SIR HARRY LAUDER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 20111, 23 November 1928, Page 15

SIR HARRY LAUDER.

JOKE ABOUT UNDERTAKERS. COMING NEW ZEALAND VISIT. [FROM our. own correspondent.] LONDON. Oct. 19. Sir Harry Lauder was one of the guests at a recent meeting of the Birmingham Rotary Club. His speech, proposing a vote of thanks to the giver of tho "talk," Mr. H. W. Gosling, was punctuated by many bursts of laughter. Mr. Gosling's speech was ono of tho best of its kind ever heard at the Rotary Club gathering. His subject was, "On Being a Packing-case Maker," a vocation that plays an important part in local industry. Mr. Gosling had a good-natured gruinblo at Midland manufacturers of exported goods, who, ho said, did not seem to realise tho importance of the fact that shipping companies base freight charges on tho external measurement of tho packing-cases used. An inch or so that might bo unnecessary would mean the addition of several shillings to the landing charges to tho consignee. He suggested there was a certain lack of imagination in considering the feelings of the customer in matters of this sort. Certain South American port authorities, said Mr. Gosling, had inflicted a fine of over £5 bccauso his firm made a mistako of 141b. in stating the net weight of a consignment. In a sense, tho packing-case industiy was a modern development duo to tho invention of lifting appliances and mechanical runways, lri his grandfather's timo 90 per cent, of tho employees of tho firm were ' coopers. 1 Casks were then in demand, becauso casks could bo rolled. Now tho coopers had practically disappeared. Sir Harry Lauder cracked his first jest by introducing undertakers as casemakers; and on being informed that at present no undertaker belonged to the club, ho suggested there would be a rush for niembershr, onco tho fact got known. Referring tc Mr. Gosling's mention of the diflicult.y of making a collapsible packing-case that could be folded up after use, he said; "I'll try my best to make ye a collapsible case; but mind, I'll charge ye well for it." Ho went on to confess he could not get any "inspeoration" whilo wearing "troosers," but if ho had worn kilts tho caso would have been different.

A story was told by Sir Harry about an elderly Scottish lady whom ho had tried to entertain for a solid hour—together with her guests—and who confessed to a friend afterwards that "it took me all ma' time not to bo laughing at him." The old lady evidently thought sho would bo offending him if sho laughed nt her guest. "It just shows tho Presbyterian spirit," added the speaker. Sir Harry ended on ft rather pathetic note. Ho had been having a trying time in tho last year, he said, and ho felt ho was getting to tho end of his tether. As a insult ho had decided to take a long holiday by travelling to Now Zealand, where it will be summer soon.