TRADE METHODS:
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Means Employed by American Concerns • to Secure Overseas Trade.
THE FOLLOWING notes of American procedure in developing export trade in motor vehicles are of interest. The method appears to be as follows:—
First a "Trade Investigator" arrives who will take stock of the general situation and the standing and activity of the various firms, and will decide on the firm calculated to make the best success of an agency. The agent is then appointed, and although Ile may not actually undertake to sell any definite number of vehicle.s within a given period, he finds himself so tied down and so much pressure exerted on him by correspondence, advertising matter, etc. that. it is impossible for him to avoid taking the business seriously and doing his best with it. Everything, too, in the conduct. of the business —correspondence, executing orders, shipping, the provision of spare parts and the supply of suitable forms of advertiaemente--is done in a way to stimulate business and make the work as interesting asAaossible.
The "Trade Investigator" is generally a well-chosen man, alert, keen and vigorous, and with him rests theresponsibility of discovering fresh openings for trade, and of selecting and appointing suitable agents. When this has been done, the place is visited shortly afterwards by the company's "Salesman," and later on by the company's "Technical Man." The latter' functions are to see that the supply of spares and other items of service and maintenance of cars are properly
looked after. .
The above organization is responsible for the fact that in most overseas markets at the present time 90 per cent, of recent importations have been American. Notwithstanding this excellent business organization, American cars do not always snit every type of customer, and there 39 a widespread opinion, not only within the Empire, but also in certain markets overseas' that as Soon as. British firms are in a better position to execute orders, people having experience of American vehicles will be only too ready to replace them by better finished Britiah models where the extra cost; can be afforded.
It is desirable, however, for British firms undertaking export trade to treat the matter seriously and to .keep• -before them the salient features of American business methods by which alone customers can be satisfied and agents inspired to do the best for their manufaeturera.
NOTTINGHAM WORKERS
Threatened Action of Motor Vehicle Drivers Successfully Prevented.
THE metropolis of the lace industry has become a hotbed of labour disputes, in which vehicle workers hive recently played an important part. Following upon long continued agitation as to hours of employment and rates of pay, matters reached a grave stage last week, threatening by the action of drivers of mechanicaaly-propelled and other vehicles to jeopardise seriously centinuance of supplies to the principal fruit and vegetable markets. Intervention by the local officiate of the United Vehicle Workers' organization fortunately proved effective in securing a settlement of the dispute when it had reached a dangerous stage, the disaffected hands consenting to a withdrawal of notices to suspend opera
tions,. upon the concession by employers of a minimum wage of 63s. a week, the question of reduced hours being left over for further consideration. Renewed activities locally following upon the recent national conference. of vehiale workers in Nottingham, have accelerated the settlement of many outstanding questions affecting the industry in the city and district, incidentally illustrating also the continued reliance which is being placed upon the utility of the Industrial Council as a last resort in the adjustment Of difficulties.
An evidence of the -value of the men's organization was some time ago afforded by the celerity with which the question of the continued employment of women. tram conductors was disposed of and at their present rates of pay, Nottingham drivers and collectors of fares, as also those in the employ of the distribt company serving contiguous areas, have 'been placed in a position which compares favourably with that, of similar workers in any part of the country.
At the same time from the public point of view there is not unnaturally a great deal of grumbling at the inevitable maintenance of inordinately high Nottingham -tramway fares, a minimum charge of 1ad. for the shortest of journeys scarcely being regarded as reasonable even in present exigent. times. But the conditions in this, as in other respects, have been rendered inevitable through the capitulation to organized labour demands, in regard to .which Nottingham vehicle workers have established an apparently' unassailable position.
OLYMPIA CONFERENCES
Mr. Walter Long and Sir Eric Geddes to be Section Chairmen,
THE lit. Hon. Walter Long, First Lord of the Admiralty, and the Rt. Hon. Sir Erie Geddes, Minister of Transport, have consented to serve, respectively, as chairmen of the File's Section and the Roads and Transport Section of the Imperial Motor Transport Conference, which will be held at Olympia, Kensington, on October 18th to 21st, during the progress of the commercial vehicle exhibition.
