T he a n n u a l b a n q u e t w as^held in th e G rosvenor R e s ta u r a n t.
A fte r th e u su a l loyal to a s ts h a d been proposed by T h e P r e s i d e n t , a n d duly honoured, M r . R . O . P a t t e r s o n , r e tir in g P re s id e n t, proposed th e to a s t of “ T he C ity of G lasgow ,” w hich, in th e absence of th e L o rd P ro v o st, he coupled w ith th e nam e of B a ilie A ngus M cD ougall.
H e e x p lain ed a t th e o u ts e t t h a t th e ea rly h isto ry of Glasgow com m enced in th e s ix th c en tu ry . O w ing to th e excep tio n ally fav o u rab le position of th e c ity g eographically, i t developed its boundaries v ery e x ten siv ely . So m uch was t h a t th e case t h a t w hereas th e p o p u la tio n of Glasgow in 1801 was some 17,000 odd, i t was to -d ay well over a m illion.
I t h a d th e m a s te ry of th e sea on one side, while i t w as s u rro u n d e d by collieries t h a t provided excel
le n t coal. As E n g lish m en well knew , Glasgow was c ap ab le of p ro d u c in g ex cellen t p ig -iro n . I n th e e a rlie r stag es of its care e r Glasgow h a d trem en d o u s difficulties to co n ten d w ith in o rd e r to g a in an access to th e sea. In d e e d , some y ears ago th e R iv e r Clyde was only fit fo r th e n a v ig a tio n of sm all bo ats. An im m ense sum of money h ad , how
ever, been expended in o rd e r to b rin g th e sea to Glasgow, an d th e o u tla y in t h a t d ire c tio n had m ade fo r th e g en eral developm ent an d advance
m e n t of th e city .
B a i l i e A n g u s M c D o u g a l l , in rep ly in g to th e to a s t, sa id i t was o fte p a nxoot p o in t fo r discussion
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to a s t lis t ow ing to th e absence of in v ite d guests.
The to a s t of “ The F o u n d ry an d A llied In d u s tr ie s ” w ould now be proposed by M r. H . Thomson C lark , m a n a g e r of th e “ Glasgow H e ra ld ,” and th e rep ly would come from S ir A rchibald M clnnes S haw an d B ailie A. G hogan, of th e C e n tra l Iro n - m oulders’ A ssociation, F a lk irk .
M r . H . T h o m s o n C l a r k said since th e knowledge h ad come to h im t h a t he was to propose th is s e n ti
m en t he h a d been tr y in g to realise w h a t th e fo u n d ry tr a d e in Glasgow an d th e kingdom really re p re se n te d . H e h a d been tr y in g to analyse th e w ord fo u n d ry , an d if h is assum ption was correct as to its m ean in g th e n th e fo u n d ry in d u s try m ust be one of th e key in d u strie s. P rin c e H e n ry , in a re c e n t speech in Glasgow, h a d v e n tu red to rem ark t h a t Clyde lab o u r w as synonym ous w ith excellence.
W h eth e r t h a t r e p u ta tio n would he conceded by those fro m th e o th e r side of th e B order he could n o t say, h u t a p p a re n tly from th e look of th e au d ien c e w hen th e h aggis was b ro u g h t those p re s e n t a p p e a re d to be th o ro u g h ly a p p re c ia tiv e of S co tlan d . (L a u g h te r.) T hen he und ersto o d th a t i t was com ing on to a period of 25 years since th e I n s t i t u t e was founded. K n ow ing t h a t circu m sta n c e as to th e i r h isto ry , he would ask th e m to c a s t th e i r m inds back over th e la s t q u a rte r of a c e n tu ry . I f th e y d id so, th e n i t seemed to him th e y would be able to a p p re c ia te th e considerable ad v an ce t h a t h a d been m ade in th e fo u n d ry tra d e .
S i r A r c h i b a l d M c I n n e s S h a w p re d ic te d th a t M r. J o h n C am eron w ould m ake one of th e b e st p re sid e n ts th e I n s tit u te of B ritis h F oundrym en ever had. A lth o u g h tr a d e a t th e m om ent m ight be dull, th e y w ere n o t d is p irite d . B u t th e dullness was n o t confined to th e fo u n d ry an d allied indus
tr ie s —i t w as dull in m any o th e r places. B ritis h foundrym eii w ere a scientific body of m en. They d id n o t know in th ese difficult tim es w h eth er th ey could m ake money o r n o t, b u t if th e y could m ake good castin g s t h a t was e v e ry th in g . T he m aking of good castin g s w as th e one th in g t h a t w orried fo undrym en. G enerally speaking, how ever, th e B ritis h fo u n d ry m a n w as a m an of g r e a t resource.
