceived the ideaof selling boots from a motorvan, I intended chiefly to touch hamlets and small villages, many • of which, as you no doubt are aware, are badly off for shops with anything like a range of goods, and very often they have no boot retailer. at all, relying for their footwear on shops, maybe five or six miles away. It was my intention to work between, say, London and a prominent county town, touching, possibly, a string of 12 or 20 villages en route."
"You would have had to obtain a pedlar's licence for this, would you not, whereas in the market-places you are perfectly free?"
" That is so, but this is only the small amount of £2. However, thinking over the matter, I am not catering'for this class of business. I am at present working some of the towns in the home counties on market-days ; for instance, I visit Watford on Tuesdays, Romford on Wednesdays, High Wycombe and Chelmsford. on Fridays, and Bedford and Aylesbury oil Saturdays.'
"Then yosr work two markets on one day?" we interrupted.
"Oh! no. I visit certain places on alternate weeks; for instance, one Friday I visit High Wy
combe, whilst on the following Friday I journey to Chelmsford. I usually stay at one market for a whole day from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m."
In response to a question as to whether there were any objections to the use of the motor vehicle in the market-places, we were told that the market in spector at Chelmsford will not permit the vehicle to stand in the market, whilst at Bedford and Watford it is only allowed to stand in the market in the even ing, and that in such cases part of the stock is unloaded and the vehicle garaged near by, where it can be easily got at in the event of the demand for boots being heavy, the goods then being sold from a market-stall.
"Is it a little too early to ask whether this boot shop on wheels is a success?"
"Well, yes ; five days' running does not justify an assertion one way or the other. But, listen! If this
vehicle proves a success, as I anticipate it will, then I intend to put a number of vehicles, similarly equipped, on the road. To take the shop to the buyer is preferable, in my opinion, to asking the buyer to come to the shop. It is a new idea—that I know– and it will catch, on."
In conclusion, we must add that the body was built to Mr. Paskin's design by Mr. W. Harold Perry, of 1, Endell Street, Long Acre, London, W.C., and that
the internal fittings of shelves, etc.' were carried out by the user. The chassis itself is the ordinary one
ton Ford, and its equipment is standard in every respect but for the fitting of 4 in. Goodyear pneumatics on the rear wheels, which for this class of service have certain advantages over solids,