The vice-chairmen of the Roads and Transport Section will be the' Hon. Sir
Arthur Stanley, C.B., M.V.O., chairman of the Imperial Motor. Transport, Council, tlie Royal' Automobile Club, and the British Red Cm, s Society; Sir Henry P. Maybuty, K.C.M.o . C.B., Director of Roads to the Minist_ n of Transport ; Major-General Sir Evan 1,3. Carter, K.C.M.G., 0B, M.V.O., Director of Transport 'and Supply to the War Department; and Mr. II. C. B. Underdown, chairman of the Empire. Roads an Transport Committee of' theImperial Motor Transport Council.
The vice-chairmen of the Fuels Section will be Sir George Beilby, LL.D., F.R.S., Director of the Government Fuel Department; Sir John Cadman, .K.C.M.G., C.B., D.Sc., Director of the Government Petroleum Department ; Sir George Goodwin; K.C.B., Engineer-inChief to the Admiralty; and Mr. E. S. Shra,pnell-Smith, C.B.E., chairman of the Empire Motor Fuels Committee of the Imperial Motor Transport Council.
The meetings will be held at 10.30 a.m. and 2.-5o. a.m. on October 18th and 21st in the Pillar Hall, Olympia, the sessions on October 18th and 19th being devoted to fuels, and those on October 20th arid 21st ter roads and transport. A. R. Atkey and Co. to Build a Repairing Centre in Midlands.
NOTTINGHAM has Dot progressed of late years in -a ratio corresponding with the success which has attended niunieipal efforts in certain other large towns, endeavours to attract new hiatus. tries to the city having been followed by Jnly limited auccess.
Prevailing unrest, due to post-war causes, has entailed upon the metropolis of the lace industry disadvantages which have robbed it of many of the results that had been reasonably anticipated from its ambitions. Although there are valuable assets to be placed upon the other side of the account, as represented by the profits derived from most of the civic trading Undertakings, it would be idle to deny that Nottingham's inordinately high rates have acted as a deterrent to the introduction of new industries, regarding which immature propaganda
work has not tended to promote the object in view. It has, therefore, become known during the last few days, as a great satisfaction to those who had come almost to despair of the utilization of conveniently located ground, that arrangements have been completed for leasing to Messrs. A. R. Atkey and Co. a site comprising four acres for the "erection of new works for the Ford Motor Co., of which they are agents, to serve as a repairing centre and for other purposes in connection with the greater part of the Midlands. The locale of the intended buildings represents a part of a wide Space in the Carter Gate portion of the cite where insanitary dwellings of a particularly malignant type have been fur some years in promaws of demolition at immense cost.
The original idea was to erect upon the round other houses of a character which might better meet working class needs, but the suggestion has prevailed that the land is more suitable for commercial purposes, and in this respect the great American organization is availing itself of facilities of an eiceptiona/ site.
COACH EXCHANGES.
Existing Freight Exchanges of Little Use to Chars-a–bancs Owners,
A SKED if he thought the freight exchanges were likely to be Of service to owners' of chars-a-bancs, Mr. Nathan Fine, Manchester, told a representative of The Commercial Motor that he did not think it probable that the clearing houses would do much business in this direction because the flow of, passenger traffic did not approximate to a daily consistency. "The main virtue of the clearing house," he said. "is to provide back loads, and in this respect we cannot. be of much service to owners because their coaches bring hack the same passengers. that they take ant.
"I have been approached by firms to take on this class at work, and I tried the experiment this year, catering for works' outings and picnics, and all the trips were admittedly successful, but I do not think that the cleat-1g house can be of the same usefulness to the coach owner that it is to the haulier."
Mr. Fine went on to speak of the unsettled conditions of trade, due to labour unrest, the, adverse Continental exchanges, and political causes, and said that Manchester people Weee of opinion that all this militated against successful trading,