Boy or Motor?
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The Tradesman's Tricycle. The Motor Carrier Gives Double the Load Capacity at Treble the Speed for Less Money.
" Well, yes, I must admit that boys are a bit of a nuisance in business. Only here and there do you come across one that's worth his salt. Put a boy on delivery work, and nine times out of ten he gets worse instead of more valuable to you."
Thus did a prosperous suburban tradesman reflectively unburden himself to us one day last week. We had been endeavouring to elicit from him some kind of admission that the delivery system in connection with his grocery and provision business was not all that it should be.
There was, at any rate, one weak place in his armour ; we, therefore, pursued our small advantage. "You tell us that an appreciable proportion of your orders conies by telephone, and that, apart from your regular rounds, you think you've got something of a reputation for promptitude in carrying out emergency orders. Does it occur to you that it is WO to 1 that the several boy Messengers and their tricycle-carriers are by no means the most satisfactory, or in fact the most economical, way of increasing your reputation for strict attention to business 7"
Fixing us with his keen business eye, as if suspicious that we wanted to sell him something, or, perhaps, in
the vein he adopted when he intended to sell some
thing, he replied : " ' go so far as-to admit that at times I've half felt that those tricycles of ours weren't in tune with the general brisk business-like air Ntie like to see all over our place. When, for instance, I've happened to meet one of our own delivery boys and one of the youngsters belonging to our friends the enemy from the Broadway [A rival concern.—En], ambling along side-by-side at under three miles an hour-discussing, en route, anything, I'll bet, but their masters' business. Up hills, too, the pace they inake—or, rather the lack of itis funereal."
"There is no doubt at all," we chipped in, "that in a very large number of cases the larger tradesman's delivery cycle is an unsatisfactory part of his equipment. You will have noticed one of the Tuppenny Tube's posters about their new parcel-delivery system, a covey of boy messengers on tricycles speeding away from a station at break-neck speed in haste to effect urgent deliveries ?"
" That's artistic licence," smilingly interrupted our friend. " Reminds me of your joke in the 'C.M.' last week about petrol and the tube's spirit of the times' poster." Well, we'll admit. that poster matter doesn't lose from over emphasis. One point., however, is that the cycle-carrier is a slow, uncertain and unattractive method of delivery. Did you ever see apush-pedal carrier after mid-day that wasn't a prospective case for the R.S.P.C.C.
" Of course," said he, hedging a little, " you're going to tell me I'd save money by sacking my three cycle messengers, and selling their machines, and by buying worrying, when people move out of your own neighbourhood, in our business."
" Wrong again ; it's being found by dozens of tradesmen that motor delivery enables them to keep in touch with removals. You never know how the orders from any house may suddenly jump up. A satisfied customer of old standing welcomes facilities that render it unnecessary to try new shops, and appreciates the attention of being followed."