MOTORS AND BICYCLES

Star (Christchurch), Issue 9736, 31 December 1909, Page 8

MOTORS AND BICYCLES

GOOD ROADS AHEAD. The motor-car has now become as much, of a necessity to the farmer as his agricultural implements and to the sheep-farmer as his woolshed, hut. as in tight seasons the farmer cannot afford to purchase new implements, and the pastoralist has to postpone his building operations, so when money is scares both farmer and pastbralist have to deny themselves the comfort and; convenience of a motor-car. The condition of the motor-car business is a re-

flection of the buoyancy or depression; of the world's wool and grain , markets, and during the past year importers of motor-cars have been affected, as they expected to be, by the reflex waves set up by the depression that fell upon the money market. Conditions ha've now, however,' changed for the "better^ and already the business is beginning \to improve, and the prospects for the next twelve months are generally regarded by dealers in motor vehicles as being excepr tjonally good. Motor-bicycles form a business of steadily increasing importance. -They are firmly established as constituting a sound commercial proposition, . and as the recognition of their economy and utility becomes more general, it is only natural that the business should expand. This branch of the motor trade has not been at all seriously affected by the straitened conditions. Many large finns have provided their travellers with motor-cycles as an economical and convenient means of locomotion, and the motor-cycle is steadily gaining in popularity among all classes, i The sale \of ordinary bicycles is still affected by the competition of the tramcars*, but it is anticipated that there will be a good business in bicycles during the coming year. . , ''.._'■