“A1 AT LLOYD’S.”

Hokitika Guardian, 18 July 1925, Page 4

“A 1 AT LLOYD’S.”

■ I have been impressed, as everyone must lie, by the extraordinary and romantic history of Lloyds, outlined in yuiir Address, and by its evolution from an ordinary seventeenth century coffee-house to the great public and international institution so familiar to a., all. C romwell said that no one rises so high as he who does not know whither lie is going, anil this has held in our organisations as well us i» men.”—ilis Majesty the King. With these words the King laid the foundation-stone ol iho new Lloyd s building which is to rise in the City of l.oinloii. It is not surprising that nearly all the newspapers used the famous phrase, "AI at Lloyd’s. ‘■Lloyd’s has outgrown itself. I here is no longer room ill the buildings of the Royal Exchange for the conduct ol its world-wide business. But the name which it takes from the little old cnl-fee-hoiise and its hardly-known owner enterprise, of a prescience far in ad\unco of the time—will survive, as it lias through well over two eontiuies, unchanged,” savs the ** limes. "It has stamped itsoll indelibly on the popular imagination, and ‘AI at Lloyd’s’ has a meaning, quite apart from anything to do with marine insurance, which makes it a hall-maik of excellence. The position of the Chairman of Lloyd’s now held by Mr I’. J. Arackinnon, is one of the most honorable and coveted m the eoiiiiliei- ' vial world.”

"To Lloyd’s comes m-ws of maritime ndvaniures in all l.Le seas. To Lloyd’s Hashed the news of the sinking of the Titanic, to Lloyd’s conies news ol the stranding of a mud barge on the banks of an African river,” comments the " Unify .Mail.” "No buoy goes adrilt. no light, at sea is moved or extinguished, hut tienews of il comes to Lloyd s and is distributed throughout the maritime world. " l-’rom the corpiuntioii of Lloyd’s sprang ‘Lloyd’s Register.’ that great elassilicatioii society the hall-mark ol Which has become a colloquialism for excellence. T'or who has not heard Ihe phrase ‘AI at Lloyd’s’ I' This society inliils a national function in creating a , standard of safety and stability in ships width is respected by other nations. "Lloyd’s, indeed, serves ilm nation, and il must not In- InrgoLlcn that even in their daily avocation tlm underwriters perforin a national service; for without the protection of insurance hardly a ship would sail, hardly a cargo lie carried, and our oversells (Oiu-ir.-jrie. which is our life-blood as an island nation. would dwindle to

In all seven si-lb there is a nurd for indubitable, universally accepted, and guaranteed quality ’At at Lloyd s. Il is 4hil \- the certificate of a semiprivate combination of British marin ■ > insurance brokers, hut it connotes the whole of British probity and British credit,” says the "Star.” " If we sav a thing is so, it is so. If we say we will pay. the world (and particularly Rinciiea) knows we will pay. If we say a ship is sound, it is sound. It would lie difficult to overstate the imparlance ol the part which tins reputation for exact reliability has played in the Imilding-up of the British Empire. "It has outgrown its ancient quarters in the Royal Exchange, it needs room to stretch its elbows, and in its palatial new building it will carry on that high tradition which is crystallised in its certificate.

"Conipetitieii will he fierce, our supremacy in many a world-contest will ho challenged. Tho measure in which wo survive as a great natiiion will depend on our maintenance ol our old reputation. Me need never despair while the world asks for goods marked ‘.Made in England’ and while the hallmark- of a sound ship is 'AI at. I.lovd’s.’ ”