Dual Personality
Page 45
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Bird's Eye View By The Hawk
DUAL nationality can be embarrassing, as I discovered last week when I met Count C. DaWaste Brandolini, one of the big men in bus transport in Libya. He is probably lucky to be alive.
He served as an officer in the Italian Navy during the last war and after the Armistice was appointed controller of transport in Libya under Allied command.
About three years ago he became interested in the purchase of garage premises in England and, as a foreigner, applied for the special permission required. He was astounded when he was told that this was unnecessary, because, having been horn in the Italian Consulate at Cardiff, he was British by birth. His pleasure at this revelation was somewhat marred by the thought of what might have happened if his dual nationality had been discovered while Italy was still at war. He was visiting England to buy a fleet of used Leyland buses, others already in service having proved so satisfactory. The latter were formerly running in the Scunthorpe area.
A Better Sport
AFTER the first flush of enthusiasm, public interest in stock-car racing has waned and coach operators who hoped to derive new traffic from it have generally been disappointed. Traction-engine racing is, however, becoming a national pastime. It all began six years ago out of a wager between two farmers for a firkin of ale. Now rallies are being held all over the country. Last Saturday's event at Abingdon was a gala day for the National Traction EngineClub— and for Mr. Dennis Taylor, who was in charge -of the car-parking arrangements. Three years ago Mr. Taylor was totally blind, but with money raised by the traction-engine rally at Abingdon that year he was able, to go to Switzerland for treatment and recovered the sight of one eye. His normal occupation is the packing of musical instruments, and packing cars into a park made a pleasant change, apart from being a gracious acknowledgment of his indebtedness to the club.
Filling a Seat
'COMMEND to tour operators a useful means for filling at least one of those empty seats that are inevitable on journeys early in the season. Why not extend an invitation to a local newspaper to send a representative on the tour? Not only *would this result in valuable publicity, but it would enhance the operator's relations with the local Press.
Mr. Ben Goodfellow. general manager of Sheffield United Tours, Ltd., has done this on a number of occasions. In recent weeks, such an invitation yielded Continental touring in general—with suitable mention for S.U.T. in particular56 column-inches in a paper with some 100,000 readers in the heavy woollen district of Yorkshire.
Good Intentions
IT is not my intention:' announced a Licensing Authority at one of the earliest public inquiries, "to penalize anyone appearing before me for lack of forensic skill." On a similar occasion, he reproved counsel for adopting a manner which might be more suitable in a magistrate's court.
Such comments as these have contributed to a code which is observed by Licensing Authorities in every area. The balance is held fairly and every allowance is made for the applicant who presents his own case.' I doubt, however, whether every applicant for a licence understands all that is going on, beyond the obvious fact, in his mind, that an effort is being made to prevent his getting what he wants. Someone declares that a " prima facie" case has not been established and he is none the wiser. It is on record that, hearing this phrase, a disgruntled applicant muttered, as he left the court room: "Prima facie! What's that? Say what they like, I never done it."
"Ad Hoc"
QBSCURE expressions are, however, not the sole prerogative of the law. Associations arc over-fond of announcing the appointment of an "ad hoc" committee. Once again, what is the matter with good plain English? Imagine a man who has been appointed to such a committee, and who has the dimmest possible notion of what is meant by its title, returning home, bursting with pride to announce the news.
"That's nice, dear," says his dutiful wife, happy in the thought that here is something else to keep him out of mischief. "Don't forget to put the cat out."
Colleagues in Crime
IT would be unfair to blame the Romans for our taking I liberties with their mother tongue and it would be equally futile to criticize the free use of the term "colleague," which appears to be a product of the mid-20th century. Formerly; one heard of fellow-worker, co-worker, mate, friend and even brother. Now, in every walk in life, it is "colleague." It has been used by the Press, in relation to the Fighting Services, as a poor and pretentious substitute for comrade. No doubt, by now, those in retirement on the " Moor " or at Wormwood Scrubs have accepted it as an agreeable alternative to that which cSmes more naturally.
Sales Promotion
EAVESIIROPPING is an engaging pastime and at the 1-4 opening of a splendid new service station the other day, I overheard a conversation between the local manager of the oil company to which the station was "tied," and his highlevel superior.
"What's the potentiality estimate for this outlet?" asked the superior. Local manager (who apparently also spoke this extraordinary jargon): "Very good, sir. I think it will probably take away a lot of business from the place just down the road." Superior: "Excellent, excellent. Whose petrol does this place sell? " Manager: "Ours, sir."
Danger Sign
AMER1CA has its own brand of snobbery, which is reflected in the alarming decline in bus receipts. A colleague who has just returned from the United States was a little puzzled when his host went to inordinate lengths to extricate his car from a crowded park to drive 300 yd. to a restaurant. Reading his perplexity in his face, his host's wife remarked: "You don't understand America. My husband is vice-president of his company and if he were seen walking, everyone would think he was going bankrupt."
S.T.R. on Space Costs
" THE direct operating costs of spaceships (after coasting for millions of miles on their transfer orbits to Mars or Venus) are likely to show a lower figure of pence per payload ton-mile than transatlantic jet airliners," Mr. A. V. Cleaver, chief rocket engineer of the De Havilland company,
told the Institute of Transport last week. S.T.R. has promised to produce specific cost data when it is needed.