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WANTED-THE BRITISH ONE-TON VAN.

30th January 1919
Page 14
Page 14, 30th January 1919 — WANTED-THE BRITISH ONE-TON VAN.
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

Large Demand in the Dominions and in the Home Country.

V7E WERE FAVOURED during the week with a call from Mr. J, B. Clarkson, managing director of Hope, Gibbons, Sons and J. B. Clarkson, Ltd., wholesale merchants and importers of motor vehicles, with offices at Wellington and Christchurch, New Zealand, and Sydney, New South Wales.

Mr. Clarkson had just returned to England via the United States, and one of the main reasons of his call upon us—apart, of course, from the pleasure which he gave us of shaking his hand, for he is always a, welcome visitor, full of enthusiasm for his business and brimming over with useful information—was to ask what the British commercial-motor industry was doing in the matter of the 1-ton van.

We had to confess that it was a question which we had been asking the industry ourselves lately 'without having received any very encouraging response. The commercial-vehicle industry has, of course, for a very long time been compelled to concentrate on the W.D. Subsidy model, designated as a 3-tonner, but capable of 'carrying 4 tons in civil life and over decent roads instead of the occasional rough conditions of travel to which the vehicles have been put on war service.

The smaller vehicle, and particularly the 1-tonner, has been sadly neglected throughout this period, and to-day, whilst we are getting every week inquiries to a very large extent for vehicles of this kind, we find ourselves in a great difficulty in being unable to put our inquirers on to many available British makes and in being able to indicate that British 1-tanners are likely immediately to displaee the popular American type of vehicle converted by means of an adapter.

Mr. Clarkson tells us that in Australia and New Zealand the big business will be for the 1-tonner, whilst there is, of 'course, a demand for 3 and 5tanners, But for each of the bigger vehicles that is sold, one dozen 1-tonners could be disposed of. Virtually all the carrying within the confines of the cities and towns, the parcel delivery, and the work of the tradespeople can be covered by the 1-tonner. Occasional orders would be for 15ecwt, vehicles and 25-cwt. vehicles, but, in Mr. Clarkson's opinion, the 1-tonner should be able to deal with the overload up to 25 cwt., -whilst it should not be too extravagant for the smaller load of 15 cwt.

He says there is really a huge market waiting in the Antipodes for vehicles of this size; the only thing is that the vehicles must be produced and sold at popular prices, for he points out that the price of petrol is not going to drop quickly, which means to say that the running costs will bear a, higher relative figure than formerly, and, therefore, that capital charges must be reduced to the lowest possible point. In the small towns in New Zealand, and also in Australia, there are many hundreds of small men who want small lorries in order to enable them to dispose of their horse teams and to make better use of the time of the drivers than the horse team permits, that is to say, the motor vehicle must be able to show its superiority through the medium of low running costs, the wages of the driver being spread over three or more journeys by motor vehicle instead of only over one by horsed vehicle. The second great requirement is service, which means that replacements must always be readily obtainable (the word " readily" in this case means a matter of not more than a few hours). He points out that in New Zealanel a Ford is never held up for the want of a spare part, because every garage carries a 034 stock of spare parts, or, in the rare case of a garage being out of a particular part, one can be obtained by rail in a few hours from the warehouses of the importers, and this is a condition that has got to obtain in connection with a British-made 1-tonner, for, if a vehicle is held up, the labour of the driver is not properly conserved, and running costs are put up to an unnecessarily high level. In Mr. Clarkson's opinion, if there is not one British manufacturer who is prepared to produce the 1-tanner on a large scale, there is no reason why a group of manufacturers should not get tegether, concentrating on a single model of a standard design, giving complete interchangeability of all parts, details and components. ...With every detail in this way interchangeable, the Importers would be encouraged to carry a good stock of spare parts., and, as the vehicles came into use in the different districts, garage proprietors and repairers would also be encouraged to carry a sufficient stock, and in this way service in the proper meaning of the word would be developed and the Overseas Dominions would be encouraged to follow their natural bent, viz., to use British products.

In the past, we have sent gold to the .Dominions in payment for foodstuffs, such as meat, butter, cheese, eggs, etc., and for raw 'materials, such as wool. The Dominions have had to send this gold to Germany and America in order to pay for goods which they have purchased from those countries. In Mr. Clarkson's opinion, not only must that method of dispersing the wealth of the Empire cease, for the net effect of it has been that the workers in this country were not getting the benefit of the use of that capital., but every effort mast be put forward to prevent a reestablishment of -this system of trading.

-The Overseas Dominions were never so keen as they are now to confine the bulk of their business transactions to the Home country. They have got no antipathy towards America ; there is the feeling of brotherhood with America, which came in as one of the Allies against German rapacity ; but there is, rising superior even to that feeling, the feeling of blood relationship with the Mother country, and if British manufacturers will rise to the needs of the occasione and recognize where their duty lies, advantage can be taken of the good feeling which at the moment prevails.

The biggest business relations of the Dominions are with this country. Taking the fiscal year of 1916-1917, New Zealand bought from us 18 million pounds' worth of manufactured goods, and from America 5 million pounds' worth. This, it is interesting to note, was America's biggest year of trade with New Zealand. In the same period, New Zealand sold to this country —£27,500,000 worth of foodstuffs and raw materials, and to America £3,500,000 worth.

The people in the Dominions have their national ideals, and they think that the whole of the Empire should work together for the good of the Empire ; and in this one item only, the commercial-motor vehicle, an opportunity . is presented to the British manufacturer, which is simple and clear of all difficult problems, and if he throws it away there is no one to blame but himself.

Ffere is a simple statement of a clear need :—A British-made 1-ton lorry produced in very large numbers, absolutely standard in every respect (so that the stockingof spare parts is encouraged and simplified and replacements are readily effected), the price to be cheap, and the fullest possible attention given towards the development of service.

Who is going to be the first to show the Dominions that the British motor industry can provide the vehicle that is wanted 7

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