CO-OPERATION AMONGST THE AGENTS.
Page 11
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
THE eighth annual dinner under the auspices of the Agents' Section, Ltd., and the Motor Trade Association, was held at the Holborn Restaurant, Kingsw4, on Monday, November 7th, with the chairman of the Section, Mr. H. A. Bennett, in the chan...
A fine musical programme was given during the dinner and after it by the British Imperial Orchestra. After the proposal of the royal toast by the chairman, that of the Agents' Section, Ltd., was given by Mr. E. M. C. Instone, j.P., who, incidentally, is the latest recruit to the ranks of the Section, his certificate of incorporation being dated September 19th, 1921. During the course of a most interesting and witty speech, he mentioned that the first Agents' Section took shape in 1914, when there were 1,725 members. Today the membership is 6A43. The toast was responded to by Mr. H. Chilton, J.P. The theme of his remarks was chiefly that of co-operation between the agents themselves and a, working agreement between the agents and the manufacturers, so that, each should help the other instead of working separately. He suggested that many of the grievances amongst the agents were of their' own making, and were caused by a want of loyalty amongst some of the members. He suggested that before anything of a drastic nature is at any time Mangerated, conferences should take place between the manufacturers and the agents. Sir J. C. Percy, D.L., J.P., proposed " The S.M.M. and T." He also emphasized the need for co-operation, and said that man alone is a leaf in the storm; it is only co-operation which makes him great and strong. He mentioned that the Society had put 225,000 aside for the benefit of the poorer members, and said that he had one grievance, that was the Society had not permitted a show to be held in Ireland.
The toast was replied 'to in a few wellchosen words by Mr. J. K. Starley. That well-known Scottish member, Councillor W. L. Sleigh, D.L., J.P., proposed the M.T.A., and said that this .Association was perhaps the most important in the motor trade, as it dealt with the manufacturer, the agent, the wholesale factor and the buyer. It is an Association which makes a square deal possible and protects both the agent and the public. He continued by suggesting that there is a silver lining behind the dark clouds, and that the only way to see that lining is by good, solid, hard work.
The response was made by Mr. Leslie Walton, who, in quite a long speech,
summed up practically the whole of the difficulties which confronted the M.T.A., and the policy of the Association. He pointed out that as a result of the judgment in the Ware and do Freville case, a manufacturer Can now settle a price and no one is justified in selling above or below that price. He also said that the Association is endeavouring to arrange less severe penalties for small breaches of the regulations than that of placing offending members on the stop list.
The health of the chairman was pro
posed by Mr. A. Noel. Mobbs, 0.B.E., who, after giving a short resume' of the work which had been done by the chairman, touched on the question, of discounts to commercial users—a very important point which deserves mature consideration.
Mr. H. A. Bennett, in his reply, men tioned that he was a thorough believer in the M.T.A. preference scheme, or, as he preferred to call it, united trading scheme.
Many speokers -during the evening referred to the excellent work and organizing done by the secretary of the Agents' Section, Miss Cornish. and some went so far as to say that the success of the Section was largely due to the efforts of this lady.