LEAVES FROM THE INSPECTOR'S NOTEBOOK.
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Are Shows Still of Use ? .The London Motorbus Position.
ONE OF THE first opportunities for the exhibition of such models as the commercial-vehicle industry is now able to offer occurred last week in connection with the Royal Ulster Agricultural Show at Balmoral, near Belfast. And it is, at any rate, interesting that the principal makers, with the assistance of their local agents, thought the occasion one of which it was suitable to take advantage. This week (as I write) there will presumably be a similar display at Ballsbridge, the Dublin Show, and then, later in Juiv, the famous "Royal," once again in its unique staging after the somewhat trying vicissitudes of war years. Three public displays in the two months, and I am led to wonder whether exhibitions as such are, as a matter of fact, any longer of any actual, use to commercial-vehicle manufacturers.. There surely must come a time, if indeed it has not come already, when the industrial vehicle sales organizations will no longer need such stimulus as is afforded by shows and exhibitions, any more than does the "sales force" offering gas engines or ma
chine tools. It is true that both gas engines and reachine tools are still exhibited on special occasions, hut these and similar displays are more in the nature of trade conventions and assemblies than of shows destined to interest any special portion of the public.
The public vvants little further education as to the practical nature of mechanical haulage. Commercial-vehicle shows, even in the days of novelty, hardly ever attracted big gates. Those who attended them were almost all "in the trade." Moreover, such displays have the very doubtful advantage of concentrating orders, or encouraging their postporietaent. This is all very well for the makers of touring cars, with their new seasonal models, and their changes of fashion. But the industrial vehicle factory is best served and maintained by a constant stream, and a steady one; of orders filling the books all the year round.
Again, appearance bulks very little in the deeision as to the purchase of a commercial motor. Performance-and record are the two qualifications looked for nowadays by the business men who buy thein. The wily exception is, as a. rule, that of coachwork, and there is more diversity in the many industrial applications of bodywork than is the case with the touring car. In the very nature of things, these examples can only he very 'Partially exposed at a show and any staged display is therefore an imperfect one. How can the qualities of a tip-wagon or a gully-emptying machine, a fire-engine or a tower wagon, for example, 'be properly demonstrated at a show) Sales of laundry vans or brewers' drays are not influenced by the wife of the purchaser climbing into a seat and selfconsciously admiring the internal equipment or the coachwork.
Commercial-vehicle shows are a great expense to the industry and they invariably cause some dislocation in the works. They tend to consolidate and concentrate the order sheets and so to disorganize properly graded delivety lists They are but a poor display of the commercial vehicle per se and afford no ocular evidence of performance, which before all else is the selling and talking Point for all industrial models. With the exception that they form an attractive common meeting ground for visiters and buyers from overseas, there is certainly reason to query their continued utility. In the present state of deliveries, a show would prove of no value whatever, except,
perhaps, to introduce a few newcomers. It has to be remembered that, while the variety of display may be charming to the would-be buyer, it makes the task of the salesman with a rosy "prospect" a great deal harder very often. Of course it rests with the industry through its associations to approve or disapprove, but, unfortunately, these things so often are settled by default of would-be objectors who have,no heart to lead an opposition when it comes to the point. At any rate, the question as to whether commercial-vehicle shows are any longer necessary is certainly one for discussion, and I should like to see some contributor to The Commercial Motor set down in detail his reasoned answer to the question as to what actual good they will do in future, to warrant the very considerableexpense which they involve in a dozen different ways, not forgetting the cost of disturbance of output.
The London Motorbus Position.
The recent announcement of a co-operative busowning business for London streets, together with the increasing public dissatisfaction with the outrageous condition of London's overcrowded internal passenger-traffic arrangements have inevitably focussed attention throughout the country, and not only in the Metropolis, on the motorbus position in the capital. The position is, in many ways, a remarkable one. The London General Omnibus Co. and its associated traffic groups, by virtue of clever business organization, have manceuvred themselves into the position of possessing what is to all intents and purposes a monopoly of London's public passenger traffic. London has long 'wanted many hundreds more buses. The London General Omnibus Co. secures all its machines from the Associated Equipment Co., a factory organization entirely controlled by the same group and established to supply the L.G.O.C.'s necessary fleets. And the position is that, while London is excitedly calling for increased motorbus facilities, the L.G.O.C. cannot, or, at any rate, does not, respond to the call to any extent, and yet the Associated Equipment Co. is selling large numbers of its machines all over the country and particularly for new provincial motorbus services. By virtue of the L.G.O.C.'s practical monopoly, no other operating concern is likely to be tempted to initiate new organization and London appears, therefore, doomed to wait until the A.E.C. can find it convenient to build more buses for the L.G.O.C.
The emergency is so great that other makes of machines should well he hurried into service, -but that is not a policy which the L.G.O.C. interests can be expected to adopt. But, what wouldat least seem reasonable in the interests of the user is that London should not be doomed to further continuance -of its present dangerous lack of adequate facilities while the A.E.0 supplies other services not nearly so badly needed. The L.G.O.C. should not be allowed a free hand in this matter. The reply to any criticism would no doubt be that the W-althamstow factory is not at present able to tarn out szfficient quantities of the London type machine, it being engaged in disposing of vehicles originally .intended for the Government. But, what is good enough for Liverpool should be good enough for London. Presumably, however, Liverpool would not wait.anel could not be made to. Whereas poor helpless little London, as things stand at present, can be mad ia to wait until the L.G.O.C. and A.E.C. are ready. Such a. atate of affairs is extremely unsatisfactory to say the very least of it.