Passing Comments
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A II/feed of Praise
TRAVEL is said to broaden the mind and even a
short journey by bus can bring one into contact with interesting personalities. Recently, a man with an obviously Asiatic face but who claimed to be a citizen of Portugal, expressed his deep admiration of Great Britain's self-imposed task of bringing enlightenment and the benefits of law and order to the inhabitants of backward countries.
He said that he had twice travelled around the world and had learned to appreciate the value of the work which had been performed by us, and which had benefited great areas and a huge number of people.
Speaking as a neutral, and therefore unbiaied, he believed that our representatives abroad had done more than those of any other country to advance civilization, whilst the officials at our embassies and consulates were far more helpful and well-versed than those of other nations.
In view of the caustic criticism to which Britain is so often subjected, this was pleasant to hear.
A Bundle of Mischief
CYCLISTS often have rather a rough time in modern traffic and do not always receive the consideration which they should, provided that they obey the rules of the road. On the other hand, some of them simply ask for trouble by weaving in and out of traffic, often on the wrong side of vehicles, where they cannot be observed by the drivers, particularly those in charge of big vehicles.
Some of these traffic offences are probably the result of ignorance, but for sheer defiance the action taken by a young cyclist referred to by a correspondent is exceptional. On a wet day he was seen riding unsteadily along with one hand on the handlebars and the other trying to steady a bulky parcel with a sack thrown over it. As he approached, the "parcel" appeared to have legs, and it was seen that a small boy was crouching under the sack. At the time this was noticed the cyclist was being overtaken by a police sergeant, also on a cycle, but the sergeant passed with no more than a casual glance, the camouflage having apparently proved successful.
Girling's Jubilee Occasion
WHAT is known throughout the industry as the Girling Occasion became, last Friday, the Jubilee Occasion. It marked the 25th anniversary of the date when "Girling, Ltd.. began making friends in the motor industry."
Mr. Alex Fraser's welcome to the guests was responded to by Mr. E. M. Clayson and the Hon. Gerald Lascelles.
The remarkable progress of the company was emphasized by Mr. J. D. Bennett, general manager of the Fawick-Girling Corporation of . Cleveland, Ohio. who flew over to tell how his company bad, after a long search for the best," commenced to manufacture Girling brakes under licence in the U.S.A., where a big demand for them seemed already to be ensured.
Town Planning Criticized
A READER suggests that planners of building " estates should make more provision for shops, and that these could save traffic congestion in the parent town if they were situated in the part of the site farthest from it.
In his district hundreds of houses have sprung up far from any tradesmen, but a new butcher had to close down in a few weeks because his shop was too near that of an old-established firm, and a bus service gave new residents a choice of seven others in the town itself, where they already had to go for most of their supplies of food and other commodities.
The opening of a fresh shopping centre would be an advantage in many ways to tradesmen, customers and traffic control. At present no buses run to the part of the new town farthest from the shops.
Oil for the Millions
AT this time of stringency in the supply of " petroleum, a booklet entitled: "The Search for Oil," is particularly appropriate. Moreover it is a fine production, with many illustrations in colour, and should be of special interest to those who may have but little idea of the difficulties which have to be surmounted, and the unusual methods employed, both on land and under water, in the endeavour to find new sources of supply.
Commercial vehicles, aircraft, helicopters, drilling platforms erected on the bed of the sea, microscopes and cameras, explosives for producing seismic waves are all employed in this task, and their story makes fascinating reading. Published by the British Petroleum Co., Ltd., Britannic House, Finsbury Circus, London, E.C.2, copies are available on application to the General Department.
Harder than Diamonds
A N interesting new material, Borazon, which is so hard that it will actually scratch diamonds, is referred to by the Financial Times. Made from boron nitride, it will withstand temperatures up to 3,500 degrees C., thus showing a great improvement upon industrial diamonds, which are limited to 1,600 degrees C.
If this product of the U.S. General Electric concern can be developed on a commercial scale and at a reasonable price, it may further revolutionize much of the machining which is now effected by the use of diamonds. It might also open up uses which have hitherto been beyond the scope of any other material now available.