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OPINIONS FROM OTHERS.

20th December 1921
Page 29
Page 29, 20th December 1921 — OPINIONS FROM OTHERS.
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

The Editor invites correspondence on all subjects connected with the use of commercial motors. Letters should be on, one side of the paper only and typewritten by preference. The right of abbreviation is reserved, and no responsibility for views expressed is accepted.

England the Great Absorber of Dumped War Vehicles.

The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.

(1891) have read your leading article on this

matter, but the commercial vehicle industry, as represented by bodies with which I came in touch soon after the armistice, would net listen to advice. I wrote articles, I wrote letters and I attended meetings, where I pointed out that the commercial vehicle manufacturing industry would be best served if all these vehicles were sunk in the sea.

I agreed that that• might not be best from the national point of view, but, even on this point, I was not sure ; but I was quite certain that, from the manufacturers' point of view, they ought never to have had them back in this country if it could have been avoided. As, obviously, this could not be prevented, or was very unlikely, I suggested the next step was that all motorcar manufacturers should refuse to have anything to do with returned war vehicles: they should publicly repudiate them and do everything possible to reduce their selling value, so that they would, practically, have to be sold as junk. I pointed out that, by this means they would get into the hands of people who would never have a motor vehicle in the ordinary way and, thus, quickly help to eliminate the horse. All this advice was turned away. The manufacturers totally disagreed with rne, and seine of them were so sure that my advice was wrong that they actually made contracts with the Government to buy back large quantities of the vehicles that they had mice sold to the Government, and I should think the majority of those who have done so must not be feeling very happy , contemplating some of their purchases to-day.

But, of course, to find that now we are getting German war junk and Italian here as well seems terrible from the manufacturing industry point of view. However, I presume that certain individuals are making money out of these, and have been able to persuade the Government that it is quite a good thing for the country. And so it would be, I believe, if the prices were really low, say not exceeding £100 a 4 ton lorry, and lighter ones in proportion.

The manufacturers who went in for reconditioning large numbers were absolutely trying to ruin their own business. I foresaw this such a long time ago that I was amazed, when I kept bringing the matter up, that no one else could see it. The scheme put up to the Government of keeping in hand, overhauling, and reselling their own lorries was, as I pointed out at the time, doomed to non-acceptance from the first. It was such a thin story that even a Government department was not deceived by it.— Yours faithfully, S. F. EDGE.

• Hertford Street, W.

The Editor;`TilE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.

(1892) Sir,--The point you raised in connection with the importation of German war surplus vehicles is very important, and the question arises as to whether the whale motor industry should not act together and say "we will make no spare parts for all the-Se foreign machines." No organization will exist for procuring spare parts from the makers of the vehicles, and direct orders will probably he unavailing, as the makers themselves will want nothing to do with the machines. It is like buying an odd size of pocket torch,with no chance of getting a battery refill I—Yours faithfully, Bradford. SEPTIMUS.

Is Low First Cost a Material Advantage?

The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.

(1893) Sir,—I have read with considerable interest the article on page 583 of your issue of December 6th, giving some interesting comparisons of the running and maintenance costs of some low-priced foreignmade vehicles, against similar vehicles of first-class British manufacture. As I have had very considerable experience in the whole question of commercial mechanical transport during the past 12 years, and of the astounding differences in the costs per mile of different makes of vehicles of a similar load capacity, I in every way endorse your view that, if users would only keep close records of their various items of expenditure, hundreds—and often thousands—of pounds could be saved to them yearly, by proving which are the " lame dogs" of their fleets. One point, however, on which I think you have not been quite fair is your assumption of a six years' life—anparently to foreign and British vehicle alike. Why, Sir, any British vehicle, that cannot give an average life of at least ten years would at once be ranked as second-class,. and, in fact, I know personally of numbers of vehicles by leading British manufacturers which are still in regular use after 15 and 16 years' active service.—Yours faithfully, Leeds. A. P. CLARKE.

[The contributor of the feature, " Transport Tips for Tradesmen,' in which the igures referred to by Mr. Clarke were included, certainly took a six years' life as the basis of one of his arguments, but earlier in the article, when actually comparing the standing charges for a 30 cwt. British vehicle and a 1 ton foreign vehicle, explained that the rate of depreciation that had been allowed for the foreign vehicle was the greater, it being the experience of the engineer who compiled the figures that the British vehicle was the more durable.—ED.1

The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR. (1894) Sir,—I have noticed recently more than one comment upon the relative running costs of British and foreign commercial motor vehicles, and think that justice is not always done to the latter. Their petrol consumption is higher—due to the slacker fit of all moving parts--and the maintenance of the pneumatic tyres and repairs generally are heavier i than if the vehicles ran on solids; but, n the experience of my company, the other running costs are no higher. We find no difficulty in obtaining and fitting spare parts, the general simplicity of the chassis assisting materially in the work of replacement. It has only been in the last year or two that a few British manufacturers have put cheap and reliable small capacityvehicles on the market, the foreign manufacturer having taken the opportunity which, to my awn knowledge, has often been pointed out in The Commercial Motor. My own feeling is that the British manufacturer has got a big task before him in denionstreting and proving that the vehicles he makes are a better proposition from the point of view of standing charges and running costs than the imported machines He has a wonderful clientele among present users of foreign machines, but he needs to be more convincing concerning the merits of his wares than he has troubled to be in the past. The buyers with experience which enables them to compare one make of vehicle with another are not very many ; the inexperienced are legion.— Yours faithfully, SARUM., Salisbury.

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People: P. CLARKE
Locations: Bradford, Leeds

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