Views about Australia.
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Mr. Allan C. Instone back in London from his Second Long Tour.
Mr. Allan C. Instone, whose name is well knoNvii in motoring and commercial circles, but who must not be confused with Mr. E. M. C. Instone, his brother, or the Daimler Co., went out to Australia, in June, 190. partly on behalf of the New Arrol-Johnsten Car Co., Ltd., of Paisley. During his eighteen months' sojourn, lie visited Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane and Perth ; between times, and particularly in the Northern part of the Commonwealth, he took the opportunity to travel far inland, and into districts where town conditions are unknown, with the result that he now possesses a firsthand knowledge of Australian features. We met Mr. Instone, at the Royal Automobile Club, a few days after his arrival home per the Orient liner " Osterley," and he wholly confirmed our views concerning both the potential importance and the immediate value of trade in commercial motors "down under." This opinion, be it noted, is the more convincing by reason of the fart that Mr. Instone knows Australia well : prior to the visit from which he has just returned, he spent practically the whole of the years 1904 and 1905 out there.
Physical Conditions.
The streets of the cities and chief towns, Mr. Instone tells us, are practically as well paved, maintained and cleansed as are those at home. The thoroughfares are well engineered, and the gradients are seldom excessive. There are, of course, local " pinches " in every city, but Melbourne is probably the flattest. The good surfaces of the cities do not, however, extend to radii comparable with those in England ; broadly speaking, in the absence of a main highway to sonic neighbouring township, one strikes inferior roads after about 20 miles of going. There are no main roads across any single State, much less across the Continent as a whole. The roads, as regards their quality and the attention bestowed upon them, range from good, through indifferent, to the hush tracks, as one travels away from the towns, and the limit of any road over which commercial motors can run, in the ordinary course, seldom extends to as mita as 150 miles. Poor stretches, of course, are encountered, even at 40 or 50 miles, sometimes, but most districts, whether large or small, have their shire engineer to look after the roads. It is quite wrong to imagine that the road factor in Australia is generally adverse to motor traffic. The contrary is the case.
Supplies.
Petroleum spirit can be had almoet anywhere—certaiely well inside the district represented by the average tank capacity. Where this is not the case, at the present time, it only means that there is no demand; as soon as a demand is created by the appearance of motor vehicles, the supplies will be immediately available. The price per gallon varies from, say, Is. 6d. to 2s. or thereabouts, the higher prices obtaining in the remote districts. Commercial houses can, very probably, make better terms in proportion to their consumption, and_ any owner of motor vehicles is often in a good position to convey his own supplies, and thereby to save freight charges. As regards coal and eater, the provision of these presents no difficulties in many pares, but an intending user must adopt the right system, either internal or external com bustion, according to local conditions. Facilities and arrangement for repair are now very good indeed, in the capitals, although the arrangements for the replacement of solid india-rubber tires have not, in the past, been as good as they might be. Mr. Instone has reason to believe that improvements in this direction are in hand, if not completed already, but he strongly urges all owners out there to place orders for spare wheels and -tires well ahead of actual requirements for use.
Working Costs.
Although Australia is one of the biggest horse-breeding countries in the world, it is a mistake to think that good horses are very cheap. This is not the case, except in particular up-country districts. Mr. Instone is strongly of opinion that, so far as comparative working costs go, motor manufacturers will be faced by no greater or more-difficult problems than there are in England. When one turns to the important question of the running costs for a motor vehicle, it must be remembered that there is an impart duty on tires, and this brings up the cost in comparison with London. A driver will get from 35s. to 45s. a week, and mechanics, owing to the State regulation of wages, get considerably more per week than they do in England. Mr. Instone believes that, an the average, any rubber-tired motor vehicle will prove to cost in the neighbourhood of 30 per cent, more than in England for running and maintenance. This fact, he wishes to emphasize, by no means bars trade, as every other branch of haulage is conducted at higher relative cost than is the case over here.
Australian Agencies.
The selection and appointment of good agents appeals to Mr. Instone as being the best course for any manufacturer to follow. Business with Australia cannot, he feels, be worked from London properly, if it is to grow as it should. One trouble is the holding of numerous agencies by a single house of repute. In some cases, admittedly, the standing of such a house merits the vesting in it of several lines which do not compete with one another, but other cases show a measure of overlapping and conflict which can hardly be in the best interests of all manufacturers. We found out, in further conversation with Mr. Instone, the details of which we are not at liberty to publish, that he is possessed of information about Australia which ought to be of the greatest assistance to those British makers who have not yet tied themselves up for any or all of the States of the Commonwealth.