Passing Comments
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IT is reported that the area of sugar beet concerning which contracts have been entered into for the
current season totals 394,964 acres. The crop of beet from that acreage will be approximately 3,600,000 tons. If only half this total be carried by road, namely, 1,800,000 tons, at an average price of 3s. 4d. per ton, the net revenue to the road-haulage industry will be £300,000. That will be earned over a period of just under four months.
ONE of the most able engineers of the times is Sir Alexander Gibb, who is building the new Forth road bridge, and is, incidentally, a director of the Dunlop concern. We are interested to learn from him that he has now been joined by his cousin, Major-Gen. Evan Gibb, who retired a little while ago from his position as Director of Supplies and Transport at the War Office. Sir Alexander, as a young engineer, was actually concerned with the building of Tower Bridge. rE development of the miniature ticket-issuing machine for the use of conductors is proceeding apace, and there are not wanting indications that it may not be long before such machines will be used in their thousands. Hitherto, their employment has been mainly for experimental purposes.
WHATEVER may be said of sales conditions in YY the home market, the Board of Trade returns clearly point to an increasingly satisfactory state of affairs in the export field. Figures for July indicate that not only are exports of complete commercial vehicles being well maintained, but that those of commercial chassis are making an excellent showing. In the latter cla_ss the number sent abroad was slightly lower than in July, 1933 (508 against 522), but their Value rose from £74,826 to £114,646, i.e., frdm 143 to R2'26 per chassis. The figures are significant and provide a valuable pointer to the class of vehicle likely to find increasing favour overseas.
SUGGESTIONS are being put forward for Immensely expensive schemes for the watering of London's streets with sea water, but the need is far less apparent now than it was a few years ago. Road surfaces are becoming dustless, and by the time such schemes could mature their utility, would have practically disappeared.
WE are glad to observe that many cyclists are vy voluntarily adopting rear lights on their machines in place of reflectors. A reflector is useful only if it has a moderately strong light to reflect, and unless a following vehicle be utilizing its headlamps the result is almost negligible. The cost of this safety feature is so little that it might well be used to a much greater extent.
THE novelty and interest attaching to the MarconiStine recording and reproducing equipment are such that we may be excused for bringing it to the notice of our readers. It is already in use by the B.B.C., and consists of a high-tensile steel tape, 3 nun. wide and .003 in. thick. This passes between small electro magnets with tiny, staggered permalloy pole pieces, which change the sound into the form of graduated. semi-permanent magnetism. When the tape is unwound through the reproducer, the variation of the magnetic field induced gives almost perfect tonal quality. The tape can be used several times without any deterioration of quality being detectable by the• human ear.
RE is not much cause for satisfaction in road ac[cident figures lately compiled from returns recei ed from 233 out of 234 police districts by the Nati nal "Safety First" Association. Although the perc ntage increases in the numbers of people killed and injured in Great Britain during the second quarter of 1934 were appreciably less than in the first 'quarter, as compared with last year,. they were higher by 1.6 and 5.5 respectively for the second three months of this year, as against 1933. The improvement shown, however, stresses the need for the continuance arid intensification of the safety-first cam aign, for it is only by such direct propaganda that successful results can ultimately be achieved.
TA I men, hire-car: drivers and others who may have to wait hours with little to do should welcome a moderately priced, compact broadcast receiVer to overcome the tedium of such times. In this ormection, we examined, at the Radio Exhibition, a particularly interesting small receiver desi led by the man who perfected the police pocket receiyer, as used by the Brighton Constabulary. The new linstrument is the Portabout, a British product, distr4buted by Marluke, Ltd., 2, Gray's Inn Road, Lon on, W.C.1, at the retail price of four guineas. It lids two midget valves in a reflex circuit, an L.T. consiliinption of 0.1 amp., and an H.T. consumption of ii milliamp. The set, including a compartment for t lephones, measures 6 ins. by 4* ins. by 41ins,, and he weight complete is 3 lb.