OPINIONS FROM OTHERS,
Page 23
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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
The Motor Agent and Contracting Work.
The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
(1897) Sir,—I am glad that "Haulage Contractor" has, by his letter (page 713, issue for January 3rd), given me an opportunity of removing any mistaken idea he may have that I am an advocate of garage proprietors, in general, competing with their own customers. I thought that previous articles of mine had made my attitude towards this question pretty clear, but perhaps your correspondent has only been attracted to read the one article, of which he complains, by reason of the title. In this case I hope he will do better now the New Year is here !
"Haulage Contractor" will have noticed that I strictly limited my suggestion (that garages should try to get contracts for haulage work for their councils) to rural districts, where present haulage is done by horses and where the country cartage gentlemen are not disposed to purchase motor vehicles. I have on other occasions explained that, before taking up haulage, an agent for commercial vehicles should consider carefully whether that policy weuld be wise from the point of view of his sales business.
As to the garage proprietor who cut your correapondent's rates, I have no hesitation at all in condemning him completely, if his justification for so doing was that he can buy his supplies more favourably than can a haulage contractor. It is notorious that commercial vehicle users are generally given discounts to which, as consumers, they are not in the least entitled.
Actually, Mr. "Haulage Contractor," the competi tion boot is entirely on the other foot. The garage industry is being crippled by the unsound system of supplying commercial users with petrol, and even with new vehicles, at trade prices. Until this principle is scrapped, any improvement in the service which garage proprietors are able to give to commercial users ,must be slow in coming.
Crushing Taxation.
The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL, MOTOR.
(1898) Sir,—I am interested in the log sheets published in your .journ,7.1 (which I have taken from its commencement), and should be extremely obliged if you would kindly send me a supply. [These have been sent to our correspondent.—En., C'..1l.t.] I might say if the contractors in this district could get the rates advocated by "The Skotch " they would be on velvet. I hear news of 4 ton lorries running to Manchester and back (84 miles) for £4 10s., and to Rhyl (260 miles out and back) for .27 10s. This sort of thing, coupled with the crushing licence duties, will about finish hundreds of small owners. In my own case I licensed a steam wagon for a quarter, expecting some work ;, it never went outside the garage gates ! I took out a licence for a char-h-banes; it only ran from here to Coventry to be overhauled--about 70 miles—in one quarter! In my opinion, as a haulage contractor since 1904, there is only one fair method, and that is the old petrol tax. The bus companies and owners doing big daily mileages, I should imagine are well on the right side, but the men doing about 30 miles per day, and not every day, are well down the course.—Yours faithfully,
Rotherham.