MOTOR NOTES

Evening Post, Volume XCVI, Issue 41, 16 August 1918, Page 11

MOTOR NOTES

(By "Chassis,")

A oonferenoe of civil engineers has just been held in Paris, in the presence of President Poincare, and under the chairmanship of the Minister of Commerce, when many matters of importance to the motor industry were discussed (reports The Motor, England). The conference has as its direct object plans for the industrial reorganisation of France and preparation for the commercial struggle which is bound to come with the return of peace. M. Clementel, the Minister of Commerce, stated plainly at the opening meeting that the Government was following the work of the Congress with the very closest attention, and was determined that the decisions arrived at by the Congress should be acted on with the least possible delay. Thus the Government has decided that there should be standardisation of ships, railroad material, and' particularly steels, and it would insist on these standardised materials being used in all contracts drawn up. The first public indications of the future policy of the French motor industry were given by M. Lumet in a. report on the situation of the automobile industry after the war. It was stated that the French Chanibre Syndicale dcs Constructeurs d'Automobiles (corresponding to the S.M.M.T.) had petitioned the Ministry of Commerce to impose au import duty of 70 per cent, on the value of all motor vehicles brought into France during the first 12 months following the declaration of peace. This duty should be reduced to 40 per cent, for the second year after the war, and for the third and following years should be from 25 to 30 per cent., according to the type of car. The report stated that French makers had all turned over their plants to munition or aviation motor work, and that from 1916 the factories had been depleted of both cars arid stocks with which to make cars. Thus unless some protection were given it would be impossible to compete with other nations having stocks on hand or having factories in a position to begin construction without delay. Standardisation of materials was insisted on. !this is a matter concerning the general engineering industry, and not the motor industry only. Thus the decision Was left with that branch of the. Congress concerned with standardisation of metals. The standardisation of accessories has been given an impetus by the army authorities, who have already adopted one type of magneto base and coupling, one typo of driving chain, and would be glad to see the complete standardisation of screw threads, petrol pipes and unions, radiator and petrol tank caps, plugs in baae chambers, gear boxes, and differential housings, etc. .Solid tires for lorries have also been standardised for nearly a yeat.