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By "The Extractor."
A Newspaper Bluff. Sherlock Holmes at Work.
Quite recently I ran across Mr. John Batty, who was formerly in charge of the British.Berna motor lorries when at Avonmore Road, Kensington. He is still engaged by the parent company, Hudson's Consolidated, Ltd., and it was part of his present duties to visit Switzerland early this year. He was there,. in fact, on the fateful 21st March when the Germans succeeded in their great push on the Western Front. The only news obtainable in Switzerland were a long telegram from the Kaiser and the self-glorifying accounts in the German papers. Eventually, after some days, friend Batty espied with great glee an English newspaper, "The Continental .News," at the Schweitzerhof Hotel at Bale. He scanned it eagerly hoping to find the real truth about recent happenings. There were the familiar British advertisements, Cadbury's Cocoa, White Horse 'Whisky, Beecham's Bills, etc., etc., and the news in good English language, but it was a case of "The voice is Jacob's voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau." Another example of carefully-prepared German bluff. It, was printed in Berlin and edited, he heard subsequently, by. a renegade Britisher.
. A Post-war View.
Mr. Leonard Brown, head of the slid tyre department of Chas. Macintosh and Co, Ltd., thinks with Cottonopolis people generally that free trade must survive after the war, but he realizes the difficulty attending. upon the dumping of American lorries in
this country. He is inclined to the opinion that there will be a .year of stagnation after peace is signed, and afterwards we shall get on a very sound foundation of business. The returned army lorry is a disturbing factor in his mind, but, as I reminded him, that will hardly affect the tyre trade ; new tyres will surely be wanted. There will be the revival of the export trade, too, as I also, reminded him, but his reply is, that all immediate transport will be required to tale the men back. Solid tyre manufacturers, in h's view, are having the busiest tune of their lives now. He cannot believe that the present output of new vehicles can be kept up after the war, but realizes that there' is plenty of room yet for conversions from the horse-drawn vehicle to those motor driven.
Optimistic.
It was quite good to meet with Mr. James Haworth on Preston Station recently, looking as robust and, I think, more youthful than ever. Haworth has created a great name for F.I.A.T.s in Lancashire and district. I remember he worked hard at a Manchester Show introducing the F.I.A.T. commercial lorry. His interests go now mainly in the production of various aeroplane components and munitions, so much so that he is the chairman and spokesman for a section of Lancashire manufacturers. Haworth is a.Vpopular figure everywhere, and has the facolty of getting things done. His view of immediately after the war is clearly optimistic ; he sees no reason for even a temporary slump. He could place orders now for 50 well-known steam wagons, and 50 ditto petrol wagons for Lancashire cotton spinners and manufacturers if he could get deliveries, so why, he argues. should the demand fall off after the peace? And so say all of us.
Going Up.
Mr. Jock Milk is responsible for the statement to me that a second-hand three-ton Halley (I suppose it wag shod with Wood-Milne tyres) was recently sold for 21250.
B46
Like many other prominent motor people, Mr. SidneyStraker took a bicycle with him for his holiday this year. I surmise that this was to get to and from -an adjacent golf course, especially as it is reported that he went to the Ayrshire coast, and is known-to be an enthusiast for the royal and ancient game.
The Undertaker's Smile.
The breakfast room is a great meeting place now at the. Midland, Manchester. In the old days it was the lounge, but you cannot recognize people there.' now with the limited lighting. Mr. Jae Pedersen tried to look 'solemn and heartbroken as he imparted to me the news that the war' department has just taken 1117,000 worth of Firestone tyres. It reminded me of the expression on the face of the prosperous undertaker,, described by .Charles Dickens, who, as he Walked at the head of the most important cortege of the year, had to wear a sad air to be in tune with the proceedings, but satisfaction oozed out of Win at every pore.
A Steam Wagon Movement.
An important meeting of steam wagon makers was held recently at the Midland Grand Hotel, St. Pancras, to consider the formation of a steam wagon section of the Agricultural Engineers' Association. Lieut.-Col. Frank Garrett (Richard Garrett.and Sons, Ltd.), on being voted to the chair, opened the discussion, and the concensus of opinion was that a scheme of price maintenance, to be practicable, must have .the co-operation of the whole trade. It was shown that a comprehensive programme of useful work was possible, apart from'the question of plices, and, as a result, the general feeling was that the formation of the section was desirable. An -organizing committee was forthwith formed to outline a programme of activities 'and to report to a further meeting. The committee was formed as follows :—Mr. James M. Dallas (lKann's Patent Stearn Cart and Wagon Co., Ltd.), neut.-Col. Garrett (Richard Garrett and-Sons, Ltd.), Mr. George Hoare (W. Tasker and Sons, Ltd.), -Mr. W. J. Lewin (The Yorkshire Commercial Motor Co.) Mr. I'. W. Robsen (Clayton and Shuttleworth, Ltd.), and Mr. W. H. Wigley (The Sentinel Waggon Works, Ltd.). The acting secretary is Mr. S. King Stewart, secretary of the Agricultural Engineers' Association. of 68-70, Fenchurch Street, London, E.C. 3. It .may be mentioned that, in ,addition to' the above names, the following gentlemen were present :—Mr. -C. P. Smith, of Wm. Allchin Ltd., Mr. E. W. Whattam, of Win. Foster and Co., Ltd., and Mr. Alfred Wallis, of Wallis and Steevens, Ltd. We shall be glad to report further progress.
R.A.F. at Lunch. •
He was connected With the motor business before the war, but is now a three-pip Pengui,n, doing useful work, I believe, on terra firma, even if he has never yet risen from its surface, and he sat near me at lunch the other day. He ploughed steadily and successfully through a Gargantuan meal. True; he had no coupon, but he secured what sothebody termed a "working man's portion" of ham following several other dishes. When I left he was. negotiating a; slab og tapioca, having. already bespoken some cheese. and celery. TwO jmnts of beer accompanied this procession, and, noticing a flutter amongst the other Penguins, he explained, witba flick of the eyelid, "Flying does make you hungry, and no mistake.'