THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR
Page 14
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A Good Larkin Tale.
Out and Home. A Cartoon on the Next Page. By "The Extractor. a A friend is responsible for the following, which was told to me with owl-like seriousness. I have not seen it -.reported • or commented upon, • but as a tit-bit of Larkinism it strikes me as being distinctly precious.
Mr. James Larkin was addressing his usual sort of audience, and in his irresponsible way was having a slap at everything and everybody, when the question of motorcars came across his horizon, " said the demagogue, with a sudden inspiration, " look at the bloated -owners of motorcars reeking with wealth, but not one of them fit to tie the shoe-strings of our mates and fellow-workers of the Motor Union."
Pegasus, the winged horse of Greek mythology, must have possessed some, suffragette proclivities, otherwise the horse of the • Muses could not properly have been described as an " Eternal Hag."
Our artist has succeeded, in the drawing on the next page, in imparting an exact impression of an incident which 1 witnessed a couple of weeks ago in Oxford Street, and mentioned at once on this page.
The look of astonishment on this particular nag's face reminds me of a delightful picture, made popular some years ago, where a modern Bueephalus was being loadedup with children sitting outside. A fifth child is being lifted up, and the four-legged brute takes a care ful look round and is supposed to be asking " How many more ? "
Facsimile testimonials from all sorts and conditions of men high up in the various nranches of the motor -trade form the chief ingredients of an excellent booklet received from the Wakefield Oil concern.
It is a very creditable production, and should be procured by all interested in oils Tor industrial vehicles. Another production, which is more than, a booklet, comes, as we go to press, the " Austin Advocate."
This periodical improves month by month. It is published at considerable outlay fer circulation amongst users of Austin motors, whether they be in use for commercial vehicles, pleasure cars, or motor boats. Much practical. Austin information, which must be of great help to users, is here given, leavened with thrilling experiences in foreign lands. Here and there a streak of humour and a. caricature, and amongst it all sonic excellent artistic work.
This month's contains a fourpage panoramic view of the 30 h.p. Austin chassis showing by tablets, in a way familiar to the readers of this journal, exactly which parts require, oiling and attention.
The "Austin Advocate" possesses this quality—it is a rare one amongst pap-era which cost one nothing ;. attention is compelled until one has gone through most of it.
The balance sheet of Argylls, Ltd., is out, and the chief point of interest is that the accounts show a balance of 110,104 95. 3d. to the, credit of Profit and Loss account. This is quite creditable. They have, of course, acquitted themselves wonderfully during this present year in the pleasure-car section, and the Argyll should be now placed upon a. very lofty plane right amongst Britain's best. But why, with their opportunities, their resources and their experience, do they not tackle the commercial. vehicle side more seriously 1
I do not know the other directors, but Mr. J. S. Matthew is a farseeing man and a shrewd one, and why he does not perceive the great oncoming of the business vehicle and develop that side more substantially and iapidly, I fail altogether to understand.
Some object lessons are close at hand. His near Scottish neighbours have achieved a great position amongst commercial-motor manufacturers, and at the same time have, looked well after No. 1, which, needless to say, is most essential. Argylls have the plant, the organization, and the men to make a great name with the heavy vehicle, "instead of which," as the American judge said, "they are practically dabbling in it." Perhaps, even as I write, they are laying their plans for amore determined onslaught. Their vans and fire-engines have done well, gita so have their albs.