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Auckland Star, Volume XLI, Issue 4, 5 January 1910, Page 2

The 21st anniversary of Mf. Dun? lop's invention of the pneumatic tyre for bicycles was celebrated in London in November with a banquet, at which a presentation was made to Mr. Harvey dv Cros, by whom the invention was fostered in its infancy. Some extraordinary statistics of the growth of the cycle trade during the past 2l years were given at the banquet. In 1889, the number of cycles in the United Kingdom was, approximately, In 1909, it was 3,000,000. The export of cycles in the last six months was 840,822. The approximate capital investment in the cycle-making trade and allied trades at the present time is' tweiity-iive millions sterling, and the capital value of the cycles in use is twenty-five millions. Cyclists, apart from motorists, put into circulation in Great Britain, by. money spent in travelling, food, etc., no less than £17,000,000 per annum; the wages paid in the United Kingdom in connection with cycles, materials, and accessories are, approximately, £5,060,000 j and about one million people derive the whole or part of their income from work associated with cycle-making. These are British figures alone. In France over two million people pay the cycle taxes. This wonderful development is due very largely to the Invention of the pneumatio tari,•..'"..;■ ":::.;.. - .J.;.