H e knew th e m ethods an d processes of his tra d e , a n d h e was co n siste n tly o u t for im provem ent. H e w as well aw are t h a t fo reig n ers w ere tr y in g to b eat
B ritis h e rs in m an y th in g s , b u t h e held ten ac io u sly to th e view t h a t th e y would n ev er b e a t G re a t B r ita in in fo u n d ry m en .
B a i l i e A. G. L o g a n , w hose n a m e was also associated w ith th e se n tim e n t, said h e h a d been a fo u n d ry m a n sin ce he h a d ¡been able to do a n y th in g a t all. As a fo u n d ry m a n he to o k a p rid e in k now ing e v e ry th in g t h a t p e rta in e d to th e fo u n d ry . N o t only so b u t he fe lt p ro u d of th e fa c t t h a t th e w orkm en a t all tim e s seem ed to ta k e a p rid e in th e w ork th e y Were p ro d u cin g . I f he knew a n y th in g a t all of th e aim s of th e I n s tit u te of B ritis h F o u n d ry m e n he should sa y t h a t one o f th e i r chief o b jects a n d d esires was to en co u rag e tr a in in g so t h a t th e p ro d u c tio n of o u tp u t m ig h t be th e b est o b ta in a b le from th e com bined a p p lic a tio n of science an d skill. H e ag re e d w ith S ir A rchibald M c ln n e s Shaw in say in g t h a t th e r e w as no d a n g e r fro m fo re ig n co m p etitio n in th e fo u n d ry an d allied tr a d e s so lo n g as th e y h a d ev ery m ean s of a p p ly in g rese a rc h a n d scien tific p ro d u c tio n , com bined w ith th e p h y sical skill of th e w orkers them selves. As Scotsm en, how ever, an d as fo u n d ry m en th e y w ere p ro u d of th e fa c t t h a t th e y w ere capable of tu r n in g o u t m en who could go to th e ends of th e e a r th a n d c a rr y on th e in d u s try . F a lk irk , th e c e n tre of th e lig h t c a s t
in g s in d u s try , pro d u ced m ore th a n e m in e n t fo o tb all p lay ers. I t w as a d is tr ic t t h a t w as cap ab le of p ro d u cin g v ery good c a stin g s. T h ere w as a feelin g in certain - circles t h a t th e I n s t i t u t e of B ritis h F o u n d ry m e n was a n o rg a n isa tio n t h a t belonged to th e em ployers. H e h a d h e a rd t h a t re m a rk e d before, an d he w a n te d to w a rn th e m em bers of th e d a n g e r of such a feeling. I t o u g h t to be rem oved as soon as possible. S o m eth in g o u g h t to b e done to show t h a t th e I n s t i t u t e w elcom ed a ll in to its o rg a n isa tio n , a n d th e aim w as to im p ro v e w ork a n d scientific fo u n d ry p ra c tic e . I f th e y could d is pel t h a t feelin g , th e n M r. Jo h n C am eron w ould h av e re n d e re d , d u rin g h is y e a r o f office, an in e s ti
m able service to th e I n s tit u te of B ritis h F o u n d ry m en.
The Toast of the Institute.
M r . J a m e s W e i r th e r e a f te r proposed th e to a s t of
“ T he I n s t it u t e of B ritis h F o u n d ry m e n .” H e e x p lain ed t h a t he h a d been asked by h is b ro th e r, L o rd W eir, to express h is sin cere r e g r e t a t n o t
b e in g w ith th e m on th e occasion of th is b an q u et.
L o rd W e ir h a d received a n u rg e n t call, w hich he could n o t see a n y w ay of avoiding, a n d personally he could assu re th e P re s id e n t t h a t no one re g re tte d th e absence of L o rd W eir m ore th a n he did.
