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LEAVES FROM THE INSPECTOR'S NOTEBOOK.

13th July 1920, Page 17
13th July 1920
Page 17
Page 17, 13th July 1920 — LEAVES FROM THE INSPECTOR'S NOTEBOOK.
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

Copper Throwing from Chars-a-bancs. A Crisis in Prices.

pUBLIC ATTENTION is-being very thoroughly and systematically drawn, by certain sections of the daily Press in particular, to what they are happy to call the char-iabancs nuisance, and, although panic legislation or any other similar remedy isalways to be deprecated, one can but admit tla.a some good may come of this sensation-hunting activityz if it only serves to draw the attention Id owners of this particular class of vehicle to the absolute necessity of doing all they can to preserve the amenities of the road. The writer has, during the past week, had occasion to travel considerable distances on the roads in Lancashire, Yorkshire, and other parts of the North of England, and he has. to admit that the last month or two have brought hat° districts which have hitherto been all that could be desired from the pleasuretaking point of view, • elements that have disturbed the public peace and ivhich have certainly done nothing to add to the attractiveness of some of England's most noted beauty spots.

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There can be no manner* of excuse for the behaviour of the char-à-banes loads, of holiday-making men ,or _ women—and there appears to be little to choose be

tween them who, seemingly, are of the opinion that the only way in which to enjoy themselves on the read is to shout and sing and to drink to excess and; generally, to make themselves a nuisance both to those who live in thealiStricts which they traverse and those who have 'hitherto frequented such neighbourhoods for holiday-making pure and simple. As an instance of the thoughtlessness , of. such parties, we may quote 'the growing custom of the highly hilarious passengers who throw coppers to the youngsters, who swarm by the roadside watching the never-ending procession of char-h-bancs trippers.

This is typical of the worst elements of such traffic ; it is rowdyism pure and simple; and, sooner or later, some luckless youngster will be caught by the wheels of a followjrig vehicle and there will, in all probability, be a renewed national outcry on that account as to -the undesirability of char-h-bancs traffic, as a whole.

• 'Youngstershave followed coaches, chars-h-bancs (horsed) from time immemorial, the "catherine • wheel" being. the great accomplishment upon which they have relied as a source of income: The motor char-fabancs goes too fast for the continued display of such feats before the occupants of one of them, but they. are still to be regarded as remunerative if there be a stream of vehicles beside which the accomplishment can be displayed. Hence the risk is taken, but the danger is enhanced because all traffic is now speeded up and there is less margin for dodging an overtaking or approaching vehicle in the wild dashes for the falling coin.

The char-h-banos is, essentially, a vehicle of great 'utility-to the public, and, if properly used, is capable of affording reasonable means of enjoyment. and recreation to the masses in a rational way. As such, there is every cause for encouragement, but if these machines, which have now been brought to such a pitch of mechaniCal perfection and individual comfort, continue to be operated under conditions which can only serve to aggravate those who are not using them, local authorities and; perhaps, even the national authorities, will be quick to take steps-of a repressive and restrictive nature.

Rowdyism as a whole is to be deprecated, and the good sense of the nation is against it.. It is right up to the owners of chars-h-hancs to make very strict rules as to the conduct of their passengers. They have the matter very largely in their own bands, and if they do not deal with rowdyism themselves.others will be quick to do so. The agony is being thoroughly worked up by the sections of the daily Press, to which reference has already becn made, and the possible result of such propaganda is well known to most of us.

The roads, in the North Of England particularly, the writer is able to testify from personal observation, are being rendered objectionable to a remarkable extent by the very large numbers a char-h-bancs passengers, who, seemingly, have no respect for the amenities of the districts through which they pass. It is a curious feature of such transport that the parties appear to be made up either exclusively of men, or exclusively of w-omen. The men are the worst offenders undoubtedly, and one need not labour the position further at this juncture than to cite a ease wnich came under the .writer's notice, in which the members of a particularly unruly party were noticed to be throwing empty beer and whisky bottles out from the 'machine as they passed through a hitherto quiet and peaceful picturesine village in the North.

• A Crisis in Prices.

We appear to have .arrived at a .stage in the postwar development Of the indirstrial:veliiele industry at which very careful consideration' must. be given as to how far and in which direction it is expedient further to adjust, selling prices, without adversely affecting further sales development. We are, at precisely the same tithe, being treated to the -puzzling spectacle of certain manufacturers aotifyifig, even further. increases which are justified by still rising production costs, in the shape of. increased wages .bills and renewed .demands from. raw material"manufacturers' while others, on the score of,cVeaper•production have thought fit to reduce thear. -NOw, to the wraer•it is impossible to conceive any manufacturer voluntarily conceding a reduction in price, providing he can still find an ample market for his goodsat existing rates—and, particularly so, at a period when prretically no concession is obtainable from the suppliers of raw and partly finished materials. On the other hand, it is a matter for very grave consideration as to how much further it is Fossible fOr those, who have the task of selling vehicles, to develop the markets, and, at the same time, to preserve the same percentage of working profits in the face of steadily mounting demands from all clasaes of labour and or almost all kinds of material ;a-to pay nothing of taxation, rates, and many other establishment charges. Notably, there is a demand of a further 10 per cent. to cover the last. award of 5s. to the engineers, and sundry other increases rain the ring of stompers. Now, star-Japers and other -similar producers are not dependent upon the market for their Market directly:. The vehicle manufacturers are' their customers, and they feel that the latter can, quite comfortably, look after this and other demands by passing it aleng to the publics. But the -manufacturer ia no longer in such happy case. The 'plain fait' is that we have reached the stage when .the public is beginning to sit, and to sit pretty firmly. The market is amply supplied with offers of good, bad, and indifferent war-returned and other second-hand machines—many of them at cut prices—money is very tight and will ho tighter, and the cream for long deliveries has already been skimmed off the market for all but a very few selech " tine,s "—as the draper would put it. Order will, from now on, want getting, and, if starepers and their " raw material" confreres are not very careful, they will kill the goose responsible for the output of the golden eggs.

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