Road Transport in Other Lands
Page 75
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Items of News Intended to Stimulate the Interest of British Makers in Overseas Markets.
Import Duties in the Argentine.
TN view of the loss in revenue which ihas resulted from the duty-free entry of commercial motors into the Argentine during the past year, the Director of the Argentine Customs has recently submitted a report to the Minister of Finance proposing that such vehicles be again made dutiable. Importers in the Argentine are said to be co-operating in an effort to secure a nominal rate of duty rather than a reversion to the 32per-cent. rate formerly in vogue.
India's Adoption of the Tractor.
THE annual value of tractors and parts absorbed in India during the five years ended 1926-27 averaged only 356,000 rupees, according to the "Review of Agricultural Operations in British India, 1926-27." It is thought that in all probability this figure will be doubled and perhaps trebled in another 10 years.
The sthall, low-powered tractors at first imported into the country were useful for light and shallow cultivation on large estates, but the recent advent of tractors sufficiently powerful to pull three-bottom ploughs has given an impetus to the use of power machinery in heavy soils and encouraging experiments have been conducted with.them in Bihar, Bombay and the Punjab. Although there is an excellent field for the use of tractors in India, progress will be slow until a sufficient number of repair shops, fully equipped with spare parts, is established.
New Roads in East Africa.
A LARGE British-Indian firm, with headquarters at Djibouti, is reported to have obtained a concession to build a system of motor roads linking British Somaliland with the rich Harm. Province in Ethiopia. The roads are planned primarily to provide transport to Ethiopia for salt produced at new workings near Zeyla. Jigjiga has been chosen as the logical central point con
meting with Zeyla via Briroma, and with the port of Berbera via Hargeisa.
Another road is projected to Dabalibur, south-east of Jigjiga. The last-named town is also to be linked up with Harrar, the most important city and market in that area. This plan involves the improvement of two existing roads in British .Somaliland, froth Zeyla to Boroma and from Berbera to Hargeisa.
News from the Far East.
AN official report from H.M. Consul at Tainsui states that 64 commercial-motor chassis were imported into Formosa during the first six months of this year. In the same period 295 motorcars were imported.
Buses Popular in French Indo-China.
AN American trade commissioner recently undertook a business trip by motorcar through French Indo-China. Altogether he travelled over 600 miles from Saigon to the rubber plantations of Cochin-China, and again from Saigon across Cambodia. to the Siamese frontier. The roads were found to be in excellent repair. Owing. to thisgood system and the scarcity of railways, travel by motorbus is very heavy. Although there is not sufficient distribution of wealth for many individual natives to own cars, it was found that they take full advantage of motor transportation. Buses, which are passed on the road every 10 mins. or 15 mine., are invariably crowded with passengers, luggage and produce. There Ins also been a considerable increase in the demand for tractors during the past year.
Russia's Growing Tractor Imports.
ACCORDING to a recent return,
13,100 tons of motor tractors, valued at 11,745,000 roubles, were imported into Soviet Russia during the fiscal year 1928-29, as compared with only 4,500 tons and 4,766,000 roubles respectively in 1027-28. Iraq a Promising Market.
.WITH locally produced oil favouring cheap operation, and a rapidly growing system of motor roads that will link up the chief 'towns, British malters will find a growing demand for lorries and buses in Iraq. American competition is already very keen, but there is a field for the heavier chassis in which British manufacturers specialize. The desert, separating Iraq from the Mediterranean is now literally a highway for. motor vehicles, the 600mile erossiug being made with only one halt, half-way across, where any help or protection can be had.
America's Commercial-vehicle Exports.
DURING the first six months of the current year 102,782 lorries, buses and commercial chassis (value $61,142,784) were exported from the United States. The largest gains were in the 20-ewt. and 1-ton to 21-ton classes. The leading markets were : Argentina, 11,749 (unit value $666) ; Australia, 10,821 ($506); 10,173 (8442) ; United Kingdom, 8,281 (8355) ; Sweden, 4,782 ($463) ; Spain, 4,679 ($578) ; Belgium, 3,926 ($436), India, 3,881 ($480), Canada, 3,569 ($1,457) ; British Africa, 2,768 (8596) ; Denmark, 2,492 ($440) ; Philippine Islands, 2,256 ($583) Uruguay, 1,983 ($558) ; Japan, 1,864 ($666) ; and Mexico, 1,578 ($750).
The average unit value was 8595. A study of these unit values will show which countries are likely to be prepared to pay higher prices in order to secure British motor vehicles, although in the case of Belgium, Denmark and this country the low average unit price is due to the fact that imports mainly consist of chassis.
Commercial Motors in South Australia.
AT the end of June last there were 12,853 commercial vehicles in use in South Australia, as compared with only 11,517 at the corresponding date a year ago.