Out and H orne„ —By " The Extractor.'
Page 12
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By the courtesy of Mr. F. H. Alley, of Alley and MacLellan, Limited, I have been able to hand to the Editor a photograph of the winning steam wagon at the Glasgow Parade, and this will be found illustrated herewith. I was pleased to find much activity at the Sentinel works, while in Glasgow recently. It has been found by many to be a terribly tough proposition to put a new steam wagon on the market, and the Polmadie Company has succeeded where many others whom I could name have failed. It has, naturally enough, a good trade in Scotland : the Scotsman is nothing if not clannish; but the Sentinel wagons find their way south, as far as Cornwall, and T am told they sell very well abroad. The one illustrated is one of live supplied to the Scottish Cooperative Wholesale Society, Limited, and this, I am informed, has done to,ono miles with only one day off.
" Ten thousand miles with only one
day off." Dear, dear It sounds exactly like an echo of my own travels and turmoils. It seems identical, because I know now they don't count Sundays in Scotland. One remains in a state of suspended animation there until Monday morning. There is one diversion : I only heard of it " the morning after the night before "—as the phrase goes. A solitary Sunday boat goes down the Clyde for the benefit, I believe, of the Sassen.ach, and it has earned the name of the " Sabbath Breaker." Anyway, the Scotsmen are alive enough on Monday morning, and it was quite cheering to see the interest shown by the commercial-vehicle people in Glasgow, and the proper pride and exultation of the drivers. It reminded me of a Cart Horse Parade in London, with no drawbacks.
I believe these parades will grow into
something gigantic. and Scotland has shown us how to do it—how to combine all the good points of organisation. The vehicles must go the round of the principal streets; it provides such a useful object lesson. Traffic, as I saw for myself, wa, not in the least impeded, and the people, practically as numerous as in London, were immensely impressed and interested.
I made the acquaintance of Mr. H. E. Fulton, at Scotstoun recently. This gentleman has charge of the commercial side of the Albion business, arid he very courteously opened the doors of the factory to me for a hurried glance. round. I saw enough to convince. me that they have the latest machinery and methods; and a well-planned works.
It would be idle to as.--,ert that one does not hear complaints of slackness of trade from many 'quarters, but this was far from being the case chez Leyland •Motors, Limited. When I called there, on my way back from beyond the Tweed, "we're booked up with orders," was the cheery remark by Mr. Henry Spurrier, Jnr., " and there is just room for you in the car. You had better conic over to Preston with us, and, when my friends have caught their train, we can have a talk." His friends caught the London train—that I know —and, as I was not clad for fast motoring, I am thankful I have not caught a cold, because the GobronBrilliii nips along when H.S. is at the helm. Rumour hath it that the headwind breaks down his screen ! Thar reminds me of a new purchase : a 30ton •sailing yacht had -arrived that day. at Liverpool, it having -come round the coast from Southampton, and the exhilaration. of its new owner was unders.andahle in the circumstances. •