The Cancellation of the Show.
Page 2
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By Henry Sturmey.
As intimated in a leading article in " THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR" last week might be the case, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, or, rather, the Commercial Vehicle Section of that body, has at the last moment decided not, after all to hold a commercial-vehicle exhibition at Olympia this year, this decision having been arrived at owing to the lack of support received by the venture from those most interested, viz., the manufacturers. In some respects, this is to be regretted, although I think but few firms, even of those who had applied for space, will weep very much. A show such as this is a heavy direct expense to the exhibitors, many of whom reaped little if any benefit from it a year ago, and, apart from the direct monetary expenditure necessitated, it meant a considerable dislocation and disturbance of the routine of the works for many weeks, and a month's interference with the regulated system of the sales department, all of which manufacturers would very much rather be without. If things were " booming " in the ccirnmercial-vehicle world and people were tumbling over each other to buy, as has been the case before now in the pleasurecar side of the industry, it would be different; but, although the industry in commercial vehicles is steadily expanding, there is nothing phenomenal about its growth, a fact which is partly accounted for by the intense conservatism of the trading community, and partly by the fact that, being a commercial proposition, buyers require to be convinced upon all points, and do not buy wagons as the fancy takes them. I think, however, that the principal cause of the progress being slow is to be found in the deplorable badness of trade generally, and this has been the prevailing feature of all industries for the past two years, whilst the utter lack of confidence felt by capitalists about launching out in any new direction at the present time has undoubtedly had a very heavily-retarding influence upon the motor transport movement both at home and abroad.
As was suggested by the Editor last week, the failure to support the show, and its consequent collapse this year, may and probably will be taken, by some, as an indication of weakness in the industry, and to a certain extent of the failure of the movement, but any such deduction would, as he did not fail to point out, be erroneous. I feel assured that other factors have had a stronger influence than bad trade upon the decision of many manufacturers to refrain from showing, and although some of the new concerns which made their debut at last year's show have collapsed through failure to sell their products, and although some of the pleasure-car makers who essayed to retrieve their fallen fortunes by an entry into the commercial field have found it not the Eidorade expected, this is an experience inevitable with all new ventures in the motor line, and especially when such a critical and exacting public is catered for as the commercial-vehicle buyer of to-day. The fact remains that the established firms in this branch of the business are holding their own, whilst some, indeed, have materially increased their connection in the past 72 months, and are likely to continue still further to increase this year.
A Contributory Cause.
What may, then, be the cause of the collapse? I do not think this is very far to seek. It may, I fancy, be located in a dissatisfaction with the methods, or rather with the rules and regulations, of the Society in regard to this show, and with its attitude generally towards the commercialvehicle side of the industry. It will be remembered that, some three months ago, a strong effort was made by the Commercial Vehicle Section of the Society to secure the whole-hearted co-operation and support of the steam and heavy-traction men : conferences were held, with the result that what appeared to be a perfect agreement was arrived at, the demand of the section being for a different bond for the commercial exhibition to that enforced in connection with the pleasure-car show—the business-vehicle makers recognising that their direct field of operations lay amongst
the trading community of the country, rather than amongst the " gate "-paying members of the public. They required permission to exhibit, not at other motor exhibitions, but at various special trade exhibitions, and other gatherings of the representatives of the various industries for whose requirements the commercial-vehicle builder caters. At first, there appeared every prospect of, this being conceded, but, quite unexpectedly, the Commercial Vehicle Committee itself—. largely influenced, I believe, by the very wide-sweeping ramifications of the present bond—withdrew the demand, and this fact alone at once alienated the " heavies " en masse, as well as others in the lighter branches, who had been feeling the shoe pinching in the same place. I believe that to this cause, more than to any other, may be traced fully three-fourths of the abstentions which have taken place. In addition to this, however, there was further dissatisfaction, even amongst those unaffected by the foregoing matter, and amongst those, indeed, who were keenly in favour of the show. From the commencement, the two exhibitions have been carried out under the same rules, and the charges for space have been the same, and, seeing that, where the commercial-vehicle maker sells one car, the pleasure-car builder sells ten, the feeling has been strong amongst the former that charges which were fair enough for one class of exhibits pressed very heavily upon the other, and that some substantial reduction in the charges for space should be made for the commercial-vehicle show, It has also been felt that advertising methods which drew the " gate " at Olympia for the November show, were useless to attract the class of people who buy commercial vehicles, and that not only different, but more extensive, advertising was necessary, if the show was to be a success, both from the points of paying its way and in attracting to the show the right class of visitors.
It was felt by many that, unless this could be done, the show was not likely to prove sufficiently productive of business results to justify participation in it, and representations to that effect were made by the Commercial Vehicle Committee to headquarters. But the Management Committee of the Society is composed almost entirely of men engaged in the pleasure-car side of the industry, and they apparently failed utterly to appreciate the vast difference which exists between the conditions which prevail in the two branches of the automobile trade—branches which, except that both deal in wheeled vehicles, motor-propelled, are so entirely different in their methods and trade conditions as to be almost two distinct trades. At any rate, the concessions asked were refused. This decision, as indicated above, much disappointed and alienated the sympathies of even those whose inclinations were all in favour of the show, so that, when all these factors are considered, it is not at all surprising that but a moiety of those who participated last year sent in their names for this, and, however much the withdrawal of the exhibition at so late a date may prejudice the movement and the prestige of the industry, I think it will be admitted that it would have created a very much worse impression had the show been proceeded with, and the public had arrived at Olympia to find but a half-empty building, when the whole affair would have been voted a "frost," As it is, when the facts, as above related, are known, the true significance of the withdrawal of the exhibition this year will be understood by business men.
Another year, when trade conditions generally are better, and when those responsible for the conduct of the Society have recognised the requirements of the commercial side of the industry and have shaped its policy as regards the show accordingly, when the exhibition is again organised, not only will it receive the united support of those interested, but the public will understand the position, and will not look upon the undertaking as an effort to galvanise into activity the carcase of a " dead horse," but will rather recognise it as a leading once more into the arena of an " animal " strengthened and refreshed by a period of rest.