Out and Home. —By "The Extractor."
Page 6
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Mr. Albert Brown --Brown Bros., Ltd.
It is an interesting fact that one of the artists who contributes to our group of papers, and who does most delightfully delicate tracery, the man whose impressions of inglenooks and village inns are so realistic—i refer to Frank Patterson—is a farmer_ He sees to the cows, he tends the turnips, and he fills in the "edges and fringes of time" in drawing those enchanting Surrey commons, and the old-world rustic scenes and corners abounding in his native Sussex. I am led to these pleasurable reflections by the fact that Mr. Albert Brown, a managing director of Brown Brothers, Limited, and the subject of this skeLh, is at the foundation a farmer. and his keenest pleasure is in driving his 30 h.p. Brown car down to Braintree, in Essex, with some friends, for a day or two's shooting, for Albert Brown in his leisure must have friends round him. He is no recluse ; he is just a live, brisk, farseeing man who secures real pleasure in communing with his fellowmen, and keeping up system.
Tie took part, personally, in the 1000-mile run of 1000, and his particular instrument of torture was a Brown-Whitney steamer ; anyway, they reached Edinburgh, and that is characteristic of the man.
He joined the R.A.C. in the first year of its existence, and he is also a member of the Motor Club ; he was a founder of the Cycle and Motor Trades' Benevolent Association, and he is the Vice-President of the S.M.M.T. In fact, wherever anything is formed for the advancement of the motor trade, Albert Brown is to be found giving valuable time. He helps to control some 350 employees, and a turnover of nearly half-a-million sterling ; from this will be gathered some notion of the extent of his business and its responsibilities. Finally, Albert Brown is in all motor circles a striking and popular figure ; he indelibly impresses one as having a tremendous capacity for work, and he is withal essentially human, natural and congenial.
H. T. Vane, of Napier's.
It says much for a man's sterling qualities when he can be deemed all-sufficient to fill important posts in succession to that wonderful personage, Mr. S. F. Edge. When I first met the subject of this sketch, he was assistant to Mr. Edge in the management of Dunlop Tyres at Clerkenwell Road, and when S.F. took up his position at Regent Street and became associated in addition with Pa.nhard and Levassor, H. T. Vane was selected to fill Edge's shoes at Clerkenwell Road, which lie did with credit to himself and with benefit to the concern. Some years later, in 1904 to be precise, he took up his position alongside S. F. Edge once more in the sale of Napier Motors, and now, during the present year of grace, the mantle of Elijah has fallen upon hint yet again, and he holds the honoured and responsible post of managing director of Napier Motors, Ltd., Mr. Edge, as is well known, having relinquished the sale of motor vehicles.
There is little doubt that Vane is succeeding in this, and he is more than san guine about the commercial vehicle branch of the Napier business ; already over a given period they are doing ten times as much as formerly, which goes to prove the rapid development of the commercial motor side. The fact that the Napier works are in London must be a huge advantage to them, not perhaps so much, it occurs to one, so far as the labour question is concerned, but that is doubtless out
weighed by being on the spot close to so many large users. H. T. Vane is a Londoner and proud of it.; he has, naturally, a. great belief in London's resources : the fame, however, of the Napier vans is rapidly becoming worldwide, which is no surprise to any who know Napier quality. Vane is naturally a keen motorist ; he has little time for much else. In addition to Napier virtues, he claims one for himself —he is essentially a lover of home. , From the Show.
There seems to be general regret that the Laere Co. is not at Olympia, but reports indicate that its sales and output are moving along in satisfactory fashion. The name is certainly missed amongst the stands.
Information reaches me that Mr. J. Yarwood, of the Berne Commercial Motors, Ltd., has now resigned his position as director and manager of that company. I have seen him at the Show, and he seems thoroughly restored to health, and I gathered in conversation that he will soon be heard of again, having practically fixed up his plans for the future.