News from Our Correspondent "Down Under."
Page 16
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Americans Not Yet in Force or Favour. W.D. Subsidy Models on Show. A Four-Ionner the Best Maximum for Australia. Good Road Work by a Marshall Oil Tractor.
It is not an uncommon thing at the present moment to hear people remark that the Americans do not appear to be making as much use of their opportunities to flood this market with their commercial motors as they might, or as everybody undoubtedly expected they would. The reason for this appears at first somewhat obscure, and in most similar cases is probably due, not to one, but to a variety of causes. One hears that American factories are very much occupied in delivering wagons for the use of the Allied armies in the field, which leaves but a very small number available for export to Australia. The demand for all sorts of manufactured goods from America is so phenomenal, that I believe it is even more difficult to obtain delivery of goods from America than from England, whence a certain amount of space is available on wheat ships and transports, Whilst I can certainly vouch for the accuracy of the latter assertion I do not believe that either of them fully explains the slow increase in the number of American commercial vehicles throughout Australia. The American machine has now almost entirely superseded the European for touring work, but I cannot help thinking that there is a certain doubt as to its capacity for hauling loads under Australian conditions. What with the drought, the war, and the morethan-excessive Federal bank-note issue, people are undoubtedly shy about investing money in what they regard in the light of an experiment ; one sees firms who require three or four vehicles to be purchasing only one, and, whilst they proclaim satisfaction, they still hesitate to buy more for fear that it will not last. Everybody is waiting to see what everybody else will do. Notwithstanding all, however, the number of American commercial vehicles is growing, and one sees, particularly, quite a number of 25-cwt. WillysOverland vans about in all the towns, and in a few cases some are engaged in pretty arduous bus work. A four-wheel-drive American lorry was tested here recently over open country and ditches, close to Melbourne, of which I hope to send some definite particulars shortly, and the performance was certainly one with outstanding merit from the point of view of country users.
Having dealt with the position of the American commercial vehicle, the British certainly merits some attention. Most of 'the agents for the leading British vehicles have at least one of' the War-Office type on show. Exactly why they remain on show it is difficult to say, as I frequently see demonstrations being given with them in various parts, and I would not like to state positively whether this is due to shyness on the part of the buyers, or whether agents are deliberately holding the vehicles for demonstration purposes with a. view to booking advance orders. In one case I know that the agent in question has been so holding the vehicle, and, although he told me that he would sell itif sufficient premium were offered him, I understand; up-to the time of writing, that no such offers have been made, which certainly surprises me as much as it did him.
One of the new W.D. Leylands has recently been put into service by the Sydney City Council ; it is employed...for watering the streets in the city. The original ten, which were taken over by the Federal authorities at the outbreak of war, are still run by the City Council Mr them ; they operate daily, carrying stores between Sydney and the various military camps at Liverpool, 20 miles distant. The run is a severe one, as the road for half its length is quite un c44
made and is simply a rough track through the bush, but these four-ton lorries have been doing from 40 to 50 miles daily without intermission for the last 18 months. This is a remarkable performance when it is considered that some have already accomplished four years work over the terrible Sydney roads.
I had the pleasure of a very interesting conversation some days back with a new arrival from North Queensland, where my correspondent had been engaged in motor haulage over long stretches of road. I myself visited the districts, from which he had arrived, nearly three years ago, partly to inspect some five and seven-ton lorries which were hauling wool to the railway in country districts and certainly earning big profits. I formed while there a very strong opinion of these vehicles—that they were altogether too large and heavy, and that, far from their proving a source of income to their owners, they would ultiinately prove disastrous, and that three or four-ton vehicles were the ones that would prove successful and economical, not only in these districts, but throughout Australia. Writing in these notes at the time, I expressed the opinion that manufacturers would be well advised to exert pressure on their agents to induce them not to order vehicles for use in Australia carrying loads over four tons. I was very glad to hear that, practically throughout these districts, covering Hughenden Cloncurry, Winton and Longreach, the heavier vehicles have been practically abandoned in favour of the three-tonners, and that people are realizing the money-making value of these machines, compared both with the heavier type and animal transport.
I was also informed of some work accomplished by a Marshall petrol tractor, travelling continuously over a distance through the bush of 85 miles, between the owner's property and the nearest railway station. When loaded,. this machine hauls three trailers, the first two carrying five tons each, and the third three— nearly fourteen tons behind the draw-bar. It runs on the usual type of tractor wheels, steel ribbed, with the 'usual holes to fit spikes, and travels through sand and black soil. In this case, it will be noticed that the .oad is pretty well distributed, and that it does not at any time exceed 5i tons on any one vehicle. In 'questioning my informant, however, I ascertained that it was regarded along the road as a point of honour to allow the tractor to remain on the road while other vehicles went round. In view of the extremely-satisfactory. running of the machine, • I asked about the opening for more of these tractors, and, with a look of alarm, he immediately said that it would be impossible to run two such tractors on the same road at the same time. It seems certain, none the less, that this tractor has played a very useful part in North Queensland. I understand that, on an expenditure of 230 a week, it is able to earn 285. In view of the enormous distances in Queensland, and the prohibitive railage and cartage rates, I cannot help feeling that the districts mentioned should absorb anything up to 24 similar machines, although care would probably have to be taken that two were not on the same road, running in opposite directions, at the same time. Manufacturers anxious to do business of this kind might, with advantage, communicate with Messrs. Edkins Marsh and Co., of Longreach; or with Mr. F. W. Bode, of Winton, both places being
in Queensland. . ,