Last summer a certain well-known American machine, whose gross annual business in Great Britain alone amounts to more than half a million dollars a year, was suddenly denied entrance into the kingdom. When the managing director protested that it was a necessity in hundreds of British ships he was told that it made no difference.
"But what are the reasons for exclusion?" he asked.
"We don't want English money to go out of England," was the reply.
"Then we shall not only bank all our receipts here but will bring over one hundred thousand pounds more," came from the director.
It had no effect.
"Is it tonnage?" was the next query.
"Yes," said the official.
"Then we shall ship machines in our president's yacht," was the ready response.
This staggered the official. After a long discussion the director received permission to bring in what machines were on the way; and, also, he got a date for a second hearing.
Meantime he adapted a type of machine to the needs of a certain department in the Board of Trade, sold two, and got them installed and working before he next appeared before the Trade Censors, who, by the way, knew absolutely nothing at all about the article they were prohibiting. The first question popped to him was: