Stray Notes taken at the Olympia Showthe late Edwin roden's
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Will—Is there to be a Commercial Vehicle Show Next Year ?
An interesting item of news, which crept out at the Olympia Show, is that the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders have secured the Agricultural Hall for a period commencing in November next. Obviously, no plans are settled yet, and nothing can be done before the new Council is elected. It may be it is only a protective move. Can it possibly mean that a commercial-vehicle show is to be held there, simultaneously with the next pleasure-car show Time alone will show.
"The best-laid schemes of mice and men gang aft agley," Now, in last week's issue, I endeavoured, however inadequately, to paint a word picture of the business career of Mr. Charles Challiner, the Managing Director of the Shrewsbary and Challiner Tyre Co., Ltd., and, as we had obtained, some time ago. a caricature sketch of him, it was my intention that the " Out and Home" page should be enlivened by its reproduction. I did not see the paper until it had gone to press, and then, an inquisition revealed the culprit in the person of a youthful member of the office staff who probably will grow up and be a contributor himself one of these days, and then he will be sorry. Anyhow the sketch will be recognized on the page this week. * * * The Olympia Show dinner, held last week, is a gathering I would not care to miss, not because of any exceptional pleasure of the table, but because it comprises an interesting crowd of persons, many of whom one has not seen for months. Most of them are usually full of fresh schemes and propositions, and are generally ready for the coining fray. The speeches, too, as will have been seen from the reports in the daily papers, contained much of interest for all commercial-motor makers and users, showing the astonishing progress of mechanical transport. Sir Albert RONA was perhaps rather too lengthy, and too obvious, but he brightened up his speech with at least one bon mot, " If you desired to send a message out to the world," he said, "you must telegraph, telephone, or tell a woman." It will interest numbers of our readers to know that the will has been proved of the late Mr. Edwin Foden, of Elworth House, near Sandbach, Cheshire, and he has left estate value £70,217 gross, of which £60,436 is net personality.
A wish has doubtless been often expressed "that mine adversary had written a book." My case is different, for it is a friend of mine who has done this thing, and he asks me for a review of it. The author is Mr. " Bosch" Bennett ; he is always referred to in those terms. The title of the book is " Magneto Economy :" it perhaps may more properly be described as a booklet ; anyhow it is full of useful hints and tips, and, moreover, it can be obtained from the Bosch Magneto people free.
The opinion is expressed to me during this week by a prominent member of the S.M.M.T. Council that the right way to exhibit commercial vehicles is to put them in one gigantic hall along with pleasure cars, and there is a great deal to be said in favour of such a scheme. My friend would go fur, ther, he would include all forms of motoring, the motor-bicycle, the motor boat, and the aeroplane under the same roof and at, the same Lime. But "Where is your building?" is the natural question, and then one is referred to the Machinery Hall at the White City, The Olympia Show obsesses everything this week, and there is always a hundred things to claim the attention of the heavy-vehicle people. The tire section, for instance, teems with solid tires for vans, lorries and buses, and is worthy of close attention. The radiator firms, too, although not showing heavy patterns, are full of explanation as to how the honeycomb radiator can be swung so as to minimize the effects of vibration. I noticed this especially at the stands of Sohn Marston and the Motor Radiator Co. Then the lamp firms are now seriously tackling a lam n which will stand the road shocks associated with the use of the solid tire ; at Bleriot's exhibit, I saw an excellent acetylene self-contained headlight, suitable for lorries and steam wagons, and I understand it has been well tested over the roughest roads in Lancashire. An object-lesson of an interesting character is shown on the stand of the United Motor Industries, in the Gallery, in the shape of a gigantic pyramid of ball bearings, the product of an hour and a quarter's work in the D.W.F. factory. At Vandervell's stand, I saw an excellent electric-lighting set, suitable for buses or vans.