PIGS ON PNEUMATICS PARISIANS ON SOLIDS.
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• A Humorous Campaign being Conducted in Paris by a Prominent Tyre Maker in Favour of the Equipment of Buses with Pneumatic Tyres.
THE PARIS municipal motor omnibus concern has been conducting certain experiments with pneumatic-tyred omnibuses. The omnibuses in question are run over the various service routes in turn, in order to give them a sample of all the different types of paving to be found in the capital.
The road surfaces of Paris are at present in the condition of the curate's egg. In parts they are really very good indeed. The municipality has been making vigorous efforts in the matter during the past year or two, and some of the main boulevards are in perfect condition. On the other hand, some of the pave, especially in the outlying districts, gives the impression that it must have been laid in the time of Napoleon and has not been repaired since ; whilst even in the heart of Paris certain main thoroughfares are in an appalling condition, being sown with pot-holes four or five inches deep.
It is by no means pleasant to drive over these roads, even in a well-sprung car, but, in the ease of a solidtred omnibus, one wonders how the vehicle can possibly stand the strain, quite apart from the discomfort caused to the passengers The experiments conducted by the omnibus concern have now been in progress for more than a year and a half, without any definite decision being arrived at by the committee responsible, and a certain amount of impatience is being manifested. The Michelin Tyre Co. have decided to take a hand in the matter and to help the omnibus people to make up their minds and to take the plunge. The tyre makers are, themselves, quite satisfied that pneumatic tyres are perfectly capable of standing up to the work and that the omnibus proprietors need no longer hesitate about the matter of equipping their buses with them. When the Michelin publicity department takes any, thing in hand, the work is done very thoroughly. For the past week or more Paris has been laughing over the Michelin campaign. Huge flaming orange and blue posters have appeared on every hoarding in the city, illustrating the fact that, whilst pigs are earned on pneumatic tyres, the people of Paris have to travel on solids. Show-cards to the same effect have simultaneously appeared in every other shop window. This has been followed up by the general distribution of handbills and packets of picture postcards.
Sarcasm as Propaganda.
The latter are full of that peculiarly biting sarcasm which seems to be a part of the very atmosphere of Paris. The series of postcards is designed to show that, whilst every other transportable object, whether animate. or inanimate, is carried upon pneumatic tyres, the long-suffering public is still bumped about on solids.
The unkindest cut of all is given in the illustration of a tank wagon conveying the pumpings from cesspools. This also runs upon pneumatics.
This generalization is, of course, greatly exaggerated. A large portion of the heavy transport of Paris still runs upon old war stock—British, French and American lorries, the tyres of which do not appear to have been much improved by five or six years of extra work.
It will be interesting to see what effect the Michelin campaign has upon the very cynical public of Paris. With regard to the T.C.R.P. (the municipal transport concern), it is safe to say that their decisions -will not be influenced by any outside interference whatever. The position of the T.O.R.P. would appear to be quite unassailable and their respect for public opinion even less than that of a British Government.
The Michelin Co. are careful to point out in their posters that they are not advertising Michelin tyres or suggesting that they should be fitted to Paris omnibuses. They even go to the extreme length of stating that there are in existence other firms also engaged in the manufacture of ;pneumatics,