The Paris Show.
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HE 1922 PARIS SHOW is of particular interest, in view of the fact that our own commercial vehicle exhibition has been held over, and that nearly 60 individual exhibitors of industrial vehicles are represented. It remains to be seen whether these were justified or not in entering, but, in any case, we cannot help admiring their 'pluck and their endeavour to keep the vehicles which they wish to sell before the public eye.
Although the number of exhibitors is fairly large, there is a remarkable dearth of new 'models, and few, if any, startling innovations, although detail improvements have been embodied to a fair degree ana such points as front-wheel braking, the fitting of power starters on heavy-duty engines and the use of pneumatic tyres are certainly receiving a large amount of attention, and may eventually prove quite as important as the production of new vehicles would be at the moment.
Comparing the three Salons which have been held since the war, the first was, in the main, a simple demonstration of the vitality of the commercial motor trade in France; whilst the second contained—sometimes in a more or less crude form—almost all the new ideas, and certain points in design which had proved their practicability in war service. The third, and present, Salon, embodies the definite realization of the points for and against the—in some cases—comparatively crude designs which were evolved last yea. Some of these have disappeared altogether, whilst others have been perfected in their details.
It must not be thought that the Salon is lacking in interest, as this is very far from being the ease. It is only that designs have, become more settled, and that the makers have not indulged to any great extent in flights of fancy, which is probably due to the great cost of experimenting and the need for a settled programme and reduced prices.
Why Petrol Prices Have Fallen.
THE REDUCTION in the priee ctf petrol ha's aroused ire -amongSt those concerns which are engaged in the importation and distribution of motor spirit in quantities which, in the circumstances, are not regarded as large. It was made by the big concerns without reference to the smaller concerns, and the latter feel that the real motive was to crush them out of the trade. These smaller
concerns deal with the spirit in bulk—chiefly in tank wagon loads—although in one or two cases consumers with much smaller requirements are supplied on a co-operative basis. In consequence of this freedom from the need of distributing spirit broadcast, they were able to supply at from lid. to 2d. per gallon cheaper than the big concerns. At the preseet prices they are not able to continue to sell cheaper than their big competitors, and the risk arises of their customers turning unfaithful to them, To our way •of thinking, there is little fear of the customer being attracted to the brands which are more generally known simply hecause the price of the competing brand's is the same. They will consider that there may be something in the contention that prices will rise again immediately the opposition of the smaller importer has been crushed out, and, if the latter takes the trouble to supply a goodquality spirit, his old customers will hesitate before going elsewhere for supplies. The real fact is that there is a large stock of spirit in the country (it is freely said that there is a year's Supply in sight) and consumption must he encouraged, because storage facilities cannot be extended beyond the economical limit.
The Disadvantages to the User of a Maker's Instability.
W E were pleased to be able, in our last issue, to inssrt a letter from Mr. J. Maughfling, director of Messrs. John I. Thornycroft and Co., Ltd., drawing attention to the " boosting" of American methods by people anxious to give advice to British . manufacturers. The number of firms which have gone out of the business and left the owners of vehicles manufactured by them stranded for spare parts might be thought by some to be the result of war conditions, but this is not the case. During 1913 and the earlier part of 1914, previous to the outbreak of war, a somewhat similar state of things was going on in Arneriea, and 4 very large proportion of the firms engaged in the manufacture of commercial motors went out of the business.
There are few things more disastrous to a person who has invested his money in commercial vehicles than the closing down of the filen or concern who ixtade them. Such parts as .cylinders, differential cases, gearboxes, etc., which require complicated and costly patterns to reproduce even the casting, let alone the requisite jigs and sPeoitil •tool is necessary for the machining of them, cannot be 'commercially reproduced, •should a replacement be required, as the cost would be more then. the rest of the vehicle is
worth. • _
Although times may be bard at the present moment, in the unPreeedented circumstances which follow a gigantic war and its consequent upheaval of all business, we are happy, to say that cases of firths going out of the business after Making a number of vehicles are alinost4unknown here.' The period referred to above-19M and 1914 and until war Came— was a time of great prosperity here in the commerciaI vehicle trade, and the large number of failures in.the same trade in America does not point to the fact that our manufacturers Can have so much to learn as some of the good people who are always asking us to copy the methods of others seem to think. Such advice reminds-us of GiIbert's lines about ", the idiot who praises, in enthusiastic tone, all ages but the
present and all countries but his own." .
The Lack of Uniformity Caused by Left-hand Drive. •
APROPOSAL, extraordinary in its character, has been made by a man Who is highly versed in all motor matters, and who has declared to us that he has given the subject considerable thought, and firmly believes, firstly, in the need and, secondly, in the praeticability of the scheme. He
elsi argues that, if the Ford Motor Co. desire to secure land at Southampton for the erection of a factory which shall become the main distributing centre for this country and Western Europe, the Ministry of Transport should lay before the liciuthampton Corporation the proposal that, in the agreement for the disposal of the land, a condition should be inserted to the effect that all vehicles constructed er assembled in the new factory and intended for sale in this country, should be equipped with right-hand drive.
Left-hand drive is being forced upon purchasers because there is no combination of circumstances strong enough to compel the manufacturers of these cars ,o conform to recognized practice, and the resuit is a great want of uniformity about the vehicles now on the road, and, as a consequence, grave risk of accidents.
Accidents arising out of the fact that the driver of a left-hand drive vehicle has net been in the best position have -certainly occurred, but, as we had expected when the matter first came up for consideration, these accidents, so far, have been few. We had personal experience some years ago of a lefthand drive vehicle and then came to the conclusion that a driver need never get into trouble solely because of his position, and, again, in driving on the Continent, one does not experience difficulty through sitting on the right of a vehicle, even though one has to keep to the right of the road. But we must admit that in each of these cases the driver has been paying more than the usual degree of attention to the task in hand
Most accidents occur, however, through a combination of circumstances, and there is the possibility that the additional factor of the driver being over to the left of the vehicle may be the determining one.
The matter is one on which we express no more definite opinion than to say that it might, at least, be. given a few moments' consideration by the Ministry.
Toll-bridges and the Question of Abolishing the Tolls.
HE SUGGESTION has often been made, and is now once again being considered, that an effort should be made to secure the abolition of the last of the tolls over certain roads and bridges. These tolls are found to exist chiefly in outlying parts of the country—Wales is very fond. of them, seemingly I—and very few are to, be met with on our main routes, As the motor community is making a direct, heavy annual contribution towards the cost of road improvement (including resurfacing and widening), and, in the character of ratepayers, is paying its full quota of the county and other rates, from which the balance of the cost of road improvement and maintenanee is drawn, it is, obviously closely concerned with any question of the disposal of the proceeds of mOtor taxation in directions which involve capital outlay.
To buy the rights of various trusts and trustees, of toll-farmers and others who (as we once heard it expressed) " batten upon the tolls" would entail the expenditure of considerable sums, which could, and should, be devoted to the better purpose of improving roads and road conditions generally. The individual outlay in the payment of toils, taking the whole of the commercial vehicle industry, ean rarely be appreciable, unless a haulier or vehicle owner happens to be unfortunate enough to be compelled to send his vehicles across a particular toll-bridge on almost every journey undertaken. Thus, it seems open to doubt whether any heed whatever should be paid to proposals to sink money in buying out toll rights