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THE WELCH PATENT * * EXPIRES.

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THE WELCH PATENT EXPIRES. THE CYCLE TRADE IT THE HOTEL CECIL. The famous Welch patent expired on September 16th, and in honour of the occasion the Dunlop Tyre Co. gave a dinner to the leading members of the cycle and motor trades. The dinner was held at the Hotel Cecil, London, and was attended by over four hundred gentlemen. Mr. Harvey du Cros, the Chairman of the Company, presided, and the Vice-Chairs were occupied by the five Directors of the Company, viz.: the Earl of Albermarle, C.B., Arthur du Cros, Esq., J.P. (Managing Director), W. G. D. Goff, Esq., J.P., R. Watson, Esq., J.P., and J. B. Purchase, Esq., and by Messrs. L. M. Bergin (General Manager), Alfred du Cros, Harvey du Cros, Jnr. and W. J. Greer. Mr. Arthur du Cros, J.P., in proposing "Our Guesls," said, It is a very great pleasure to me to have the privilege of proposing a toast this evening which must always carry with it a welcome sound to the ears of Englishmen. I have often thought that the love of hospitality which is born in every Englishman and every Irishman—(hear, hear)—is one of the very best traits in the national character. An Irishman, especially, is nothing if he is not hospitable- (hear, hear)—he is never so happy as when he is entertaining others, except perhaps when lie is being entertained himself. (Laughter.) Gen- tlemen, I was in Ireland last year with an English friend, and I heard him talking to an old Irish lady, and he was telling her how he admired the Irish girls. He said that he admired their industry, their good looks and their general character. She listened very approvingly, iLlld when he had finished she said Aye, and the best of it all is they are such affable devils (Laughter.) He spoke for some length, but every sentence of his speech was interesting and full of that good humour found in an Irish gentleman. Coupling with his toast the names of Mr. Walter Hewitt, President of the Cycle Manufacturers' Association, and in order of seniority Mr. Frank Bowden and Mr. C. Vernon Pugh, he sat down amidst loud and continuous applause. In responding, Mr. Hewitt said "Mr. Chairman my lord and gentlemen, a lew days ago 1 neara a story of a gentleman who was present at a garden party and to his dismay he found that a certain part of his apparel depended entirely on the stability or otherwise of one weak button. (Laughter.) When the dreadful calamity was over, he was asked if he did not feel dreadfully put about, and his reply was that all his thought was of the dreadful responsibility which was placed upon that one button. (Renewed laughter.) Mr. Chairman and gentleman, by a chapter of accidents, I find myself to-night in the position oi that one button, for I am called upon, as president of the Cycle and Mocor Trades' Association, to respond to the toast which has been so ably and eloquently proposed by Mr. Arthur du Cros- (applause)—and I assure you I feel that responsi- bility, because the gathering to-night is not an ordinary one it is an important one." Continuing, he expressed the appreciation of the trade for the efforts of the Dunlop Co. in the past, and as to the future they looked forward with hope feeling assured that the Company would protect them from invasion. I would respectfully remind the directors of the Dunlop Pneumatic Tyre Company that their influence far exceeds the limits of their Board room, and their influence in the cycle trade is unique, that they are associated not only with the tyre question, but with the very question of the life or otherwise of this important industry. (Hear, hear.) I have stated that your influence on the cyole trade is far reaching, that you are connected with other branches of the tyre trade, and that the question of the future largely depends upon the action of the directors of the Dunlop Pneumatic Tyre Company. We hope that your influence in the future will be only for good, and that this time next year the members of the cycling trade and cycle industry may be able to entertain you, and say Well done, good and faithful stewards.' (Applause.) On behalf of the guests, in my humble position, I beg to thank you." (Renewed applause.) Mr. Hewitt was then followed by Mr. F. Bowden and Mr. C. Vernon Pugh, who both ably fulfilled their duties on behalf of the guest. The toast of the Press was proposed by Mr. A. J. Wilson, of A. J. Wilson and Co., Ltd., the firm who