PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS

G en tlem en ,—I t is five years since o u r la s t Con­

fe ren ce was held in Glasgow u n d e r th e presidency of M r. R iddell, a n d i t is m y p riv ileg e to welcome you a g a in to S cotland, w here I t r u s t we shall have a successful g a th e r in g an d he favoured w ith good w e a th e r.

I t is a m a t te r of re g r e t t h a t th e coal an d m etal in d u s trie s a r e e x tre m e ly depressed, especially locally. O nly th e fo u n d ries m ak in g lig h t castings h av e th e i r o u tp u t a p p ro ach in g th e norm al, while some of th e la rg e r shops an d fo u n d ries h ave n o t been so q u ie t fo r m any years. T he in d u s try , how­

ever, h a s w ea th e re d m any a sto rm in th e p a st, and i t is to be hoped t h a t th e p re s e n t conditions will speedily d isap p ear. I t is d u rin g such periods th a t p ro g ressiv e firm s ta k e a d v a n ta g e of th e q u ie t spell to c a rr y o u t im p ro v em en ts an d re-o rg an isatio n . T h ere is tim e to o v erh au l obsolete p la n t, to im prove p ra c tic e an d co n d itio n s of w ork, an d to effect econom ies. I t is indeed in such tim es t h a t th e a ccu m u lated ex p erience an d know ledge of th e I n s t i t u t e become m ost valuable.

I n th e course of th e y e a r th e I n s tit u te h a s been sorely b ereav ed by th e loss of its first p re sid e n t, M r. R o b e rt B u c h a n a n , a n d by one who, h a d his h e a lth n o t b ro k en dow n, w ould h av e been elected y o u r p re s id e n t to -d ay . I n M r. B ro u g h all I was f o r tu n a te enough to m ake a w arm personal frien d , an d h av e on m ore th a n one occasion enjoyed his h o s p ita lity . H e was a fine fo u n d ry m an , equipped b e tte r th a n m ost of us, an d h e p u t th e sta m p of efficiency on e v e ry th in g he u n d erto o k . The places le ft v a c a n t in o u r ra n k s by th e loss o f those two m em bers w ill be h a rd to fill, b u t th e ir exam ple is bound to be a stim u lu s to th e y ounger g en eratio n

16

\

18

v a rie tie s of w ork. Too m uch of his tim e is ta k e n

20

So f a r , I h av e n o ted in a very ro u g h sk etch a few of th e m ore s tr ik in g p o in ts in th e w ork an d progress of th e I n s tit u te in th e p a s t a n d fo r th e f u tu re . I t m ay be on a c c o u n t o f th e fo u n d ry m a n ’s a r t being so in tr ic a te a n d so elu siy e a n d conse­

q u en tly so in te re s tin g , b u t in an y case i t is a very s trik in g f a c t t h a t o u r I n s t i t u t e h as th e fa c u lty of g e ttin g th e very b e st o u t of its office-bearers. The p a s t p re s id e n ts in p a r tic u la r h a v e g iv en a splendid reco rd of service. They h a v e b u ilt u p a n d m a in ­ ta in e d th e p re s e n t p o sitio n an d h av e b ro u g h t to th e I n s t i t u t e b o th h o n o u r a n d d ig n ity . T h is efficient an d c o n sta n t service has n o t been confined to p re s id e n ts , b u t h as b een g e n e ra l th r o u g h o u t th e b ran ch es -where th e m ore u n o b tru siv e , b u t no n e th e less efficient w ork done by local p re s id e n ts , com ­ m itte e s an d se c re ta rie s is th e m ost v alu ab le asset an y I n s t i t u t e could possess.

O ur o b ject a t th is a n n iv e rs a ry p e rio d should be to a p p re c ia te th e s p i r it of lo y alty , e n th u sia sm a n d service of th o se who h av e gone before a n d who h av e so nobly b o rn e th e b u rd e n of th e e a rly stru g g les. In s p ire d by th e ir exam ple, le t us n o t be c o n te n t w ith th e e lim in a tio n of fa ilu re s o r de­

fects, b u t le t us s triv e to im prove a n d still im ­ prove w orking c o n d itio n s a n d q u a lity u n til sub­

s ta n tia l im p ro v em en t is a tta in e d in th e m e ltin g of m e ta l a n d in th e q u a lity an d finish of th e c a stin g s.

