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"rhe 5,K-tractor" It is oftentimes a delicate matter to arrange your speakers for a public luncheon or dinner. The chairman, obviously, must have a good show ; the principal guest cannot be dictated to as to the length of his oration, and, if it be a trade society, some of the prominent officials upon whom the work has fallen have to be given opportunities to declare that it has all been a labour of love. The " indefatigable " secretary, as he is invariably called, is generally allowed to " speak a piece," and a humorous person is sometimes put up to propose the toast of the chairman. It is well within my recollection that, on one occasion when I happened to occupy the chair at some function, an old friend of mine in one of those humorous speeches said he had noticed through a long period that I had been secretary of one society, captain of one club or another, and president of this society or that, but he could not help noticing that no one had ever made me treasurer.
I was saying that the funny man usually winds up the speeches, and it generally works out very well, but there. is one feature at motor dinners in which the organizers sometimes strike a difficulty : it is the question of the Press. The raging jealousy which is supposed to permeate the atmosphere surrounding motor-Press representatives presumably creates embarrassment, and, so, at the Manchester-show luncheon, the organizers found a way out of it which, on paper, looked like an inspiration. What could possibly he better than to get the editor of one of the great Manchester dailies to respond. He would then he able to reflect the opinion of Manchester journalism on this gigantic undertaking; he would calmly review the situation from a lofty standpoint, and, generally, give tone to the event. Too long had they listened to the lucubrations of the motor Press on these occasions ; too long had they put up with the bickerings of the unselected. It looked, as I say, well on paper, but it must have felt like a cold douche when the local representative of "light and leading" contrived to compress his scholarly counsel into a tabloid form which occupied in delivery not more than twenty seeonn's.
A few echoes of the North of England Show will not, I hope, he without interest. Turimr Smith was there, but only with his Stoewee pleasure cars ; his firm has such a demand for commercial vehicles, in the Fatherland, that there is faint hope for some time to come of sending any over to this country. Mr. William Foden and Mr. Foden Davies were, of course, hard at it all the time. I looked round at the Sentinel stand, several times early in the week, but I suppose Mr. S. E. Alley had not then arrived from Glasgow. I had good opportunity of observing the earnestness and the persuasiveness of Mr. F. Coleman, with his new White commercial vehicles, because I was determined not to miss him for a little chat, and stood around for a censiderable part of a good while until he had clinched a sale. The Belsize people were on their native heath, and their new models were " the cynosure of neighbouring eyes," as Milton has it. Mr. Bert Albert, with the " Commer Cars," seemed happy to be back again in Manchester, andlold me, with pardonable exultation, how business was coming their way. Leyland Motors made a brave show, and their fire-engine, amongst other models, absolutely riveted attention. Clayton's of Huddersfield were there, too, with a new three-tonner and doing well. I was obliged to leave before Mr. Hoare. of Tasker's arrived, but I was glad to have a look over the new type which they are showing, and Mr. Tom Garner, one of the foremost Manchester agents, was justly proud of his Albion display.
Among the tire people, Mr. Leo Swain seemed to be omnipresent, and an interesting assertion was made to rue, to wit, that half of _ the total number of solid tires fitted to vehicles in the show were Pola,cks_ I was hoping to exchange a word or two with Mr. C. S. Challiner, of the Shrewsbury and Challiner Co., but the chances during my stay scented too remote, so occupied were they. Mr. Ernest Dock, of the Dook-Swain, was, unfortunately, away from the show ill, I was sorry to hear. Connolly's were there, exhibiting, and rightly proud of, a recent testimonial from McNamara's, the large mail-coach and general contractors. A great display of steel castings, crankshafts, etc., was made by Fried. Krupp, of Essen, Mr. Edward Reichwald being in personal attendance.