has so long and successfully conducted the Company's advertising. Mr. R. J. Mecrecly, of the Irish Cyclist, and one of the early directors of the Company, in replying, gave a characteristic incident of the Chairman's qualities as a business man. He said; I remember as though it was yesterday, an occasion when Mr. Harvey du Cros arrived at the Board with one of his fingers in a sling. I asked him what was the matter, and lie said that a man had insulted him and broken his finger. (Laughter.) It was two years later that I heard the story of the incident. It appeared that Mr. du Cros was having his lunch at a Dublin restaurant at that period he was a keen cyclist and be was dressed in a cycle suit of corduroy. Three very big Cornishmen, who were about half seas over, happened to come in, and n-ioir ef.arfArl making nersonal remarks. One sai(I to the other,' Look at the funny little nv«n in the- fustian.' Mr. du Cros took no notice. He was washing his hands and his coat was off. Then he put his rings on and his coat on, and going up to the biggest of the men he pulled his hat over his eyes and said, Look at the funny big man in the top hat.' (Laughter.) Gentlemen, that is the- way the row began. It lasted about three minutes, and then the big man was laid out. (Laughter.) Mr. du Cros broke a finger, and it showed me what has been proved in actual experience, that we had a genuine man in the Chairman, and we wanted such a Chairman because our history from that day has been a series of lights. Mr. H. W. Staner of the Autocar also ably re- sponded. Mr. A. Eadie, having proposed the toast of The Hosts (the Dunlop Pneumatic Tyre Co.)," the Chairman rose to respond. He said I am sure that you will all realise how happy it would make me to be able to express myself to you in fitting terms this evening. But, as I said before, happily or unhappily the time has flown, and I am not in a position to speak as my heart prompts me. But 1st me say shortly that I am intensely grateful to this representative assembly foz coming to visit us this evening. Gentlemen, my son has referred to the fact that we have never had a commercial dispute with our clients in 1.5 years. We never had a patent dispute with the cycle trade during those 15 years. We have been exposed to a great deal of imposition, but never by the cycle trade. They have been absolutely honest and straightforward with this Company from start to finish, and there has never been a single word of dispute between us on a patent matter, notwithstanding all the temptations that have been brought before us. It has been said that this Company is a monopoly. If we had wished to establish a monopoly we would then have opened cycle depots in all the towns in the United Kingdom and kept the sale of those tyres to ourselves. We never entertained such tti) iclpa fnr n sinnlfi moment. Further, in order not to establish a monopoly there were long headed men in the cycle trade who came to us and offered to take all the tyres that we could make if wo agreed to supply nobody else. We were in doubts at that -ime as to whether we could succeed or not. That was a tempting offer, but it was not accepted. We resolved to open our patent to the world." Continuing the Chairman said Now, gentlemen, the Welch patent, as you know, is about toexpire; the other one exists for another nine weeks, but from to-morrow morning, as far as automobile users are concerned, the patent that we still control will make no difference in the price of English tyres as compared with foreign ones. Gentlemen, I will now proceed to give you the elegy of the Welch patent: "Here lies Welch; he was saddle or ai-eli shaped he rested on a median convexity; his boundaries were iiiextetisible he dies, and yet he lives, no longer for the few, but for the use of all. « According to Irish custom this is his wake these are his ashes. But according to another lush monumental legend, there arises from these ashes a vhcenix. That phoenix is Dunlop, The manu- facturer.' Welch is dead-Dunlop lives. He too is saddle or arch shaped; his median convexity is the wot Id; 71 his boundaries are exte/lsible-may they ca-tfttdj Long live Dunlop, the manufacturer." As this elegy" was being said the official papers of the Welch patent were consigned to flames, and the old grandfather's clock bebiuc; :he presidential chair tolled out the hour of midmgJt to tho strains of Chopin's Funeral March played by the orchestra.

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