THE L.G.O.C. THIRD ANNUAL STAFF DINNER.
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The third annual dinner of the London General Omnibus Co., Ltd.. was held in the King's Hall of the Holborn Restaurant, last Saturday. Covers were laid for -150, an increase of 150 over the total for lastyear's gathering.
These annual staff dinners of the premier company have each borne a strongly-characteristic note ; last year it was one of renewed confidence in an assured successful future for the company, whilst in 1909 tile speakers were indicating that the L.C.O. was not .yet out of the wood. At last Saturday's dinner the attitude was one of triumphant success, but this was tempered materially by an anxiety to make it known that the opposition, \tali which the company is inuninently threatened, is to be met with mailed fists.
Mr. Henry Hicks, the veteran chairman of the L.G.O.C., had not sufficiently recovered from his recent. illness to be able to preside at last Saturday's function ; we are, however, happy to be able to record that he is making quite satisfactory progress. In the absence of Mr. Hicks, Co!. Colvile occupied the chair, and he was immediately supported by Mr. D. Duff and Capt. Wilfrid Dutiable, the joint managers, and by Sir T. Pile and Mr. F. Griffiths, of the nowamalgamated Creat Eastern Co., Mr. .T. Lulhatn Pound, Mr. J. W. Greig, Mr. A. C. Church, late chief of the horse department and now a director, Mr. M. J. Davey, of the Great Eastern ('o., Mr. J. C. Mitchell, the L.G.O. secretary and other leading officials of the company. Amongst. departmental chiefs who presided at the other tables were Mr. F. Searle, the chief engineer, Mr. A. Crane, Mr. E. Peaty, Mr. A. Fyson, Mr. H. Talbot, Mr. J. F.. Ashby and Mr. G. Schmidt.
Visitors who were present included Messrs. E. Shrapnell Smith, Etienne-Olivier, F. Dent, A. Bentley, 1)r. Davis, Dr. Bingham, H. L. Searle, A. Searle, G. Nixon, O. P. Wray, A. W. Windsor, R. Bell, C. Krailsheimer, J. Leaner, J. Egger, P. Hepworth, T. Tuff and W. Nye.
Sun T. PILE, Bart., proposed
The Navy, Army and Auxiliary Forces." He felt something like Daniel must, have felt in the lion's (len, with the lions sitting round looking hungry. As a matter of fact he knew nothing of the subject concerning which he was asked to propose. a toast. He presumed that tile committee trusted to his Trish eloquence. He was a peaceloving man ; he could now refer to the L.G.O. Co. as "my friend the enemy," and he tendered his thanks to the staff generally.
CA Irk. W. D LE, in his reply,
which was one of the few speeches which was heard all over the ball, said that the subject of the toast concerned all present, because they as paymasters a_nd voters controlled " the Army, the Navy and the AuxiliaryForces." He commended the use of discipline to all members of the community. One of its advantages was that it helped a man In know what. it was like to be well kicked, and that knocked the nonsense out of him.
CoL. C. COLVILE, the chairman, announced that Mr. Henry Hicks was happily on the road to recovery. The company now had secured the amalgamation of the Great. Eastern Omnibus Co. He hinted that the opposition with which they were threatened would not intimidate them. He could not imagine that anyone would he so misguided as to encoerage the suggested further competition. One of the greatest assets of the L.G.O.C. was its personnel. Mr. D. Mite replied for " The Company." " One hears," be said, "of corning opposition." It must be remembered that the L.C.O. Co. had expended £3,000,000 to attain il.s present position. It perhaps was not realized how real an effect the 100th part of a penny saving on running expenses had on tbei e finances. The L.G.O. machines were now running 100,000 miles a day : or a distance equal to nearly four times round the earth.
Mr. LULHAM POCND said there was a larger proportion of the staff present at this dinner than on previous occasions. He congratulated Mr. A. C. Church, time head of the old horse department, upon his elevation to the directorate. Another remarkable record of service on the part of a member of the staff was that of Mr. A. Gibson, the cashier, who was now retiring ; he had been in the company's service ever since it started, 55 years ago. He, lbe speaker, said that the horse would entirely have passed, so far as the L.O.G. was concerned, by this time next. year. There was no doubt the II-type motorbus was the best machine of its kind. He hoped that the company would long continue to have B's on their bonnets but never in them."
MR. J. C. MITCHELL, in replying for the Staff, said that, while admitting the appropriateness of a music-hall ditty, which he believed was entitled " Let's all go down the Strand," he ventured to ask his hearers' acceptance. of the following couplet in addition :—
" How (loth the General busy B In coat of red and brown, Now gather money all the day From every street in town."
He paid a generous tribute to Mr. Gibson, the retiring cashier, as well as to the rest of the staff.
Mr. E. SEARLE, the chief engineer, who proposed the visitors, said 'he knew that lookers-on saw most of the game, but there were some things in their record which were not, perhaps, apparent. He would like to tell the visitors that the Waltham stow works had turned out 279 complete chassis during the last, six months, and this work was in addition to the manufacture of spare parts. This was a record, he claimed, that no maker. of purely-commercial vehicles had yet achieved. He referred to criticism which had appeared in certain papers with regard to the company's construction policy. As a matter of fact the new B-type machines were not so light as the original de Dions from which they had had such excellent service. He assured everyone he was prepared for the threatened competition. Mn. E. SHRAPNELL SMITH., on behalf of the visitors, thanked the company for its hospitality. As he noticed the absence of other gentlemen connected with the Press, he felt inclined to let those present into a secret. As evidence of the unusually-energetic nature of the efforts of thecommittee which had been responsible for the evening's arrangements, he stated that the honorary secretary of the committee, when over the telephone he asked him to reply to this toast, had actually offered to write his speech for him, in view of the short notice he could give Venturing to enlarge somewhat the scope of his reply to this toast, he would like to say that the company was now in a dangerous position owing to the possibility of apathy following such success. They must keep their noses to the grindstones for a long while yet. lie suggested they should toast " the Great Day," and that that day should be the day when the L.C.C. tramway authorities sued for terms of peace from the L.C.O.C. or when they finally decided to tear up their rails in disgust. Mn. A. CRANE proposed the health of the chairman, in a few well chosen words.
Interspersed with the speeches were the items of an excellent musical programme, to which Miss Carrie Tubb. Miss Gladys Coppin, Miss Olive Fox, Mr. A Heather, Mr. J. Chilcot and Mr. Fred. Curtis contributed.
The dinner committee consisted of Messrs. Ashby, Crane, Fyson, Grist., Lansdown (hon. see.), Peaty, Searle, Schmidt, and Talbot, and to these gentlemen every praise is due for the organization of so large and successful a function.