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By "The Extractor."
Food Profiteering is Worse.
There is, I understand, much sympathy expressed amongst Midland manufacturers for the exceptionally severe penalty served out to Mr. Oscar Harmer, the general .manager of Alfred Herbert, Ltd., Coventry,,. for food hoarding, namely, 2500 fine, £50 costs and one month's imprisonment, besides confiscation of the food. It is a sledge-hammer application of the law for an offence which is certainly very reprehensible but, anyhow, understandable with a man's solicitude for his family wants. We cannot, of course, put up with food hoarding, but, to my mind, profiteering is a more venal and wicked offence, What is to be done with the offenders in the rabbit scandal? So far as I can see, profiteers in food stuffs are getting off scot free.
A Neat Sample.
A sample gas container was exhibited to me at Leo Swain and Co.'s the other day. Swain always thinks things put on his own lines, and he has provided each of his agents with a sample bag complete, which folds up about the size of an attache case. Every container he sells is put through a thorough test, and he hopes shortly to announce that he will guarantee his bags against leakage.
A Phenomenal Sale.
By an odd chance, I was present at a sale of Foden wagons at Manchester last week, and observed for myself a, unique testimony to the market value. of these vehicles. Bradshaws were selling by auction six wagons of various ages belonging to T. Williams and Son. The yard was crowded with users and a good sprinkling of expectant agents, one of whom made an offer before the sale for the entire fleet. This being declined, he asked that they should be put up in one lot, but the auctioneer naturally went his own way. A staggering surprise followed when the first wagon, ten years old, fetched £1000. True, it was equipped with a new fire, box, and, probably, had been just overhauled, but it fairly set the pace. Another fetched 2900, this being only six years old. Then one dropped down to £700; then £810 was paid for a twelve year old (this one also with a new fire box), and another produced £690. But the prize packet, and probably the biggest price ever paid for a steamer
was X,1090 for a five year old wagon. " This is better than selling horses," remarked someone to the auctioneer, and one of Foden's people who was present said, with a laugh, that it was quite evident.. the had arranged their catalogue prices of new • • wagons "altogether wrong."
011a Podrida. •
Mr. Jac Pedersen, of Firestone Tyres, goes to Paris this week..
Mr. Arthur Mann formerly of Mann's Steam. Cart
and Wagon Ltd., is aiready'a Flight Comniander --in the R.F.A. Co.,ongratulation 6 :
Whale oil is much used for hardening steel, utit is one of the oddities of the war that you obtain permission to purchase it from the Ministry of Food.
M. Sadler has left the service of Alldays and Onions, Ltd., after more than 20 years with them. He is open for a suitable position, in the Midlands.
Both John and RaymondIDennis, of Guildford, recently made a hurried journey into Devonshire because of'the serious illness of their elder brother, who has now, unfortunately,passed away:
Just when we had given up thoughts of new calendars for 1918, one from Chas. Macintosh and Co., Ltd., of Manchester, reached us. This is none the less welcome and will occupy a. good place in our offices.
"Early Worm, Guildford."
It was my lot to pay a visit recently to the Dennis factory, and I found I had to go out to the Woodbridge Works, because the administration had moved out there from the centre of Guildford.
I cannot do justice:to their new developments in a simple paragraph such as this, but I will say I have rieverkseen more compact or. better-arranged offices. The L. and S.W: run a line into the ne,west shop the
_ . latest heating arrangements have . been, installed, togetheewithen 'innovation for extracting, oil from Wood refuse, the mess-rooms for workmen, workwomen and staff have been materially enlarged, and the output of lorries and fire engines shows other than a diminution. Altogether the "Pioneers of the Worm Drive" are going ahead.'