From Our Berlin Correspondent.
Page 7
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Copenhagen offers a good market for light commercial types, but the price must be low, there being no demand for high-priced automobiles. The import duty is not high, and petrol pays no tax.
The Burmah Market.
In a recent report from Burmah, the American Consul points out that Gt. Britain practically monopolizes the automobile trade. Not a single American make, it transpires, reached Burrnah during the year ended March 31st. LA Dennis lorry will now remove this slur. See page 57. —ED.] and that a number of heavy lorries figure in the rolling stock of the State railways.
Automobile Traffic in Turkey.
In an article on the "Increase of Automobile Traffic in Turkey," a German writer states that, after protracted negotiations, the Government has succeeded in placing contracts for the construction or improvement of 10,500 kilom. of road in Asia Minor and European Turkey, which seems rather a large order for Turkish finances. With the realization of these contracts, Turkey will go ahead ; hence the market should be watched."
Stoewer Tipping Lorries at Trieste.
Messrs. Stoewer Bros. cannot be accused of lethargy in working available markets. Their vehicles are found doing service in many a town outside Germany, and I forward a picture of one of the firm's tipping lorries being used for the transport of building material for the seaport of Trieste [This is reproduced on page 64.—ED.] In deed, SO far as I can gather, the Stettin factory sends a large number of automobiles, both passenger and freight, into Austria, which is dependent, to a great extent, upon foreign houses for the supply of automobiles. The chassis being known in England needs no description from me.
" Commercials " in the Argentine.
To an Argentine customer the Daimler Motoren-Gesellschaft at Marienfelde has shipped a threeton lorry remarkable for the size of its wheels, which are iron-shod, and are I ft. 6 in. and 5 ft. 2 in. in diameter for the leaders and drivers respectively. I send a photograph of this vehicle, Exact statistics on the number of automobiles now running in the Republic are not available, but dealers estimate it at 3,000, some two-thirds falling to Buenos Ayres. The Marienfelde lorry shows how its maker has provided against the prevailing state of things in the Argentine. Thus, instead of waiting for suitable roads to be made, the Gesellschaft constructs a design to meet the exigencies of actual surfaces. But the Ilrgentine authorities have been improving the roads of late, and pani passu with road improvement the volume of motor traffic will surely expand. Buenos Ayres is, of course, the motor-distributing centre for the Argentine, and, failing direct communication with retail dealers through a traveller speaking the Spanish language, would-be exporters will find there first-class houses ready to take up an agency. Price lists should be well illustrated, and the text printed in the Spanish language. In 1908, official foreign-trade returns placed Germany third on the list of exporters into the Argentine, Gt. Britain being second, and France an easy first. Maybe the Fatherland has crept up into second place since then, as her auto-exporters have been far from idle during the past two or three. years