French Consumption Tests.
Page 10
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The endurance and consumption trials organised by the Automobile Club de France with the co-operation of the Army Department have resulted in the official classification of fifteen vehicles out of the forty-four that set out on the itinerary on Whit Monday. In their respective categories, they are as under. The official computations of the fuel consumed on the concluding run of Loo kilometres (for heavy
lorries) and 'so kilometres (for light lorries in second category, public-service vehicles and small cars) are added, together with the finally-declared weights, in our table.
A numerous gathering of distinguished Frenchmen attended a banquet in the theatre of the Automobile Club de France on the evening following the conclusion of the road tests, the company including M. Barthou, Minister of Public Works (in the chair), General Picquart, Minister of War, Bar-on de Zuylen de Nyevelt, President of the A.C.F., and the Marquis De Dion, Vice-President of the A.C.F.
In the course of a lengthy speech, the Marquis De Dion foreshadowed further trials for commercial vehicles in January ne:KL. Now that they had seriously taken -up the study of the commercial car, he said, they should Strike while the iron was hot. Having established the durability of their vehicles in the summer on good roads, they must now demonstrate an equal degree of efficiency on roads cut upby the inclemency of winter weather. It was his intention, therefore, to propose to the Competitions Committee the holding of trials similar to those just concluded at the end of January next. He hoped that the Minister of War would again proffer his collaboration and authorise the officers under him to assist the committee in organising the details. The Marquis further referred to the regulations applied to such trials, and said it was only by experience that they could succeed in laying down such conditions as would be beyond the criticism which had been admittedly justified.
General Picquart made a brief speech, saying that the Louring car was invaluable to the chefs de corps, but the commercial vehicle served a more important purpose still in the Army.
M. Duval-Arnould, President of the Gammission appointed from the Municipal Council to study the question of public transport in Paris, said they were convinced of this, that the motorbus could only become more and more common in big cities. Thanks to its increasing adoption, Paris would soon cease, he hoped, to be a purgatory for horses.