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The Question as to Agents Already Answered in Part.

21st November 1912
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Page 1, 21st November 1912 — The Question as to Agents Already Answered in Part.
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

" Shall there be Agents " was the title given by us to our principal leading article of last week. That article had gone to press some 24 hours before the speeches were delivered on the occasion of the annual dinner of the agents section of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traderst but it proved to be welltimed and to the point. We e promised, a week ago, to continue our references to this question, and to do so more particularly from the trade standpoint. We have already examined it at some length from the standpoint of benefit to the owner and user of commercial motors, whilst our correspondence columns promise to provide an opportunity for the expression of additional views from that side. Mr. Letts set the ball rolling, from the point of view of the grievances, imaginary or real, of agents up and down the country. in submitting the toast of " The Visitors," and gave every possible lead to Mr. Arthur Spurrier, who was down for the response, and who is, of course, known to the great majority of our readers to be the London director of Leyland Motors, Ltd. Elsewhere in the issue we devote the small space at our disposal for the purpose of a summary of the speeches, but there are a few points which call for comment.

It appears to be common ground, between agents and manufacturers, that the former as a class have not achieved very much in the United Kingdom in the way of real orders, and that the latter have, of recert years, been more and more inclined to work all trade themselves, either direct from the works or head office, or through one of several company depots. Mr. Spurrier stoutly asserted, and no voice of contradiction was raised against him when he made the assertion, that the heavy-vehicle manufacturers as a body were really forced to take up the fuller organization of their sales departments, compared with those of private-car manufacturers, by reason of the apathy and inefficiency of practically every agent who tried his hand at the business. In effect, they rendered no useful service, and treated the whole of the commercial-motor 'proposition as one that was of no interest to them. That was the state of affairs that existed. possibly, five or six years ago. Now, Mr. Spurrier pointed out, when the manufacturers, at great expense to themselves, have established a steady volume of trade, the agents want to come in and get a share of the good things. With Mr. Spurrier, we think that the agent who merely wants to live the easy life in the sales branch of commercial motoring is not the man who is going to count. Also, however, and here again with Mr. Spurrier, we repeat our conviction that the right kind of agent is going to be an immense factor in the sales branch of the commercial-motor industry before very long. We gave our principal reasons for that view aweek ago. Let us suppose that there are a dozen buyers of one van each for every one buyer -of a dozen vans, and let us further suppose that the larger buyers will persist in going—as Mr. Snurrier quite rightly protests that very often they do insist

direct to the works. Why should not the smaller buyers who are here regarded as retail customers, be obliged to pass through the hands of a recognized agency, whilst the targetones, who might be regarded as wholesale customers, be left to deal direct? Compromise in some form there must be, for a few of the old-established makers are entrenched far too strongly to give up the ground they have won.

From our own personal knowledge of the principals of the largest commercial motor companies throughout Great Britain, we are quite satisfied that a spirit. of reasonable compromise will be forthcoming on their side, provided that the agents as a body can show justification for the claims which they are about to advance. It will be a physical impossibility, however, for any commercial-motor branch of the Agents Section to attain a strong position without sustained inquiry into facts as they are, careful negotiation over a term of not less than six months, and the introduction of barring and other clauses which find no place in the present schemes of price maintenance and agency discount, of which the Agents Section of the S.M.M.T., acting for itself and in conjunction with the Motor Trades Association, is so justly proud. Those agents who believe that the commercial side of the business can be dragooned into line will find their mistake. It is a case for conference, but there will always be room for men who can sell.


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