Some three months ago, the notion occurred to me to
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offer a prize for an idea for a souvenir to be given away at the forthcoming CommercialVehicle Show, in March next. Something novel was wanted, and, at the same time, the cost of production wits to be borne in mind, and, also, the likelihood of the article's being preserved, thus gaining to this journal some publicity. I am indebted to many readers for clever and wellthought-out suggestions, but I am sorry that for one reason and another I have had to discard them. Some suggestions accompanied by excellent sketches have reached me. I think it will interest many to name a few of the ideas: one suggests a cigar-cutter made in the shape of a motor horn; there is a pocket diary giving the dates of the chief motor events for the coming year, but, unfortunately for this idea many important events are not fixed very long in advance of their occurrence; another notion is a book containing the London motorbus routes—quite good except that they are always changing; a reading glass would certainly be useful to many; an ingenious conception is a special pencil-sharpener with a label attached carrying an insurance policy for £50. The last-named suggestion comes from a gentleman I know very well, and it grieves me to pass it over. The same remark applies to the idea of a corkscrew, which proposition comes from another friend : the corkscrew suggestion found great favour with some members of our own staff, with whom I conferred, but I think the forthcoming festive season must have been uppermost. in their minds: one said, in his blithe, joysome way, that we should then have an " Extractor " that was really useful.
A suggestion for nail scissors for the souvenir has much to recommend it, and that for an office ruler is not bad. A novelty would certainly be the pocket comb and mirror in an aluminium case an exact copy of THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR in miniature showing the first and last pages, the mirror to be shaped like a Belsize radiator." According to the sketch sent, an excellent idea is given for a pen and paper rack, and also a small metal
box to contain court plaster. The one, however, which has been selected is a fountain-pen clip, duly illustrated on this page, and sent in by Mr. R. Shiels, 7, Crichton Street, Edinburgh,
to whom I am forwarding a cheque for one guinea. I apologise for the
delay in settling this question, and for the suspense with which competitors have been tortured. The only alleviation is that this cheque will reach the winner at a most-receptive time of year, and it enables me to wish him and all other readers a Hearty and Happy Christmas.
On this page, some months ago, I chronicled the fact that Mr. H. D. Kerr, of the Continental Tyre and Rubber Co., Ltd., was laid by with a fractured spine, and I expressed a hope for a quick return to his sphere of usefulness; it had a serious sound with it, his particular calamity, but I now find him back at work as spry as ever, and he knows the spine was broken, because the Rontgen rays do not exaggerate. But there, he is practically all right again, and right glad I am, for one, to see it.