THE BOND AND AGRICULTURAL SHOWS.
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The Value of Olympia and the Royal to the Agriculturist
THE ARTICLE by "The Inspector," entitled "Exhibitions and the Bond," which appeared in The Commercial Motor of August End, has given rise to many interesting points. No doubt very much could be said regarding the whole position of the Bond, but being an agriculturist, it is not my intention here of going very much outside the province of matters agricultural. I shall commence by taking up the discussiop at the point of " The Inspector's, reference to the SALM. and T. Members' Exhibition at the: recent Derby Royal Show.
I was very much puzzled to find such a large exhibition by motor manufacturersof vehicles that were obviously completely outside the interest of the agriculturist. I am not. saying that thelargesaloon and double-decked motorbuses and similar vehicles were without interest to the agricultural community; I do not even say that such exhibitions are without their value, because, while there is such a problem before us as that of rural transport, these types must create interest at a great gathering of agriculturists' Such as the Royal Show provides. .Visitors . who see vehicles at a showlike this are always more ready to use them when they are first put down onft hew route. .
There is no doubt that the exhibition has quitea substantial advertising value, but the point to me is whether it is all worth while— whether it all pays—because the man who wants to buy a motorbus or a coach does not, as a rule, go to an agricultural show to inspect it Or to make his purchase. He goes, if to any exhibition at all, to Olympia. And, though I am not in a position to give an opinion, I am left wondering very \mach whether such exhibitions as that which took place at Derby in June are altogether profitable.
What would help in this matter as much as. anything would be to obtain an idea of how many people interested in rural transport and the purchase • of buses and coaches for this purpose attend Olympia. Personally, I rather fancy that a good, number
attend. I know that during my visit to Olympia last year I met a large number of such people, and on my return home-, sitting in the railway carriage. I found two men having bet-we-en them a copy cf the show catalogue and a commercial motoring paper (mode-sty forbids me to say which one),. and, of course. I soon got. into conversation with them. I found that these two men had in former days conducted intheir locality a carrying business, having gradually introduced motors to. replace horses. The first vehicles were rather of a made-up type, and they were now about to introduce buses of a more modern type.
The point about this is that those two men had gone from one of the most -outlandish of rural parts to Olympia with a view to choosing motor vehicles. They had not gone to the Royal Show or to any other show. But, of course,. these examples are not sufficient to prove that little interest is taken in the exhibits of commercial motor vehicles at agricultural shows,. but I think it will be conceded that if rural carriers prefer Olympia to -agricultural shows, that urban carriers will not be verylmuch interested in those functions except in the ca s, of a few resid ing in,. or near, to the town where the particular show happens to be held.
Thus far it would seem advisable and a matter of economy to cut out the Royal Show from the Bond in future, as suggested by "The Inspector."
But that is only one side of the question, and I am perfectly certain that-, in the event of taboo being Placed upon the Royal Show, it would mean an extension of the trouble against which "The Inspector" complains so much—that many ma-nufacturers are outside the Bond. I. want it to be clearly understood that my remarks above, regarding •high-elass vehicles designed for town or other non-agricultural work, do notin any sense to agricultural motors, whether orries or tractors and th-eresult of placing the Royal Show outside the Bond would mean that manufacturers of any goods designed for agricultural purposes or suitable for such purposes would continue to exhibit at the Royal.
Just as Olympia. is the rendezvous of the busman
and the coach-man, so is the Royal Show the same for the agriculturist interested in tractors, farm ractor lorries, and other motor vehicles and appliances suitable for any of the various branches of farm work.
It might be said: Why should the manufacturers and traders provide a separate exhibition for agrieulturiats?. A perfectly logical question, but it has to be borne in mind that the farmer is in a different position from the majority of people who attend Olympia. The Agricultural Show, for instance, is a much older institution that the London Motor Show. The farmer has been accustomed to attend these events for very many years, and at shows like the Royal, the Bath and West, etc., he expects; to. find not only everything to interest him in the live-stock line but in the implement line. as well. So that. if itis intended to keep the motor—whether tractor or lorry—in front.of the agriculturist by means of exhibitions, the Royal Show willnot have to be cut out. This brings us to a point which, perhaps, might. well be considered, although it is a matter which I can only approach with the greatest timidity.
I see no harm in the Bond cutting out of the Royal Show vehicles that may be described as. extraneous toagriculture, but I think it would be the grea4e5t mistake in the world not to allow the exhibition a
vehicles that do come within the province of agriculture.
At present, I presume the Bond siver who is a manufacturer bf saloon buses and farm lorries would be placed under a penaltyif he exhibited farm vehicles at an agricultural show not covered by the Bond. „
I do not think, in present circumstances, that this is quite as it should be, although I do think that it is time the S.M.M. and T. considered seriously whether it will limit its shows, and whether even the agricultural product shall be brought under the same regulations, and only certain set shows of tractors and lorries allowed. In other words (having in mind agricultural vehicles and tractors only) whether the S.M.M. and T. Tractor Trials shall be, an annual event and whether this and the commercial show at Olympia shall be the only places at which tractors and other farm vehicles shall be exhibited.
My own opinion is that such a course would be a great mistake, and that it would be better for the Bond signers to consider whether certain vehicles suitable for farm purposes should not be altogether freed from the Bond, and manufacturers and agents
allowed to exhibit when and where they please.
After all, the S.M.M. and T. cannot compel manufacturers. to subscribe to the Bond, and one may be quite sure that those who produce agricultural vehicles and tractors will remain_ outside the Bond so as to be free to exhibit at the agricultural shows.
I have tried to take both sides of -the question so far as poS"sible, while at the seine time maintaining an agricultural point of view?.' and, to sum up the whole position,. I should be inclined to think that the best course to take would • be as -I' have just suggested, viz:, to leave tractors and farm vehicles outside the scope of the Bond. •
"The Inspector" is quite wrong in saying that the farmers, as a whole, do not show any energetic interest in the lorry as snob. It all depends upon what he means by the ".as such." But I can assure him that, understanding the agricultural position as I do, I am perfectly amazed at the number of vehicles that are being bought by farmers. I admit that the farmer is not greatly interested in the heavy motor lorry, but I would give a rough guess that, at the moment, the farmer is among the biggest buyers of light vans and lotriee AGRIMOT.