To a tt a in th is one h as to ta k e some tro u b le , b u t help is to be found in th e in te rc h a n g e s of e x p e ri­

ence an d v isits to w orks w hich m em bership im plies, an d th e re w a rd is th e re a lis a tio n o f a t le a s t p a r i of o u r id eal, a k een er in te re s t in o u r own w ork and in creased s a tis fa c tio n and confidence from o u r custom er. I can h o n estly affirm from m y own p e r­

sonal ex p erien ce t h a t since becom ing a m em ber of th is I n s titu te I h av e g a in e d m uch, p rim a rily in th e m an y frie n d sh ip s m ade, w hich to me a re even m ore v alu ab le th a n th e know ledge a n d experiences w hich h av e been considerable.

G entlem en, I th a n k you fo r th e h o n o u r con­

fe rre d upon me, an d I shall do w h a t I can to m a in ta in th e h ig h s ta n d a r d se t u p by m y p re ­ decessors in office.

Votes of Thanks for Address.

Mr. J . S h a w , Sheffield, sa id t h a t if M r. C am eron h a d pro v id ed th e m w ith a fo re ta s te of w h a t th e y

21

h a d to e x p e c t in th e com ing y e a r, th e n th e y w ere assu red of good th in g s. Th© P re s id e n t h ad touched on th e p ra c tic a l side of th e w ork, and he h a d given th em an in cen tiv e to striv e to do b e tte r in th e fu tu re . T hey h a d been g re a tly helped by w h a t M r.

C am eron h ad said to th e m t h a t day. I t afforded him p le a su re , th e re fo re , to move t h a t th e th a n k s of th e m em bers be ex ten d e d to th e P re s id e n t fo r h is in te re s tin g in a u g u ra l address.

M r . F . J . C o o k , B irm in g h am , in seconding, re m a rk e d t h a t he h a d a good deal to do w ith th e e a rlie r h isto ry of th e A ssociation. As th e oldest p a s t p re s id e n t of th e I n s tit u te h e could a p p re ­ c ia te as m uch as anyone else th e progress t h a t had been m ade. H e well rem em bered w ith w h at fear a n d tre m b lin g th e o rig in al n in e floated th e I n s ti­

tu te . Two of th e o rig in a l fo u n d ers w ere p resen t t h a t day. T hey h ad no conception w here th ey m ig h t u ltim a te ly g e t to w ith th e I n s tit u te . Cer­

ta in ly a t first th e r e was a g re a t deal of stru g g le to p u sh th e A ssociation fo rw ard, b u t it was a d e lig h t to all of th e m to n o te t h a t progress had been m ade in num bers, w hile th e y h ad also gained in p re s tig e . H e fe lt c e rta in t h a t th e good w ork w ould c o n tin u e to he enhanced by th e acquisition of th e p re s e n t P re s id e n t.

Retiring President Thanked.

T h e P r e s i d e n t , in calling fo r a vote of th a n k s to th e r e tir i n g P re s id e n t fo r his services d u rin g th e p a s t y e a r, re m a rk e d t h a t M r. P a tte rs o n h ad v isite d all th e B ran ch es H e h ad done w h a t he could to uphold th e hon o u r of th e I n s titu te , and th e y w ere g ra te fu l to him fo r his efforts. M r.

P a tte rs o n h a d u n d o u b ted ly p u t h is h e a r t in to th e w ork. They knew he would do th a t , b u t he had su rp assed him self d u rin g th e y e a r an d had p u t in a n e x tr a o r d in a r y a m o u n t of a c tiv ity .

Mr. J . S h a w , Sheffield, in seconding, said visits to B ran ch es in d iffe re n t c en tres of th e k in d o m e n ta ile d a g r e a t deal of tim e and th o u g h t. T h a t w as a lto g e th e r a p a r t from th e corresp o n d en ce t h a t th e P re s id e n t had to u n d e r­

ta k e in re p ly in g to p o in ts raised by in d iv id u al m em bers.

