Opinions from Others.
Page 18
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The Editor invites correspondence on all subjects connected with Me use of commercial motors. Letters should be on one side of the paper only and typewritten by preference. The right ot abbreviation ts reserved, and no responsibility for views expressed is accepted, The Homogeneity of Rubberine.
The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
[1401] Sir,—We have rea-d with interest your recent weekly articles under the heading of "Small traders' experiences with light vans," and note that the 30th November issue deals with a Ford van run by -the P.R. Foods Co. The owner has commented on Rubherine in relating his experiences,. and although this does not reflect in any way against our system; we would like to point out that it is absolutely impossible for air cavities to be left in any Rubberine-filled tire. 'We certainly did receive a complaint from this user, but can honestly say that the reason was entirely due to faulty tires being sent for treatment—Yours faith fully, For RunamtiNELLTD., • J. (31-REEN, Secretary.
The Campsbourne Works, HornseY, N.
The Sales Engineer.
The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
(1402] Sir,—The admirable plea, by "Once An Apprentice," that.the engineer must come into his own, published in THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR of the 21st December,. 1916, calls forth this letter, the essence of which is that the engineer must take 'what. is his own. He must become wider, broader ; besides being expert in his own special technical field, he must he henceforth a man who gets out into the world, constantly mixing with business men and studying industrial inarkets-a,nd the industries themselves.
Instead of being content with. working indoors at the beck and call of the business man, he must become the business man. He is really so in fact, because without him engineering business cannot exist.;, but, as already remarked, he has been content with lying low, appearing in semi-public, • when necessary, •of course—at the monthly meetings of his pet. technical institution, for instance, but, on the conclusion of these meetings returning meekly to his quietude. .
If the engineer will only take the opportunity which awaits him and blossom forth as the selling engineer,he will in very quick time prove his indispensability. The selling engineer is quite a different man from the salesman ; indeed, he is going to replace the latter entirely—if he can be forced into doing so. Somehow, engineers always seen' to have to be forced into doing business things. Their other abilities, coupled with modesty, are their commercial undoing.
The selling engineer is the man who has gone through the mill as an engineer, through shops, drawing-office, designing-room,. etc., but, in addition, and just before he begins: to get " content " indoors, he is the man who is nut on the road to talk to, care for, and foster customers. And he is the only man who can do this efficiently. After all, it is very ridiculous to send out a "go-between "—a man who, perhaps, only half understands what he is supposed to discuss. Too much time is lost in this way through reference back to headquarters, and misunderstandings. What iswanted is the selling man with all-round engineerjug training, who can go to the .client and talk things first-hand, who can advise, and who is competent to give sound engineering opinion on the features of the proposition to the lore.
briefly, the selling man of to-day—at least in regard to engineering nianufacturesmust be au fait with the principles of manufacture and design of the articles which he is handling, as well as capable and efficient in selling naethods. To produce the selling engineer; it is a much more simple thing than to train the engineer in the arts (not the wiles in this business) of selling, than to train the selling " expert" in the principles and practice of engineering. In point of tact, the latter proposition can be written off as being impossible. In-this way, the contest between the clerk (hitherto the potential business man) and the engineer will largely become void. -The one essential point is, however, that the engineer must force himself out. He can, if he will ; just a little extra courage is all that is necessary. It is the man who gets the business who gets the dollars. If the engineer will only "get to business and get the business, he will get. the dollars. He has pletuied for them long enough.
There are some selling engineers out in the world ; but there are not enough. The more there are, the better we shall get along. Much lees time will be lost, and much more progress made. Get a move on, 'engineers ! As Mr. Tweddell remarked recently in a paper which he read beforethe N.E. Coast Institution of Engineers, the expert selling representatives of the future must be able to answer questions, give advice, take particulars, and in cases of necessity prepare an estimate and conclude a contract. In the case of engineering manufacturers, unless the selling representative referred to is a trained engineer. he cannot possibly do this efficiently.—Yours faithfully, "AN ENGINEER FIRST."
[We commend the arguments of this correspondent to all manufacturers and agents.–Eu.3 A uminium Alloy Pistons.
The'Eclitor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
11403] Sir,—That the tise of aluminium alloy pistons will ultimately be universal seems to be indicated by what is going on in America to-day. There, magnalite alloy has replaced the German tnagnalium used before the war, and after two years successful employment in racing ears—practically all the winners of the big races during the past two years in America having been fitted with it—has now been adopted as standardin their productions by ten of the leading makers. of American aeroplanes and cars, including • such makes as the Thomas, Wright, Curtiss, Duesenburg, and Packard. It may be of further interest to your readers to note that an addition has now been made to the list., in the shape of the H. H. Franklin Co., which company employs an air-cooled engine of about 35 h.p. This is particularly noteworthy as, during the past few months, extreme scepticism has been expressed in at least one of the motor-cycling papers as to the possibility of any aluminium alloy proving satisfactory. in motor-bicycle engines because they
are air-cooled.—Yours faithfully, Baameo, LTD. Coventry.