Out and Home.—By "The Extractor."
Page 13
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
Not Eternal Hag, if you please, bat Eternal Nag.
Wednesday of the Smithfield Cattle Show was more packed with people than I ever remember, and, in order to make a few calls, one had to make one's way along the cattle lines because the outer circle alongside the vehicles was quite impassable. For all that, I doubt if ths,re were many orders placed in this Show. I spoke with most makers, and, with one or two exceptions, the cry was that there was !' nothing doing."
The sale of small tractors, I could gather, is practically dead ; the trade seems to have gone in the direction of wagon; and general business in these handy vehicles appears to be extremely healthy. Allchin's seem to be making great strides. Bunch's, too, are busy with their wagon.
I see that Mr. Charles Burrell is mayor again of their town, Thetford, for the fifth time, and what is also very interesting is that he has just married. Mr. Herbert Burrell was invited to be mayor this year, but work presses too heavily upon his shoulders at present.
Clayton and Shuttleworths are coming along very satisfactorily with their new wagon, and had crowds of interested observers. The Yorkshire was a newcomer here,
and it is a pity they are relegated to the Gilbey Hall. foden's had dropped into Brown and May's vacated space at the top end of the hall, and got a wonderful advertisement by means of an electric sign ; you simply could not los.c sight ot it.
The Wylcs plough was hidden away at the back of the Fowler stand, the only place, I suppose, to put. it, so that it was not surprising that many other exhibitors did not know it was there ; great crowds of Fowler's friends, however, were intently examining it each time I was there.
Mann's, of course, always have a " Lye " exhibit. They seem to possess a good progressive business. Another newcomer, Moellenkamps, showing the Stock motor plough, had the newcomer's disadvantage of being hidden away in the small hall .which was once upon a time the Pig geries, * The shuffling of the cards at Manchester, in cznisequence of the Suffragettes' depredations in burning down the hall at Rusholme, has left many of the exhibitors in the commercial-vehicle section much dissatisfied. One very prominent maker, to whom I imparted the news of the change of date, was highly indignant. His view was that they were originally bundled out of Rusholme against their wish. Also that at the present stage of the heavy-vehicle trade it is undoubtedly better to be in the same building with the pleasure vehicles for obvious reasons. Now, after much advertising of the original date their plans are ruthlessly upset just to suit the convenience once more of the pleasure-vehiole people.
The same indignation has been expressed to me many times during the last week by leading exhibitors. The fact that if the later date was fixed for the pleasure vehicles, it would clash with the Scottish Show, does not concern them in the least. It was up to them, so I have heard constantly, to find another place. On the other hand, the impression I gathered, when at Manchester, from the local exhibitors, was that "everything is best in this best of all possible worlds." Those gentlemen who were the mainstay of the old Manchester Motor Show, and who have been so masterful in their dealings with the S.M.M.T., have no word to say against Suffragettes, for are they not interested as much in pleasure vehicles as in the business type, and will they not now be able to devote a quiet unmolested week to each h " Besides," said one to me, " my opinion is that the commercial vehicles will get a bettei chance, seeing that the Show is not overshadowed by a pleasure-car exhibition ran concurrently." Which is as it may be.