"
In 1907 the Duke became a member of the Royal Automobile Club and
submitted all his drivers for examination for the certificate. The test
took place at Welbeck, when there were shown several technical drawings
executed by the candidates, who all passed with merit and received their
certificates.
The Duchess on one occasion made some observations in public on motors,
and expressed a doubt as to whether any of her friends would forsake the
horse in favour of mechanical locomotion. That time, however, came
about, and now the Duchess is claimed as a patroness of the car, which
if prosy, compared with the delights of horsemanship, is, nevertheless,
useful for accomplishing distances which horses are not expected to
cover.
In a speech in the House of Lords, the Duke said he considered the
advent of the motorcar could not but have a weakening influence on the
horse-breeding industry, and before very long several of the functions
which horses at present perform, both in the towns and country
districts, would be carried out by mechanical means.
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