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Seeing the Pictures.By "The Extractor." An ALL Index.
To be Assembled at Trafford Park.
The motor agents are fairly waking up to the possibilities of the commercial motor, and not too soon. Tne latest move is that an assem Wed vehicle is to be made at a factory already secured in Trafford Park, Manchester, and is to be run by an association of important agents located in different parts of the country. Some well-known names are mentioned to me, and the whole scheme is well forward,
Cattle Show Food.
It was two o'clock after a busy morning before we went into the luncheon room at the Cattle Show, and we ordered two point steaks. At 2.10 the waiter announced that. steaks " were off," chops were then decided on ; at 2.18 chops were announced as " off ".; chicken was still rampant we were told, "Very \veil,' we said, " it's war time, but let it be chicken." That in turn was declared off the map, and we ordered cold mutton or any mortal thing they had. We eventually secured some weird kind of hash, but the crucial moment came at 2.29, when my companion, who was an agricultural-motor person, and who evidently had studied the recent liquor restrictions, said with an agonized expression " BRINGMY BEER."
A Lickher Anomaly.
Speaking of the vagaries of the Central Liquor Control Board, a delicious summary of its inconsistencies came before me down in the Midlands last week. A farmer is reputed to have said" We have been married for 30 years, and if I bring my old missus in here and treat her to a glass of beer I'm liable for six months imprisonment and a £100 fine, but if I knock her about and half break her head I shall likely enough get off with a pound fine."
Road Rolling in France.
I'armer Pullinger, of the Arrol-Johnston, was in the Midlands last week, and a quite interesting chat was the result about " T. CI'. 's " visits to the _Front. He was profoundly impressed with the stoic. calmness of the French womenkmd quietly sitting at their cottage doors making lace within four miles of the firing line and bombs dropping around. The roads are, of course, in shocking condition—in many cases now only half of the road is being used, the other half being in course of repair. He was interested to see the way they built up the roads, placing by hand layers of stones to make a foundation, then he had a thrill of joy to see an English motor roller, a " Barclay and Perkins," completing the job. " I don't know what your thoughts are running on. Pullinger," said someone, "you mean Barford and Perkins."
The Penalty of Perfection.
It is the aim of every engineer to produce something distinctive, but it is not. always advantageous from a business point of view. A friend of mine was extremely proud of a range of component parts for heavy vehicles, and proudly exhibite-il them to a pos sible explaining that no one else had this particular design. To his great disappointment they were passed over, the reason given being "that. they could not be much good or they would be copied."
You'll Find It Among The Ad.
On the fate of it, it would appear as easy as getting into debt to make up an "Index to Advertisers" and fix it in the same page in the paper each week, so that readers would know where to turn to it, but no the gentleman responsible for the "making up" of the paper has from time to time given endless reasons why it cannot be done. It certainly has to n36 be done at the last moment, because the numbering of the paper has sometimes to be rearranged, but have pinned him down at last, like a butterfly in an entomological collection, and the long-suffering reader may now each week confidently turn to the first page of reading matter ; on the left-hand side will be found the Dennis announcement one week and the Karrier ditto the alternate week. On the other side of that page will he always found the Index, until it gets so large that it spreads over two pages.
"Seeing The Pictures."
The self-made man, with a well-equipped and "desirable residence" of his own, very often has his probable weakness for collecting pictures selected as a fit subject for anecdote. There is a true story of one, whose fortune was founded when lie first built bicycles in a tiny shop, that must be known to many who read this journal. After an evening meal of refined selection, and when lengthy cigars were lighted --the host careful to keep the band on his--the few men guests were invited to see his pictures. One of us, faced with some clever copies of old masters, confessed the absence of appreciation or even of understanding of many of these valuable curiosities, with special reference to a Raphael copy hung in a prominent position. "Well," with his head askance, said the man of meteoric career, "as sornethink of or eonniseer m'self, I alias 'ave said that Raphael don't paint anythink like 'is partner Tuck !"
New Makes of Cars !
There's another that I've only recently heard, of a similar kind. One opportunist "Government contractor " to another, after passing on huge orders for socks from all sorts of Governments, talking of a third of like kidney : "I hear Habbakuk's done well with the French Government. Bought himself a Corot, a Meissonier and a Constable last week." And his friend's jealous comment, "Don't see what he can do with three blooming cars, times like these!"
011a Podrida.
lord's shipload of cranks are called both Pacifists and Pacifieists in one article of the "Daily Tele graph," so we can take our choice. A well-known commercial motor salesman, who is now one of Kitchener's officers, was affectionately termed by a particular chum a "beer-biting blitherer." In addition to their present models Ivel Agrieultural Motors expect early in the New Year to market an American-made tractor.
Ransornes, Sims and Jefferies are the makers of the Mossay electric vehicle,and, so .Mr. Edward Ransome told me at the Show, the first one was delivered recently to the Birmingham. Corporation. It is a tipping wagon.
In a talk with Mr. W. Foden it transpired that one owner of three Foden wagons realized last year,' for several weeks on end, .284 per week for earta,ge_ Mr. J. R. Maidens, of Schweppes, Ltd., told me of a three-ton Foden which had been in constantuse since the middle of 1913, and has never cost one penny for repairs or replacements except tires. •
The facilities placed at the disposal of the Press by theSmithfield Club are obsolete—no Press tickets available before opening day and photographers' permits almost too restricted to be of any use. Several people who had paid heavily to obtain all possible publicity for their. mechanical exhibits have already formally complained. It is to be hoped that more modern methods will be adopted before the next Show. What does the management think it gains
by seeking—and ensuring—secrecy?