(L a u g h te r.) H e fe lt, how ever, he could ad eq u ately re p re s e n t h is b ro th e r in expressing a p p re c ia tio n of th e I n s tit u te of B ritis h F o u n d ry m en . T he I n s ti
t u t e was u n d o u b te d ly a v ita l a n d liv in g force in th e d evelopm ent of th e in d u s try w ith w hich i t was associated. The a r t of castin g m etals was still far fro m b ein g a n e x a c t science— in fa c t i t w as only em erg in g from th e e ra of th e d o m in atio n of tr a d i tio n a n d c r a f t skill. So much th e m ore im p o rta n t, th e re fo re w ere th e a n n u a l Conventions of th e I n s t i t u t e in fo rm in g a c le a rin g house of in fo rm a
tio n , d a ta , an d ex p erien ce, an d in co -o rd in atin g th e allied sciences of m e ta llu rg y an d en g in eerin g . W ith in his own experience he h ad seen th e en o r
m ous p ro g ress w hich h a d been m ade in th e tech n iq u e of th e in d u s try , and in th e elu cid atio n of th e u n d e rly in g p rin cip les govern in g it. B u t th e y could n o t h av e failed to notice t h a t no sooner had th e y solved th e problem s of to-day th a n th e pro
gress of e n g in e e rin g an d th e o th e r in d u strie s which th e y served s e t still h a rd e r problem s for to-m orrow . T he in te rn a l com bustion engine, for exam ple, w ith its e x tre m e te m p e ra tu re g ra d ie n ts, h a d necessi
ta te d an e n tire ly new ty p e of p ractice a n d re search . I n fa c t, he personally th o u g h t i t w as n o t too m uch to say t h a t th e f u r th e r progress of th e in te rn a l com bustion engine depended on th e foun- d ry m a n . On th e o th e r h a n d , th e progress of aero n a u tic s, w ith its d o m in a n t re q u ire m e n ts of lig h t
ness, h a d equally given rise to new problem s fo r th e fo u n d ry callin g fo r new m ethods of solution. In b o th of th e se fields of developm ent th e i r local b ra n c h had ta k e n a w o rth y p a r t. In d eed , in t h a t connection he fe lt disposed to say t h a t th e I n s titu te of B ritis h F o u n d ry m en w as to be c o n g ra tu la te d on its progressive policy an d its bro ad outlook. T h a t w as evidenced by th e fa c t t h a t p ap ers h a d been e xchanged w ith F re n c h , B elgian and A m erican S ocieties. T hus th e y were keeping them selves in close to u ch w ith th e p ro g ress w hich was b ein g m ade in o th e r co u n tries. I n a d d itio n to t h a t th e y m ust keep in view th e a c tiv itie s of th e C a st Iro n Re
search A ssociation an d th e B ritis h E n g in e e rin g
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A m ongst those p re s e n t w e re : —M r. Jo h n C am eron (who p re s id e d ); B ailie A ngus M c D o u g all;
M r. Ja m e s W eir, of G a th c a rt; S ir A rchibald M.
Innes-S haw , G lasgow ; M r. H . Thom son C lark , m a n a g e r of th e “ Glasgow H e r a l d ” ; H ey. D r.
M cL ean W a tt, m in is te r of Glasgow C a th e d r a l;
M r. R . O. P a tte rs o n , r e tir in g p a s t-p re s id e n t; P ro fessor A. L . M ellanby, D .S c., P resid en t- of th e Glasgow Section of th e I n s titu tio n of M echanical E n g in e e r s ; Colonel R o x b u rg h , P re s id e n t of th e Glasgow C ham ber of Com m erce; M r. J . T. Fo-rgie, H a m ilto n (M essrs. W m . B a ird & Company, L im ited , co alm a'sters); M r. J . M. M ow at, secretary of M essrs. W m . J a c k & C o m p an y ; M r. Jam es Affleck, P re s id e n t of th e S co ttish B r a n c h ; P rovost M u irh e a d , F a l k i r k ; M r. A. Logan, of th e C en tral Iro n m o u ld e rs’ A sso ciatio n ; M r. J o h n K in g , c h a irm a n of th e N a tio n a l L ig h t C astings Associa
tio n . The cro u p iers w e re :— M r. W m. B ell; M r.
J . L o n g d e n ; M r. O liver iStubbs, p a st-p re s id e n t;
M r. Y. O. F a u lk n e r, London, senior vice-presi
d e n t; M r. F . J . Cbok, p a s t-p re s id e n t; M r. Tom B e ll; M r. iG. A. D udley. The m usical d irecto r was M r. J . O. D orsie, while th e stew ard s in con
n ectio n w ith th e b a n q u e t werfe Messrs. H . Win- te r to n an d J . Longden. A fe a tu r e of th e m enu w as th e prom inence g iv en to- “ th e h a g g is.” The f a c t t h a t th e “ g re a t c h ie fta in of th e pudden ra c e ” was u shered in w ith fu ll m usical honours—
ty p ic a lly h ig h lan d a t t h a t —occasioned g re a t a m u sem en t am ongst th e E n g lish visitors.
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THE PRESENT STATUS OF THE LABORATORY