}label's Brass Band is hereby heartily congratulated on its adding
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still another scalp to its long list of trophies: on Saturday last, at Belle Vue, it was popularly acclaimed the winner of the annual contest, which is looked upon by bandsmen as the chief event of the year. A championship cup and £50 are thus added to its store. The next event of importance is the contest at the Crystal Palace.
A gentleman whose name is well known to me, and who has wide connections in the motor trade, is proceeding to Australia on a business trip, via India, Straits Settlements, and other Eastern points of call. He is the principal of an extensive shipping business in the City of London, and desires to take up the agency for two or more suitable types of commercial vehicles for the countries he is visiting. I understand that his firm in London would be the responsible people. Many manufacturers are dciubtless looking for an outlet for business abroad, and if they will write to me I u ill see that they are put in touch with this gentleman.
Excellent accounts reach me concerning the Wells-Ballard winter wheel.. I was in the Midlands last week and I sought out and had a chat with Mr. Wells, and, when an opportunity arises, one of our staff is to be allowed to put the wheel to a special test and to report unreservedly on the results. We are rapidly approaching the period of the year when the wheel question seriously occupies the minds of wagon users, and I think the WellsBallard is worthy of serious notice.
Manuf a cturers will lind much of interest at the Engineering Exhibition being held during most of this month at Olympia. Tool manufacturers are much in evidence: Drummond Bros., Ltd., of Guildford, is showing a mostuseful tool for motor-repair works, bus or cab garages. It is termed the " Universal " machine, and it conihine.s live tools in one, viz.: a 7 in. S.S.S. lathe; an 18 in. centre heavy lathe; a boring machine; a universal miller ; and a drilling machine. Fuller particulars will be given later.
I read, in a paper the other day, a paraphrase of one of the mottoes which were instilled into me in my early days by rigorous parents, but which fell, I fear, on barren ground. The modern version ran " Early to bed and early to rise and you will miss a lot of the best people." I thought of this when I turned in at bedtime to the Midland Hotel, at Birmingham, recently, and found the place alive with motor folk. I don't know any hotel in the country which is such a rendezvous as this, always excepting of course certain hotels at the period of provincial shows, and, perhaps, the Midland at Manchester runs it very close, but everyone seems to find his way, sooner or later, to Birmingham on one mission or another, and invariably a late sitting is the natural outcome; one hears an astonishing exchange of motor gossip, countless theories, and many real reasons for amalgamations, and the like. The tire men have perforce. to sit cheek by jowl; rival ignition specialists are there in friendly converse; the Sheffield steel people also make this their headquarters when they are out for business in the Midlands: lastly, it is also a rendezvous for that small community of overworked and underpaid —but, as far as I can notice, not underfed—motor Pressmen.