Mr. B . O . Pa t t e r s o n, i n a c k n o w l e d g i n g t h e v o t e o f t h a n k s , s a i d h e w a s v e r y g r a t e f u l f o r t h e i r

22

re co g n itio n of h is w ork. H e could a ss u re th e m t h a t his y e a r of office h a d been m ost in te re s tin g . H e h ad v isited every B ra n c h of th e I n s t it u te e x ­ cep t one. T he exp erien ce h e h a d g ain e d h a d been of in v a lu a b le service to h im . H e h a d th e feelin g t h a t th e e d u c a tiv e a d v a n ta g e s of th e I n s tit u te w ere n o t stressed as th e y o u g h t to be. T h e m eet­

ings fo r discussion on p o in ts of m u tu a l in te re s t a n d difficulty h a d gone a long w ay to w a rd s im p ro v ­ in g th e e a rn in g c a p a c ity of th e m em bers. T h a t, a t all ev en ts, h a d been h is own p erso n al e x p e ri­

ence, a n d he h a d been a m em b er of th e I n s t i t u te since 1905. N ow adays he fe lt t h a t he m u s t have know n v ery little a b o u t fo u n d ry w o rk w hen he jo in e d th e I n s tit u te .

The re m a in d e r of th e session was devoted to th e re a d in g a n d discussion of P a p e rs .

Civic Reception.

I n th e a fte rn o o n , a n d b efo re p ro ceed in g to th e O ity C h am b ers fo r a civic rec e p tio n , M r. C am ero n , on behalf of th e I n s tit u te , p laced on th e C enotaph a la u re l w re a th , c a rry in g th e le tte r s “ I . B . F . ” The m em bers an d frie n d s w ere th e g u e sts of th e L o rd P ro v o st, M a g is tra te s , a n d Town C ouncil of Glasgow. T hey w ere received in th e S atinw ood Salon by B a ilie A ngus M cD ougall, who w as accom­

p an ie d by m an y of th e o th e r m a g is tra te s of th e c ity , as w ell as m em bers a n d officials of th e C o rp o ratio n .

B a i l i e M c D o u g a l l , a d d re ssin g th e com pany in th e B a n q u e tin g H a ll, re m in d ed th e m t h a t th e I n s tit u te w as form ed 22 y e a rs ago. I t was in a u g u r a te d w ith th e idea of p ro m o tin g th e in te l­

le c tu a l w elfare of th e m em bers. T h e o th e r side of its o rig in a n d in c e p tio n was to m ake, if a t all possible, fo r th e ad v a n c e m e n t of th e fo u n d ry in d u s try . P erso n ally h e was g lad t h a t h e w as in a p o sitio n to c o n g ra tu la te th e m on th e success t h a t h a d been a tta in e d . T he dem ands of m o d ern e n g i­

n e e rin g w ere now v ery e x a c tin g , an d w ith com­

p e titio n bo th severe an d in ten sified , i t re a lly behoved all fo u n d ry m en to t a k e a d v a n ta g e of every o p p o rtu n ity of a c q u irin g know ledge of m a te ria ls a n d m ethods. I t d id seem to h im (B ailie M cD ougall) t h a t th e I n s t i t u t e of B r itis h F o u n d ry ­ m en offered a v a lu ab le m edium fo r th e acq u isitio n of such know ledge.

23

M b . J o h n C a m e r o n , th e P re s id e n t, a p p ro ­ p ria te ly acknow ledged th e k indness of th e C orpora­

tio n to th e m em bers of th e I n s titu te . To his m ind th e r e w as no m ore su ita b le place in th e whole kingdom th a n Glasgow fo r a civic recep tio n to a body such as th e irs . Glasgow w as stro n g ly tie d up w ith th e fo u n d ry in d u s try as well as w ith th e h u g e coal an d m e ta l in d u s trie s. Since t h a t was th e acknow ledged position, a welcome from its civic ru le rs was bound alw ays to he very acceptable.

Mb. R . O. P a t t e r s o n , th e r e tir in g P re s id e n t, and

S i r A r c h i b a l d M c I n n e s S h a w jo in ed in th e o ra to ry , w hich, on account of th e h e a t, was brief.

I n th e course of th e a fte rn o o n th e guests were serv ed w ith lig h t refresh m en ts.